 | | The leader of Seli municipality | | liberary Vija Jaunzeme survey a | | corncrakes in Lukstinju plava | The corncrake counting campaign has finished Why is it so important to look for corncrakes and wonder in darkness in the long grass covered with dew, trying to differentiate all those strange sounds by night? Why should the minister of environment and other government people unite in one team together with local people and experienced ornithologists, to inventor meadows around Lake Burtnieks? | | The leader of Seli municipality | | Vija Jaunzeme skaitot | | corncrakes in Lukstinju plava | The corncrake counting campaign has finished Why is it so important to look for corncrakes and wonder in darkness in the long grass covered with dew, trying to differentiate all those strange sounds by night? Why should the minister of environment and other government people unite in one team together with local people and experienced ornithologists, to inventor meadows around Lake Burtnieks? The answers to these questions were found during the event, which took place in the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve Burtnieks area on 2nd June. Within the scope of the World Environment Days, three different teams were given one task: to undertake inventory of nocturnal birds in the protected area, one of the project sites for LIFE-Nature project Restoration of Latvian Floodplains for EU priority species and habitats. This action was supporting conservation of corncrake and other endangered bird species. The central place for event was Briedes pub in the Burtnieks municipality. The director of the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve Valerijs Seilis opened the event. After instruction on recognition of different bird voices, the teams went to their inventory areas. During 90 minutes, 2-3 km long route by foot each team was registering the singing nocturnal birds. The results were surprisingly interesting, as two of the teams reported hearing the Great snipe, which is rarely found in Latvia (but known in inventoried sites). For each registered rare project-target species, participants were given particular amount of scores. After counting all scores together, the most successful team appeared to be the one from Ēķinupes route, with following participants: head of the United Nations Development Programmes office Inita Pauloviča, student from Valmiera Andis Rozentāls and ornithologist (project regional coordinator) from the Latvian Fund for Nature: Ainārs Auniņš. I.Pauloviča noted that the most amazing was the collaboration of team - as sometimes it was needed to get over the deep dikes, Ainārs Auniņš was even taking the youngest team participant on his shoulders, just not to scoop his short boots.  | | Winner's team from Eikenupe | | route | In other team that was counting night birds in the Lukstiņu meadows was the Minister of the Environment Raimonds Vējonis who was excited about interesting event and fact that number of animals registered in such a short period of time can be compared only with African safari adventures in the Kenya. Vija Jaunzeme, another participant of Lukstinu team and the head of Sēļu parish library was very prepared to the event by listening to recordings of bird voices. This was also real adventure for the team, making inventory in Briedes meadow. It consisted of Valmiera district council chairman Vitauts Staņa and the owner of Viļļēnu farm Dace Putniņa accompanied by ornithologist Otars Opermanis (UNDP/GEF project Protection of Biological diversity in North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve). Walking over the meadow they managed not only to hear the Great snipe, but also had pleasant rest from daily works. Apart from inventory competition that took place on 2 June, telephone campaign "Hear the corncrake!" was organised in 4-5 June, in the framework of the World Environment Day. During the weekend 442 phone calls were received on the toll-free phone number from all over Latvia, informing about 726 corncrakes heard. After concluding the telephone campaign, the honour of the most friendly region for corncrakes was granted to region of Madona - 62 messages about 101 heard corncrake was received from here. As a result of this action, 30 selected respondents from this region will make bird observation trip to Nature Park "Aiviekstes floodplain" and mire trail in the Teiču Nature reserve on the 11 June. The campaign Hear the corncrake was organised by Latvian Fund for Nature (LIFE-Nature project Restoration of Latvian Floodplains for EU priority species and habitats), Nature Protection Board, the Latvian Ornithological Society, UNDP and administration of the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve. Andris Klepers, public awareness coordinator | 
