On 13 November this year, the LIFE REEF project conducted a successful online training in the performance of waterfowl avio-counting above the Baltic Sea. As part of the training, the avio-counting methodology was presented to enthusiastic ornithologists, whose past experience has been in bird-watching and monitoring on land.

Tracking of waterbirds from an aircraft in the Baltic Sea is a very complicated monitoring method. During monitoring, the specialist should be able to perform observations by observing zones, to identify the species, number, sex and age of the bird being seen, and all this should be possible in a very short period of time, as the aircraft is travelling at relatively high speeds above the sea, where the situation with observations can change very rapidly. All sightings in flight are spoken in a dichone. On the other hand, after the end of the flight on the same evening, the recordings of the dichone must be decrypted in written forms of specifically designed Excel.

Demonstrating the designed forms of Excel, the ornitologist Ainars Aunins tells: “Such a message is passed on for each observation. If, in the short time available for reporting, the age and gender breakdown of flocks of bird found is not possible, they may not be reported. This is particularly the case where there are very many birds. It is more important to have all species reported and their number divided by observation bands, but to focus on ages and genders only when it has time. It is very important to remember that, following the report, the recording of the dichone should not be stopped so that it would not be late for the next observation to be reported in the same way."

During the training day, the experienced experts presented the avio-counting methodology, the necessary equipment on the aircraft, the data entry system, as well as the GPS preparation for the recording of routes. Also, experienced avio-counting specialists must repeat the recording methodology and the recognition of potentially observed bird species from above before the flight. Recognition of bird species can be improved or restored in specially designed computer programs prior to monitoring under field conditions.

The ornithologist Antra Stipniece presented the training participants signs of identifying the species of waterbirds, which are specific to recording birds from the plane. Training participants were presented very exhaustively to the signs of the great craving, black craving and mortar-pecking differences. It is also complicated to identify the big gag, gaigal and long-peck gag, but it must be learned by anyone who wants to participate in the performance of waterbird avio-counting.

At the end of the theoretical training day, the trainees' enthusiastic ornithologists continued to look positively at the learning of the avio-counting methodology and showed their readiness to learn on practical flights above the Baltic Sea, which are scheduled to be organised in November.

The LIFE REEF team thanks all training participants for their interest and time!