Amphibians and reptiles

The Moscow Society of Naturalists has identified seven different species of amphibians living in the city. Around half the ponds and waterways tested had amphibians in them, but only six had more than one species in the same body of water. The marsh frog is the undisputed lord of the river. One of the best places to encounter Moscow's frogs is the Setun River Valley. If you visit the ponds and marshy areas in the middle of the meandering loop of the river down the slope from the Mosfilm studios in spring, you can hear what sounds like a noisy argument half a mile downstream. The mating cacophony quickly fades when visitors approach as the frogs dive into the water. For a face-to-face encounter, head out of town to Arkhangelskoye in May. The lake at the far end of the beautiful estate is actually part of the former course of the Moscow River. It is now home to some unusually tame marsh frogs, who can usually be seen and heard in the water near the path, blowing out their bizarre vocal sacs. In Losiny Ostrov, you can also see grass snakes and small lizards.

Birds

Moscow State University's Bird Atlas meticulously catalogues the distribution of the 273 species, that have been observed in the Moscow region. The authors refer to the city's parks as "islands of nature" and ornithologists have certainly been surprised by how many birds choose to live here. Long-eared owls are one of the species you might stumble across, in places such as Troparyovsky Park to the south, where a special owl conservation project is underway, and in the Academy of Sciences' Botanical Gardens, just north of VDNKh. There are twice-yearly surveys of water birds, which are particularly plentiful around the island of Serebryany Bor. To catch the migrating grey cranes, you need to visit the marshy areas of Losiny Ostrov, where the shy bittern has also been spotted.

Far easier to see, the Ruddy Shelducks, who originated in the Moscow Zoo, spread out across the ponds of north-west Moscow and return to the zoo in winter. You can even see a couple of these striking orange ducks living in the little floating house on Patriarch's Ponds.

Woodpeckers are another exciting but relatively easy bird to spot. Places such as the Timiryazevsky Woods, north of Aeroport, are full of them.

Every spring, the Russian Bird Conservation Union organises a special count of the singing thrush nightingales whose fluid music fills the forests in May. Sparrow Hills is a good place to hear them. For more adventurous bird-watching trips, check out the suggestions on www.birdsmoscow.net.ru/eng, which tells you where you might see great grey shrike or white-tailed sea eagles.

Moscow's "Red Book"

The Darwin Museum keeps records online of the threatened and endangered species, the so-called "Red Book". The most worrying sign is when species that were abundant previously start to enter its pages. The amphibian study found that frogs tended to avoid the (increasingly common) concrete banks of ponds and rivers. The numbers of black-headed gulls in the city has declined dramatically over the last year, according to the zoological museum's records, "because of intense construction". Lake Kievo, just north of Moscow near Lobnya, previously hosted Europe's largest colony of river gulls, with up to 20,000 birds gathering there annually. These days, there is barely a bird to be seen much of the time. The good news is that there is an increasing interest in and concern for the natural world, which may help to reverse these trends. The number of ornithologists taking part in Moscow State University's annual surveys has risen steadily and the pleasure of observing birds and animals in the city is open to all. Bird Atlas editor Mikhail Kalyakin comments, "They are close, they are visible, but their lives still contain many secrets". ■

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 824