SOCIETY LIFE

Looking back on 1997

Events this year: General Assembly in January; reed-cutting on the ice of the Tömörd Lake; postcard series about birds by László Kárpáti, a member; Camp in Tömörd in May; exhibition and lectures on the Day of Birds and Trees; children’s drawing competition and exhibition; start of the Birdwatcher Kindergarten programme; surveys of white storks, bee-eaters, amphibians, reptiles, bats and of flora; ringing camp in the flood-basin of the Rába in July; Csörnöc-valley nature conservation camp in August; Tömörd ringing camp in October; building the Bird Observatory in Tömörd; Birds’ Christmas; lecture series titled „Practical Bird and Nature Conservation in Vas County”.
 

BIRD PROTECTION

The Protection and Population of White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) in Couty Vas – Z. Barbácsy

White storks have always been favourites of Hungarian people.  In our county protection began in the 1970s.  Körmend is called „the town of storks” and it has 32 nests even today.  Projects to help nesting include: artificial nests placed on iron poles, lifting nests from chimneys and from electric poles to iron stands.  About half of the nests were built with human help.  Protection involves protecting the feeding places, too, especially in the flood-basins of our rivers.  1997 was a „black year” for white storks as during migration the weather caused deaths.  Many nests remained unoccupied .  The average progeny was 1.21 youngs per pair.
 

The Protection of Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) and Barn Owls (Tyto alba) in Vas County in 1997 – J. Gyurácz, Cs. Gángó, Cs. Németh, A. Mesterházy, I. Fehér

Our bee-eater monitoring program has been in effect since 1991.  Earth-walls suitable for nesting are mostly in operating or closed sand-mines.  Annually about 70-80 pairs nest in 13-15 mines.  The biggest settlement in Gérce has been endangered this year, but based on our previous research the authorities and the mine came to an agreement.  Unfortunately another site was devastated by escarpment.  Church towers seem to have ceased to be nesting sites of barn owls in the past eight years as they have been closed.  Barn owls have chosen other places, especially agricultural buildings.  The decrease in the Hungarian population can be explained by the more disturbed nesting opportunities in these sites.  We are trying to help the situation with placing out nestboxes in church towers with the help of local parishes.
 

Data on the Hollow-Nesting Bird Species of the Haraszti Forest – A Mesterházy

Haraszti forest is rich in oak trees as old as 130 years.  It is an ideal place for hollow-nesting birds.  Species found: great tit (P. major), blue tit (P. caeruleus), nuthatch (S. europaea), starling (S. vulgaris), collared flycatcher (F. albicollis), wryneck (J. torquilla), tree creepers (Certhia sp.), hoopoe (U. epops), black woodpecker (D. martius), middle spotted woodpecker (D. medius), green woodpecker (P. viridis), stock dove (C. oenas), great spotted woodpecker (D. major), spotted flycatcher (M. striata).  Unfortunately the honey buzzard (P. apivorus) has disappeared from the forest as a result of the decrease in the proportion of the old parts in the forest.
 

Honey Buzzard Nesting in the Vasszilvágy Forest – I. Fehér

On February 7 we found a honey buzzard nest on an oak tree at a height of 12 m.  It had been inhabited for several years. The female bird laid her eggs in early June.  In late July a young bird was seen sitting in the nest beside some honeycomb pieces.  It fledged successfully in the middle of August.
 

CAMPS

An Account of the Work at the Tömörd Lake – P. Bánhidi

The spring ringing camp was held between May 1-10.  We did habitat reconstruction work: bushwhack and mowing.  A new camp site was cleared as the previous one was outside the area now in our possession.  We used 15 nets and ringed 258 individuals of 38 species.  The most interesting ones were: ruff (Ph. pugnax) – first data from this place, all three European Locustella species: grasshopper, Savi’s and river warblers (L. naevaia, luscinioides, fluviatilis), 12 white and 3 yellow wagtails (M. alba et flava), 12 wood sandpiper (T. glareola), 1 little ringed plover (Ch. dubius) and 1 wheatear (Oe. oenanthe).  The autumn camp was held between October 19-26.  We used 20 nets and ringed 438 individuals of 29 species.  The most common were: robin (E. rubecula) – 94, chaffinch (F. coelebs) – 78, blackbird (T. merula) – 71, brambling (F. montifringilla) – 32, chiffchaff (Ph. collybita) – 27, goldcrest (R. regulus) - 24, hawfinch (C. coccothraustes) - 21, wren (T. troglodytes) – 15.  Interesting data: firecrest (R. ignicapillus) – 5, redwing (T. iliacus) – 5, teal (A. crecca) – 1.  Besides ringing we repaired old and placed out new nestboxes and did habitat reconstruction, too.  The building of the Bird Observatory was built, which will enable us to lengthen ringing camps in the future.
 

The Fifth Nature Conservation and Research Camp in the Csörnöc Valley – J. Gyurácz

The area is one of the nicest locations in our county as it is varied with swamps, meadows and old forests.  The aim of the camp was to do research in vertebral fauna.  We ringed birds, measured their weight and fat storage.  During the ten days almost 300 individuals of 29 species were ringed.  We could detect the presence of six woodpecker species in the area: wryneck (J. torquilla), green woodpecker (P. viridis), grey-headed woodpecker (P. canus), black woodpecker (D. martius), great spotted woodpecker (D. major), lesser spotted woodpecker (D. minor).  The most common frog species were: Bombina bombina, Rana arvalis and Rana dalmatina.  Reptiles in the area include Natrix natrix, Coronella austriaca – very typical, Anguis fragilis.  Among small mammals we found Micromys minutus, Clethrionomys glareolus and Apodemus agrarius.
 

BOTANY

Data on the Flora and Vegetation of the Répce Plain – B. Keszei

The natural vegetation along the river Répce rate as „white patches” in botanical study.  Wetlands are becoming more and more important.  The list of plant species found in the area (see Hungarian version) is a complementation of previous work.
 

AMPHIBIANS, REPTILES, BATS

Faunistical Surveys of Amphibians and Reptiles in County Vas – R. Dankovics

The mapping of amphibian and reptile fauna of the county has continued.  (For a list of studied sites and the species see Hungarian version)
 

Bats of Buildings in the Őrség Region – A. Pálmai

(A chart of the numbers of found species with the location, attic or tower can be found in the Hungarian version.)