Muraviovka Park Weekly Nature Notes

Beginning of May

2010-05-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

The night of May 4th we again dropped below freezing but this still hasn’t stopped the forward progression of spring. Flowers are blooming, the trees are budding, the frogs have emerged and have begun to spawn.

Migrant birds are still arriving on schedule such as this pipit.

Waterfowl are beginning to appear on all the lakes which have just recently thawed. Periodically flocks of geese fly overhead.

The delay in the melting of the ice has left many of the waterfowl to find other bodies of water. Many ducks could be seen in ephemeral pools in farm fields. Two pairs of Mandarine Ducks have even been spotted in these pools, close to the road.

The pair of Storks have nearly completed their nest which they began constructing two weeks ago.

With the good that spring brings we have also noted our future demise. Millions of mosquito larvae have been seen twitching and writhing in all puddles.

At the beginning of the month we had our annual art contest to promote awareness of the problems wildfires have in the regions ecosystems.

Unfortunately, the message of wildfire prevention has not yet sunk in. At approximately 3:oo pm May 2nd smoke appeared on the horizon driven by strong winds.

The fire was heading in a north-eastern direction and had blazed across the majority of the west end of the Park. Then a shift in the winds caused the fire to change direction towards the Park headquarters. In a matter of minutes the fire had spread several kilometers and was literally at our doorstep. (Park headquarters marked in blue.)

We all struggled to control the fire and managed to subdue it within meters of the buildings.

By 6:30 pm the fire had been extinguished but left a devastating and grave aftermath.

From our best estimates 80-90% of the Park was severely burned.

Some of the heaviest tolls were two occupied stork nests, which were burned to the ground.

Although locations and numbers of crane nests were not available before the fire, we no doubt lost both White-naped and Red-crowned Crane nests. Given the severity of the burn it is unlikely that some, if any, pairs will be able to re-nest.

The fire not only affected the nests of the charismatic cranes and storks but also destroyed Magpie nests, Japanese Quail nests, and Pheasant nests.

Other animals lost more than just their nests.

Those animals that did survive are now left exposed to both predators, poachers, and the elements. Like the fox, badger, and deer.

Special Thank You

2010-04-22T18:02:00.000-07:00

As with last year, our work here would not be possible without the help and support of many organizations and individuals. We are eternally grateful to all those who have supported the Parks endeavors. In particular, the work Cara and I are accomplishing have been supported by; The International Crane Foundation (http://www.savingcranes.org/) who provided us with airline tickets along with tons of emotional and logistical help, The Wildlife World Zoo (http://www.wildlifeworld.com/) and Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo (http://www.zoo.org/) who has again contributed financial support. Professor Baldassarre (www.esf.edu/EFB/baldassarre/) of SUNY-ESF provided a Spotting Scope and logistical support. Most recently, The Livingston Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy (http://www.lrwc.net/) has provided funds to purchase a motorcycle to census waterfowl in the area.

Thank you all for your continuing help.

Mid-April Part 2

2010-04-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

Well as I mentioned in my post several days ago, the idea of spring has finally hit the region! But the real sign of change came in seeing our first blooming flower!
Even with the warmer temperatures, all the lakes still remain frozen. The main lake near the headquarters has begun to thaw....albiet slow. It is still possible to walk on its surface and during the process it has created a beautiful, unique icy scene.

This spring shows alot of promise for the upcoming breeding season. The water level is much higher than last year and Sergei has remarked that he has not seen such a wet spring since 2000! We have been sinking waist high in some places when we are doing prescribed burning.

Migrants have been arriving more or less on schedule with last season's dates, but the numbers are lower. We have been able to band some of the early migrants like this red-flanked bluetail.

The last of the capitve birds (our four mandarin ducks) have been let outside and their exhibit prepared for the breeding season.

We acquired a new creature for education - A patterned ratsnake (Elaphe dione). This is a snake common to the forested areas in the southern part of the Amur Region, however it is not found in the park (no reptiles are found in the Park due to lack of wintering sites). The snake was a hit with the school children who visited the Park for Earth Day.

Mid April 2010

2010-04-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

The snow has finally all melted here at the Park, although it is still quite cold. We had our first night that was above freezing on April 19th. The lack of snow means that the threat of wildfire has become a very real concern. We have begun to perform prescribed burns in the evening to prevent potential problems in a few weeks.

The storks have for the most part all laid their eggs. A few pairs are still in the process of constructing new nests - those who lost theirs in the fires or winds last season.

There is a considerable about of water in the wetlands this spring and I believe that this will translate into a better breeding season for the cranes. We have spotted at least 6 pairs of White-naped cranes and 2 pairs of Red-crowned cranes at the Park thus far.

Beginning of April 2010

2010-04-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

Spring is the air here at the Park..but one look at the temperature guage and one would argue with me. It is still only around 0 degrees during the day and still drops considerably lower at night. despite this the snow is melting and the animals are peeking out.

The first migrants have begun to arrive at the Park. Skylarks, corvids (Carrion crows, jungle crows, and jackdaws), and rustic buntings are now a regular at the Park. A small flock of herons came to the Park, but seemed at little confused with the ice and snow still covering all of the open water.
Flocks of Pine buntings have been seen along the open spots in the road - - a bird that was not seen at the Park at all last year.

In preparation for all of these migrants, the Park has set out feeding stations in the wetlands and along the roads. We have unloaded five tractor loads of grains and several hundred kilos of frozen fish.

These feeding sites were easily encountered by the migrants who began immediately to refuel on all of this food. The first cranes arrived on the 30 of March and two date only two pairs of White-naped cranes have been seen at the Park. One pair has made complete use of the free food.
Storks arrived on the 2 of April and days later found our fish along the shores of the lake.

We have also been preparing our captive birds for the spring. Reed hiding places were placed in the crane pen to encourage nesting...and when the weather warmed up the birds were let out to enjoy the sunshine and outdoors once again!

We also made a special trip to several schools in the district to lecture on environmental issues of the region.

In the last several days there has been hope that winter will leave us for the year. The ice finally broke on lake Kapustiha..

One highlight of the week was the chance arrival of a steppe eagle... the juvenile bird made its way to our feeding stations and was immediately mobbed by the magpies and crows.

A Fresh Start

2010-03-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

We arrived back at the Park in early March. Excited to be returning and looking forward to this year’s season, we were greeted with brilliant sun and chilling temperatures.

Our flight into Blagoveshchensk treated us with a stunning entrance into the Amur Region. As we awoke at the end of our flight, we had a breathtaking view of the Trans-Baikal mountain range.

The cold harsh climate of winter in the Amur can be beautiful. A hoar frost settled in our first night back, covering every twig and twine.

Winter in the park is obviously very harsh and the majority of the bird species migrate south. We have a few full time resident species but there are also a few species that come from even farther north to winter at the park. Last year Common and Hoary Redpolls wintered here and were actually the most numerous bird species found within the park. This year however, we did not have any Redpolls overwinter here. But, interestingly, another winter visitor, the Pallas's Rose Finch, wintered in small numbers this year. Last year not even one was seen at the park.

A Pallas's Rose Finch found at the park this winter.

Mixed in with the Pallas's Rose Finch was the hardy year-round resident the Long-tailed Rose Finch. We expect the Pallas's Rose Finch to be heading North in the next few weeks but the Long-tailed Rose Finch is here to stay.

Winter is also a good way to catch up on what mammal species utilize the Park. We have seen many tracks of small rodents, mustelids, roe deer, and fox.

Many of the fox show their playful selves as they frolic in the sun.

Full Circle

2009-11-12T04:13:00.000-08:00

This is my farewell posting for the season. The seasons have gone full circle since my arrival in March - the spring migrants have left and the winter birds have arrived - the snow now blankets the wetlands and Muraviovka Park begins its winter slumber.

The posts will continue again with my arrival in the park in spring.... and until that time I leave you with a time-lapsed scene from the terrace of the past year:

Wildlife Disease Workshop

2009-11-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

During 26-31 of October, Muraviovka Park initiated and hosted an International Workshop on Wildlife Disease Issues of the Amur Region. The goal of this workshop was to discuss disease threats to wildlife in the region, create a dialog between those institutions that deal with wildlife diseases, and to develop a network that would study and combat these issues. We had participants from the Veterinarian University in Blagoveshensk, the Directorate of Wildlife Protection, the Moscow Zoo, the Okra Nature Reserve, Khinghansky Nature Reserve, Bolonsky Nature Reserve, and the International Crane Foundation. The Workshop was sponsored by the Trust for Mutual Understanding, www.tmuny.org. In all there were over twenty participants.

The conference began with a day of labs and demonstrations given by ICF’s veterinarian Barry Hartup, to the students of the local Veterinarian University.

The following day, the conference began with several lectures at the University as well as a question/answer session involving the local media.

Days three and four, consisted of talks and discussions at Muraviovka Park.

The last day Barry Hartup performed a health check on the Parks captive birds. We used this opportunity to demonstrate techniques of handling and health protocols to the participants of the workshop.

The general consensus was that the conference was a success and we are already beginning to plan a follow-up meeting…..

October 2009

2009-11-02T21:58:00.002-08:00

Although the locals will say that October is not officially winter, the daytime temperatures have only been reaching a high of –10 to –20 degrees C. We have received our first snowfall, albeit there was only slight accumulation.

The lake began to freeze over in the beginning of the month and now we have to break through the ice to obtain fish for the captive cranes.

Our activities at the Park have centered around preparing for the upcoming spring fires. This means conducting prescribed burning in critical areas and cleaning debris and leaves near buildings. We were lucky to have the help of a group of students from the nearby village of Korepatina. They volunteered an afternoon to rake and clean around the summer camp.

We have also been creating another nature trail that will allow visitors to explore the oak forests adjacent to terrace, while catching glimpses of the wetland below.

The creation of the trail has also stirred the curiosity of the local wildlife. Birds like the European nuthatch and Eurasian jay, have enjoyed exploring the raked leaves for insects and other edible debris.

The trail has already proven very productive. It winds near the burrow of a local Raccoon-dog, who made himself visible the other day. Additionally, a Ural owl was spotted in a tree adjacent to the trail!

Our family of Red-crowned cranes are still present and doing well. We were concerned that the late hatch date of the chicks may hinder their ability to migrate on time, but they are flying around the wetlands and looking quite strong.

Unfortunately, another crane is also still present at the park, a lone white-naped crane. This crane was observed in the nearby farm fields and allowed close approach.

After a moment of observation, it became apparent why the crane was still here and unwary. It sustained a grave injury to its leg. Its future still remains uncertain.

On another note, the final mist-netting episode yielded a great capture…a small flock of Azure-winged magpies…

I would like to end this blog by wishing everyone Happy Halloween!

News Stories on Stork Protection

2009-10-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

Our joint efforts with the Office of Nature Protection to protect stork nests was picked up by several media outlets and you can read the coverage by following the below links:

http://vostokmedia.com/n55572.html

http://dv.rian.ru/society/20090918/81808035.html

http://www.wood.ru/ru/lonewsid-28484.html

http://www.wwf.ru/resources/news/article/5420

http://news.vl.ru/vlad/2009/09/19/69011/

End of September 2009

2009-09-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

The fall colors at the Park have peaked in the last few weeks as we enjoyed a wave of beautiful weather during our “Indian Summer”.

We also celebrated our final festival of the year. This festival focused on Birds of Prey. Again we had busloads of visitors come to participate. The visitors were able to go with one of several guides who showed off artwork related to birds of prey, played informative videos, and gave nature walks around the headquarters.

Although the Park is most famous for its cranes, it does have quite a diversity of hawks, eagles, and owls that use the Park for migration and/or breeding. As a matter of fact over 22 species have been recorded at the Park including the golden eagle and pied harrier depicted below. (These are photos I took earlier in the season)

The Park was also involved in a “rescue mission” this week. A local farmer contacted us and said he had a young white-naped crane in his possession. He continued by telling us that his grandson had found the bird near their chicken coop cold, lost and hungry. The boys initial reaction was to shoot the big bird, but the grandfather stopped him and they captured the bird and began calling around for guidance and assistance. The bird was in their care for nearly a month before we were finally contacted to help. During this period the bird was fed mainly bread. We transported the bird back to the Park, where we cared for it for nearly a week before our colleagues at Khingkonsky Nature Reserve came and took the bird (Khingkonsky Nature Reserve has larger facilities and therefore would make a more suitable location for the bird).

We also made a trip out to Amursky Game Refuge, which is located about an hour and a half southeast from the Park. This refuge is also a huge stopover for migrating cranes and we camped one night in the fields so that in the morning we could get an estimate of the number of roosting cranes at the refuge.

Over a thousand cranes were present and I was able to make a short clip of the birds as they flew from their roosts (click play to watch)

Our trip to Amursky was just in time, because several days afterwards the hooded cranes were observed catching thermals and preparing to move further south. At the Park, we have gone from over 1000 migrating cranes to roughly 100.

There has been a huge crop of acorns from the Mongolian Oaks and everyone here is excited to take this opportunity to utilize them in our re-forestation efforts. Every afternoon we take several hours to put them into the ground in areas where they were originally or in areas that they would serve as a good firebreak. This is a time-consuming endeavor, but to date we have planted well over two hundred acorns!

On the smaller scale, I ran across these two interesting invertebrates this past week- yet another colorful and bizarre caterpillar and this spider protecting its egg sac!

Mid-September 2009

2009-09-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

Temperatures are plummeting rapidly as fall comes into full swing. We experienced our first frost the morning of September 16 and a jacket is definitely a required part of your wardrobe when you go outside in the morning.

The splendid beauty of autumn is apparent all around…the leaves everywhere are now bursting into color.

The baby red-crowned cranes are getting quite large now and I have attached the best photo available at the moment to give you guys an idea of their size:

The red-crowned cranes are not the only cranes present in the park at the moment. Hooded cranes and white-naped cranes have been showing up in the hundreds preparing for fall migration.

To celebrate the arrival of these cranes, busloads of people visited the park when we held our annual crane festival on September 13, 2009.

Visitors were treated with performances, good weather, wildlife lectures, and views not only of the wild cranes but also our captive ones along with some other rather unusual types of “cranes”.

During the past few mornings, we have set out at dawn to monitor the migrating cranes and get an estimate of their numbers. We arrive in the mist-covered fields just at daybreak and hear the sounds of hundreds of cranes in the distance.

Then as the sun begins to emerge hundreds of cranes take to the air and fly towards their feeding grounds.

As they fly by we can count them and also note many other observations. We have seen several injured birds:

This years young with their parents:

And several Eurasian cranes and hybrids:

To date the counts are as follows:

HOODED CRANES: 1095 individuals

WHITE-NAPED CRANES: 255 individuals

We have continued to monitor the small mammals at the park and this week we confirmed another species presence here, the Korean field mouse:

I must say that this time of year has been spectacular at the park….the wildlife abounds, the mosquitoes have relaxed, the weather is cool and crisp, and the sun shows off the fall foliage exquisitely. I hope that everyone else is enjoying their fall as well!!!

First half of September 2009

2009-09-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

There is now a chill in the morning air reminding you that fall is here. Although we have not received our first frost just yet, it still is chilly in the morning with temperatures around 43 degrees F (5 C). The typical fall events are occurring here at the park – like the harvesting of our fields:

And the changing colors of the leaves:

We have been working on several projects for the wildlife in preparation for fall and winter as well… For instance, we have been placing piles of grain to help the pheasants, deer, and cranes to prepare for migration or fatten up for winter.

The insane growing season is finally winding down and it is a good time to remove a lot of grass and shrubs that are near the stork nests. As these plants die, they become huge piles of fuel for the upcoming fires we are anticipating in later fall and spring – and by clearing an area around the stork nests we can ensure that they will not fall victims to the fires themselves – as we saw earlier in the spring… After the brush was cleared we took an added precaution by spraying the trunks of the trees with a fire suppressing solution.

As we visited each of the nests this last week to remove the excess brush, we discovered that one of the nests utilized this year fell victim to high winds…. Judging by our data, this nest toppled over sometime in late-June/early July. We had visited this nest earlier in the season and banded three chicks. Unfortunately, the nest was destroyed before these chicks had fledged and all three perished.

Fall hunting is also well underway and much of the wildlife is seeking refuge close to the headquarters. This is especially true for ducks and the lake which is easily visible from the nature center had over 1000 ducks present this week!!

The bizarre caterpillars, which began appearing in late August are still popping up here and there in the bushes. Here are a few other species I have encountered this month:

September has also been a great month for the herpefauna of the park. It is hard not to see a toad or a frog bounding in front of you on the path and the very elusive treefrogs are also making themselves seen! The big excitement however, is the rediscovery of the Siberian salamander at the park… Once fairly common here, they have not been seen in sometime due to the drought and were presumed locally extinct. But several individuals were found during our monitoring.

In the world of birds, we are seeing an increase in the number of cranes. Upwards of 70 white-naped cranes now regularly fly in to roost below the terrace – There are little hooded cranes thus far with only the scattered group of 3 –7 individuals seen flying overhead. The two baby Red-crowned cranes are growing quite quickly and are a regular sight off the terrace. We were also greeted this week by a large flock of Azure tits… These beautiful birds are not that commonly seen at the park which makes any visit from them a somewhat special event.

New news about the park!

2009-09-12T20:49:00.001-07:00

Please click on the following link to read an article about our trip to Zeasky:

http://www.portamur.ru/news/9270/

Trip to Zeasky Reserve

2009-08-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

The Russian Far East is an enormously diverse region where the landscape can vary from broad open spaces like those found at Muraviovka Park to high mountain boreal forests. As an education center, Muraviovka Park strives to provide opportunities that give the public a chance to visit and learn about these diverse ecosystems. In mid-August, the director of Muraviovka Park, Marina, and myself visited the zeasky nature reserve in the north of the Amur Region to look at creating an educational partnership for next summer. This reserve is vastly different from that of Muraviovka Park – it is a mountainous taiga forest, containing many rivers and streams. Within its boundaries are a plethora of animal species such as moose, musk deer, and brown bears. The purpose of the trip was to scout out the facilities, get an understanding of the ecosystem, and to meet with the local scientists and staff of the reserve. We spent several days on a boat within the reservoir with several scientists and then several days in the mountains. The visit was a success and we are now in the planning process of next year’s summer camp… Below are some photos from the trip:

August 2009

2009-08-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

As usual in the Park, the month of August has given us an unparalleled beautiful sky. The sunsets have been extraordinary and earlier in the month the full moon loomed over.

The young swallows from in the house also made their début into the real world earlier this month. One by one with the urging of all flock members, each of the four babies spread their wings and took flight. They stayed near the house with the rest of the flock for just under a week before finally departing south for the year.

We have also observed another juvenile white-naped crane that has came into view with its parents…

Other signs of late summer are also evident. Many of the birds are molting, replacing their feathers and looking rather shabby in the process.

Nature has also continues with its nice bounty. In the wetlands and along the terrace, you can find wild onions and hazelnuts in addition to the continual berry harvest.

The bounty is at its height in our own personal garden as well. We have gotten a glut of zucchini, tomatoes, peas, potatoes and carrots. In addition, the fruit trees on the property are producing some of the tastiest pears and plums around. Mmmmmm.

The insects are still omnipresent – and any trip in the wetlands will cause you to itch and scratch for several hours afterwards. But in one such trip out into the wetlands, I found someone that is truly appreciative of all of these biting insects. I think that this individual may be considered quite rich within its species:

A new group of insects have emerged during this month – caterpillars. Many different and beautiful types have been spotted on the surrounding vegetation. Several types have very interesting survival strategies…One that I have observed had long hairs that projected from its body in a fashion that gave it an appearance of a spider. If it is started. It will raise its body in an ominous fashion – similar to a menacing spider. Another had false antennae on its rear to confuse predators as to which end is its head..

On the lake the ducks, gulls, and terns are beginning to aggregate. The photo below was taken of three gulls feeding on the lake. A good look at this photo reveals some unusual bodily positions of the birds in flight – one even has its head cocked around!

Lastly, a sad site at the lake was found. One of the baby Great crested grebe chicks was found dead. The cause of death appears to be the chicks attempt to swallow too large of a fish…

Special Report!!!

2009-08-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

On August 5^th two young white-naped crane chicks were seen feeding with their parents and on the following morning two young Red-crowned crane chicks were spotted with their parents in the same vicinity!!! The park had not confirmed a successful nesting pair of red-crowned cranes in the park this year, which made this sighting a special treat!! Now comes the hard part of determining where they nested!!!

New news about the Park

2009-08-05T20:40:00.000-07:00

More news has been reported about the park and can be viewed by clicking on the following three links:

News about fourth of July celebration:

Special interview with the Director of the Park:

News about this year’s international summer camp

End of July 2009

2009-08-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of activity around the park the past few weeks. But first I wanted say that I failed to mention in the last entry that we had a fifth crane species visit the park in late June – one Eurasian crane was spotted among a small flock of hooded cranes. It was only seen that morning and has not been spotted since. During the month of July we have had a lot of visitors and researchers visit the park. In particular, there were three hydrology students and one tourism student from Universities in Moscow as well as a PhD student studying waterfowl from Bristol University. In addition to people visiting the park – the park sent several representatives to a summer camp for children living in social shelters. This camp is located approximately five hours north of the park and provides an opportunity for these children to spend the summer in nature. Every year Muraviovka Park sends staff to teach children about the nature and ecosystems of Russian and about the importance of conservation.

In mid-July there was explosion of edible goodies in every inch of the park – currants, raspberries, bird cherries, and mushrooms to name a few. Everyone at the park has spend a little time gathering these treats and adding them to our meals….

The omnipresent rain of June has transformed the wetlands from its earlier state of dryness in April and June. Areas that were burned in early spring are now filled with tall grass and water is nearly waist high in some parts…

The wildflowers are still persisting in the wetlands, although they are not at their full glory like the month of June. There are however, two orchids that bloom in mid-July.

One of these orchids is unbelievably tiny and almost overlooked.

It is also hard not to notice that Mid-June is the season of love for many of the insect species. The air was filled with butterflies and dragonflies engaged in coitus.

At the headquarters, the swallows nesting at the house have successfully hatched out their four eggs and the chicks have been growing at an amazing rate. I think that within the next several days we will see them leave the nest!!

Another amazing spectacle at the house occurs each evening when millions of insects flock to the porch light. Although the light may be on for less then an hour, it attracts hundreds of species. Many of these moths are so exquisitely beautiful that you may spend hours just looking at the different colors and body shapes.

The work with the small mammals have also identified two new species that reside on the property – the reed vole and Innokov’s bat.

One of the most photographed and distinctive features of Muraviovka Park is Lake Kapustikha. It is easily visible from the headquarters.

But we recently purchased a new piece of equipment – a small inflatable boat – that has allowed us to experience the lake from a whole new perspective. The main purpose of the boat is to enable the hydrology students to conduct research about the lake. But the boat also allows us to get close to otherwise elusive wildlife and hard to see water plants.

Inevitably, the month of July has showed yet another marvelously beautiful and wild side of the park –

But all the beauty does come with a price – A very abundant price at that!!!

News about the Park

2009-07-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

The park was featured in the local news earlier this May and anyone
interested in reading the article can reach the link by clicking here.

http://www.vostokmedia.com/n46657.html

15th anniversary of Muraviovka Park

2009-07-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

The fourth of July 2009, marked the 15^th anniversary of Muraviovka Park. Muraviovka stands as a model of conservation and education in a region where it is truly needed. I encourage all of you to log onto www.muraviovkapark.ru and read about the rich history and founding of the park. A celebration was held on this date, but beforehand there was much preparation by the park staff and volunteers to get the grounds ready for the guests. In particular, a large artistic patio that overlooks the wetlands was constructed.

After all the preparations of the park were finished it was time to get ourselves personally ready for the celebration!

The celebration, which was held from 10:00 – 4:00, included speeches by founder Sergei Smirenski, Park director Marina Kalodina, and Jim Harris of the International Crane Foundation as well as songs and dances from several local musicians and artists.

End of June – Beginning of July 2009

2009-07-10T08:40:00.001-07:00

This has been a very exciting time of the year here at the park…… We celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the park (see other entry) as well as entertaining many visitors and volunteers. The weather has remained mild and cloudy with the occasional rain shower. This has been great for the garden as well as for the harvestable wild plants around the headquarters – like the wild strawberries.

The warm, damp conditions have also favored the growth of fungus and we have seen an explosion of different mushroom species in all habitats of the park.

The swallows that were constructing their nest near the entrance of the house have finished and have begun to incubate their eggs.

We celebrated the beginning of the month by giving a tour through the wetlands to several of our volunteers. The hike provided our volunteers with an opportunity to get good views of some the resident wildlife such as the white-naped cranes, oriental storks, and roe deer.

Although the wetlands look inviting from the terrace of the headquarters, once you enter into them you are immediately greeted by millions of ravenous mosquitoes, which will quickly find and attack and exposed piece of skin!!

However, for those brave enough to enter the wetlands at this time of year will find four new blooming orchids awaiting them.

Our small mammal traps keep yielding little fury surprises. To date, we have captured and collected information on nearly forty individuals encompassing nine different species, ranging from the Siberian chipmunk to the black-striped field mouse.

We have also converted the un-used space on the top floor of the nature center into what is now called the discovery zone. Here we have brought up some living examples of the smaller creatures found around the park to show and educate our visitors.

The beginning of July was also when the park held its annual summer camp. This year we had nearly fifty students ranging in age from 11-15 years old. The students spent seven days at the park and were given a hands on learning experience about the parks geology, weather, plants and animals. This years theme was the effects of global climate change on these different aspects of the ecosystem. In addition to the lesson plans, other traditional aspects of summer camp were incorporated such as games and competitions as well as evening songs and discussions around the campfire.

Mid-June 2009

2009-06-27T09:01:00.001-07:00

The unusually wet and variable weather we were experiencing at the beginning of the month has continued. Dark clouds dance across the sky and leave you uncertain when or whether the rain will begin to fall without warning. At any moment of the day, you can scan the horizon and see rain falling somewhere in the distance. The cloud cover and breezes have kept the temperatures mild and pleasant.

At the end of a particularly wet and rainy day, the sun came out warming up the wetlands which caused the valley below the terrace to fill with mist, leaving only the tops of the trees to be visible.

Another surprise was an afternoon hailstorm that pelted us after lunch for about 30 minutes.

The intermittent rain has brought out one of the strangest creatures that is found in the park.

Although this animal superficially resembles a horseshoe crab, it is actually a type of shrimp in the genus Triops. These types of shrimp are found throughout the world and their eggs hatch after warm summer rains. These eggs have a remarkable capacity to withstand drought and extreme temperatures. They have been known to hatch 25 years after being laid. The adults live for approximately 30 days and can reach their full size of roughly three inches in a couple of days.

The show of wildflowers is still continuing at the park, with several new species beginning to bloom this week including two species of red lily.

Among the wildflowers, pitfall traps used to study small mammal diversity within the park have continued to turn out a menagerie of cute faces.

More young faces are also being seen at the park as new fledgling birds begin to leave the nest like the Common Kestrel and Stone Chat pictured below.

Lastly, I wanted to leave you this week with a gratuitous crane photo as a reminder of just how magical Muraviovka Park can be!

Late May-Early June 2009

2009-06-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

Summertime and the living is easy…..or busy…like here at Muraviovka. Yes, the summer has been a busy time here at the park both for the people and for the wildlife. The high winds have ceased and the summer rains have begun. The park has been hit with several good rainstorms that has brought back some surface water into the wetlands, helping to bring out a spectacular array of wildflowers.

The wildflowers have taken this cue to show themselves in the utmost glory and dazzle us with new arrivals and brilliant colors every day.

The last amphibian species found here at the park joined us as well with the arrival of these rains.

As spring has progressed so too has the circle of life. The park is host to thousands of nurseries all over. All new crane nests have all hatched and the families have dispersed around the park to feed. The new crane families are joined by many other bird species and the park is full of noisy nests waiting to be fed.

A pair of barn swallows has also started taking up residence in our entryway and have been taking full advantage of the recently available mud.

We have also had many events over the past couple weeks. The first few days of July we participated in an Exposé of the Amur region in Blago. We supplied the community with information about the park and local wildlife as well as giving them an opportunity to have a hands on experience with some of the local amphibians. In an effort to interact and communicate more with the public, we gave an hour-long lecture about global warming and some of the specific affects it has on nature, wildlife, as well as people both locally and globally which was open to the public.

During the last couple weeks we also had a group of international scientists from Russia and Japan looking at the health of our baby storks.

And lastly, in our efforts to compile an extensive species list for the park, we have also started monitoring the populations of small mammals in both the forested and wetland habitat throughout the park.

Week of May 18-24, 2009

2009-05-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

Well the transformation from winter to spring felt as though it happened just yesterday, but now I feel we have left spring and are well into summer! Temperatures at the Park exceeded 30 degrees Celsius and the daylight lasts late into the evening. All the blossoms on the trees have been replaced with leaves. The turtle-dove babies, which were pictured last week, are growing rapidly and will probably fledge late next week.

The stork and crane nests were all surveyed this week and to date the statistics are as follows:

We have a total of 8 known stork nests within the Park. The eggs should be close to hatching based on the timing they were observed sitting at the nests. We had the opportunity to check one nest early in the week and there were three eggs. We lost two nests in the Park this season; one from the fires mentioned in a previous post and another that was lost in strong winds. Another nest was discovered in the park, which had also burned in a recent fire, but it is unclear whether or not this nest was occupied during the fire…

Outside of the Park, we have confirmed another five nests.

The red-crowned cranes that had gone to nest earlier last month lost their nest. The cause for this remains unclear. We have been unable to locate a nest to look for clues. This is odd, given we knew the location of where the nest should have been. A similar situation had occurred the previous year and our suspicions are that this pair may have some type of behavioral issue that interferes with the successful completion of nesting. So, this means no red-crowned crane chicks this year at the Park. As of yet, we do not know of any red-crowned cranes nests outside of the Park.

One pair of white-naped cranes has hatched out chicks. We have been unable to see the chicks in the tall grass, but there is no reason to suspect that there are any problems! We collected data on the nesting site to give us a better understanding of the variables they need to lead to a successful hatch. Two other nests are known of in the Park – one was lost to predators early in the incubation stage and the other nest still only has eggs (see the photo of the female hidden on the nest).

While walking around to check on the status of these nests, I encountered a sad scenario, a female deer had been shot by poachers and it was just about to give birth to twins. Poaching is a big problem in Russia and the poachers not only cause problems for the animals they hunt, but also disturb nesting cranes.

We also had a nice rare migrant pass through the park this week: the little curlews. A group of eight was seen feeding amongst the many golden-plovers that are also passing through at this time.

The week ended with several groups of volunteers who came to help clean debris around the headquarters as well as plant trees. We had a great time with them and as always appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Park.

I wanted to end the weeks notes with a small segment on an animal that has mystified several visitors that have come to the Park….the Siberian sleeper. Much dinner time discussion has been centered around this crazy fish, who, legend has it, hibernates in the ice…(I still need to do my homework on this little guy to disentangle myth and fact!!)

Week of May 11 – 17th 2009

2009-05-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

We started the week off by celebrating Bird Migration Day. Bird Migration Day is a day in which we remember and celebrate the birds who have rejoined us in the northland from their wintering grounds down south. Nearly fifty school children from nearby villages joined us for the celebration. The children learned about the amazing feats migratory birds go through to arrive here as well as the biology of migration. The day was filled with games, movie clips, and lectures. The highlight for many students however, was being able to get a close view of a migratory Siberian Rubythroat that was captured just before their arrival for some of our studies. The children were able to appreciate the bird up close before we released back into the wild.

Although the wind was a bit strong several cranes and geese flew about periodically giving those children lucky enough to look up in time a great show….

The park has also been blessed with some of the most phenomenal days that I have experienced as of yet. The weather has been in the high seventies and everywhere you look there are wildflowers in bloom and bird songs fill the air.

In mid-week the night was suddenly alive with the sounds of breeding Mongolian Toads. They have made their way to the surface and congregated in some of the standing water in the wetlands. Their chorus definitely made one realize that Muraviovka Park has reached the pinnacle of its grandeur.

Other amphibians are also out and about in the Amur region of Russia. I encountered several Siberian salamanders on excursion to a nearby forest. Although these animals used to be common at the park, the changing climate has made them very rare within our borders and it is speculated that they may now be locally extinct here.

The highlight of this week however, is that many of the birds have gone to nest!! While many birds are still sitting eggs like this Azure-winged magpie:

Other birds already have babies, like this Oriental turtle-dove!

Special Thank You

2009-05-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

Since the beginning of 2009, Muraviovka Park has been blessed with contributions of both time and money from various individuals and organizations that help keep the park going. If it was not for the dedication, generosity, and passion of these people and organizations - the park would seize to exist. With that said, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the people and organizations that have helped the park this year and let them know that their efforts have not gone unnoticed and that they are greatly appreciated.

For their gifts of time, energy, and ideas, we would like to recognize:

Tatyana Kholkina

Elena Kanigina

Elena Korcherga

Elena Kuhorenko

Yura Shpak

Artum

Igor Ischenko

Svetlana Ischenko

Natalia Vronskaya

Sergei Gutsan

Nikolai Demidenko

For personal monetary donations:

Eliza Close

Nina Krarechenko

Albina Voropaera

For assistance with our captive animals:

Veterinarian Department of Far Eastern Agricultural University

For guidance with our meteorological station and equipment:

Svetlana Kazachinskays
Olga Efimora

For assistance with the purchase of new farm equipment:

Amur Region Ministry of Agriculture

Legislative Assembly of Amur Region

For administrative assistance:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

For financial support:

Pro Natura Foundation-Japan

http://www.jeef.or.jp/ASIA/japan2/Pro-natura.html

The Nature Conservation Society of Japan

http://www.nacsj.or.jp/

Pop-Group Corporation, Japan

Trust for Mutual Understanding

http://www.tmuny.org/

Wallace Genetic Foundation, USA

http://www.wallacegenetic.org/

Chicago Zoological Society
http://www.brookfieldzoo.org/

Woodland Park Zoo, USA
http://www.zoo.org/

Wildlife World Zoo, USA

http://www.wildlifeworld.com/

Association of American Zookeepers, Arizona Chapter, USA

The Wagner Foundation

The Friends of Muraviovka Park including the Korean Branch

George Archibald and the International Crane Foundation

www.savingcranes.org

If any readers would like to also contribute to Muraviovka Park and help with its conservation initiative, please contact Elena Smirenski at elena@savingcranes.org!!!

Week of May 4- May 10, 2009

2009-05-11T01:58:00.000-07:00

The strong winds have continued to bombard the park this week. Fortunately, these winds have not brought any more wildfires close to the headquarters. We are still not safe however, from the threat of wildfires this spring because many portions of peat bog are still smoldering and the winds have been carrying the smoke across the wetlands all week, giving the park a hazy overtone. The areas that were burned several weeks ago are now beginning to show signs of renewal. Green grass is sprouting in the charred earth and the park has taken on the look of a golf course.

Among the green grass are various wildflowers.

The birds have also been utilizing these recently burned areas. You can scare up several types of pipits and buntings in these open areas, like this little bunting pictured below:

During the middle of the week, I was out wandering in these burned areas when I stumbled across not one, but two badgers. Both were busy foraging and with the wind blowing in my favor, I was able to approach them within several meters without them being aware of my presence.Galia, another biologist at the park, gave a tour and lecture to a class of visiting University students this week. The students attended the Teachers Training University in Blago.

The frog eggs that were laid in the wetlands several weeks ago have hatched. There are now little tadpoles swimming in the shallower portions of the wetlands! We took several of the tadpoles to the nature center, so that the visiting school children could watch their development.

The highlight of the week, however, had to be the flock of Siberian cranes that came for a short stopover on the way to their breeding grounds. A small flock of Siberian cranes have been noted each year at the park for the last four springs. It is probable that these birds have always utilized the park during migration, but given the parks size and the short stopover time, they may not have been detected before then. This year we were anticipating their visit sometime and mid-May and therefore we remained vigilant. The group of ten birds were seen circling the park during the late morning hours of May 9th.

April 27 - May 3, 2009

2009-05-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

If I had to sum of this week at Muraviovka Park in two words : Strong winds. The day may start off calm and sunny but by nine in the morning you are being blown off your feet. Earlier in the week, there was such strong winds that re-ignited some smoldering peat from a previous fire and the wetlands again were on fire! The strength and direction of the wind made this wildfire a particular danger. It brought the fire to the doorsteps of the park headquarters.....but fortunately, thanks to the work of many fast acting people, we were able to extinguish this fire before it reached the buildings. We were, however, unable to stop a portion of the fire that had spread towards one of the stork nests. The nest was overtaken with flames and the tree collapsed, killing all three eggs that the parents had been incubating for the last week.

On a happier note, Muraviovka is now turning green!

The leaves on many of the trees have began to bud and the park is definitely transforming into its full beauty. We have had scores of volunteers come visit and help get the park ready for summer. People raked last autumns leaves, planted flowers, and prepared the garden. It is truly spectacular to see how the park has united so many wonderful people who love and appreciate nature...

In addition to the volunteers, we also had several groups and schools come to visit the park. We had a field trip of fifth graders and another of third graders, all eager to learn and see about the cranes and the rest of Muraviovka's natural history.

The staff has also been busy keeping track of the straggling migrants who are still making their way north for the summer. We have seen a huge influx in the number of passerine birds including the black-headed bunting, little bunting, stonechats, pipits, japanese reed buntings, and siberian rubythroats to name a few....Oh and several leaf-warlblers!

Week of April 20-26, 2009

2009-04-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

Spring in Muraviovka Park not only means the return of migrant birds and the blooming of flowers, but also the threat and out of control wildfires. Wildfires occur in spring as a result of mismanaged "controlled burning" started by locals in preparation for planting crops and grazing livestock. The environmental conditions during this time of the year (dry grasses, low precipitation, and high winds) can cause these set fires to spread uncontrollably and enter into nearby natural areas. Wildfires coupled with a severe drought has drastically altered many parts of the parks ecosystem and remains one of the greatest threats to both the Parks headquarters and the Parks wildlife. In fact, the wildfires had reached several of the storks nests which were occupied by females on eggs. Due to the efforts of the park staff, we managed to control all eight of the wildfires that have hit the park the last week and a half.

If anything good can be said about the wildfires at the park, is that the hazy smoke it puts into the atmosphere has a dramatic and beautiful affect on the sunsets, bringing out the vibrant colors of the spectrum:

Fortunately all the stork nests (we now know of 10 pairs that have begun to nest in and around the park) have been spared from the fires thus far. The storks have continued with their natural habits and have laid the first eggs this week and begun incubation.

We also located the nest of a pair of Red-crowned cranes. The female has chosen a nest site that makes her vulnerable to both fires and people and the park staff is contemplating on the best course of action to ensure that her offspring will survive this year. Red-crowned cranes are particularly sensitive to disturbance and we fear that in this location she may abandon her nest shortly.

At least three nests of the common kestrel have been observed in the park as well:

If you listen very intently in the reeds around the wetlands, you may hear the mating calls of Rana amurensis, our local frog. Many more have made their way to the surface and as the emerge, they breed and lay their large jelly-like egg masses in the shallow waters:

The first of the flowers are beginning to bloom in the fields as well:

I would like to end this week with a picture of a ground squirrel. These creatures can be found in the more northern portions of the park where they live in large communities. I had a chance to visit one of these communities this weekend and was greeted by this friendly face:

Week of April 12-19, 2009

2009-04-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

The unpredictability of the weather here at the park really showed itself this week: it began like one would imagine a typical spring, sunny but brisk, but then took a turn for the worst! during mid-week we were hit with a snowstorm and temperatures well below freezing! However, as the week progressed -the weather improved-so much so that today is so hot you do not need a coat!

Despite the sporadic weather conditions, the plants and animals are still behaving in spring fashion. More migrants are arriving from their wintering grounds and the soft cooing of turtle-doves fill the air. Buds are appearing on the trees and I imagine that soon enough, the trees will be green again.

Although the first butterflies began to appear last week, the diversity and numbers have really increased during the latter half of the week.

In addition to butterflies, other insects have also begun to emerge. Some, I feel, will become more of a nuisance as spring turns into summer.

The warm weather coupled with the water in the wetlands beginning to thaw, has brought out a whole new class of animals as well this week - Frogs!! The first sleepy and cold Rana amurensis was located at the beginning of the week at the edge of the wetlands....

The list of migrants that have arrived thus far, joining those hardy species that stay all year long like this long -tailed rosefinch, is growing everyday. I have included a list of all the migrants seen to date at the park for 2009:

Great Cormorant
Gray Heron
Oriental White Stork
White-fronted Goose
Bean Goose
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Baikal Teal
Falcated Teal
European Wigeon
Northern Pintail
Tufted Duck
Common Goldeneye
Black Kite
Northern Harrier
Upland Buzzard
Common Buzzard
Greater Spotted Eagle
Common Kestrel
Japanese Quail
Red-crowned Crane
White-naped Crane
Hooded Crane
Northern Lapwing
Far-eastern Curlew
Rufous Turtle Dove
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Hoopoe
Skylark
White Wagtail
Chinese Great Gray Shrike
White-cheeked Starling
Common Starling
Daurian Jackdaw
Eurasian Rook
Jungle Crow
Carrion Crow
Siberian Accentor
Red-flanked Bluetail
Naumann’s Thrush
Pallas’s Reed Bunting
Rustic Bunting
Snow Bunting
Yellow-throated bunting

I also guess it is worth mentioning that the warm weather has woken up another little denizen of the forest...the siberian chipmunk.

In closing, I would like to wish everyone a happy Easter! Yes you read correctly - Happy Easter! Easter was celebrated today (April 19, 2009) in Far-Eastern Russia; a week later than Easter in the United States.

News Reports from April 2009

2009-04-17T01:08:00.000-07:00

From time to time, the events of Muraviovka Park are picked up by the news media. When we obtain a copy of these stories, I will upload them to this site. Here are links to two stories that were published this April about the Park. Click on the link to view the article:

News Report 1

News Report 2

Week of April 5-12, 2009

2009-04-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Faint honking in the distance signaled the arrival of a new migrant: bean geese! They were the first to greet us at the beginning of this week when a group of 17 birds flew over the visitors center early last Sunday morning.

The warm weather and sunshine has melted away all of the residual snow and slowly but surely the little ponds that dot the landscape of the park are beginning to thaw.

Bean geese were not the only waterfowl to grace us with their presence this week. Glimpses of other waterfowl were seen in the distance but could not be identified. Their location at the park remained a bit of a mystery until a thawed portion of wetland was discovered at one end of the park. A quick survey in this area revealed a mixed group of ducks consisting primarily of green-winged teal, mallards, and northern pintail. But at closer inspection, there were also Eurasian widgeon, tufted ducks, common goldeneye and two very nice species; falcated and Baikal teal.

Along the shores of the pond were hundreds of Northern lapwings....a medium-sized shorebird that can hardly go unnoticed. These birds are quite common and during the breeding season are famous for their fearless protection of their nest on the ground from predators or curious humans. Besides being both brave and beautiful, they have very unique vocalizations which sound like a mix between a siren and some type of childs toy. Among the many other migrants that have arrived this week, was the Hoopoe. The Hoopoe spends the winter in Africa where I snapped this photo last year:

Although all three cranes were spotted in the park the prior week, their numbers have steadily increased over the course of this week. To date, we have observed three pairs of Red-crowned cranes on the property. One pair has been a regular site near the nature center and will most likely nest near here as they have done in the previous years. The other two pairs arrived a bit later and were noted on the southern end of the park where they were feeding together. To the best of our knowledge, there are also approximately 24 white-naped cranes present. This was the largest flock size that has flown over the wetlands. Yesterday, I drove around the property to see what the crane population looks like and in total I have found 7 pairs that have begun to set up territories. A flock of roughly 48 hooded cranes have also been feeding in the nearby fields, and these birds have stayed in a more or less tight flock the whole week.

It appears as of to date, we may have five pairs of white storks that have staked out a nest in and around the park. One of these nests, includes a refurbished nest constructed by Sergei Smirenski after it was destroyed in a previous fire..... Lastly, I want to mention that butterflies have been emerging all over the park giving this week the true feeling of spring.

Week of March 28 - April 3, 2009

2009-04-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

This week has been one of the most exciting weeks at the park!!! The tight grip of winter has loosened and the temperature has sleadily rose above freezing! With the warm weather, birds have begun to arrive at the park... Among the first spring migrants to show their face was a pair of Red-crowned cranes and a pair fo White-naped cranes!!! These majestic birds were heard bugling off in the distant wetlands and to the surprise of Muraviovka Staff landed nearly on our doorstep!!! Later in the week, we began to see groups of passerines migrating through including the Rustic bunting:

The park celebrated the coming of spring and the arrival of these migrants with our annual Bird Day festival. This festival serves to educate and inspire the local students of the wonders found in the bird world as well as the rest of nature. This year a group of nearly 50 University students from the neighboring city of Blagoveschensk participated in Bird Day. Bird day began with the reading of a welcome letter to the participants from the Beijing Brooks Education Center in China(BBEC). BBEC has a rich history and connection with Muraviovka Park and cooperated extensively with the park throughout the years to organize international camps. Afterwards we presented the students with an entertaining lecture highlighting some of the facinating aspects of bird biology and behavior, which was followed up by the ceremonial hanging of a nestbox:

Afterwards the students split into groups to go and view some of the birds in their natural habitats. Despite the lingering snow still present on the trail , everyone had a great time walking through the woods and scanning the wetlands for some of Muraviovka's special inhabitants:

As the week progressed, nearly all of the snow has melted within the park. This has exposed long buried food sources and has allowed for travel in the wetland to be much easier. This has given rise to an explosion of animals that haved moved out of the cover of the forest to frolic and feed in the wetlands. Groups of pheasants, foxes, and roe deer can now be seen foraging in the valley below!!