Category: News
The third wintering Long-eared Owl census (2011-2012)
As in previous years, ”Milvus Group” Bird and Nature Protection Association organises the Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) census also this year. This program is running in other East and Central European countries with the same method: counting the owls in their winter roosts. This synchronous census is important to clarify some questions related to the species. With this method many unknown wintering places have been discovered in Romania. Continue reading
The results of the II. Romanian Ornithological Marathon
This year ”Milvus Group” Bird and Nature Protection Association organized the II. Romanian Ornithological Marathon, which took place at Cefa Fishponds (Bihor County) between 21-23 October. 13 teams with 2-4 persons (totally 43 people) registered at the contest, but there were also participants who didn’t register. Continue reading
The adopted Lesser Spotted Eagle
On the 2nd of August 2011 we received from a veterinarian friend of us Borka Levente a juvenile male Lesser Spotted Eagle from Pădureni region (Mureş county). The bird had been found by some workers near a forest. After feeding the bird for a day, we took it to the forest near Valea village for adoption, where on the 7th of July we ringed and tagged with satellite transmitter the chick named Katona (http://pomarina.ro/RO/psri-cu-transmitoare/115-katona). At this nest site we have been making regular observations during the breeding period. Both juvenile birds had similar age, which was the reason for choosing this pair as adopting parents. Continue reading
The II. Romanian Ornithological Marathon
This year ”Milvus Group” Bird and Nature Protection Association will organise the II. Romanian Ornithological Marathon, which will take place at Cefa Fishponds between 21-23 October 2011.
The contest will last 24 hours. The observations can be made within groups of 2-4 persons. The contest will begin at the common register spot. The first three groups, which will observe the most bird species, will receive prizes from the organizers. 
The group observing the most interesting bird species will be rewarded also. Those who identify the bird species from the “Mystery Bird” and “Bird Identifying” contest will be given symbolic prizes.
We welcome you to participate on this event and we wish you luck!
For applying or for other information about the contest please contact the organizers at these addresses: szilard.daroczi@milvus.ro and attila.nagy@milvus.ro.
The 2011 events in the stork nest with web camera
In 2006 “Milvus Group” Bird and Nature Protection Association installed the first web camera on a stork nest in Dumbrăvioara. At first the events from the nest could be followed only on the computer from the stork museum. From 2010 the daily life of the storks in the nest number 10 can be followed anywhere on the world using the internet.
During five years the male from the stork pair who occupied this nest, was a ringed bird (http://milvus.ro/white-storks-with-coloured-elsa-ring/66), but this year the events in the nest were much more exciting. On the 3rd of April a stork came to the nest and on the 8th of April his or her pair arrived too. The first egg was laid on the 19th of April and the next ones on the 21th and 23th of April. The male didn’t take part in the incubation so the female started incubating the three eggs alone. Continue reading
Ecological education for children and young people
During July 2011 Milvus Group signed a new funding contract with the Environmental Fund Administration (www.afm.ro) in financing the project entitled “Ecological education for a sustainable future”. In august we organized our “traditional” camp for children and young people in Rigmani village (Neaua community, Mureș county). Continue reading
Autumn raptor migration study in Dobrogea
Migration of raptors is phenomenon which always raised interest among members of Milvus Group. In the past few years several studies have been made in order to identify the main migration periods for each raptor species. Maybe the most relevant among these studies was carried out in the Măcin Mountains between 2002 and 2007 (link). Last year a new study was started with the aim to gather new and precise information about the migration routes in Dobrogea and to evaluate the possible impact of already built or future wind-farms from the area. Continue reading
3rd International “Milvus” Nature Photography Contest
Results of the 3rd International “Milvus” Nature Photography Contest
List of winners pictures and the ones selected for exhibition is available for download: EN
The Grand Prize (First place winner of the competition):
Gönye Csaba/ Hungary – Spring phototaxis
The Saker falcon is breeding in the western part of Romania
In April, Hungarian experts from MME/Bird Life Hungary, partner of the Milvus Group in the “Conservation of Falco cherrug in NE-Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia” LIFE+ project (www.sakerlife2.mme.hu), made some fieldwork in the Western Plain of Romania. During the trip they identified a pair of Saker falcon (Falco cherrug) breeding in a nest located on a high voltage electric pylon. Continue reading
