2019

LVM Bird Monitoring has Come to an End

The monitoring of seven species of birds organised by JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) has been completed. This monitoring is conducted annually to assess the dynamics of populations of these species and the impact of forestry activities. LVM in cooperation with its partners studies the number and breeding success of breeding couples of capercaillies, black storks, golden eagles, white-tailed eagles, lesser spotted eagles and northern goshawks.

“This year has been unfavourable for lesser spotted eagles and black storks - there are few mouse-like rodents and frogs in meadows, many springs have dried up, resulting in below-average nesting success for lesser spotted eagles and black storks. Golden eagles, on the other hand, have had a favourable year in the nests of north-eastern Latvia,” says Uģis Bergmanis, Senior Environmental Expert at LVM.

Although it is still summer, the first autumn messengers can already be spotted. Heather is blossoming, white storks are gathering in flocks, lesser spotted eagles are calling for food on hay rolls and will travel to their wintering grounds in Africa in late August. Cranes a crowing in the harvested cereal fields, sparrows are whistling and young wolves are howling in evening and morning twilight - these are also some of the signs that summer is coming to an end.

In the LVM video surveillance nest, the golden eagle couple is getting ready for the next nesting season - the eagles are replenishing their nest, sleeping in the nest or sitting on a nearby branch and watching the broad swamp.

Within the framework of LVM environmental education and research project “Birds and Animals in Marsh” everyone interested has an opportunity to watch on-line changes taking place in nature and to follow the bird and animal activity in one of the marshes in the north-eastern region of Latvia. This is already the third year that anyone interested and all nature friends can watch the exciting events taking place in the golden eagle nest through live cams, as well as watch the swamp landscape at different times of the year.