From January 22 through 25, the first bird census was conducted in the Eraji Preserve, the Repetek Biosphere Reserve to estimate numbers of wintering birds.The efforts were undertaken to fulfill our country’s international obligations to study and conserve wetland areas of international importance, and as part of the Central Asian Desert Initiative (CADI) - Desert Conservation and Adaptive Use in Turkmenistan.
It should be noted that the results were way beyond our expectations based on previous surveys and data analysis.During the monitoring studies of the Eraji, a central freshwater collector, and the two adjacent salt-water lakes a total of 79,171 wintering birds of 51 species were counted, 79,050 of those were wading birds of 34 species, belonging to 9 orders.
On the one hand, the abundance and diversity of birds can be explained by the mild weather this winter, although on the morning of the first day of the count the temperature dropped to minus 7 °С and the lake was partially frozen at the edges.
On the other hand, rich and plentiful food sources and effective conservation measures taken by the Reserve staff have enormously contributed to this.Our scientific forecast has proved true, and the figures illustrate the new water body’s instrumental role in conserving biological resources that move across international boundaries and have great significance.
Coots, familiar birds that colonize almost all wetlands and bodies of water across Eurasia, except the northernmost parts, dominate in numbers standing at nearly 47,000; they are followed by red-crested pochards - some 29,000; and dunbirds reaching 2,208.
Biologists and wildlife experts should not be surprised by these figures.More than 2,000 digital photographs taken during the count helped to identify species and calculate numbers of birds with considerable accuracy.
Alongside with numerous and common species, northern birds, which are rarely seen here, were spotted this time.They included mute swans (both adult birds and cygnets), goldeneyes, goosanders, and smews, fish-loving birds, which could be noticed among cormorants.
The cormorants, which had finished nesting on a small island in the big saltwater lake, now used reed beds in the freshwater Eraji collector as their nightly roost.In the morning they flew above the monitoring station to the shallows adjacent to the collector to look for food, and in the evening they returned back.
There were several individuals, pairs and small flocks with fewer than ten birds at the lake that may have migrated here for the winter from different places.Like in any biocommunity, ducks and coots, an abundant food supply, attracted birds of prey, such as white-tailed eagles, marsh and hen harriers, sparrow hawks, pigeon hawks, and eagle owls, one of the largest species of owl.
Killing and consuming the migratory waterfowl, the predatory birds naturally control their populations.It was a real joy to see endangered bird species: a young Dalmatian pelican that often flew close to the monitoring station, white-eyed scaups and white-headed ducks that had made the saltwater lakes their winter home.
I cannot help but share more wildlife observations and tell you about other inhabitants of the Eraji Preserve.Roach started early to spawn roe in shoals with asps and pikeperch feeding on the roe due to the shortage of food in winter.
Carps and catfish are moving from their wintering holes.And there is a chance that threatened Amudarya shovelnose sturgeon (listed in the Red Data Book) will find their way to the lakes.
A family of three otters living nearby the station became more active.Other endangered animals that can be spotted in the area are goitered gazelles (at watering places), caracals, sand cats, steppe cats and jungle cats (among barchan dunes and along the boundary of two landscape zones).
Well adapted to our climate, muskrats and nutrias, native to North America, feel comfortable in their adopted home.Numerous rodents are represented by long-clawed ground squirrels, gerbils, jerboas, and even porcupines.
Among the insectivores found here are long-eared hedgehogs, and piebald shrews (occur more rarely), endemic to the Karakum Desert.Tracks left by tolai hares can be seen crossing each other on sand dunes.
Badgers have recently been sighted in the Preserve.It is also host to a wide variety of plants; during the warm time of the year it is a place all teeming with myriapods, arachnids, and insects.