New surveys in the Gorges of Riaz and its environment (Refugio de Montejo and vicinity) In the breeding season of 2010, for 88 days of field work in the gorges of Riaz and its environment (Segovia, Burgos and Soria), I was able to conduct censuses of nests and chicks successfully flown birds of prey (9 species), storks, herons and other waterfowl, crows, etc., the same way that during the past 36 years (since the creation of Refugio de Montejo in 1975).
The following results are still tentative, as there are many chickens do not fly yet.
Regarding
vultures, I recorded in 2010
a total of 152 chickens in principle go through, in the Special Protection Area for birds (SPAs) and adjacent ravines, but came up in May 1924 more. This figure is better than the last three years (143 chickens flown in 2009, 127 in 2008 and 125 in 2007), but remains below the eleven previous years (1996 to 2006 inclusive). The peak was 2001, with 226 successful nests, although three may have been lost in the summer.
About the vulture, it is necessary to highlight several important considerations:
--- Since early May, I checked the failure
31 occupied nests, including 24 with chicken. In 11 nests, I saw the dead chicken, or remains the same. Contacted three of them, for their particular situation, Jesus Hernando, WWF guard Raptor Refuge, who in turn informed the nursery of the Natural Park, and members of the Board removed the three bodies mentioned (one in early June and two on August 6). Another dead chicken found by the shepherd Juan Manuel Hernando de Montejo, was taken by Jesus Hernandez, who turned him over to the Park House.
In recent years,
loss of griffon vulture chicks in the nest, even grown chickens, has ceased to be exceptional, but has never been
as high this season, not yet complete.
--- In 2010, the situation has changed radically vulture from one place to another. Similar to the previous year, as never before, almost all central areas of the gorges have been such failures that in some rock, the results have been the lowest on record. By contrast, large rocks west of the Refuge, and some of the eastern end of the SPA, show fairly good results with respect to recent years.
--- As has been happening in the last four seasons, from which worsened the problem of hunger, the mean dates of the reproduction of vulture have been too late. Breeding was delayed about a month, at least compared to what was usual in the 32 years preceding 2007.
--- may be added that for the first time I've seen, May 17, a vulture abandoned egg open and started eating a crow and vultures also by two (first by an adult, for over ten minutes, and about five hours later by a vulture immature or subadult) and June 11, the remains of a dead chicken eaten by a vulture jackdaw, an adult vulture, a young black vulture and griffon vulture adult. The jackdaw and the Egyptian vulture (the "white vultures") make this is normal, and I've seen other times, the black vulture had not ever seen, but I'm not surprised, but an adult vultures eat in the nest remains of a dead chicken in its own species, is something that I know of no precedent. ---
symptoms hungry vultures are still many obvious . Be noted in this regard, the importance of the three feeders or garbage dumps still operating in the region (of the eleven who had), and feeders in other areas, such as, among others, managed by the Azálvaro collective in southern Segovia.
In areas relatively close to the three provinces (Segovia, Burgos and Soria), in 2010 I controlled 61 other chickens grown griffon vulture, although one was lost during the summer.
In the same area, and including the gorges of Riaz, have registered This year 26 successful nests, where they have gone ahead 44 chickens, eight other species of raptors (five and three forest rupicola).
Regarding the Egyptian vulture and black vulture in the gorges and the environment, the results have been similar to 2009, both in number of successful nests and the number of chickens that come forward. However, in areas near the province of Soria, I obtained figures considerably lower than previous years.
The 2010 season has been good in the region, to the golden eagle and peregrine falcon, but not for forest raptors, with a particularly high failure in reproducing the booted eagle.
As for the heron, the Linares reservoir, I found four nests occupied in 2010, three of whom was born a chicken, and two were successful in raising a total of seven chickens come out ahead (there were other chickens that died). For other breeding waterbirds (great crested grebe, mallard, and a few others), continues the process of reviewing data.
Also in the reservoir, and in the section on rare birds in the region, highlights this year's observation on May 19 by José Luis López García-Pozuelo, a squacco
, representing the second appointment know of the species there (The first was due to Daniel Magnenat, on June 5, 2005).
As for the white stork census in 45 municipalities (35 of 10, Segovia and Burgos, attached list), it is noteworthy that I have seen eight dead chickens in her nest, with which the figures for the stork, and probably final, are as follows: from 104 nests checked, 87 were occupied, and 47 have been successful in raising a total of 76 chickens in principle go ahead (two nests with four chickens, four nests with three chicks, 15 nests with two chicks, and 26 nests with a chicken). (Census 133 chickens flown in 2006, 117 in 2007, 86 in 2008 and 107 in 2009).
It This is the first year with fewer chickens flown to occupied nests in the area. Productivity (average nest blown up by chickens busy) and the rate of flight (mean chicks per nest successfully flown) were the lowest in the last eight years (2003-2010).
Possibly the most striking novelty of the present breeding season, are the results of the census of the crow. In 2010, for the first time, I found not a single nest success throughout the area SPA (Special Protection Area for birds, including the Refuge and the Nature), and only managed to locate a nest successfully in who have come into a single chicken in the area. These results are the lowest in the 36 years I've been doing the census. Fernando Núñez
reported a nest more in nearby areas. For his part, other naturalists (David Garcia, Alfredo López, Juan Prieto, Jesus Rodriguez, and Felix Martinez) report and discuss data on concern declines in crow (at least in terms of successful nests) in other regions of Spain.
is just thank, once again, the generous and kind support of not a few naturalists, and many pastors and other peoples, without which they could have kept these places and its wildlife. Thanks also, in particular, Jesus Hernando, WWF guard at the shelter, which incidentally reported a nest of vultures particularly difficult, and that makes it possible, among other tasks, maintenance of feeder vultures, WWF, in collaboration with farmers in the environment.
can be much more information on wildlife in Fact Sheets 32 and 33 (820 pages between them). In the section on new publications related to the Shelter (since 3472 will, we know), we highlight the recent appearance in the latest issue of the journal Argutorio "a lengthy article on the fall census groups, with charts and photos.
coincide with the dates of the next Fall census is planned, in the church of Montejo de la Vega, a Mass by the Swiss ornithologist Daniel Magnenat and other persons linked to the Refuge (inside and outside the region) who have died during these 36 years; priest in charge of Dr. Pedro Luis Rodríguez Panizo, teacher and naturalist, who knows this land since the early years of the Refuge.
then include a written report on the Refuge on 28 May.
An anecdote in the Refugio de Montejo Yesterday (May 27th) afternoon, with cloudy skies and threat of storm, a huge black vulture flying high barrel parent in the Gorges of Refuge Riaz. Gave wide turns going back, overlooking a still wild and beautiful scenery. I followed him through binoculars for over eight minutes, while also flying swifts and vultures and other birds. And rain began, and the black vulture, the largest living bird of prey (by weight) of Europe (and the world, after the condors) away on the high moors, whose loneliness much appreciates this kind. It is amazing how you can fly perfectly, without flapping its wings in nearly three meters in such harsh weather conditions, and would you enjoy doing. Just took me
brochure SEO / BirdLife on the black vulture, named "bird of the year" 2010, which are among the threats, in addition to the poison and hunger and more, "the mismanagement of the mountains as the opening track, firewalls, access to hikers, etc. .
The black vulture has tried to raise (unsuccessfully) at least three times (almost four) at the shelter or in their environment, and these nests extraordinary, we had been waiting decades, are located further north and further east in Spain (ignoring old events when the species was much more widespread, and without the reintroduction project in Catalonia, where this year has been achieved the birth of the first chick).
After the aforementioned observation, the rain became so strong that I had to stop the census (of chickens from the vultures and other birds) and seek refuge in a small Cuevecitas or hollow where I spent the night with my gear . And where I am yet because it's still raining pretty, while I can observe with the telescope a vulture, Egyptian vulture and white, hidden in a distant Cuevecitas where its nest.
As I did other years in similar situations, and recalling the great naturalist Jesus Garzón Heydt about his memorable article "Comments from a shelter" (ADENA 5, 1972, pp. 33-34), writing in part to hang out and make the time somehow, and also, if these lines can remember someone's strength, hardness and beauty of this wildlife refuge, which has moved so many dreams and desires of men who knew how to study and defend on the ground while passing signals. His amazing story, almost 36 years, is an example in many other protected natural areas. Should not be forgotten, nor to the people whose noble and generous efforts have made this possible: from people from the villages (such as WWF guard Jesus Hoticiano Hernando and his father, among others), to naturalists from very different places ( such as Swiss ornithologist Daniel Magnenat, before his death he instructed us to continue our "loving and protecting this beautiful region," "quite exceptional, an international value," and left that could help keep editing the Fact Sheets on the Refuge).
still raining, while singing finch, oriole, and the dove. Cries the jackdaws, and the crow. The cast continues vulture away, turning his head from right to left as usual. Beyond that, we focus with the telescope a nest of vultures, where an adult protection from the rain at a very young chick (finally get to see the chick, which raises the head), and remember what is behind that this year (as average) the reproduction of vultures (for the fourth consecutive year, from which worsened the problem of hunger). I see 29 other vultures perched, apart from a few chickens in their respective nests, but many nests are empty, mute witnesses to the splendor still young in this colony, which became the largest known in Europe and possibly the world. Thankfully, the trough of Refuge (WWF) and one or two more are working, in the northeast of Segovia.
The attitude of the old buzzard (the first above) tells me that it's not raining as hard as before. It seems that this is, so I must leave the cache, to continue with the census, while the flight of a Kestrel announces a partial truce in the rain.
Dr. Fidel José Fernández y Fernández-Arroyo President of the Global
Refuge Riaza the Gorges of
