More Corncrakes in the project area this year

Latvian Ornithological Society carries out monitoring of the Corncrake and other nocturnal birds within the Dviete LIFE project. Counts have taken place in two transects in the project area since 2011 and in five transects in other sites of Dviete floodplain nature park since 2006 (including time period before the project).

22 nocturnal bird species in total are registered in Dviete floodplain nature park since 2006. Statistically significant population trends within the nature park as a whole or in the project area are found for six species. Increasing trend for the Corncrake is observed in the project area, where grassland restoration activities take place, by removal of trees and bushes, while the trends of scrubland species – the Nightingale, Grasshopper Warbler and Blyth’s Reed Warbler, are decreasing.

Although the increase of Corncrake population numbers is observed only in the project area, not in whole territory of the nature park, experts note, that small amount of data, gathered within the project area, must be taken into account. Therefore it is not possible to draw reliable conclusions on the impact of LIFE+ project activities on numbers of breeding Corncrakes.

Full text of the report is available here (in Latvian).

Ilze Priedniece

04.11.2013.