Nara fishponds
This fishpond complex is located around 70km west of Moscow. The most interesting ponds from a birding perspective are the two southernmost, since these are the only ponds where fishing is not allowed and thus disturbance is minimised. A telescope is of great help in covering this site since the birds tend to concentrate at spots a long way from the bank.
Species
Migration is characterised by large flocks of wading birds and Northern ducks. Various raptor species may be seen during the breeding season along with such passerines as Reed Warbler, Booted Warbler, Savi's Warbler and Penduline Tit. Several species of rail have been reported, as have Bittern and several species of breeding Tern. However, the past couple of years have seen a reduction in the diversity of breeding species at the ponds — the Black-headed Gull colony has disappeared, but for a couple of pairs still hanging on near Naro-Osanovo village, while the Grey Herons seem to be increasingly moving away from their colony on the north-western bank of the central pond. Diving duck seem also to have left, having previously been relatively common, leaving behind large concentrations of Great Crested Grebe and Coot.
Access
Public transport — just over an hour by local train from the Moskva-Smolenskaya stop next to Belorusskyi station to Kubinka, then by bus or marshrutka to Chupryakovo or Krutitsy, the stop for which is next to the train station in Kubinka. Alternatively, stay on the train for a further two stops as far as Polushkino and walk 6km south to the ponds.
By car — drive along Minskoe shosse as far as the turn off for Krutitsy, where you instead turn left for Sofino. If you turn off earlier at Chupryakovo to reach the ponds, you end up at a manned entrance where you will be expected to pay for a fishing permit, indeed no cars are let in without one. At the approach to Sofino village the asphalt road ends and is replaced by a track of concrete slabs, before carrying on over the dambs separating the ponds.
подготовил Иннокентий Сметанин
фотографии Иннокентия Сметанина, Кудрявцева Николая, Сергея Елисеева