On March 12-13, 2019, the EC representative Santiago Urquijo Zamora together with local monitoring expert Viktorija Maceikaite visited project beneficiaries – Lithuanian Ornithological Society and high voltage overhead electricity transmission lines operator “Litgrid”. During the meeting achievements of the project were presented, as well as the long-term impact of the installed protection measures for birds and future plans were discussed. Later guests had opportunity to see project territories in Aukštaitija region, where the measures for increase of the wires’ visibility and nest-boxes for kestrels were installed. Guests had also opportunity to see conservation measures protecting birds from short circuit.

 

EC representative positively evaluated project’s achievements - beneath the lines with installation of visibility increasing measures introduced in the Project implementation the rate of birth deaths reduced in different months from 1,2 to 4 times, number of disconnected lines has significantly decreased, and a big share of the entire common kestrel population, 40%, breeds in the artificial nests.

 

Preparation of the Final project report is in progress. The document will be published on the website, when the EC will approve it.