SOCIETY LIFE

Looking back on the Year 2000

Summary of the events in 2000: general assembly in January, monitoring, work of the tömörd Bird Observatory in spring and autumn, collecting data about flora and fauna, environmental education, Bird Christmas, feeding in winter, media relations, supporters of our work.
 

5 Years of Cinege – J. Gyurácz

Our newsletter, the Cinege was started in 1996.  Some examples of our work since then: purchasing the Tömörd LAke territory, beeater programme, building the Bird Observatory in Tömörd, zooligical field-surveys to help the protection of the Répce valley and the Csörnöc valley, biodiversity monitoring, Actio Hunrarica and SEEN network ringing programmes.
 

NATURE CONSERVATION

The Second Saving of Frogs near Balogunyom – T. Kelemen

Between March 22-31 the group saved 814 amphibians along rhe highway near Balogunyom, where a lot of frogs migrate every year.  Sums of the saved individuals:  Bufo bufo – 750, Bufo viridis 10, Rana dalmatina 29, Rana arvalis 6, Rana temporaria 2, Pelobates fuscus 4, Hyla arborea 3, Rana esculenta 5, Trinutus cristatus 2, Trinutus vulgaris 3.
 

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) Population of County Vas in 2000 – Z. Barbácsy

This year was poorer for the white storks than usual because of the dry weather.  the growth of the population was slow.  Some nests were restored, removed or raised by members to avoid accidents.  Listed white stork nests: 357, populated: 317, breeding in 304, average number of youngs: 2.5 (1.8 per all pairs).
 

The Breeding Population of Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster)  in County Vas (2000) – J. Gyurácz

Based on the annual survey of nesting sites the estimated number of the bee-eater couples was 181 in the 19 listed sites.  Sand martins have 5 listed sites with an estimated number of 1086 couples.  There have been new sites discovered and some potential ones, too. The ptoblems why breeding is not always successful: human disturbance, erosion of the sand-walls, some bee-keepers stuff holes.  Informing bee-keepers and restoring eroded sand-walls would be useful.
 

Protection of Bats – A. Pálmai, R. Dankovics

The authors saved bats from a room to be restored.  Because of the late signal, many of them died, the rest were fed in the authors’ home to improve their condition and they were released in spring.  From the 250 bats reported only 97 survived the early wake-up.
 

MONITORING, FAUNA AND FLORA

Monitoring Biodiversity in Tömörd – J. Gyurácz

The monitoring activity included collecting data on phytocoenosis and animals: Coleoptera, Myriapoda, Araneae, amphibians, bird populations and migration.
 

Data on the spider fauna of the surroundings of the Tömörd Bird Observatory – Cs. Szinetár

In spring in 1999 and 2000 the students of the Berzsenyi Dániel Teacher Training College (BDTF) of Szombathely collected spiders from the Turkey oak trees (Quercus cerris) around the bird observatory.  The area is very rich in spider species because of the heterogenous habitat and the amount of flying insects in the sunlit fringe of the forest.  Faunistically interesting results: Diaea pictilis, Paidiscura pallens.  (For a list of the species and numbers found see Hungarian version).
 

Coleoptera, Diplopoda, and Chilopoda fauna in an oak forest near Tömörd – Gy. Szél, Z. Korsós

The collection of data was done by the BDTF students in May 1999.  (For a list of species and numbers found with notes see Hungarian version).
 

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

The long, hot summer of 2000 was disadvantageous for amphibians, but favourable for reptiles.  The examined places include Szombathely, the Őrség and the Vend regions, Tömörd and the Kőszeg mountains.  New findings include a new breeding site of the Triturus cristatus and the Rana temporaria.  The Podarcis muralis survey has started in the Kőszeg mountains this year.  Other species: Bufo bufo, Bufo viridis, Pelobates fuscus, Triturus vulgaris, Rana dalmatina, Bombina bombina, Salamandra salamandra, Elaphe longissima, Bombina variegata.
 

Nature Conservation and Bird Ringing Camps near Tömörd – P. Bánhidi, P. Polovitzer

Between April 28 and May 6 the camp ringed 193 individuals of 34 species.  In autumn between August 20 and November 19 we ringed 4576 individuals of 72 species.  Monitoring during the breeding period found 113 individuals of 32 species.  A black cap (Sylvia atricapilla) from Sweden was recovered on September 25.  The 27 nets were put up along the edge of the forest, in the bushes and in the lake-bed (dry this year).  The observatory has a significant role in environmental education, too.  (For a list of species and numbers in spring, in the breeding season and in autumn see Hungarian version).
 

The 7th Bird Ringing Camp in the Rába Valley – S. Jene

In the middle of August along the banks of the Rába river near Horvátnánalja 14 nets were put up in the elder bushes, on the mud and in the bushes.  254 individuals of 31 bird species were ringed.  (For a list see Hungarian version.)
 

Mapping of Twig Nests in the Northern Part of County Vas – I. Fehér, A. Mesterházy

The mapping was carried out in winter and then the nests were checked in April and May.  Nests of ther following species were observed: black stork (Ciconia nigra), honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), buzzard (Buteo buteo), goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), raven (Corvus corax).
 

Data on the Bird Fauna of the Kőszeg Hills (1995-2000) – Cs. Németh

Observations of the following 25 interesting species are mentioned: black stork (Ciconia nigra), golden eagle (Aquilla crysaetos), saker (Falco cherrug), snipe (Gallinago gallinago), eagle owl (Bubo bubo), stock dove (Columba oenas), nightjar (Caprimulgus europeus), alpine swift (Apus melba), grey-headed woodpecker (Picus canus), middle spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos medius), white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos), grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea), dipper (Cinclus cinclus), dunnock (Prunella modularis), redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus), willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus), red-breasted flycatcher (Ficedula parva), penduline tit (Remiz pendulinus), nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes), raven (corvus corax), redpoll (Carduelis flammea), crossbill (Loxia curvirostra), bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula), crane (Grus grus).
 

Breeding Results of the Nestbox Colony in Tömörd – Z. Lepold

The colony of 46 nesting boxes is located in th oak forest, the bushes and the acacia grove.  The nesting species in 2000 were the tree sparrow (Passer montanus), great tit (Parus maior), blue tit (Parus caeruleus).  The ratio of successful hatching in the largest group, the tree sparrows, was 56%.
 

Nesting of the Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) in 2000 – Z. Lepold

The nest was built in the same place as last year.  From the sightings of the feeding adults we can conclude that there were two hatches, one in early April and another in late May.
 

A Short Introduction of the Monitoring of Common Birds Programme – K. Nagy

The purpose of the programme is to trace the changes in the main types of habitats on the basis of common bird populations.  The core of the method is observing the  birds by sight and hearing  while standing for 5 minutes at each of the random spots of the territory.  The observation should take place twice every spring, in the morning, when birds are most active and the same routine should be followed every year.  11 members of our society took part in the monitoring programme this year.
 

The Changes in the Vegetation of Lake Tömörd in the Vegetation Period of 2000 – B. Keszei

The water surface of the lake and its depth fluctuates considerably depending on the amount of annual rainfall.  As the year 2000 was rather droughty the lake dried up and the vegetation changed considerably.  In the lake-bed plants characteristic of swmps became dominant especiallyRorippa islandica and Oenanthe aquatica.  Around the lake species signalling degradation spread greatly, such as Cirsium arvense, Solidago gigantea, Calamagrostis epigeios and Erechtites hieraciifolia.
 

New Data on Flora of the Répce Valley and in the Northern Part of the County – B. Keszei

Mapping of the vegetation of the territory bageb in 1995.  Now the most importtant types of the natural flora has been described: tangly habitats, swamps, moors, marshlands, riparia and leafy forests.  The documentation of protected and endangered species as well as indigenious and adventive weeds has bee continuous.  This work is here complemented with a list of new data on flora.  (See list in Hungarian version)
 

EDUCATION

Birdwatcher Kindergarten – Cs. Lőrincz

The programme is very popular among children and their parents.  They have the chance to take part in activities indooors and outdoors as well as in the saving of frogs in spring, outings and programmes of the Tömörd Bird Observatory.
 

The Regional Heat of the National Competition on the Day of Birds and Trees – T. Kelemen

The regional heat was held on 31st March this year.  21 teams participated in the competition of theoretical and practical tasks.  The team of the Móra Ferenc Primary-School from Répcelak won the selection heat and could go on to the national final, where they came the seventh.
 

Birds of My Feeding-Table, A Competition for Children – Cs. Lőrincz

It was the tenth such competition about winter observations of birds for children.  The competition exhibited 200 works in the community centre: drawings, paintings, compositions and poems.