The Νatural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest and the Kalloni EIC conducted a ringing operation at the White Stork nests by the Kalloni Gulf wetlands. This is the second time to ring White Stork chicks on such a scale as, in the past, a single nest was ringed at the Kalloni square. The attempt was supervised by the Greek Bird Ringing Center with the support of the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator.
An ELSA-type plastic ring was placed on each chick's leg, just above the "knee". This ring (which is black with white engravings for the Greek ringing program), can be read from a distance with the use of a spotting scope and this way ringing centers around the world exchange recovery data. To place the rings this the chicks were taken to ground level for a few minutes after reaching the nests with a crane.
The nests were ringed, depending on the age of the chicks, during all July: Papiana, Kalloni square, Dafia square, Agia Paraskevi conjunction.This time, the ringing team visited 4 nests and rinded 9 chicks in total, while in the exact same nests 12 chicks were ring in 2021. This year we had an extremely cold March (when the birds first return from Africa and occupy their nets) and a stainless Spring leading most of the seasonal freshwater wetlands of the area to dry out nearly a month earlier and these might be responsible for the lower chick outcome.
The previous winter, when the birds were in Africa, the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operatorremoved the nest of Dafia and Agia Paraskevi conjunction to place a safety platform below them. This is to protect the nest and chicks from electricity shock and at the same time the electricity network stable and failure safe. The same was planned for the Kalloni square nest but one parent came as early as the end of February and the addition will be done the following year.
There were 3 more active nests on Lesvos this season: two on old factory chimneys in Agia Paraskevi and Polichnitos villages (very high to be reached with the available crane) and one more in Mandamados.
More photos of the White Stork here (info in Greek).
Chicks as taken to the ground for ringing
Just before placing the plastic ring
Plastic ring in place
