Name : Zajecze Legi
Total site area (ha) : 400
Project site area (ha): 340
The project site is located at the eastern part of Karsibor island in the Delta of Swina River (SPA).
The island is surrounded by a dam protecting it from floods. Within the dam most of the
ground is rough coastal grazing saltmarsh on mineral soil and the rest is former pasture
succeeding to Phragmites where the soil is more organic. The difference of the Zajecze Legi
from most of the other islands of the Delta of Swina River is that the island is generally higher
above water level which allowed for some areas to be used as arable lands.
At present, the project site is mainly occupied by Phragmites communities with different
degree of occurrence of Carex and grasses. Occurrence of Carex communities in the overall
vegetation structure of the site is decreasing with every year. That subsequently affects the
suitability of the site for breeding Acrocephalus paludicola. Small spots of halophytic plant
communities are still present at the site. The plant communities are half-natural meadows,
mostly consisting of about 10 different species of grasses.
The islands hold a network of ditches and canals which, together with a pumping station, were
formerly used for active management of water regime for the needs of agriculture. For some
years now no water management is conducted at the site. The agricultural use of the site,
formerly diverse, is now restricted to reed cultivation by one owner. The areas of the other site
owner are abandoned.
Zajecze Legi holds a high diversity of breeding and passage wetland birds. It is an important
migration stopover for waders, although with overgrowth of the site with reeds the capacity of
the site to support migrating waders largely decreased. Although such species as Limosa
limosa and Lymnocryptes minimus are common on spring migration. The area is also
important for breeding waterfowl and wintering gees. Several species of raptors use the site
for feeding.
Zajecze Legi is an important site for conservation of Acrocephalus paludicola. In 1991 it was
one of the largest Acrocephalus paludicola breeding sites in Western Pomerania, supporting
up to 100 vocalizing males, which at that time constituted 26 % of the total Western
Pomeranian population of 383 vocalizing males.
Over the following 6 years the number of vocalizing males went down to 31-45 in 1997. The
population became unstable and greatly fluctuated: in 1999 – 5 vocalizing males, in 2000 – up
to 30, in 2001 and 2002 – no Acrocephalus paludicola registered. Although the fluctuation in
numbers in that years may be attributed to the fact that in 1999-2002 the census of vocalizing
males did not cover the whole site and was conducted by different researchers.
In 2003 there were registered only 9 vocalizing males which made 11 % of 80 vocalizing
males of the total Western Pomeranian population of Acrocephalus paludicola (see annex 9.4)
and in 2004 no birds were present on the site.
