Also in 2021, we used our live mowers to maintain habitats in the cadastral area Bratislava Ružinov.  We are providing you with some beautiful shots

 

The major benefits of grazing:

• suppression of the succession of shrubs species
• restoration through the dispersal of plant seeds by animal fur and faeces
• support of specific animal species – the faeces of larger animals provide conditions for a number of beatles species that serve as a food base for various birds
• effective suppression of invasive and allergenic plants, e.g. goldenrod (Solidago spp.), wormwood (Artemisia spp.) and ragweed (Ambrosia spp.)
• increasing the quantity and diversity of the food supply for Sand Martins (Riparia riparia), European Bee-eaters  (Merops apiaster) but also other insectivorous birds
• disruption of the soil surface by hooves, which creates conditions for the reproduction of rare plant species and optimum conditions for various life forms of insects

Our development project in Petržalka was successful. The restored steep river bank, which we implemented here in March 2021, has experienced its inhabitants. Gradually, up to 500 pairs of Sand Martins nested here, which enlivened this part of Bratislava’s nature with their aerial acrobatics.

It seems that the largest nesting colony this year on the Slovak section of the Danube is located in Bratislava Petržalka. It is possible to observe them from the bank, although a much more beautiful view is from the water. However, they definitely need to be respected and not disturbed unnecessarily. We have placed a barrier on the shore so that the part of the beach that is commonly used by people to relax remains undisturbed at the time of the nesting of these small swallowtails. We believe that everyone will be as enthusiastic about the presence of Sand Martins as we are and will allow them to bring the young out peacefully.

The river bank was modified in a total length of 420 m, while the modification was divided into 5 sections. The works do not concern the areas most used as beaches or parts overgrown with a continuous tree floor. The modification of the shoreline creates steep walls of banks from 1.5 m to 2.0 m high, which from an ecological-biological point of view are suitable for the nesting of Sand Martins and Kingfishers.

The specific locality for the restoration of the steep river bank was selected on the basis of an expert study and corresponds to the section for the nesting of the Sand Martins in the past. The last nesting was recorded here in 2012. Since then, the degradation of the bank has progressed to such an extent that the Sand Martin in the locality has not been able to nest. Their re-nesting is the best proof that sometimes it is enough to help nature a little and she seizes the opportunities and pushes through.

By maintaining steep river banks in the years to come, we believe that we will be able to maintain a colony of Sand Martins in the capital city.

Every year, on February 2, we celebrate World Wetlands Day.
This year, BROZ is celebrating World Wetlands Day with active work on their revitalization –
landscaping is currently underway for an extensive renewal of the dynamic water regime of
wetlands near the village Klížska Nemá. As part of the activities of the LIFE project
BeeSandFish, in cooperation with water managers, we are connecting wetlands back to the
Danube in the form of a connecting arm with a length of approximately 170 m. In total, we
will restore wetlands with a dynamic regime of their flooding on an area of ​​more than 20
hectares.

The construction site was officially passed to the company, which will carry out revitalization works on the restoration of the steep river bank in Petržalka – Ovsište at the beginning of October.

Nesting of sand martins is known from the past at this site.

Revitalization activities on the river bank are to create conditions for the nesting of sand martins at this section of the Danube river in Bratislava. By modifying the shoreline, the exposed steep banks will be restored, which sand martins do need for their nesting. Abundant supply of food around these banks will also attract these small swallowlike birds. Foraging birds will find a plenty of small insect species to feed themselves and feed their youngsters – and their appetite for mosquitoes is very decent. Visitors of this site can learn about our activity from informative boards that we have installed here.