Kizilinmk project postponed 
A joint DHKD, WIWO and OSME 
breeding bird survey of the Kizilirmak 
Delta (on the Black Sea) had been 
planned for the spring of 1991. Due to 
the uncertainties caused by the war in 
the gulf, sponsorship money has been 
postponed for a year. The project 
should hopefully now take place in 
1992. It is not known whether the 
educational campaign (see above) will 
also be postponed. 
lO/XX) birds killed by hailstones 
From time to time, there are deaths of 
birds caused by weather or other 
natural conditions. Generally 
speaking, populations can recover 
form these natural disasters, provided 
they are not also threatened by other 
factors like human persecution or 
destruction of habitat. 
In December 1990, during educational 
work in the GCksii Delta, DHKD staff 
witnessed a 15 minute hailstorm. 
Hailstones the size of small chicken 
eggs caused extensive damage to crops, 
glasshouses, cars and buildings. It is 
estimated that up to 10,(XX) birds were 
killed during the storm. DHKD staff 
collected several hundred birds. The 
birds particularly affected were 
flamingos, waders (Avocets Avosetta 
recuvirostra and Redshanks Tringa 
totanus) and gulls, including three 
Armenian Gulls Larus armenicus. The 
next day, local fishermen collected 
thousands of birds from the lakes. 
These were subsequently sold on local 
markets. 
Victims of hailstorm at GSksii Delta, Turkey, December 1990 (Photograph DHKD) 
North Cyprus 
We have already reported on the North 
Cyprus Society for the Protection of 
Birds, in the last bulletin. This is the 
only society actively campaigning 
specifically for bird preservation in 
North Cyprus. The society was formed 
during ICBPs year-long conservation 
awareness campaign, which ended in 
October 1990 (see Bulletin 24:23). 
Education 
A major feature of the conservation 
awareness campaign was a slide show 
on bird migration, which visited over 
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