The first merganser family has already made its way from the Royal Łazienki Park to the Czerniakowski Port. On Thursday, around 10 a mother with a dozen or so cubs crossed the six-lane Czerniakowska street. Traffic has been stopped so they can do it safely.
The favorite breeding place of the merganser in Warsaw is the vicinity of Łazienki Królewskie, Agrykola and the Piaseczyński Canal. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the recorded presence of breeding mergansers in the Channel.
“For us, this circumstance is particularly important, because for several years, together with the residents, the City Guard and the police, we have been helping these unique birds with ruffled brown feathers on their heads in their migration to the Czerniakowski Port” – informs the Warsaw Greenery Board in a communiqué. “This year we asked the residents for additional help as part of the Green Volunteering. The response exceeded our wildest expectations. We organized training for the volunteers along the route, which they currently cover three times a day. Their task is to monitor the vicinity of the Canal and Łazienki Królewskie and follow the recommendations if these birds are observed. During the training along the canal, we placed signs informing that the merganser breeding season is underway and care should be taken.”
Merganser familyGreen Board
If you see a merganser with young: – stop and do not approach them (at a distance of less than 3-4 m); – keep dogs on a leash; – keep quiet and calm; – do not try to drive the female with her young back to the park; – do not chase them away from the road, because this is where they want to go to get to the Vistula River; – do not feed the merganser family; – try to stop pedestrians, people running, cycling or skateboarding walking at the moment; – watch the crows, they may want to kidnap a duckling that has wandered away from its mother.
Volunteers help the mergansersGreen Board
Contact for volunteers: wolontariat@zzw.waw.pl.
Merganser familyGreen Board
Main photo source: Green Board