News

The ornithological monitoring of Pomorie Lake this year is carried out within the project "Protection of the coastal lagoon Pomorie Lake". The first autumn visit of the lagoon was held in late September. The Green Balkans’ team made a full cover of the sand spit, the lake, the salt pans and the pools located on the western side of the road Pomorie - Aheloy. This year, due to the small amount of precipitation, the water level in Pomorie Lake remains low throughout the summer. This has an impact on the species composition, as a higher species diversity of shorebirds has been reported.

Nearly 5,000 birds of 51 species were observed during the monitoring. So far, the most numerous are Black-headed gulls, Eurasian teal and Sandwich terns. The more interesting observed species are Caspian tern, Greater scaup, Black-tailed godwit, a flock of 120 avosets, Eurasian curlew. An advanced phase of the migration process has been reported. Many of the birds are passing by, using the area of ​​the lake to rest and replenish their energy reserves for their long journey south. All this clearly confirms the great importance of the lake not only for the birds nesting here but also for dozens of rare and endangered species during migration.

Of great interest is a group of 88 flamingos that keep near the large island in the lake, built by Green Balkans as part of the association's numerous activities to restore the species' habitats. Here it is important to note that the frequent entry into the lake of surfers, in violation of the regime of protection of the lake, frighten the birds and they can accordingly be observed only on windless days. The numerous signals submitted to the competent authorities and to the Municipality of Pomorie, which is responsible for maintaining order in the complex of protected areas, so far have no lasting result.

The monitoring of Pomorie Lake is among the main conservation activities of Green Balkans in the region, part of the recently launched LIFE project, in which the association is a partner together with M-Pomorie Saltpans EOOD, Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation and Biological Station Tour du Valat, France. The monitoring is held twice a month. Regular monitoring gives a clear picture of the condition of the habitats and the threats to them, the species composition and the changes in it. This, in turn, makes it possible to identify measures and activities for the conservation and restoration of key habitats. Monitoring is carried out from previously set points, allowing 100% coverage of the territory of the lake.