MATS - adult male, Pärnu county

[marika.solo]

AI GeminiChat:

Migration Update: Regional Weather Block

Region: From the Sea of Marmara (Turkey) through Bulgaria and Romania.

Current Situation (March 28, 2026):
GPS data shows that many adult storks have stopped in the same locations where they arrived yesterday. This is not a coincidence; a large weather system is currently blocking the migration route across this entire region.

Why the migration has paused:

Cold and Wet: Temperatures in Bulgaria and Southern Romania have dropped to 7–9°C (45–48°F) with persistent rain and mist.

No "Lift": Storks need the sun to create rising warm air (thermals) to soar. The heavy clouds and rain make it impossible for thermals to form.

North Wind: A steady wind from the north is blowing directly against the birds, making flight very exhausting.

The Strategy:
The storks are wisely saving their energy. Trying to cross the Balkan or Carpathian mountains in these conditions—with low visibility and freezing temperatures at higher altitudes—would be very dangerous.

Looking Ahead:
We expect a positive change around Tuesday, March 31st. The rain should stop, and the air will begin to warm up, finally creating the conditions they need to move north again.

[marika.solo]

previous update 28.03 viewtopic.php?p=54713#p54713
next update 30.03

March 29
Hello everyone

Previous data:
- 28.03, Distance: 4126 km (+ 11 km)
- Turkey/GREECE (night): İpsala - a town in Edirne Province in northwestern Turkey. It is the seat of İpsala District.
(foraging on rice field /irrigation canals - Edirne is the Capital of Rice in Turkey)

NEW data
- 29.03, Distance: 4130 km (+ 4 km)
- same area

NO NEW data
-----
continuation: data for Mats

[marika.solo]

previous update 29.03 viewtopic.php?p=54778#p54778
next update 31.03 viewtopic.php?p=54853#p54853

March 29
Hello everyone

Previous data:
- 29.03, Distance: 4130 km (+ 4 km)
- Turkey/GREECE (night): İpsala - a town in Edirne Province in northwestern Turkey. It is the seat of İpsala District.
(foraging on rice field /irrigation canals - Edirne is the Capital of Rice in Turkey)

NEW data
- 30.03, Distance: 4134 km (+ 4 km)
- same place (good "stopover")

unfavourable weather

[marika.solo]

previous update 30.03 viewtopic.php?p=54782#p54782
next update 01.04

March 31
Hello everyone

Previous data:
- 30.03, Distance: 4134 km (+ 4 km)
- Turkey/GREECE (night): İpsala - a town in Edirne Province in northwestern Turkey. It is the seat of İpsala District.
(foraging on rice field /irrigation canals - Edirne is the Capital of Rice in Turkey)

NEW data
- 31.03, Distance: 4179 km (+ 45 km)
-

The latest ECMWF and ICON models show a significant improvement today. The low cloud cover is breaking up, and the strong headwinds have finally subsided. With stabilizing air pressure and the return of thermal currents, conditions are now (31.03) ideal for travel. We are hopeful that Janis, Kergu, Mats, and Uku have taken advantage of this window to push further north!

[marika.solo]