Wim Bovens 2/6/19 Wim Bovens 2/6/19

New raptor watch platform

Now that the minister of Finance and Economy of Adjara has announced the construction of the new raptor watch platform, we are proud to spread the word. Station 1 is getting a massive update under impulse and coordination of the Tourism department.

BRC was consulted long before construction plans were made final. We were asked for as much input as possible to optimize facilities to create a comfortable raptor watch platform. We are very pleased and thankful to be involved in this project and we hope everyone will enjoy it! Please come and check out the new raptor watch platform next autumn!

Bart Hoekstra 12/11/18 Bart Hoekstra 12/11/18

Autumn Report 2018 published

Juvenile Imperial Eagle. Photo by Bart Hoekstra.

The freshly published BRC Autumn Report 2018 features season highlights, phenological peculiarities and general overview with many photos of both birds and people. Make sure to scroll down to the very end for the behind-the-scenes gallery!

We hope this reading brings back warm memories and evokes thoughts of joining us next year.

Read the 2018 Report

Wim Bovens 10/6/18 Wim Bovens 10/6/18

Black kite with wingtags spotted

On September the 22nd, when 4257 black kites flew by station 1, we spotted a black kite with wingtags and a transmitter on his back. We were able to take a picture and luckily the wingtags could be read clearly: X99 written in white on a blue background on the wintag.

A quick look on the European Colour-Ring Birding website indicated that it was a project from Israel. Contact was made and the information we got back was astonishing.

A few days earlier they lost contact with the transmitter. They had no idea where X99 was and if he was even alive or not. Daniel Berkowic from the Israel Bird Ringing Center, Dudaim Recycling Center and Tel-Aviv University School of Zoology was very excited with this high quality information about the location of the black kite and the picture. He send us a picture of the black kite movement of other black kites. Every colour indicates a different black kite. Interesting to see how they move over Batumi, but also thee ast side from Vladikavkaz, Russia. It is very interesting to see how these black kites migrate through mountain passes and, after crossing Batumi, some follow the coast and others take the Coruk river valley (Borcka) south.