Lake Cerknica is home to numerous and various feathered creatures – colourful, dotted, loud, ballet-inspired, romantic, special, rare, and even endangered. For some birds the lake represents a permanent home, for others it is only a summer residence or even just a temporary rest stop.
Black-tailed godwits
This Wednesday (as well as the next one) we will observe birds, because their life is extremely interesting and even comparable to reality shows we watch on television. Quarrels, love, food, the struggle for life and death, a race for domination, winners and losers. At the same time, the lake is an idyllic environment with thousands of different shades to it. It’s not always there, but there are always reedbeds and, in warmer periods, numerous flowers and other plants.
It’s always lively at the lake.
It’s really rare to see the mysterious Great Bittern.
But let’s be more precise – before we can observe birds, we will look through the binoculars of the future and see the carefully chosen perfect spots for perfect views – BIRD OBSERVATORIES. There will be five of them at the lake, each with its own name and shape:
Observatory Ribiški kot
Observatory Kleni vrh
The Tower – observatory Otočec
Observatory Nad Levišči
Observatory Gorenje Jezero
OBSERVATORY RIBIŠKI KOT
Location: by the panoramic educational trial (more about this in future instalments of Binoculars), on the section that passes through the forest and descends from the ridge Kleni vrh towards the road Dolenje jezero – Otok.
LOCATION OF THE OBSERVATORY TODAY
SPRING 2020
Looking carefully through the Binoculars, we see a wooden platform with a roof, some kind of partially enclosed cottage, on a slightly elevated part at the edge of the forest. It has room for up to 50 people (two school classes). The beams hold informational boards with information about interesting birds. Close to the observatory, there are five long comfortable wooden benches you can use for rest, meditation, or as an outdoor classroom.
OBSERVATORY KLENI VRH
Location: A few hundred meters from the Ribiški kot observatory, at the top of ridge Kleni vrh.
In only a few months there will be another wooden, half-open house with a wonderful view of the lake. Next to it, in the shadow of trees, there will be an amphitheatre of long wooden benches.
LOCATION OF THE OBSERVATORY TODAY
SPRING 2020
Hey, have you just seen them on the lake?! Two ruffs! In winter, the males and females have very similar plumage – the underparts are lighter, grey-white, whereas the upperparts are darker, grey-brown. The base of the beak is bordered with white, but in the summer almost every bird is different.
On their migratory path ruffs regularly stop at the lake. Some exceptions, like these two, even spend the winter here.
NEXT TIME ON BINOCULARS: a tower, a lonely rock and a view of Triglav!
