Sterche in the old district of Riesa: young record -breaking youngsters despite losses

Sterche in the old district of Riesa: young record -breaking youngsters despite losses

In the Altkreis Riesa, the white storks have a remarkable breeding year behind, which was shaped by some unexpected losses. Storchen supervisor Olaf Gambke reports on the gratifying total number of young storks while pointing out the challenges at the same time.

This year was a positive turning point for the storks in the Altkreis Riesa: a total of 79 young animals have successfully left the nest. This remarkable number is primarily due to the early arrival of these birds at the beginning of the breeding season. In ideal conditions, the couples were able to record many successful broods this year, with 38 breeding couples as a whole. However, these are not only just numbers on a paper - they also reflect the excellent climatological conditions that prevailed in the first months of the year.

gratifying breeding results, but also loss stories

Broken Hearts and jumps in joy: Olaf Gambke, the volunteer stork supervisor, shows ambivalent when analyzing the breeding success. On the one hand, there is a positive news that seven families raised four young storks, which is considered outstanding in statistics. And yet there is the painful memory of losses: "Number 5 tipped over to mildeweuer, in Strehla number 3," says Gambke. These losses are particularly painful, considering that there has been no successful youngsters of five young storks for 30 years.

The relentless weather conditions also struck hard this year: While some chicks were able to defy the weather due to their robustness, others suffered the time due to malnutrition and heat in their early phases of life. For example, two well -developed young animals died in Gröditz during a thunderstorm in June. Gambke also made it clear that the breeding tests of two out of seven couples in Riesa failed. This gnawed at his confidence, because with just one additional young animal, the Altkreis Riesa would have set an unprecedented record of 80 young storks.

The development of the stork population in the region is promising overall. Gambke refers to statistics that go back for more than three decades. In the 1990s there were only 19 brooding couples in the region, which is a dramatic improvement if you consider the current number. The old district of Riesa rises through the increased Brutzahl into a league with other more successful breeding areas such as the central Spreewald or the Prignitz.

The frequent rashes in the breeding statistics also show a certain imbalance: "Why the numbers in the old district of Grossenhain are different is unclear to me," notes Gambke. While more couples were successful there, the total results were left behind which Riesa’s. This raises questions and leaves space for further research in the coming years.

Good prospects for the future

A particularly gratifying fact is that the success rate of the brooding couples in the Altkreis Riesa is relatively high. With only 25 percent unsuccessful broods, this is a good indicator of the future. Gambke stated that the couples found each other to each other earlier - an observation that is also reflected in the later brood elections. It would be time to shed light on other success factors, such as the availability of feed: "The moist weather helped the early couples a lot, but the late couples had more difficult," explains Gambke.

In view of the circumstances and the progressive breeding conditions in Riesa, it is to be hoped that the storks will continue to be able to breed successfully in the next few years. This is not only the beauty of nature, but also an important symbol of biodiversity in our region.

© Lutz Weidler

• Contact with Olaf Gambke is possible at: Tel. 0173 4716760.

breeding habits of the white storks

The breeding habits of the white storks are strongly dependent on environmental factors and food availability. White storks usually return to their breeding sites between mid -March and early April, whereby the arrival is correlated with food availability. In mild temperatures and sufficient food, such as fish and insects, you tend to return earlier and to obtain your nests faster.

In the Altkreis Riesa region, the early arrival of the storks made a significant contribution to the high breeding sequences this year. According to Olaf Gambke, the combination of food and early broods favored by moisture and early breeding has a positive impact on breeding the young animals. Weather conditions play a crucial role during the breeding time, since drought can restrict food availability, which in turn leads to higher losses in rearing.

A look at the historical stocks

In the Altkreis Riesa, the current breeding elections reflect the success of these protective measures, since the number of breeding couples rose from 19 in the 1990s to 38 in 2023. This indicates that the efforts of maintaining and rehabilitation have an effect.

Statistical developments in the breeding events

In 2023, a total of 79 young storks could be counted in the Altkreis Riesa, which is a significant increase compared to previous years. For example, the number of hatched young animals in 2018 and 2019 was no more than 50. According to the recent statistics of the State Statistical Office of Saxony, the breeding density in the region has also improved. The number of stork couples is currently over 10 pairs per 100 square kilometers, which indicates a stable and upward development.

In addition, the data show that the quota of the unsuccessful breeding pairs is relatively low at 25 percent in the Altkreis Riesa, which is remarkable compared to other regions in East Germany. Early broods indicate good environmental management and the successful adaptation of changing climatic conditions.