Will the birds attack the skyscraper and other issues of the air hostel. Part 1
Birds were worried at the dawn of the St. Petersburg megastroyka Lakhta Center. Traditional bird migration routes run across the coast of the Neva Guba - fears have arisen that birds may change routes and nesting sites due to large-scale construction work. Now - new alarms - they say that for some reason, birds will not fly around a skyscraper, but break about it. And even the number is called: 30 thousand bird deaths per year. Is this even possible?
Home bird danger in the region? Or not?
We will understand!
Being in Lakhta it is difficult to believe that this is the territory of the largest megalopolis in Russia - there is more natural here than in any other part of St. Petersburg.
')
At the start of the project, the green question was trying to replace the historical discourse of Ohta. For example, there were demands to save "... a picturesque view of the population of plant bugs-krayevikov Coreus marginatus L", which according to some authors settled precisely on the construction site, despite the absence of vegetation itself on the territory of the former sandpit.
Peskobaza "Rudas" - the construction site of a skyscraper
Perhaps the sudden discovery of a dune cat in the Lakhta sand dunes would look much more organic ...
Dune cat. Photo from here
But the “bird question” is not one of those that can be attributed to the inertia of the search for flaws. The grounds for his statement really were. And that's why.
Birds like the coast of the Neva Lip - its overgrown shoal gives feathery shelter and food. There is a major “transit point” where they stop to rest on their way further to the northeast. For some, these places are not a halt at all, but the final stop is their own nest. In total, hundreds of thousands of birds fly across the coast for various purposes.
Reserve "North Coast of the Neva Guba" - 6 km. from Lakhta. Thickets of reeds and cattail (in the people - "reed") are very popular with birds. Screen from the plot of the TC St. Petersburg.
What place does Lakhta occupy on their travel map? Is a skyscraper dangerous for birds? How to ethically divide airspace? Only ornithologists could answer such questions. They were invited - among the first researchers of the new construction area.
Since 2011, ornithological monitoring has been conducted by specialists from the Faculty of Biology of St. Petersburg State University. For the seventh year, such studies have been carried out every spring, summer and autumn. Before we give answers to all the questions, we will find out how they are received - how the ornithologists work.
How does an ornithologist differ from the usual person in addition to the actual scientific training? Acute eyesight and keen hearing.
Sivtsev's table. The bottom two rows - 1.5 vision and 2 vision!
Have you ever wondered why the optometrist puts a “unit” on sight if you read the third row from the bottom? For whom then the two lowest rows? They are for those whose vision exceeds the standard of a good human indicator. The ornithologist will almost certainly read the bottom lines. Good vision is a must for birdwatching.
Ornithologists also define different types of birds by ear - by singing. And it's not about chicken and lark. And, for example, about different types of gulls.
However, no modern scientist refuses technical devices. The main weapon of the ornithologist is binoculars.
Ornithological binoculars
Our ornithologists used instruments with 10 and 16 times magnification - this is a special-purpose optical observational technique. For comparison: theatrical binoculars, which almost all held in their hands, have a multiplicity not exceeding 5, and more often - 2.5 times.
The heavy artillery of the ornithological arsenal is a telescope from 60 to 100x, which allows you to see the birds at a distance of several kilometers, depending on weather conditions. However, it is not necessary to drop in so far for the research tasks in Lahta. A telescope is used to clarify the nuances - the identification of closely related species, sexual differences.
When the bird does not want to be noticed: a smoky frog, sitting on a nest. Even with the pipe you will not immediately notice. Photo from here
The pipe is used only with a tripod - to avoid image vibration - the larger the magnification, the more critical it is.
Another useful thing in the work - the recorder. Everything is clear with him: he saw - he wrote it down.
Equipment Ornithological Center Pomorie, Bulgaria. Photo from here.
The basis of ornithology is observation. So you need a good observation point. Ornithological towers are sometimes built for this in the forest, but a more typical place of work for scientists is just a natural place with good visibility — the edge of the field, forest edge, and the seashore.
Ornithological tower. Photo from here
In Lakhta, the tower did not have to be built - an old pier was found on the eastern tip of the coastline adjacent to the construction site.
At the dawn of construction
And today
It is a lot of pluses - on an eminence, the good review both on water, and on the sky, and on building.
From this pier, ornithologists conduct operational monitoring in Lakhta
The second point of observation is in the west of the construction site. From it is visible the passage of birds, which are turning to the north in front of the platform. This part does not fall into the zone of influence of construction, but there are nesting heaters, ties and gulls.
The work includes not only monitoring from points, but also the routes themselves to and between points. When passing the ornithologist fixes everything that was able to notice. This is called “route observation.”
Here is the news for those who adhere to the theory about “owls” and “larks”, summing up the base about “natural biorhythms”. In fact, no early and late birds exist. There are very few species that are more active at night. Owls, by the way, are really one of them.
The main mass of birds lives according to unusual graphics. Morning rise - half an hour before sunrise. During the day - rest. Then - the second shift, which ends half an hour after sunset.
Ornithologists adapt to the schedule of wards. Observations in Lakhta go 4 hours in the morning and in the evening, starting 30 minutes before dawn and ending 30 minutes after calling.
Owl. Active day. Photo from here
During migration, the mode of bird activity breaks down altogether - 75% of birds fly at night, eat during the day and go again.
Night? It's time to go. Night shooting of the migration of birds in the reserve Askania Nova. Photo from here
From the foregoing it is clear that the primary collection of information is based on the principle - we look at who flies, at what altitudes, what he does. Techniques differ in nuances. Here is an example of scientific ingenuity - monitoring of birds against the background of the lunar disk.
Photo from here
Yes, scientists simply record all the birds flying against the background of the moon. The bird silhouette is well distinguishable - it means that you can set the species. For night observations - a good way out. After the “lunar monitoring” data is entered into the computer, and a special program with the help of coefficients extrapolates the numbers. In Lakhta, they also tried the technique, but not very successfully - the Petersburg moon fails. Most often, such observations are carried out in southern latitudes with clear moon nights.
The field of observation in Lakhta coincides with the zone of influence of construction. It is defined by scientists as a circle with a radius of 500 meters from the tower Lakhta Center. Total - kilometer to the far border in the horizontal plane. In the vertical - less: the main density of the flow of birds goes at altitudes from 30 to 100 meters. From this point of view, there is no difference between a 70 meter building and a skyscraper.
For the bird there is no difference between the tower and the residential high-rise - the main flux density is at elevations up to 100 m. Photo by Ivan Smelov
Are there any birds that fly higher? Of course, there are those who fly beyond the normal distribution. For example, geese are moving high - they are accustomed to transit at elevations of 200-300 meters and even higher.
If we talk about champions, birds of high flight are condors, storks, vultures ... The mountain goose was caught by plus 10,175 m, however, when flying over the Himalayas, so the mark from the mountain range will be lower. The official record for height belongs to the rupella (vulture) vulture - in 1973 in CĂ´te d'Ivoire a bird of this species collided with a passenger plane at an altitude of 11,277 m.
Sip. Photo from here
Fortunately for our aviation, these species are not found in Petersburg and Leningrad Region. Birds, preferring standard heights, are successfully driven away away from the runway by the peregrine falcons - regular "employees" of the ornithological service of Pulkovo.
Maybe Lakhta skyscraper to learn from this experience? To get the same falcons - just to scare away all, for their own, birds, good?
Sapsan Pulkovo. "Sapsan" Railways can not keep up with him. Photo of the Village from here
Now find out if there is a need for it.
There are two news. I'll start with the good. Fly. In the period from April 15 to June 27 in 2017, observing 1 time in 10 days, scientists counted about 20 thousand birds. How do birds react to construction?
To answer it is important to understand such a nuance.
In relation to human activity, birds can be divided into two groups. The first are those who avoid people, the second are those who are not afraid of people and even benefit from the economic activities of Homo sapiens. Pigeons, gulls, crows, sparrows - these birds you know "by sight", even if you have little interest in wildlife. Just because they are feathered “townspeople”, the same inhabitants of megalopolises as we are.
Seagulls in St. Petersburg even put a small monument - as one of the symbols of the city
According to the reports, the absolute majority of the flow in the Lakhta region is among such urbanized bird species. These birds are not afraid of construction. Most of them prefer to fly around the construction site of Lakhta Center along its northern border. The most courageous - mostly seagulls, “cut off” the road through the site. The design does not crash, glazing is well distinguished. One of the gulls - attention! - nest in the northern part of the construction site.
Black-headed gull in Lakhtinskaya harbor
Does this mean that the Lakhta construction is identified by birds strictly as the territory of a megapolis and no other species, except as "man-made" are not found here? Wildlife birds are flying too. And also without consequences.
Mallard Ducks in Lakhta Harbor
Birds "wildlife" building just gently circled. The radius is quite small - why not fly around. Those who look at the tower from above, and not from the side - geese and geese passing at high altitudes above 200 meters do not react to the skyscraper either. What is he, what is not his ... Distant travelers confuse difficult. A more significant direct influence of the skyscraper than its overflight, is not marked.
But the main news. Near the skyscraper is fixed parking of two types of swans. Both are listed in the Red Book of St. Petersburg. A small swan - a representative of the Red Book of Russia - has a large concentration in the parking lot - about 200 birds just 350-500 meters from the construction site, which
Little Swan. The Red Book of Russia. A photo
Total ornithologists recorded 13 Red Book species. From the Red Book of Russia - 6. Osprey, herbalist and wilderness flew in transit, but the tie knives remained to nest. According to observations, in general in the territory - 74 species of various birds.
Actually, no. The second news is that the total number of birds migrating decreases over the years. This is a general trend associated with many transformations. For example, the alluvium of sand from the Lakhta spill actually did away with the water bird stands in this place - the bottom mark went from minus 1-2 to 16 meters. And this is a completely different biotope.
The construction of roads, continuous multi-storey buildings on the northeast shore of the Lakhta spill and on both sides of the strait are large-scale transformations of the last decades. The city is coming. Wild birds are retreating - following their natural habitat.
Lakhta spill and Yuntolovsky reserve.
This is a global problem associated with the human mode of existence - civilization. And here - just a task of a different scale - to learn how to live in good neighborliness with other inhabitants of the planet - it does not matter whether they fly, run or swim. Yes, and the number of gulls and passerines, meanwhile, is growing in the general stream ...
In the continuation of the read - and yet, will the birds crash into a skyscraper? What are light traps and do birds have a compass?
Will the birds attack the skyscraper and other issues of the air hostel. Part 2
-
Thank you for your help in presenting materials from specialists of the Faculty of Biology of St. Petersburg State University.
Home bird danger in the region? Or not?
We will understand!
What is the essence of the issue
Being in Lakhta it is difficult to believe that this is the territory of the largest megalopolis in Russia - there is more natural here than in any other part of St. Petersburg.
')
At the start of the project, the green question was trying to replace the historical discourse of Ohta. For example, there were demands to save "... a picturesque view of the population of plant bugs-krayevikov Coreus marginatus L", which according to some authors settled precisely on the construction site, despite the absence of vegetation itself on the territory of the former sandpit.
Peskobaza "Rudas" - the construction site of a skyscraper
Perhaps the sudden discovery of a dune cat in the Lakhta sand dunes would look much more organic ...
Dune cat. Photo from here
But the “bird question” is not one of those that can be attributed to the inertia of the search for flaws. The grounds for his statement really were. And that's why.
Birds like the coast of the Neva Lip - its overgrown shoal gives feathery shelter and food. There is a major “transit point” where they stop to rest on their way further to the northeast. For some, these places are not a halt at all, but the final stop is their own nest. In total, hundreds of thousands of birds fly across the coast for various purposes.
Reserve "North Coast of the Neva Guba" - 6 km. from Lakhta. Thickets of reeds and cattail (in the people - "reed") are very popular with birds. Screen from the plot of the TC St. Petersburg.
What place does Lakhta occupy on their travel map? Is a skyscraper dangerous for birds? How to ethically divide airspace? Only ornithologists could answer such questions. They were invited - among the first researchers of the new construction area.
Since 2011, ornithological monitoring has been conducted by specialists from the Faculty of Biology of St. Petersburg State University. For the seventh year, such studies have been carried out every spring, summer and autumn. Before we give answers to all the questions, we will find out how they are received - how the ornithologists work.
What can not an ornithologist do without
How does an ornithologist differ from the usual person in addition to the actual scientific training? Acute eyesight and keen hearing.
Sivtsev's table. The bottom two rows - 1.5 vision and 2 vision!
Have you ever wondered why the optometrist puts a “unit” on sight if you read the third row from the bottom? For whom then the two lowest rows? They are for those whose vision exceeds the standard of a good human indicator. The ornithologist will almost certainly read the bottom lines. Good vision is a must for birdwatching.
Ornithologists also define different types of birds by ear - by singing. And it's not about chicken and lark. And, for example, about different types of gulls.
Arsenal for observation
However, no modern scientist refuses technical devices. The main weapon of the ornithologist is binoculars.
Ornithological binoculars
Our ornithologists used instruments with 10 and 16 times magnification - this is a special-purpose optical observational technique. For comparison: theatrical binoculars, which almost all held in their hands, have a multiplicity not exceeding 5, and more often - 2.5 times.
The heavy artillery of the ornithological arsenal is a telescope from 60 to 100x, which allows you to see the birds at a distance of several kilometers, depending on weather conditions. However, it is not necessary to drop in so far for the research tasks in Lahta. A telescope is used to clarify the nuances - the identification of closely related species, sexual differences.
When the bird does not want to be noticed: a smoky frog, sitting on a nest. Even with the pipe you will not immediately notice. Photo from here
The pipe is used only with a tripod - to avoid image vibration - the larger the magnification, the more critical it is.
Another useful thing in the work - the recorder. Everything is clear with him: he saw - he wrote it down.
Equipment Ornithological Center Pomorie, Bulgaria. Photo from here.
Base
The basis of ornithology is observation. So you need a good observation point. Ornithological towers are sometimes built for this in the forest, but a more typical place of work for scientists is just a natural place with good visibility — the edge of the field, forest edge, and the seashore.
Ornithological tower. Photo from here
In Lakhta, the tower did not have to be built - an old pier was found on the eastern tip of the coastline adjacent to the construction site.
At the dawn of construction
And today
It is a lot of pluses - on an eminence, the good review both on water, and on the sky, and on building.
From this pier, ornithologists conduct operational monitoring in Lakhta
The second point of observation is in the west of the construction site. From it is visible the passage of birds, which are turning to the north in front of the platform. This part does not fall into the zone of influence of construction, but there are nesting heaters, ties and gulls.
The work includes not only monitoring from points, but also the routes themselves to and between points. When passing the ornithologist fixes everything that was able to notice. This is called “route observation.”
Observation schedule
Here is the news for those who adhere to the theory about “owls” and “larks”, summing up the base about “natural biorhythms”. In fact, no early and late birds exist. There are very few species that are more active at night. Owls, by the way, are really one of them.
The main mass of birds lives according to unusual graphics. Morning rise - half an hour before sunrise. During the day - rest. Then - the second shift, which ends half an hour after sunset.
Ornithologists adapt to the schedule of wards. Observations in Lakhta go 4 hours in the morning and in the evening, starting 30 minutes before dawn and ending 30 minutes after calling.
Owl. Active day. Photo from here
During migration, the mode of bird activity breaks down altogether - 75% of birds fly at night, eat during the day and go again.
Night? It's time to go. Night shooting of the migration of birds in the reserve Askania Nova. Photo from here
Method
From the foregoing it is clear that the primary collection of information is based on the principle - we look at who flies, at what altitudes, what he does. Techniques differ in nuances. Here is an example of scientific ingenuity - monitoring of birds against the background of the lunar disk.
Photo from here
Yes, scientists simply record all the birds flying against the background of the moon. The bird silhouette is well distinguishable - it means that you can set the species. For night observations - a good way out. After the “lunar monitoring” data is entered into the computer, and a special program with the help of coefficients extrapolates the numbers. In Lakhta, they also tried the technique, but not very successfully - the Petersburg moon fails. Most often, such observations are carried out in southern latitudes with clear moon nights.
The border
The field of observation in Lakhta coincides with the zone of influence of construction. It is defined by scientists as a circle with a radius of 500 meters from the tower Lakhta Center. Total - kilometer to the far border in the horizontal plane. In the vertical - less: the main density of the flow of birds goes at altitudes from 30 to 100 meters. From this point of view, there is no difference between a 70 meter building and a skyscraper.
For the bird there is no difference between the tower and the residential high-rise - the main flux density is at elevations up to 100 m. Photo by Ivan Smelov
Are there any birds that fly higher? Of course, there are those who fly beyond the normal distribution. For example, geese are moving high - they are accustomed to transit at elevations of 200-300 meters and even higher.
If we talk about champions, birds of high flight are condors, storks, vultures ... The mountain goose was caught by plus 10,175 m, however, when flying over the Himalayas, so the mark from the mountain range will be lower. The official record for height belongs to the rupella (vulture) vulture - in 1973 in CĂ´te d'Ivoire a bird of this species collided with a passenger plane at an altitude of 11,277 m.
Sip. Photo from here
Fortunately for our aviation, these species are not found in Petersburg and Leningrad Region. Birds, preferring standard heights, are successfully driven away away from the runway by the peregrine falcons - regular "employees" of the ornithological service of Pulkovo.
Peregrine Falcon is another record-breaker among birds. And even more - the fastest animal on the planet. In 2005, the states recorded the speed of 389, 46 km / h, which the bird developed, diving for the victim. The official record of the record.
Maybe Lakhta skyscraper to learn from this experience? To get the same falcons - just to scare away all, for their own, birds, good?
Sapsan Pulkovo. "Sapsan" Railways can not keep up with him. Photo of the Village from here
Now find out if there is a need for it.
Question number 1. Do birds fly over Lakhta?
There are two news. I'll start with the good. Fly. In the period from April 15 to June 27 in 2017, observing 1 time in 10 days, scientists counted about 20 thousand birds. How do birds react to construction?
To answer it is important to understand such a nuance.
In relation to human activity, birds can be divided into two groups. The first are those who avoid people, the second are those who are not afraid of people and even benefit from the economic activities of Homo sapiens. Pigeons, gulls, crows, sparrows - these birds you know "by sight", even if you have little interest in wildlife. Just because they are feathered “townspeople”, the same inhabitants of megalopolises as we are.
Seagulls in St. Petersburg even put a small monument - as one of the symbols of the city
According to the reports, the absolute majority of the flow in the Lakhta region is among such urbanized bird species. These birds are not afraid of construction. Most of them prefer to fly around the construction site of Lakhta Center along its northern border. The most courageous - mostly seagulls, “cut off” the road through the site. The design does not crash, glazing is well distinguished. One of the gulls - attention! - nest in the northern part of the construction site.
Black-headed gull in Lakhtinskaya harbor
"Anthropogenic" species in numbers
The leaders, of course, gulls. The tower was observed about 3000 black-headed gulls, about the same blue-gray, about 4000 - silver, and few small gulls - in the region of 100 individuals. Other species most common in the zone of influence of construction are common starlings (± 2000), great tits (± 1500), sisy (± 1000), gray crows (± 1000). From the Technical reports on the operational ornithological monitoring of the construction of the Lakhta Center
City or not?
Does this mean that the Lakhta construction is identified by birds strictly as the territory of a megapolis and no other species, except as "man-made" are not found here? Wildlife birds are flying too. And also without consequences.
Mallard Ducks in Lakhta Harbor
Birds "wildlife" building just gently circled. The radius is quite small - why not fly around. Those who look at the tower from above, and not from the side - geese and geese passing at high altitudes above 200 meters do not react to the skyscraper either. What is he, what is not his ... Distant travelers confuse difficult. A more significant direct influence of the skyscraper than its overflight, is not marked.
Warlock
But the main news. Near the skyscraper is fixed parking of two types of swans. Both are listed in the Red Book of St. Petersburg. A small swan - a representative of the Red Book of Russia - has a large concentration in the parking lot - about 200 birds just 350-500 meters from the construction site, which
“... testifies to the absence of the negative impact of construction on the habitats of this rare species ... In the areas of the Neva Bay directly adjacent to the construction site, the conditions of early spring waterfowl are maintained ...” (From the technical report on operational ornithological monitoring of the construction of Lakhta Center for April-June 2017) .
Little Swan. The Red Book of Russia. A photo
Total ornithologists recorded 13 Red Book species. From the Red Book of Russia - 6. Osprey, herbalist and wilderness flew in transit, but the tie knives remained to nest. According to observations, in general in the territory - 74 species of various birds.
For reference: there are 328 species of birds in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, 85 in the Red Book of the Leningrad Region.
Is everything rosy?
Actually, no. The second news is that the total number of birds migrating decreases over the years. This is a general trend associated with many transformations. For example, the alluvium of sand from the Lakhta spill actually did away with the water bird stands in this place - the bottom mark went from minus 1-2 to 16 meters. And this is a completely different biotope.
The construction of roads, continuous multi-storey buildings on the northeast shore of the Lakhta spill and on both sides of the strait are large-scale transformations of the last decades. The city is coming. Wild birds are retreating - following their natural habitat.
Lakhta spill and Yuntolovsky reserve.
This is a global problem associated with the human mode of existence - civilization. And here - just a task of a different scale - to learn how to live in good neighborliness with other inhabitants of the planet - it does not matter whether they fly, run or swim. Yes, and the number of gulls and passerines, meanwhile, is growing in the general stream ...
In the continuation of the read - and yet, will the birds crash into a skyscraper? What are light traps and do birds have a compass?
Will the birds attack the skyscraper and other issues of the air hostel. Part 2
-
Thank you for your help in presenting materials from specialists of the Faculty of Biology of St. Petersburg State University.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/370671/
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