What if we could peek into a stork’s life? Here at the Storchennest in Plaußig-Portitz, you actually can. This isn’t just any stork’s nest. It is a window into a world usually hidden high above.
In 2004, Storchenexperte Manfred Seifert saw potential. An unused chimney with a safety screen became the perfect stork apartment. A nest was woven and secured to the screen. Years passed. In 2019, a stork couple finally moved in and successfully started a family in the Storchennest. The stork-father came from Sermuth and the stork-mother from Burg.
Now, thanks to NABU Leipzig and many supporters, a webcam gives us a live view. Installed in January 2022, the camera offers a real-time look at stork life. Previously, only glimpses of tiny heads over the nest’s edge signaled new life. Now, everything is visible. Nest building, mating rituals, egg-laying, hatching. We get to watch the chicks grow until they fledge.
The Johanniter-Kita “Die Strolche” is right next door. The children are official patrons of the stork family above. NABU specialists also use the webcam. They monitor the nest for any problems or illnesses. The webcam even records 24 hours of footage.
It took effort to set up the webcam on the 30-meter chimney of the Storchennest. The Plaußig fire brigade helped. Positioning the camera was tricky. The goal was a wide view of the storks landing without invading people’s privacy. A team of steelworkers, electricians and IT experts made it happen.
Since 2019, the stork couple has successfully raised young ones here at the Storchennest. In 2019, two chicks flew the coop. In 2020 and 2021, three chicks fledged. Storchenbetreuer Dietmar Heyder put rings on their legs. These rings help track the storks’ travels and new families.
In 2023, the storks arrived on April 1st. The old female was named Elfriede. The new male was Erich 2. Two young storks were ringed on July 1st. They left the nest on August 18th.
You can watch the Plaußig storks online. So tune in. See the miracle of life unfold in real-time at the Storchennest. Each year promises a new Storchensommer.