Warmia-Masuria/ The storks will fly away any day now

In the meadows of Warmia and Mazury, you can observe stork assemblies. Ornithologists believe the storks will depart any day now—about two or three weeks earlier than usual.

"Unfortunately, autumn is already in the air," Sebastian Menderski from the Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (PTOP) told PAP. He admitted that some bird species, such as Charadriiformes, are already on their wintering grounds. More birds are preparing to migrate. This group also includes storks, whose departures are preceded by regional assemblies, i.e., large gatherings of these birds in one place. Such assemblies have been observed in the meadows of the Masurian and Warmia regions for several days now, especially early in the morning. Over 30 storks can be present in a single meadow at a time.

"Ornithologists also report that young storks are already taking longer flights to practice before their main departure. This is clearly demonstrated by data from the sensors installed on these birds," said Menderski, adding that ornithologists believe the storks' departure is expected any day now.

"It will happen two or three weeks earlier than usual. It's sad to see no storks in our region. But let's remember that compared to previous years, the storks arrived earlier," the ornithologist emphasized.

This year, many stork nests have produced three or even four chicks. Statistically, however, as Menderski pointed out, there are fewer young storks this year than last year. "This is somewhat surprising, because last year there was a drought and food was scarce. This year, storks are not suffering from a lack of food," he added.

Menderski said that the swifts, which arrived later than usual this year, weren't getting ready to fly away yet. This was likely because these birds feed on insects, and the cold May meant there weren't many insects. "A few days ago, I banded young swifts; they weren't fully fledged yet, so they definitely won't fly away any sooner than usual," Menderski said.

In mid-August, the first deer rut will begin in the forests of Warmia and Mazury – an inevitable sign of approaching autumn. (PAP)

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