In the third decade of May the Nightjars were already actively displaying. In the evenings a pair of these birds constantly hunted in the camp area, attracted by a huge number of various insects circling in the light of electric lamps. Often, when returned late to the camp, we saw Nightjars well visible in the headlights of the car.

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Photo by S.Domashevsky, May-June 2011.

Once, crossing the bridge across the Ayaguz river, we disturbed a group of White Pelicans. One of these birds had eaten so much fish that couldn’t fly off. To lift in the air it had to regurgitate its catch and only after that was able to fly away. The catch mainly consisted of minnows and some Caspian roaches. There were 395 fishes, with a total weight of 3.2 kg. Fresh and brackish lakes always were full of active bird life. In this period we could observe there up to 8 species of ducks and 13 species of waders.
Some nests of the Long-legged Buzzards were occupied by several pairs of Indian Sparrows. Their nests, similar to those in Ukraine, located among large twigs of the raptor’s construction or were stuck as balls at the margin of interlacement of lower branches of the big nest. Some rocky outputs were occupying with colonies of Rosy Starlings, some of them include over 2,000 birds.

First days of June we very rarely had a chance to see displaying males of the Houbara Bustard. Their gracious rushes could be observed only in the morning hours. More often we saw groups of birds, gathering up to 4 individuals. On takyrs at the same time there were appearing small chicks of the Caspian Plovers. Parents almost always tried to lead away a man from their babies, imitating an injured bird.
Immature individuals of vagrant Short-toed Eagle became occuring more frequently. These birds apparently preferred certain sites where they constantly hunted or rested. More likely, it was determined by enough quantity of snakes and lizards.
On the 3d and 4th June we observed first hatchings of Steppe Eagle’s chicks. In that period females allowed the car very close, and we took rather good photos. The last meeting of the Crested Honey Buzzard was 6 June. And 11 June we encountered the first fledged Houbara’s chick which managed to fly the distance of about 40 m. By this time, vegetation of the semi-desert had apparently faded in the burning sunbeams. Songs of skylarks in the early morning became rare. In the evenings Asian Desert Warblers performed their solo, ready for the second clutch. New the village Kirovskoe (Tansyk) on a concrete pole of the power line for several days we had been observing a resting adult Imperial Eagle. Once, a male also joined to a female hovering over the riparian woodland. However, our thorough search in the riparian woodland on the both banks of the Ayaguz didn’t give any result. That is why a probability of breeding the Imperial Eagle in this area is still disputable. But when searching a nest of the Imperial Eagle we many times saw a male of the Asian Sparrowhawk carrying captured lizards to the nest. Near the camp, in willow bushes at the Tansyk River, 13 June we heard thin voices of chicks of the Long-eared Owl. All time, living near us, these owls behaved very covertly, only once the male discovered his presence by a displaying call. There wasn’t any nest, so we concluded that the female possibly laid her clutch on tightly packed branches of bushes. At Lake Chemkazh we observed a joined brood of Shelducks where the pair led 78 chicks of different age. But, about one week later, only 57 chicks remained. 20 June we recorded fledglings of the Common Kestrel. A female of the Black Grouse, having at least 4 chicks of a quail’s size, was seen in the bushes at Lake Chemkazh. The same site we encountered 2 large chicks of the Bustard calmly going away from the car without traits of disturbance. The female stood aside, at the reeds, and attentively watched our actions and her chicks. 23 June we checked breeding success of the Lesser Kestrels which lived in chimneys of the abandoned village. Only in one nest, earlier contained 3 eggs, we found 2 chicks. In other two nests the clutches were destroyed – one because of falling the wall with the nest, another nest was empty. That day we also checked the nest of the Short-toed Eagle. The female in the nest allowed our car to the distance of 6-7 m and only then flew off. The tray still had an egg. An interesting was a find of the Long-legged Buzzard’s nest on a roof of the open shed at the solitary tree. Four large chicks were ready to leave the nest in about a week. As usual, there weaved their round nests Indian Sparrows. Contrary to the last year, this year failed in registration of the Pallas`s Sandgrouse – only 5 records. However, there were lots of Black-bellied Sandgrouses, enough number of them concentrated at watering places.

25 June we left hospitable Balkhash steppes and went to Alma-Ata. Ahead it was a fascinating excursion to Charynsky Canyon and two-days visit to Tiеn Shan. There we had a good time in Natural Nature Park “Kulsai Koldery”.

During this continuous expedition we recorded a total of 183 bird species.
Among birds of prey in Balkhash area there were registrations of the following species::

Osprey – migratory, rare
Honey Buzzard – migratory, rare
Crested Honey Buzzard – migratory, rare
Black-eared Kite– breeding, common
Hen Harrier – migratory, rare
Pallid Harrier – breeding, common
Montagu`s Harrier – breeding, scanty
Marsh Harrier – breeding, rare
Goshawk – migratory, rare
Sparrowhawk – migratory, common
Asian Sparrowhawk – breeding, scanty
Rough-legged Buzzard – migratory, rare
Long-legged Buzzard – breeding, common
Common Buzzard (B. b. vulpinus) – migratory, rare
Short-toed Eagle – breeding, rare
Booted Eagle – breeding, rare
Steppe Eagle – breeding, scanty
Imperial Eagle – vagrant individuals, rare
Golden Eagle – vagrant individuals, rare
Pallas`s Fish Eagle – vagrant individuals, rare
White-tailed Eagle – vagrant individuals, rare
Himalayan Vulture – (Tien Shan) – breeding
Saker Falcon – breeding, rare
Peregrine Falcon – migratory, rare
Hobby Falcon – breeding, scanty
Merlin – migratory, rare
Lesser Kestrel – breeding, rare
Common Kestrel – breeding, common

Among Owls:
Eagle Owl – breeding, rare
Long-eared Owl – breeding, rare
Short-eared Owl – breeding, common

Sergey Domashevsky

The Saker population in Ukraine is extremely vulnerable. Major threats are poaching (includes taking out birds for falconry), inadequate food supply, lack of breeding sites. Therefore, we support a reasonable position to return the status «endangered» for the species.

At the Saker International Conference in Hungary, September 2010, there was presented a report by Yu. V. Milobog and V.V. Vetrov on the current state of population of this species in Ukraine and adjacent territories. As a result of more detailed studies conducted in recent years, the number was estimated as 315-345 pairs. The report is available here:

Milobog Y., Vetrov V. Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) in Ukraine and adjacent areas // Conservation of the Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) in Europe – Sharing the results of the life06nat/h/000096 “Conservation of the Falco cherrug in the Carpathian Basin” Project (Bukk National Park Directorate Eger, Hungary, 16-18 September 2010)

Size 40 kB, pdf-file

The middle of the first decade of May was marked with appearance of first Rosy Starlings. And the Lesser Short-toed Lark and Calandra Larks had first fledglings which become easy and accessible prey for raptors. Just at that period, we began finding first broods of the Houbara Bustard and saw displaying Asian Sparrowhawks in the river valleys of Bakanaska and Ayaguz. During daily field visits it was recorded an increasing number of migratory Sparrowhawks, Merlins, Hobby Falcons, Honey Buzzards and Crested Honey Buzzards. Sites of concentration of rodent colonies (sousliks, Libyan jirds) accumulated immature or not yet started breeding Steppe Eagles, Imperial Eagles, Long-legged Buzzard and Pallid Harriers. First chicks of Long-legged Buzzards started appearing in the nests in the late first and early second decade of May. The Quail could be already seen in mass numbers, and we often observed Pallid Harriers hunting these small Gallinaceae birds.

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Photo by S. Domashevsky, May 2011.

On the river Ayaguz (flowing into Lake Balkhash) water levels began dropping and bars with rapid waters accumulated small fish species rising to spawn. It has lead to concentration of immature Black Storks (13 birds) and White Pelicans (about 200 individuals), as well as dozens of Yellow-legged and Great Black-headed Gulls, Comon Terns. In mid-May we found Great Bustard chicks aged 2-3 days. The plains and valleys of the rivers were full of small passerine birds migrating northward. Just in the river valleys there were found nesting Montagu’s Harriers, and their males often fly away to hunt at the distance up to 5 km from their nesting sites. Lesser Kestrels in the early third decade of May incubated full clutches. Their nests were located in the chimneys of destroyed buildings of an abandoned village. At the beginning of the third decade of May in a saxaul wood there it was revealed the Short-toed Eagle’s nest, located at the height of about two meters, where the female was incubating the full clutch – 1 egg. Our Hungarian colleague, Gabor Papp, birds of prey expert, was lucky to see a young Pallas’s Fish Eagle, which is now extremely rare in Kazakhstan.

Some members of the expedition team were extremely lucky to see the saiga antelope, presently rare Kazakhstan animal. The saigas were occasionally seen in the only one part of our study area. Our group observed one female and two males. Having seen the car all animals quickly ran away. Such behaviour was due to an active press of poachers. Recent years the demand for saiga horns dramatically increased, and they are illegally transported to China to use in oriental medicine. The major range of this species lies in Central Kazakhstan. Vast herds of the saiga, once roamed in the territory, is now in the distant past. Staff-workers of the Nature Conservation Inspection told us about a case when a large habitat of the saiga after a failed rocket launch was covered with plenty of rocket fuel, resulting in deaths of 1.3 million animals of this steppe species. Three years later this situation repeated, causing 800,000 deaths of saigas.

In the semi-desert foxes were frequently recorded. Once in the headlights of the car along the road we have long pursued the corsac fox. This is a small fox inhabiting the steppe and desert zones.

To be continued …

Sergey Domashevsky

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Photo by S. Domashevsky, mid April – first decade of May, 2011

On the 1st of April, 2011 the swift-winged Boeing in 4.5 hours took me from the International Borispol Airport (Ukraine) to the airport of Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan), than it was additional 3.5 hours of waiting and one-hour flight to Shymkent (South Kazakhstan Region). From the airplane window it could be seen snow-capped peaks of the Tian Shan, plain and hilly steppes. Waiting for the arrival of other members of the expedition and setting of the good weather in the eastern part of Kazakhstan, I had to spend 2 weeks in the city. Not to lose time, we conducted ornithological observations with our Belarusian colleagues around the city and in its parks.

On the 14th of April, the procession consisting of 16 crossover vehicles and 10 trailers set off. For 3 days we drove 1440 km, saw a variety of steppe landscapes and mountains, went along the Alatau in 100 km from the Chinese border, and only when it got dark arrived in the Ayaguz district of Eastern Kazakhstan Region.

Along the road we often found a variety of birds and with Alexandr Vinchevsky (Belarus) counted birds of prey. The nests of some large species such as the Black-eared Kite, Long-legged Buzzard and Steppe Eagle were sometimes located right beside the road. The Common Kestrel was recorded along the roads in forest belts where this bird occupied nests of magpies, black crows and rooks. During this period we also observed migrating birds of prey. For 1,380 km of the route we have counted: Osprey – 2; Black-eared Kite – 114; Marsh Harrier – 3; Montagu’s Harrier – 3; Hen Harrier – 2; Pallid Harrier – 13; Goshawk – 2; Sparrowhawk – 5; Common Buzzard – 1 ; Long-legged Buzzard – 26, Steppe Eagle – 7; eagles sp. – 3; Merlin – 1; Common Kestrel – 245. It was noted several mortality cases of birds because of car collisions – three of Steppe Eagles, and also one of a light-coloured female of the harrier. Since we moved as a procession, we had no opportunity to stop and inspect dead birds. The same situation was with the inspection and photographing of roadside nests.

We located our camp in the semi-desert, 30 km from the village of Aktogay on the bank of the shrinking Tansyk River. Our studies were conducted in Ayaguz and Urdzhar areas. It is a plain territory alternating with Kazakh small hills. On some hills there are rocky outcrops, some of them up to 15-20 m high. These areas are densely populated with birds of prey, their nests located in all suitable niches and shelves. Birds of prey also nested on trees. Usually they chose short black saxauls, and in riparian forests of the Ayaguz River they used tall poplars. During this period, Pallied Harriers were actively displaying, and their games could be seen in the air just above the camp. Long-legged Buzzards already had complete clutches. Kites were engaged in repairing nests and mating games. Steppe Eagles incubated fresh clutches, some couples still kept near the empty nests, though eggs didn’t appear. Among owls the Short-eared Owl was common, rarely the courtship of the Long-eared Owl was heard. Near the camp there were found remains of the Eagle Owl. Alive birds of this species we had no chance to meet. During this time it was migration of birds of prey, waterbirds and passerines to distant Siberia.

To be continued …

Sergey Domashevsky

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Photo: M.Prommer, M.Gavrilyuk, V.Vetrov, H.Torok

As we wrote in the previous material, the project aimed at protection and study of the Saker Falcon has been implemented in countries of Eastern Europe since 2007. One of its directions is studying migration of these raptors using satellite telemetry. Generally, over the period 2007-2010 our colleagues marked over 30 Saker Falcons. It was found out that young birds widely roamed over the steppe zone of Eastern Europe: thus, birds born in Hungary often visited the territory of Ukraine. It has lead to the idea of marking birds in Ukraine as well.

Hungarian ornithologists supplied us with 9 satellite transmitters, for which we are sincerely grateful to the project manager Jozsef Fidloczky, and to Saker experts from Bükk National Park Directorate and MME/BirdLife Hungary. Participants of the expedition were Yury Milobog, Maxim Gavrilyuk, Vitaly Vetrov, Vladimir Strigunov, Matyas Prommer (MME/BirdLife Hungary), Hunor Török (Bükk National Park Directorate, Hungary), Szilárd Daróczi (Milvus Group, Romania).
Preliminary, it was planned to mark Saker’s chicks in several regions of Ukraine to clarify differences in directions of their further migration. Besides, we intended marking birds which nest in different places – on cliffs, power line poles and clay precipices (in case of they survive until their first breeding we will be able to find out their fidelity in selection nesting sites).

All participants of the expedition have met on the 30th May in Kryvyi Rih City and next morning departed to Kherson region. However, works of the first day changed further plans because after investigation of clay precipices, where during the expedition-2009 we had found 6 occupied nests of the Saker Falcon, we found only one nest with 4 chicks. In other two sites tracks evidenced presence of single Sakers. Sakers in this discovered nest were too adult for marking and there was a great danger that all of them could fly out. That is why decided to refuse their ringing. Diet of these Saker Falcons was characteristic – among food remains we observed feathers of the Slender-billed Gulls and Mediterranean Gulls which in this region were common species among gulls. Only later, in the end of expedition, we succeeded to find another nest of the Saker located on a clay precipice. Traced it from the distance we came to the nest right after the female returned with her prey. Chicks, enthusiastically eating, almost neglected our presence and we could observe their meal from the distance of only several metres. The nest contained 4 feathered chicks, one of them further was equipped with a satellite transmitter. The most unexpected was diet of this pair – in the nest and nearby we revealed remains of 11 Stone Curlews, also 4 Magpies, 4 Partridges, a Roller, Nightjar, Moorhen, Turtle Dove. And this was in spite of abundance of gulls in their breeding site.
The most numerous birds of prey among those inhabited clay precipices turned out to be Common Kestrels. On 16 kilometres of these biotopes bordering with fields and steppe areas we encountered 36 pairs of Common Kestrels, estimated their total number as at least 50-60 pairs. We revealed a nest of these birds with 5 eggs and also another nest with 2-3 feathered chicks. Among other raptors of clay precipices there were counted: Red-footed Falcon – 4 pairs, Marsh Harrier – 12, Little Owl -1. On a field we flushed the Short-eared Owl which for a long time flied in circles, being probably disturbed at the nest.
Later, during 1-5 June our route crossed steppes and foothills of the Crimea. However, Sakers continued making adjustments in our plans. On Kerch Peninsula we visited 4 known nests but only one of them was occupied. The nest sheltered 4 chicks, and we decided to mark two of them – a male and female. Diet of this pair was rather diverse – in the nest we discovered remains of 2 small sousliks, 2 Partridges, 2 Rock Doves and 1 Short-eared Owl.
Since our main aim was checking of known nests of the Saker, data on other birds of prey were collected indirectly and cannot pretend to be complete. On Kerch Peninsula we counted: Marsh Harrier – 11 ind., Hobby Falcon – 9; Common Kestrel – 9, Long—legged Buzzard – 1; Little Owl – 3. It was found a nest of the Common Kestrel with 6 downy chicks, located in an old Magpie’s nest.
In the foothills of the Crimean we visited 8 known breeding sites. Searching nests in these sites often requires a lot of time, but only in one site we observed an adult male of the Saker, an in another we found an occupied nest. In the nest located in the rock niche there were 3 feathering chicks, one of them we marked with a satellite transmitter. Here, among food remains we revealed: little souslik, 2 Rooks, 2 Common Kestrels, a Starling, Calandra Lark and Hoopoe. Fauna of birds of prey in the foothills were slightly different, though Common Kestrels still dominated (at least 20 pairs counted – underestimation), Peregrine Falcon – single and one pair with their brood; Short-toed Eagle – single and a pair; Imperial Eagle – juvenile and 2 occupied nests; Long-legged Buzzard – 2 ind. and 2 pairs; Griffon Vulture – 2; Black Vulture – 2; Buzzard – 1; Sparrowhawk – 1; Hobby Falcon – 1. A pleasant surprise for participants of the expedition was a discovery of the Imperial Eagle’s nest, located on a power line pole. In the nest there was one chick in the second downy plumage with growing flight feathers. We succeeded to see an adult bird carrying a souslik in the nest. This is only the second case of the Imperial Eagle’s nesting on poles of power lines in Ukraine though in other regions (eg. Russia) Imperial Eagles rather often make nests on poles of power lines. We also checked the tree nest of other pair of Imperial Eagles which we knew for many years and saw that it was occupied again.
Visits to breeding sites of the Saker on Tarkhankut Peninsula were not effective as well – of 8 known nests only 4 were occupied. And only one nest with chicks was found on Tarkhankut cliffs. There were 4 chicks but too old to be marked. In this region we marked with a satellite transmitter one chick from the brood composed of 4 birds in the nest located on a power line pole. In diet of this pair prevailed Rooks – 7 ind., also there were found 3 Mediterranean Gulls, a Quail and a young Night Heron. The third Saker’s nest contained at least 3 feathered chicks.
Among raptors of Tarkhankut precipices Common Kestrels again dominated – we counted 19 pairs (underestimation); Red—footed Falcon – 7; Saker – 2; Little Owl – 1. In the steppe part of Tarkhankut Peninsula the Red-footed Falcons prevailed. Here, there were counted: Red-footed Falcon – 38 ind., Common Kestrel – 18, Marsh Harrier – 2, Shot-toed Eagle – 1, Hobby Flacon – one pair at the nest, Long-legged Buzzard – 1, Buzzard – 2, Honey Buzzard – 1, Little Owl – 1. Also it should be noted several meetings with Honey Buzzards which do not breed in this region. Probably they were late migrants.
In the steppe part of Central Crimea situation with the Saker Falcon was slightly better – we visited 4 known sites, two of them had occupied nests, and also found 2 new nests. In one of these nests, located on a power line pole, one of 4 chicks was marked with a satellite transmitter. This pair preferred Corvidae in their diet – we revealed 3 Rooks, 3 Magpies and 1 Raven. In other Saker’s nest there were at least 2 chicks. Slightly unexpected was location of the nest of one of the pairs – they placed it on top of a solitary power line pole which occurs very rarely. In the nest we were able to see only one chick in the second downy plumage.
We checked also already known nest of the Imperial Eagles located on a power line pole. According to colleagues ornithologists (Yu.Andryushchenko and V.Popenko, pers. comm.) in spring the female had incubated the clutch. However, during our visit the nest was empty. Unfortunately, this pair is also well known to poachers whose for last several years didn’t give them a chance to breed. Nearby we observed a pair of adult Imperial Eagles and another juvenile bird. In this part of the Crimea the Red-footed Falcons dominated – 39 pairs counted, Common Kestrel – 27 pairs, Long-legged Buzzard – 9, Marsh Harrier – 4, Honey Buzzard – 1, Little Owl – 2. During one of our stops in the evening we counted a brood of Long-eared Owl and 2 males of Scops Owl.
In the course of Crimean expedition we also checked 6 artificial nest boxes, mounted by V.Vetrov and S.Domashevsky for the Saker in 2010, which we described in the previous web-publication. None of them in the current year was occupied with Sakers (though in 2010 Sakers nested in one of them), one nest box disappeared, and two were occupied with the Common Kestrel and Raven respectively.
Further our route again crossed Kherson Oblast where for two days we checked 10 known nests of the Saker, 8 of them were with chicks. However, two nests contained only 1 chick in each, and under one of them we saw clear tracks of the car. Two more nests evidenced recent presence of chicks in them and hardly had they fledged themselves. These facts show that poachers continue taking chicks from the nests. We marked with satellite transmitters two chicks in different nests. In other nests of Sakers in Kherson region the brood size equaled 2-3 chicks. In the Saker’s diet it was registered 2 Rooks, and the pellet contained a vole.
Within Kherson region, mainly among agricultural lands, there were dominated Kestrels – 15 pairs (including 4 nests on power lines), Buzzard – 3; Long-legged Buzzard – 1; Hobby Falcon – 1; Marsh Harrier – 1; Short-eared Owl – 2; Montagu’s Harrier – 1 female; and one Harrier’s female of light coloration which we didn’t indentified as a species. At the stop, in the evening we observed 2 males of the Scops Owl. At the shore of Kakhovske Reservoir we revealed a new pair of White-tailed Eagles – we observed an adult bird carrying a fish to the nest.
In the late evening of 6 June, having a serous breakage of one of our cars we returned to Kryvyi Rih. Next day our European colleagues visited two nests in Odessa Oblast but since they were about to fledge they did not use the last satellite transmitter. We are going to attach it in the nearest time to one of adult Saker Falcons in the Crimea.

Therefore, in the course of expedition there were checked 34 known breeding sites of the Saker and found 6 new ones. Only 19 of them had occupied nests. Undoubtedly, with more scrupulous search it could be possible to find new nests for some of these pairs. However it is clear that the breeding success of Sakers in 2011 is low. It is rather hard to reveal exact reasons; possibly cold spring of this year provided this negative effect. But, undoubtedly, Sakers still suffer from press of poachers taking chicks and catching adult females.

In the course of the expedition we discussed possible directions for further cooperation to study and protect birds of prey. In conclusion, we would like to thank our colleagues from Hungary and Romania for their sincere interest in studying the Saker in Ukraine, for profound evenings with lesson of English, Hungarian and Romanian and degustation of national dishes.

Results of satellite tracking of Sakers will be available at our website when juvenile birds leave their breeding sites – more likely in August or September.

Maxim Gavrilyuk, Yury Milobog, Vitaly Vetrov, Vladimir Strigunov.

The Chornobyl alienated zone always attracts researches with its wild surroundings almost deprived of traces of human activity, and with abundance of various groups of animals and birds. We used a chance to realize our old desire for searching Strigiformes birds in this region, and carried out counts 21 to 25.03.2011.

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For this purpose we applied a well-known method of provoking owls by records of their voices. In forest sites we played voices of the Pygmy and Tengmalm’s Owls, Great Grey Owl, in open areas – those of the Eagle Owl. Records of the Tawny Owl we used only occasionally since the species is numerous in forest areas and frequently responses voices of the above-mentioned owl species.

Information on availability of owls in the alienated zone is very poor. Data on the Great Grey Owl is limited by 6 encounters, mainly in the western part of the zone (Gashchak et al. 2006; Domashevsky 2004; pers. comm. A.V. Yastremsky). A Pygmy Owl was observed in twilight at Belorus border by S.P. Gashchak 30.06.2009 (pers. comm.) In addition, there were several records of the Eagle Owl including a fledgling found nearby the atomic station (Gashchak et al. 2006).

We started owl counts when twilight came. Moving by automobile in the forest area we made stops each 600-1000 m and played bird voices. At first we used records of small owls and finished with large ones. In opener territories (river valleys, overgrowing fields) we provoked with voices of the Eagle Owl each 2 km. This way we actively worked until midnight, then took a little rest and renewed counts from 4.00 a.m. to the sunrise. During the daytime we studied bird migration. Night counts covered the distance of approximately 137 km. The overall automobile route travelled in the alienated zone equaled to 860 km.

In the process of counts only 2 owl species were revealed: Tawny and Long-eared Owls. Besides, some small owl flickered in the car headlights in Krasno Village. Once, an owl (Tawny or Long-eared) without giving the voice approached very closely in Kopachi Village. No doubt, these results are more than scanty; they do not reflect real numbers and species composition of owls in this territory. Weather conditions also impaired the result since the last night in a promising region of counts was windy and rainy.
Diurnal migrations were not very active because of wind and some precipitation (rain, and 25.03 snow that turned into rain). Among Falconiformes there were registered: Common Buzzard – 22, Hen Harrier – 5, Sparrowhawk – 3, Goshawk – 2. Local Common Buzzards stayed near their breeding areas. Only 1 Kestrel from the breeding population was registered, all the rest did not arrived yet from their wintering grounds. The White-tailed Eagle was observed 14 times, of them 12 birds in adult plumage. Two Ravens were captured and ringed in the Uzh river valley. Everywhere in morning hours it was heard displaying of Black Grouses which are in a great number there. At night we were entertained by howling of wolves, which are also numerous in the zone, one beast even walked in front of the car at the 20 m distance. Hoofed animals also were frequently seen.

Results of these counts do not mean that such species as the Eagle Owl, Great Grey Owl, Tengmalm’s and Pygmy Owls are absent in the Chornobyl alienated zone. There is a need in further expansion of searching territory and repeated investigations in promising areas.

We are sincerely grateful to the company management of “Baker Tilly Ukraine” for the sponsorship of these field studies.

Sergey Domashevsky, Ukrainian Birds of Prey Research Centre
Igor Chizhevsky, Chornobyl Radioecological Centre”
Sergey Gashchak, State Scientific Research Organization “Chornobyl Centre on Issues of Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste and its Radioecology”

References

Gashchak S.P., Vishnevsky O.O., Zalisky O.O.: Fauna of vertabrates of the Chornobyl alienated zone (Ukraine). – Publishing house of the Chornobyl Cetre on Issues of Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste and its Radioecology”, 100 p. [in Ukrainian]

Domashevsky S.V. 2004.: Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) in Kyiv Polissia. – Vestnik Zoologii 38 (2): 20. [in Russian]

The counts covered districts of Cherkasy, Chyhyryn and Kaniv (Cherkasy region), as well as Svitlovodsk district (Kirovohrad region) and Kremenchuh district (Poltava region). Three counts were conducted in agrolandscapes using an automobile. Additive data were received during field visits and excursions in other areas and biotopes.

Results of winter counts of Falconiformes in agrolandscapes of Central Dnieper area in 2011.

Generally, the number of birds of prey in the winter of 2010-2011 was extremely low. Compared with January 2009, when we conducted counts according to the same technique and approximately in the same sites, the number of Falconiformes during the current winter was 4 times lower. The total number was smaller mainly due to the Common Buzzards, which were 6 times less; the count numbers of the Rough-legged Buzzards were 3 times lower. Reduction of the Common Buzzard numbers we connect, primarily, with cold and snowy conditions of the previous winter, when there was mass mortality of these birds from starvation. We assume that a grouping of the wintering Common Buzzards, which had been formed during the last 5-6 years due to reduction of the distance of autumn movements, suffered from a significant “stroke” last winter. Although we agree with Sergey Domashevsky, that populations of raptors in Europe in the breeding season of 2010 were affected with heat and fires, which led to an extremely low breeding productivity, but there is no reason to think that it could brought about the 6 times reduction of the population of the Common Buzzard. Decline in bird numbers on wintering grounds in the Central Dnieper area is also linked with redistribution of birds within the wintering area. Also in the neighboring Kyiv region S. Domashevsky recorded low number of birds of prey during this winter. The number of hawks in our counts is not indicative, since these birds prefer not to stay in agricultural landscapes in winter.
Similar to previous years, the Common Buzzard and Rough-legged Buzzard dominated, their ratio was approximately equal. Except for main counts, the Hen Harrier was once observed. The Merlin was not recorded even once for the whole winter. Thus, we observed 7 species of Falconiformes.

Maxim Gavrilyuk, Alexandr Ilyukha, Nikolay Borisenko, Sergey Nadtochy

4.01 and 20.02 we visited a dump of solid domestic waste of Kyiv, 24.02 − cattle farm, 27.02 − grain elevator in Boryspil district, and 1.03 − meadows in the vicinity of Kyiv.

On the Kyiv dump of solid domestic waste, located in Obukhiv district, we recorded a large concentration of Corvidae (Rook, Jackdaw), Yellow-legged Gulls and a small number of the Rock Dove (100 birds); overall numbers of birds exceeded 7000 ind. In spite of this, only one individual of the Goshawk was recorded during each visit which is extremely low for such concentration of its prey. The Common Buzzard turned out to be one of common species. But its numbers were not stable – 10 birds during the first visit, and 3 – during the second. There was also recorded one Sparrowhawk.

At the cattle farm we recorded 1 Goshawk, 2 Sparrowhawks, 3 Common Buzzards, 1 Rough-legged Buzzard and Common Kestrel. Near the grain elevator, where stayed approximately 500 Rock Doves, 100 Rooks and 150 Jackdaws, we registered 3 Goshawks (2 adult males and 1 juvenile), 1 Sparrowhawk, 4 Common Buzzards, 1 Rough-legged Buzzard, 1 Peregrine Falcon (young female) and Kestrel. The Peregrine Falcon was actively chasing doves for about 2 minutes and once attacked a group of jackdaws.
Generally, this winter we observed small numbers of wintering birds of prey. For instance, in Kyiv there were rare registrations of Goshawks and Sparrowhawks. In the countryside, in sites of concentrations of their potential prey, the situation is similar. In open habitats the numbers of one of the commonest wintering species – Common Buzzard and Rough-legged Buzzard – were low. Very rare there were records of the Hen Harrier and Merlin. We suppose that such sharp changes in numbers of birds of prey are directly linked with abnormal hot summer in Europe and large-scale summer forest fires in Russia. These factors have led to high mortality of occupied nests and young birds. As a result, this winter numbers of young Goshawks, registered by us, are much lower that those of adults.

Last years, in the period of snowy winters, we have noticed changes in the behaviour of the Common Buzzard. Birds become more tolerant to people – the individuals, which keep to sites of prey concentrations, now fearlessly perch on farm buildings. We observed two Common Buzzards, one sat in the farmyard and another – on the grain elevator. Earlier we did not see such behaviour of the Common Buzzard in the study area.
In the course of investigations for the studying migrations of raptors and demographic structure of populations there were captured and ringed 2 Goshawks, 4 Common Buzzards and one Rough-legged Buzzard.

Sergey Domashevsky, Yury Demidenko

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The counts were carried out in key territories of concentrations of these eagles. They were fishponds, sites with high numbers of waterbirds discovered by us in previous years. We controlled the ponds near the village Irkliiv (Chornobai District of Cherskasy Region), ponds between the villages Lypove – Bugaivka (Hlobine District of Poltava Region), and also shallows of Kremenchuhske Reservoir near the Lypove Ornithological Reserve. The counts were participated by Aleksandr Ilyukha, Yury Sumskoy, Nikolay Borisenko; results of one of their expeditions together with Sergey Domashevksy and Roman Vatrasevich were presented in the previous materials of the website. In a total 8 counts were done, the automobile route amounted to approx. 1000 km. In addition, the ponds near Irkliiv in October were visited by Odesa birdwatchers A.Arapov and V.Malinoshevsky who gave us a number of photos with the White-tailed Eagle.

An adult White-tailed Eagle on the drained pond, in the background you can see about 40 sitting White-tailed Eagle.

Numbers of the White-tailed Eagles were naturally raising during autumn. In September the numbers of predators in fish farms were minimal because of few quantities of drained ponds. With increasing area of these waterbodies the number of easily accessible fish also increased. The number of eagles also grew due to movements of birds which are more typical for November.

Results of counts of the White-tailed Eagles at Kremechuhske Reservoir during autumn 2010.

In a total we have counted less White Eagles compared to the previous year (in November less by one third). It is linked with low numbers of these raptors on ponds in Hlobine District. In previous years there were concentrated up to 150 White-tailed Eagles, but in the autumn of 2010 we encountered a few more than 40 ind. It is because of breakdown of the fish farm – some ponds were not filled with fish, others were even drained and ploughed up to grow crops. Similar to the previous observations, the majority of the observed White-tailed Eagles were immature, they made up approx. 70%. Overall, in November the region of Kremenchuhske Reservoir supported at least 200 White-tailed Eagles.
Therefore it confirmed our concern that these eagles are getting very dependable on human economical activity. Nevertheless, large fish farms near Kremenchuhske Reserve are still important place of concentration of the White-tailed Eagles and their feeding until the wintering period.

Maxim Gavrilyuk

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Photo: M. Gavrilyuk, V.Vetrov, E.M. Pisanets, V. Remenny

On the 4th May 2010, immediately after the conference, we left the hospitable Orenburg City and in the evening already reached a famous Buzuluk Forest (Orenburg region) where camped for the night. In the surrounding area we discovered an adult Imperial Eagle which is not unusual since the forest is known as a habitat for this species.

A pair of Steppe Eagles in their nesting site

Next morning, 5th May 2010, our team split into two groups, and afterwards went by different routes. One group composed of V. Milobog, E.M Pisanets, V. Remenny and A.Rashelevskaya, intended to reach the Ciscaucasia as fast as possible to conduct the foreseen herpetological and ornithological observations. The main purpose ofanother group including V.P. Belik, V.V. Vetrov, M.N. Gavrilyuk, E.V. Guguev, S.P. Litvinenko, A.B. Chaplygina, G.A. Yevtushenko and N.I. Konoplya was the ornithological survey in steppe areas of Volgograd and Astrakhan Regions. Below there are results of these particular observations.

During the 5th of May we crossed the remained part of Orenburg Region, then the south-east of Samara region and by the evening entered the region of Saratov, making our next camping in a copse at the bank of the steppe river Bolshoy Irgiz. Only on the 6th of May we finally got to Volgograd Region and had lunch on a bank of the Eruslan River among old pine plantations on sandy terrain. The same as on the way to Orenburg, this part of our travel we moved mostly by earth roads, spending a lot of time to find them among the endless fields. Near the border of Saratov and Volgograd Regions we had met the first Long-legged Buzzard. However, a total number of birds of prey was low. Within the stretch of 655 km (to the border of Volgograd region), there were recorded 2.11 ind/10 km of Falconiformes. Dominated species was the Montagu’s Harrier (in one place it was found a group colony of 8-10 pairs), common species were the Black Kite, Marsh Harrier and Common Kestrel. A total 9 species of Falconiformes were recorded: the Black Kite – 4 pairs and 15 single individuals, Montagu’s Harrier – 16 pairs and 10 ind., Marsh Harrier – 2 pairs and 15 ind., Sparrowhawk – 4 ind., Common Buzzard – 6 ind., Booted Eagle – 1, Imperial Eagle – 1 nest in the forest belt in Samara region and 1 single bird, Common Kestrel – 5 pairs and 24 ind., Red-footed Falcon – a pair and 4 ind.

A pair of Demoiselle Cranes

On the road further south, in the Volgograd Transvolga area, the number of Red-footed Falcons began rapidly growing, which was associated with increasing areas of the virgin steppe. However the most interesting records were still awaiting for us. Having passed the village of Pallasovka, which got its name after a famous Russian zoologist and traveller P.S. Pallas, we saw that frequency of birds of prey observations had risen sharply. The first on our way was a nest of the Imperial Eagle, located on a small tree in a group of planted trees, growing along the asphalt road. A bit later we saw a Long-legged Buzzard’s nest, then that of the Steppe Eagle, and after that everything mixed: eyries of birds of prey were met every kilometer. Within 49 kilometres it was found one occupied nest of the Imperial Eagle, 6 nests of Steppe Eagles, 15 of the Long-legged Buzzard’s and also met three single Steppe Eagles. And this is despite the fact that they have been identified along the asphalt road, i.e. we saw them from the car not stopping and going out for a special observation. A high number of raptors in this place is explained by the fact that there the road crosses a vast area of steppe lands, almost deprived of trees. Therefore the only safe nesting place is a forest belt along the highway.
This evening we stopped for the night in the national park ‘Prieltonsky’ and had a chance to sleep at the shore of Chapaevsky Pond in an equipped Kazakh yurt. During the morning walk on the 7th May in the surrounding area we have found an occupied nest of the Imperial Eagle on a solitary poplar in the gully as well as traces of the Eagle Owl. The main purpose for that day was a survey of Prieltonsky steppes. But at first we used the opportunity to look at one of the saltiest lakes in the world – Lake Elton. Ornithological surprises were ahead. On a slope of the gully that went to the lake, we found three nests of the Steppe Eagle. Two old nests were located on small bushes, and the occupied one with a clutch of 3 eggs was on a pear-tree at the height of 3 m. Going further into the steppe, we scared off a male of the Long-legged Buzzard, roosting on a small cliff of the steppe river. Judging from the droppings, the bird stayed there permanently, so its nest must be located not afar. Can you imagine our surprise when we found it quite close, directly on ground at the ledge of a small cliff. According to a pattern of its location, it was more similar to nests of the Rough-legged Buzzards in tundra. There were 2 eggs and two downy chicks and the remains of prey. Following on, we noticed a tyre of the truck abandoned near the steppe road. In the middle it was filled with the horse dung since Steppe Eagles began making a nest in it. Our meetings with Steppe Eagles during the day were regular. In one place near a small freshwater reservoir, located in the lowering, we scared off about 30 of these birds (mostly immatures), gathered there for roosting and watering. Finds of occupied nests of Steppe Eagles also didn’t keep us waiting. Genuine interest was aroused by two ground nests near the earth road. The females incubating their clutches allowed our car to approach only for a few meters.

Гнездо степного орла в приэльтонской степи

The most impressive feature of Prieltonsky steppes is their vast area: in some places you might not see a single tree, not a single building or a single person to the horizon around you. Some planting indicated on the map as a “garden” may actually mean only a few trees among the bare steppe. In all these places the Long-legged Buzzard nests. We found the nests of 4 pairs of these raptors located in trees. One of the pairs nested right in a small village. But the most surprising was to find two occupied nests of the Long-legged Buzzard built on a plain ground. Such breeding cases were for the first time discovered in this region by a birdwatcher, Valery Pimenov (Volgograd), and presented at the 13th International Ornithological Conference of Northern Eurasia (Pimenov, Belik, 2009).
From other Falconiformes in the steppe we managed to observe one transit Levant Sparrowhawk and another bird at the pond. A hawk in the lower reaches of the Khara River at Lake Elton, a female of the Montagu’s Harrier in the morning at the pond, 1 female and 1 male – in the desert, 3-5 pairs of the Marsh Harrier at Chapaevsky Pond, and 1 in the lower reaches of the Khara.
Unfortunately, our research of Prieltonsky steppes was ‘speeded up’ by a sudden and powerful rainstorm unexpectedly moved from the east and followed by a dust storm which either didn’t promise us any good. As a result we had to withdraw quickly toward the Volga.
A short trip by asphalt road – and we’ve found ourselves in Astrakhan Region. Along the highway we revealed two occupied nests of the Long-legged Buzzards, made in forest belts, and encountered one more bird of this species. We stopped for the night among sands in a semi-desert, not far from Lake Baskunchak.
During a morning walk, 8th May, among undulate sandy terrain in a forest belt it was discovered an occupied nest of the Long-legged Buzzard with a clutch of three eggs, and then seen another pair of these birds. The vicinity of our camp supported breeding of 5 pairs of Red-footed Falcons and 2 pairs of Common Kestrels. In forest belts it struck the eye a high number of migratory insect-eating passerines bustled about in the bushes, and among migratory raptors a Honey Buzzard was recorded. As for other interesting birds we heard a Stone Curlew in the night and saw a Little Bustard in the morning.
Having packed our camp we soon reached another salt lake called Baskunchak. It is situated in the territory of Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky Reserve with this salt lake as the main place of interest. And there we have one more chance to convince that it’s a small word and the ornithological ‘brotherhood’ is strong. The guards at the entrance of the reserve strongly objected to pass us into the territory by our own cars. ‘It’s only by permission of our Deputy Scientific Director…’ they answered us lazily. Then a car arrived, and the Deputy Scientific Director went out. Our optimism raised – he was an ornithologist, Mr. Amosov, whom we met at the Orenburg conference just a week ago!
In the reserve area at the southern shore of Lake Baskunchak as a lonely high hill raised so-called ‘a salt dome’ – Bolshoe Bordo Mountain, on powerful rock ledges of it we have found two unused nests of the Long-legged Buzzard. According to Mr. Amosov they bred there only a few yeas ago. Two occupied nests of these raptors we found not far away, on poles of the power line. Another nest of the Long-legged Buzzard could be seen on a tree close to the lake. These places also gave us an opportunity to see a migratory Levant Sparrowhawk and a juvenile Imperial Eagle. Having ‘bathed’ in the salt lake, from which the salt is extracted directly into wagons, we set out to the town of Volzhsky (Volgograd Region). There, after a hospitable ‘home welcome’ the rows of our expedition thinned out since a part of Russian colleagues had to stay at home.

The Steppe Eagle’s nest in Prieltonsky Steppe

Early in the morning of the 9th May we drove through the festive Volgograd, preparing to commemorate the Victory Day of the World War II. Riding along the highway we continued counting birds of prey though their numbers among biotopes with the dominance of agrolandscapes were small. On the 377th km of the route we saw 12 species of Falconifromes with an average number of 1.29 ind/10 km. The Red-footed Falcon prevailed. As for interesting encounters it should be noted an occupied nest of the Imperial Eagle on a poplar next to the highway, and also a migratory Levant Sparrowhawk. After crossing Rostov Region through villages Oblivskaya, Bokovskaya and the town of Millerovo by the evening we had reached Luhansk, our starting point for this tour which finally covered more than 4,000 km.
In the same course of time our second team transited the regions of Samara, Saratov, Volgograd and Astrakhan, crossed Kalmykia Republic and after that approached Daghestan. There zoologists spent for three days. Among rare Falconiformes they saw the Black, Griffon, Egyptian and Bearded Vultures. Their way back went across Stavropol Territory where they discovered two occupied nests of the Imperial Eagle. Thus, a total of 6 nests of the Imperial Eagle was found by us during the three expeditions in Stavropol steppes in 2008-09-2010, though in the past only three findings of these nests were known for the area and recently it was even considered that the species is vanishing. From Stavropol our zoologists entered Karachai-Cherkess Republic, staying there for one day. After a lot of road hardship the second group arrived to Luhansk only in the evening of the 10th May.

Maxim Gavrilyuk, Viktor Belik

Map 1: Approximate route of the automobile tour of the first group, Orenburg (Russia) – Luhansk (Ukraine)

Map 2: Approximate route of the automobile tour of the second group, Orenburg (Russia) – Luhansk (Ukraine)

References

Amosov, P.N. The Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus) in Bogdinsko-Baskunchaksky Reserve and the surrounding area // In: Ornithology in Northern Eurasia. Proceedings of the 13th International Ornithological Conference of Northern Eurasia. . Chief editors E.N.Kurochkin, A.V.Davygora. Orenburg: Publishing house of Orenburg State Pedagogical University, IPK GOU OGU, P. 31–32. [in Russian]

Pimenov, V.N, Belik, V.P. Buzzard in the Volgograd Transvolga area // Ornithology in Northern Eurasia. Proceedings of the 13th International Ornithological Conference of Northern Eurasia. / Chief editors E.N.Kurochkin, A.V.Davygora. Orenburg: Publishing house of Orenburg State Pedagogical University, IPK GOU OGU, P. 250 [in Russian]