Just a month ago, ceramic swallow nests were placed in front of the Géza Gárdonyi Cultural Center, and now a real swallow hotel is placed on the shores of Csónakázó Lake.
When Locha High School was renovated, some sluice nests had to be removed, which have now been replaced. Székesfehérvár’s first lodge hotel with 56 nests on the shores of Csónázá Lake was presented by the mayor András Cser-Palkovics and Gábor Csete, the professional nature conservation manager of the City Conservancy. “The Fehérvár Friendly Swallow program was launched in 2016, which led to good results. One of his conclusions is that the city rallied behind him, many people are part of the program in some way,” said mayor András Cser-Palkovics.
“The renovation of Tóparti High School was done entirely with a bat-friendly eye, we were always in contact with the contractor. The nests on the property were removed with official permission, at the time when the swallows were no longer in use. The authority had to install nature protection devices, as it is a protected animal. We didn’t necessarily want to put the nests on the new front, but these swallow hotels have already been placed in Lake Tisza and in several other places, so we found this structure appropriate.” explained Gábor Csete, who also said that the surroundings of Csónakázó Lake were the most suitable place for a slug hotel in the city, because there is enough food and the birds can have enough mud. collection for their nests. Because the nests are made of clay, it happens that the swallows build their own nest next to it. The goal of the swallow hotel is to help these animals stabilize and strengthen the population within the Swallow-Friendly program. There is a very large flock of them living at Csónakázó Lake, so it is possible that they will build their nests on the new building of the secondary school too. “Now the 56 nests that were put up by the swallow hotel are properly prepared for them, which we also put in clay, so they just need the sub- take it out and use it,” said the expert.
Later, they would like to place notices describing the birds and other bird nests on the lodge hotel. The placement of the nests was supported by the JóPont Foundation, and the Guardian of the City received the ceramic nests from them.
As part of the Swallow-friendly Fehérvár program, the City Guardian has placed more than a hundred swallow nests in the city since 2016. However, for these birds to take possession, sometimes you have to wait years , because these nests and traditional birdhouses, which can be used by several species, do not work like that. It also happens that the swallows do not start using the artificial nest, but build their own nest next to it, because the existing nests provide them with a kind of flexible support , that it would be worth building a nest there, because they are already there. a pair there. It is important that wherever these birds settle, we should treat them positively. If someone is disturbed or inconvenient, be sure to contact the Town Warden or the Sóstó Wildlife Center, from whom you will receive appropriate professional assistance. It is important to help the swallows, as their numbers are decreasing significantly. The reason for this is, on the one hand, climate change, which is shrinking the population of the sloughs, and on the other hand, the disappearance of their habitats. Unfortunately, the wetlands in South Africa, which are wintering grounds, have started to disappear, and illegal hunting is also destroying the birds. In East Africa, swallows are caught with large nets and used for food. And in our country, we use a lot of chemicals that destroy these animals. For example, chemicals used in agriculture are also deposited in the food chain, so an insect carrying poison can easily miss a bird, and can even destroy an entire nest with it. The accumulation of toxins can also cause changes in the genetic stock of birds, and as a result, for example, they lay eggs with a thinner shell, so the breeding becomes ineffective. That is why it is extremely important not to hurt these animals, not to destroy their nests, but to ask for help and remember that they are valuable and useful animals, because they kill many mosquitoes.
