Station 3 – Pilot count from Chalet Kvirike
View from above the clouds at Chalet Kvirike.
Every year the same questions pop up at the watch sites occasionally: What would we see if we counted from higher up in the foothills of the Lesser Caucasus? Would we see more Harriers? Are birds flying above the clouds? Would the Eagles fly closer?
This year, thanks to a generous collaboration with Chalet Kvirike, we finally have the chance to find out. From their grounds, just 10 kilometers northeast — as the crow raptor flies — of our Shuamta watchpoint, and a full 600 meters higher, we’ll be monitoring raptor migration from August 21st to October 21st.
We are especially excited that this count will run in parallel with our ongoing counts in Sakhalvasho and Shuamta, still somewhat in visible range. The Chalet is located at the fringes of the Colchic rainforest, where we’ll be surrounded by trees, clouds, and hopefully many hundreds of thousands of (eye-level?) raptors.
Those who have followed our work closely in the past may remember that we previously identified the Kvirike area as one of the regional hotspots for illegal hunting. Through our presence this season, we hope to reduce the impact of hunting once again, while also exploring the tranquil grounds of Chalet Kvirike’s potential for sustainable (avi-)ecotourism.
If you’d like to visit the Kvirike site or have any questions about it, you can email us at kvirike@batumiraptorcount.org.
We have updated the data page on our website to show the counts at Chalet Kvirike as well. Keep a close eye on this page from August 21st — if you weren’t already.