A farm with 126 storks is currently a great attraction in the northeast of Poland. In Pentowo, a district of Tykocin, which is situated near the wetlands of the river Narew, a single farm hosts the largest White Stork colony in Poland.
EuroNatur had good reasons to award Pentowo as the “European Stork Village” in 2001. More storks than ever before populate this farm this year: in total 31 pair of stork breeded and 64 young storks hatched. That is no surprise - Mr. Stork finds paradise there. Thanks to the initiative of the farm owner, there are numerous nesting aids. Ample food like frogs and small animals is provided, too because the farmland around the farmyard is cultivated environment-friendly. Drained marsh areas were re- hydrated and today old races of farm animals like the Red Cow or the Polish equus, the Tarpan, graze.
With that, Pentowo sets an exemplary antipole to the European-wide negative development: the different use of land is the major threat to the White Stork. Farmers nowadays often mow their grassland at the wrong time and too often per year. They use high-power machines, which kill frogs, lizards, mice and moles and thus withdraw the storks’ basic survival needs.
Last week a young stork caused excitement in Pentowo. On the edge of its nest, it made futile attempts to fly away. It was caught in a wire sling, which was used by adult storks to build their nest. Thanks to the efforts of the fire brigade the young stork was released from it its trap unharmed.
Learn more about the EuroNatur initiative „European Stork Villages“