On the 6th of May we completed the first of the planned capturing sessions of great snipes in the Upper Narew River Valley. The birds were accurately measured, ringed and equipped with VHF transmitters, which weigh only 1.8 g. The transmitters were fitted in such way as to not disturb the natural behaviour of birds and they will fall off with the feathers during the autumn moult. Thanks to these small devices, we will be able to track great snipes during the breeding season, gaining valuable knowledge about their local movements, nesting and feeding sites. The gathered information will help us in planning the appropriate conservation measures for this poorly studied species in Poland. It is worth mentioning, that already after 15 minutes from releasing, the marked birds came back to the lek and completely devoted themselves to displaying activity.

Michał Korniluk