Wintering Monitoring

Species composition and structure of community of waterfowls and waterbirds wintering on the Dnieper near the Kaniv hydroelectric power station (central Ukraine). - V.N. Grishchenko, E.D. Yablonovska-Grishchenko, M.N. Gavrilyuk. - Berkut. 22 (1). 2013. - P. 1-13.
The stretch of the Dnieper downstream of the Kaniv hydroelectric power station (49.46 N, 31.28 E) is a most important wintering area of hydrophilous birds in central Ukraine. Due to working of the station, ice-free parts of water remain even during hard frosts. Wintering birds were studied in 1987–2013. Every winter season several counts were conducted. Their number and length depended on weather conditions. During mild winters, the area of open water was very large and birds did not concentrate near Kaniv. In total, we have registered 27 bird species. Mallard dominated with big interval from other species (64.9% of relative abundance). Goldeneye (15.7%) and Goosander (15.2%) were co-dominants. All the species were divided in four groups. 1. Birds wintering regularly and in large numbers (three above mentioned species). They wintered yearly or almost yearly, relative abundance exceeded 15%. 2. Birds wintering regularly but in small numbers (Caspian Gull and White-tailed Eagle). These birds wintered yearly or almost yearly, relative abundance ranged from 0.8% to 2.5%. 3. Birds wintering irregularly and in small numbers (15 species). They were found many times but less than in the half of seasons. Relative abundance did not exceed 0.2%. 4. Birds with only single accidental records (7 species). Number of birds changed during winter season. Some species were observed only at the beginning of winter and later disappeared or remained in small numbers. Numbers of other birds increased at the height of the season or fluctuated within the sizeable limits. Influence of weather conditions on number of wintering birds was analysed. Relative abundance of Goldeneye and Goosander rapidly increased with intensification of frosts. White-tailed Eagles concentrated near gatherings of ducks on ice-free water. Number of gulls was decreased. During the sharp changes of weather, the intensive migration of gulls and some other species downstream of the Dnieper was observed. During the study period, species diversity and number of many birds increased. Many species came to winter more regularly. Relative abundance of Goldeneye, Goosander, Caspian Gull and Mute Swan appreciably rose. Relative abundance of Mallard decreased but it is connected with number increasing of many other species. Number of wintering White-tailed Eagles has multiple increased but its proportion in the community remained small against this background. [Russian].

There were 33 winter records of Barn Swallows during the study period. In almost all cases, swallows were found near the coast, especially in marshlands and builtup areas. The number of records varied markedly from year to year. Most records (60%) were from the end of November or the beginning of February and thus could be consistent, respectively, of exceptionally late or early migrants. In the remaining cases, it is impossible to know whether observed birds were overwintering or not, and probably only a few aberrant individuals remain during the winter in Catalonia.

Introduction. Wintering period is related to energy reserves of the fish body.
Goal. To evaluate parameters of meat composition and meat reflectance of 2-year-old common carp, ready for human consumption after wintering.
Material and metod. Flesh samples of the female fish contained higher quantities of fat and lower levels of water. In addition these samples had a higher content of phosphorus. Results. Data obtained from reflectance spectra of the flesh exhibited spectral gender differences at both ends of the visual spectrum. Parameters of meat as moisturg crude protein and fat had statistically significant differences. At the same time reflectance spectra of meat of both sexes in the interval of 480-700 nm were similar.

Durante la temporada invernal 2012/2013, dentro del Programa de Emergencias, Control Epidemiológico y Seguimiento de Fauna Silvestre de Andalucía se ha realizado el censo de las poblaciones invernales de avutarda común (incluida en el Plan de Recuperación y Conservación de Aves Esteparias de Andalucía), cigüeña negra (catalogada como EN en Andalucía-Decreto 23/2012) y águila pescadora (incluida en el Plan de Recuperación y Conservación de Aves de Humedales de Andalucía). Con ello se da cumplimiento a lo establecido en los citados Planes, así como lo dispuesto en el RD 139/2011, para el desarrollo del Listado de Especies Silvestres en Régimen de Protección Especial y del Catálogo Español de Especies Amenazadas, que obliga a la evaluación del estado de conservación de las especies incluidas. El águila pescadora muestra una tendencia poblacional estable en la región, resultando ésta de moderado incremento en el caso de la avutarda común y de fuerte incremento en la cigüeña negra. Las causas de las tendencias invernales observadas parecen estar relacionadas con fenómenos a escala suprarregional como la evolución positiva que muestran las poblaciones reproductoras o el clima. Este último factor, junto a la presencia de hábitats favorables, parece estar condicionando las abundancias invernales de especies como la cigüeña negra en Andalucía. En el caso de la avutarda común, las actuaciones llevadas a cabo por los distintos programas de conservación de la Consejería de Medio Ambiente (corrección de tendidos, mejora de hábitats, instalación de bebederos, educación ambiental, etc.) están dando sus frutos a tenor de la tendencia mostrada y la estabilidad espacial de los núcleos. Sólo a través del seguimiento de las especies es posible establecer la contribución definitiva de cada causa, especialmente para aquellas especies que presentan mayores oscilaciones poblacionales. El carácter gregario invernal de las especies facilita que las medidas de
conservación, que tratan de paliar sus principales afecciones como son la pérdida y alteración de los hábitats y la mortalidad no natural, sean ejecutables y ofrezcan excelentes resultados. El marco de actuación son los principales lugares de agregación (dormideros, lugares de alimentación y concentración) dentro de las áreas RENPA y las Zonas del Ámbito de Aplicación del Plan de Recuperación de las Aves Esteparias. El sistema de indicadores permite resaltar la estabilidad espacial de las poblaciones por la covariación respecto a la distribución de las mismas.

Population declines among migratory Arctic-breeding birds are a growing concern for conservationists. To inform the conservation of these declining populations, we need to understand how demographic rates such as breeding success are influenced by combinations of extrinsic and intrinsic factors. In this study we examined inter-annual variation and long-term trends in two aspects of the breeding success of a migratory herbivore, the Bewick's swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii, which is currently undergoing a population decline: 1) the percentage of young within the wintering population and 2) mean brood size. We used an information-theoretic approach to test how these two measures of productivity were infl uenced over a 26 yr period by 12 potential explanatory variables, encompassing both environmental (e.g. temperature) and intrinsic (e.g. pair-bond duration) factors. Swan productivity exhibited sensitivity to both types of explanatory variable. Fewer young were observed on the wintering grounds in years in which the breeding period (May to September) was colder and predator (Arctic fox) abundance was higher. Th e percentage of young within the wintering population also showed negative density-dependence. Inter-annual variance in mean swan brood size was best explained by a model comprised of the negative degree days during the swan breeding period, mean pair-bond duration of all paired swans (i.e. mean pair duration), and an interaction between these two variables. In particular, mean pair duration had a strong positive effect on mean brood size. However, we found no long-term directional trend in either measure of breeding success, despite the recent decline in the NW European population. Our results highlight that inter-annual variability in breeding success is sensitive to the combined eff ects of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.