The first stork has arrived at Pyriatyn National Park
The first stork of the season has returned to the Pyriatyn National Nature Park, located in the Poltava region.
The bird appeared in the nest on March 22, 2026, but scientists note that this is not the local favorite, Hrytsko.
The arrival of the first harbinger of spring was recorded at 5:11:29 p.m. during a live broadcast watched by over 200 viewers.
“Finally, the long-awaited event of the new season has happened—the first stork has arrived at the nest. Today, March 22, 2026, at 5:11:29 p.m., over 200 viewers saw a stork in the nest during the live broadcast. But it wasn’t ours. Not Hrytsko, not Odarka,” the “Stork Hrytsko” Facebook page officially announced.
Experts note that this situation is not unusual for this region. A similar trend was observed last year, when a stranger bird was the first to visit the nest, later yielding its place to the owners.
Researchers remind us that on March 20 last year, the first stork in the nest was also a vagrant bird. This indicates active migration and a search for resting places during the long flight back to their native lands.
The recent visitor’s stay was brief; it did not linger in the park for long. After a short stop and a symbolic tidying of the nest, the stork continued on its way in an unknown direction.
“Today, the stork spent a minute and a half in the nest, moved a twig, and flew off somewhere else at 5:12:52 p.m. We’ll wait for further developments and happy, good news. We’ll wait—keep an eye out for our own—so we’re sure to see them,” noted researcher Ira Sarazhynska.
As a reminder, storks have begun returning to the Chernobyl zone.
Also, Ukraine’s smallest owl has settled in the Chernobyl Nature Reserve.
