Milvus Group - Bird and Nature Protection Association

The project “Environmental education in Mureş county” financed by the Administraţia Fondului pentru Mediu (www.afm.ro) has began

koma — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:47:35 +0000

During August, Milvus Group organized the environmental education camp for youth between ages 9-15, in the Rigmani Nature School (Mures County. The participants – through outdoor activities – had the opportunity to come to know the not only the flora and fauna of this Natura 2000 site, but also elements of cultural and architectural heritage and traditional crafts of the area concerned.
The project will continue in September with indoor presentations to 30 groups of preschoolers and schoolchildren from classes’ I-VIII, in Mureş County.

Exhibition of 2nd International “Milvus” Nature Photography Contest

koma — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:06:16 +0000

The exhibition of the 2^nd International “Milvus” Nature Photography Contest was opened on the 1^st of August, 2010 in the Kromart Gallery in Mures Mall, Târgu Mureş and can be visited during August. On the same occasion the winning ceremony took place.

The exhibition contains the winner pictures (Grand Prize and prizes I, II, III, highly commended in two categories, Milvus special award) and other 40 pictures selected for exhibition.

White Stork webcam

koma — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 10:04:55 +0000

Thanks to the Netsoft team for technical support!

2% to save the birds!

For more info click here…

White Stork ringing in Dumbravioara and Ernei

koma — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:55:29 +0000

Ringing of White Stork nestlings in Dumbrăvioara and Ernei localities was carried out in 25th of June, 2010. As all stork nests are located on the electric power poles, we were helped with a special car from the Tg.-Mureş Electricity Company (thanks for them). The ringing was carried out by the team: Alfano Niccolo, Daróczi Szilárd, Kósa Ferenc, Peris Cabre Marta, Papp Tamás, Szabó D. Zoltán and Szállassy Noémi. Unfortunaltely, like in the previous years, we couldn’t ring at all stork nests, as the car from the Electricity company could stay for only a short period –there are many problems on the electric network because of the recent storms. Totally we ringed 18 chicks in 6 nests and in one nest there were 3 dead chicks – probably because of the recent adverse wheater (thunderstorms, hail-storms). One day earlier Kósa Ferenc, Szabó D. Zoltán and Szállassy Noémi ringed in the Giurgeului Basin 25 chicks in 7 nests.

2nd International “Milvus” Nature Photography Contest

koma — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:40:11 +0000

THE WINNERS

Click here to view the photos…

The Grand Prize (First place winner of the competition):

Csonka Péter/Hungary – Zivatarban

A section – FREE TOPIC

1st place: Seprényi Attila/Sweden – Nagy bukók harca

2nd place: Jorge Pedro Barradas de Casais/Portugal – Common Dolphins (Delphinus delphis)

3rd place: Gaál Péter/Hungary – Indiánportré

Highly commended photo:

Várday Béla/Romania – Morning Lights

B section – RAPTOR

1st place: Brian WilliamMatthews/UK – Tiger hunting

2nd place: Papp Gábor/Hungary – Saker

3rd place: Imre Tamás/Hungary – Aero predator

Highly commended photo:

Máté Bence/Hungary – Harc

The best romanian photographer : Nagy Zoltán Gergely – award: a PHOTOLIFE workshop (www.photolife.ro )

The Milvus special award (voted by Milvus team): Laki Zoltán/Hungary – Reggeli krúgatás

The following photos were selected for exhibition:

Section A – Free topic

Barkóczi Csaba (Hu) – A törpe vadász

Barkóczi Csaba (Hu) – Robaj

Bedő Kornél (Hu) – Tükörben

Csonka Péter (Hu) – Párban

Gaál Péter (Hu) – Ördögi harcosok

Gaál Péter (Hu) – Szerelmi háromszög

Gyurom János (Hu) – Hajnali fények

Gyurom János (Hu) – Küzdelem

Imre Anikó (Hu) – Start

Imre Tamás (Hu) – Landing in backlight

Karsai Márton (Hu) – Sunset fishing

Laki Zoltán (Hu) – Hazatérő lunda

Máté Bence (Hu) – Lehelet

Máté Bence (Hu) – Tűzfolyam

Nagy Zoltán Gergely (Ro) – Bass rock – gannets fishing

Nagy Zoltán Gergely (Ro) – Gannet dream

Nicoleta Dinu (Ro) – Decupaj

Papp Gábor (Hu) – Geese

Radimir Siklienka (Sk) – Zerynthia polyxena

Sljivo Husein (BIH) – Flyer

Szakács Ildikó (Hu) – Bogarászó

Szerencsi Gábor (Hu) – Double robin

Tóth Zsuzsanna (Hu) – Ragyogás

Tóth Zsuzsanna (Hu) – Tünemény

Tökölyi Csaba (Hu) – On the lookout

Tökölyi Csaba (Hu) – Twins

Section B – Raptor

Alec Connah (UK) – Lone shark alert

Barkóczi Csaba (Hu) – Milky way

Bedő Kornél (Hu) – Elmaradt reggeli

Bernd Mai (D) – Rattlesnake

Carl Mabeck (DK) – Griffon Vulture

Imre Tamás (Hu) – Fight

Imre Tamás (Hu) – Warrior of the wild

Karsai Márton (Hu) – Nobody’s perfect

Kovács Zoltán (Hu) – Kánya nász 2.

Laki Zoltán (Hu) – A végzetes bukás

Laki Zoltán (Hu) – Potyautas

Lovas József (Hu) – Kiegyensúlyozott párkapcsolat

Marek Habryka (D) – In the flight 2

Máté Bence (Hu) – Szemtől szemben

Máté Bence (Hu) – Utolsó pillantás

Szerencsi Gábor (Hu) – Fox predator

—————————————————————————————

Location: Tg.Mures – Romania

Judging date: 26th of June 2010

Members of the jury:

Tamás András AFIAP – RO, president of jury

Dan Dinu, editor in chief, PhotoTravel – RO

Kerekes István EFIAP/silver – HU

71 photographers sent pictures from 18 countries.

Free topic: 267 photos

Raptor topic: 145 photos

Lesser Spotted Eagles with Satellite transmitters

koma — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:34:56 +0000

The Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) is one of the raptor species with an unfavorable conservation status. Its Romanian population is particularly significant from a conservational viewpoint, as almost a quarter of the European breeding population lives in Romania. Within the frame of the project that views the conservation of the species, entitled “Conservation of Aquila pomarina in Romania” (LIFE08 NAT/RO/000501), members of “Milvus Group” Bird and Nature Protection Association managed to capture two adults Lesser Spotted Eagles on May 10, in one of the project’s target areas. The birds were equipped with satellite transmitters which will help track their movement for minimum one year, so we will receive important information about their home range, habitat use, and beginning with autumn also about their migration routes and wintering sites. The two birds received other markings as well, such as aluminum and color rings (with code numbers) and wing feather paintings. After the migration period that begins in September, it will be possible to track the movement of birds on the www.pomarina.ro website, currently under development.

2nd International “Milvus” Nature Photography Contest

koma — Tue, 11 May 2010 10:55:00 +0000

Association Milvus Group is organizing for the second the “International “Milvus” Nature Photography Contest”.

Photos can be sent for two categories:

A category – Free topic – any nature photo can be submitted (landscape, animal, plant, macro, etc.)
B category – Predators – only pictures related to predators (birds, mammals, etc) can be submitted .

Deadline for photo submissions is 30th of May 2010.

More information on application procedure can be downloaded here: (pdfEN), (pdfRO), pdf(HU).

Application form is available here: (docEN).

Winners of Milvus scholarship 2010

koma — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:51:37 +0000

A total of 22 projects were sent for financing from the Mivus scholarship in this year. 6 projects were chosen as winners, these are the following:
Imecs Istvan- Study on Misgurnus fossilis populations in Ciuc basin and developement of an efficient management plan
Kovacs Zoltan Zsolt-Estimation on Austropotamobius torrentium populations in Valea Mare (Halmasd) brook
Sugar Szilard-Large scale habitat preferency of Spalax sp. On Someş plateu and Transylvanian plain
Buria Istvan- Estimation on conservation status of the only population of Colias myrmidone from Romania
Bolboacă Lucian Eugen-Owls from forest habitats in Romania
Aczél-Fridrich Zsuzsanna-Study on ditribution and habitat of southern birch mouse

SPAs in Milvus Group’s custody

koma — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:48:35 +0000

In February 2010, “Milvus Group” Bird and Nature Protection Association received in custody three Special Protection Areas (SPA). In order to gain custody of these Natura 2000 sites, members of the association have submitted detailed documentation and also a management plan of these areas to the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Of these three sites, one (Iernut and Cipău Fishponds) is in the range of Mureș county, while the other two (Alceu Valley and Barcău River Meadow) are located in Bihor County.
Iernut and Cipău Fishponds is a priority for Milvus Group, being the largest wetland in the county, where during the passage very large clusters of thousands of waterfowl occur. During the four years of custody, administration of these ponds will be linked with concessionaires of fish farms so that the husbandry and activities arising therefrom are matched with bird protection measures. The most relevant activities to be implemented on site are the construction of an artificial island for the colony of herons in Iernut, the location of a bird observation tower for better monitoring of bird flocks and the developing of a management plan of the protected area with provisions and direct conservation measures. In this way we can make sure that the area will keep its present condition and it will ensure peace required for both the rare and endangered species nesting here, and the migratory birds.

Starting ceremony of the “Conservation of Aquila pomarina in Romania” Life+ project

koma — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:11:39 +0000

The starting ceremony of the “Conservation of Aquila pomarina in Romania” LIFE+ project was held at 10th of February 2010 in Sibiu at the Continental Forum Hotel.
Participants at the meeting were the three partners of the project: the Regional Environmental Agency from Sibiu, the Milvus Group and the Romanian Ornithological Society.
The project is financed by the LIFE+ program of the European Commission (Nature and Biodiversity section) will last four years (2010 – 2013) and is targeting 12 Natura 2000 sites, considered by us, the most important ones for the species. Most of the activities will be carried out in 3 from the 12 sites, the ones with the most important population of the species: Podişul Hârtibaciului, Dealurile Târnavelor – Valea Nirajului and Piemontul Făgăraşului.
The initiative of this project belongs to the Milvus Group. The ornithologists of the association are dealing with the conservation of the species from many years. They conducted a national census of the population which lasted 3 years and monitored the conservation priorities of the species. This work was the base of the current Life+ project.
According to this census, the Lesser spotted eagle population of Romania is estimated between 1700 and 2200 pairs, representing 22,2% of the European Union’s population and 12,5% of the global population.