“It will be a strange spring, at least according to the stork movement”, emphasized Prof. Piotr Tryjanowski from the Poznań University of Life Sciences. He added that ornithologists note a significant delay in the migration of storks.
The white stork is a classic symbol of spring
“We are awaiting for storks to reach Poland and we think that the weather will also be very spring from then on. Although there was a lot of truth in the old sayings that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb and we see it every day, sometimes I also have the impression that our storks feel it too – in Africa. I say specifically in Africa because this spring is really strange in the life of storks”, said Prof. Piotr Tryjanowski, zoologist and researcher of storks from the Department of Zoology at the University of Life Sciences in Poznań.
The professor added that professional ornithologists together with amateur ornithologists from the Silesiana Research Group, led by Joachim Siekiera, investigate the migration of storks. More than 120 birds have already been fitted with transmitters and therefore it is well-known what is happening to them.
A significant delay in the migration of storks
The professor noted that the analysis of the signals from these transmitters leaves no illusions and indicates a significant delay in the migration of storks. The zoologist pointed out that only a few days ago the first bird crossed the Red Sea and is in Israel, a few are already preparing to fly in Egypt, but the main part of the population is still in Sudan and Chad, and even in the north of South Africa.
The professor emphasized that it is also difficult to determine when the storks will reach Europe because these birds need several weeks to cross Africa. He added that although there are signals from various places in Poland that the first storks have already appeared in the nests, it is impossible to be sure whether these are individuals that flew to Africa for the winter. “It happens more and more often that storks winter in Poland, are kept in asylums for weakened birds, and even by farmers in villages.”, he explained.
Prof. Tryjanowski noted that recently he had the opportunity to drive a long route from Serbia through Hungary, southern Slovakia, and the Czech Republic to Poland. As he said, “I saw dozens of crow’s nests, and all of them still without owners. Well, you have to be patient, but judging by how birds behave in Africa, it’s going to be a strange season.”
A kind of stork vanguard
He added that the first individuals will probably arrive at the beginning, “a kind of stork vanguard”, and only much later “the main wave of migrants”. “It may turn out that the storks will not make it to St. Joseph on March 19, when they were traditionally expected, nor on the first day of spring on March 21.”, he pointed out. He added that it is possible that we will have to wait until Easter for observations of storks. (PAP)