On March 22, the famous stork Hrytsko returned to the village of Leliaky in Poltava region, and two days later, his companion Odarka joined him.
This was reported by the Pyriatyn National Nature Park.
Since May 2023, the park’s scientists have been streaming the stork’s nest around the clock on YouTube. The stream was launched to study the nesting behavior of these birds. The link to the famous Hrytsko's YouTube channel is even on the air alert map
Screenshot from alerts.in.ua.
Here is a video of this year's Odarka and Hrytsko's reunion:
Bird researcher Iryna Sarazhynska says that the pair will likely have their first egg within about a week. According to her, the storks spent their first night together, “demonstrating ‘stork pyramids’ in the nest” for the viewers.
In the comments, some viewers speculate that these might be different birds, not Hrytsko and Odarka. However, the ornithologist did not provide a clear answer to these doubts.
“For us, he is still Hrytsko and she is still Odarka, despite the many mysterious facts and unanswered questions. And perhaps we’ll never have those answers,” she wrote.
This year, the birds are even doing a little bit of volunteering: a pinned post includes a link to a fundraiser for restoring equipment for wounded Defenders. They are collecting funds for two sets of lightweight armor plates and two helmets, intended for the Donetsk area.
In January, EcoPolitic reported that more wild geese have started arriving for winter in the Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park.
