Protection of northern house martin

CONTROLLED NESTING OF PRECIOUS NORTHERN HOUSE MARTIN IN THE TERRITORY OF SLOVNAFT REFINERY

Dry and warm spring complicates the situation with martins which fly in Slovakia from their wintering site. They cannot build up new nests due to the lack of puddles with mud in the urban environment. The main reasons to the fact that martins are at risk are the installation of building insulation during which martin nests with baby animals are thrown down, the loss of suitable places for building up the nests as a result of thermal insulation installation, the lack of tolerance towards birds staying in windows or on balconies because of dirt and also the lack of nesting material in asphalted suburbs. That is why the premises of factories are becoming an appropriate oasis for nesting, where there is a sufficiency of food, safety and material for building up their nests there. Slovnaft invests several million euros in the environmental protection every year. However, the projects that are important are not only huge groundwater or air protection projects but also activities such as the installation of artificial nests. The big company has teamed up with ornithologists – environmentalists – for the first time to help the birds during the sensitive time of nesting and breeding young birds in its premises.

PROJECT HISTORY

Based on our employee’s initiative, a small-scale project has been elaborated with the support of the company’s management. Financial resources have been allocated and cooperation has been established with the non-governmental organisation SOS BridLife Slovensko. In collaboration with experts, the most suitable places for mounting artificial nests have been identified on the refinery's premises – mainly places where martins used to nest in the past. The nests were installed on administrative buildings in 3 business days using a mobile elevating work platform.

MAIN RESULTS AND OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT (WHAT CHANGED?)

• The increase in biodiversity on the refinery's premises.
• 50 artificial nests have been installed, available to martins after they return from wintering sites.
• In addition to artificial nests, the pads which catch droppings, protecting windows and facades against pollution, have also been mounted beneath original nests. It is very easy to install the pads and support the co-existence of the people and the useful martins, which catch a number of mosquitos, flies and other insect during their stay in Slovakia.
• The increase in our employees' knowledge of bird nesting.
• Continuous monitoring of a state of bird nests and an occupancy rate.
• Mapping of avifauna on the refinery's premises and inclusion of our refinery in the Atlas of Bratislava Birds. 20 bird species have been identified on the premises. As the most precious of them, Syrian woodpecker nests on the premises mainly because of preserved old fruit trees providing him with appropriate nesting conditions. Syrian woodpecker is often referred to as an indicator of a well-preserved state of and diversity in the countryside (gardens, fruit trees) of Southern Slovakia.