Huge effort for nothing

After the railroad, Storch becomes a “mobile postal partner”

The stork wants to stay in the middle of the action in Schwarzenau. It now nests on the other side of the road from its old "home".(Bild: Molnar Attila)

The popular migratory bird is causing a lot of smiles and laughter in Schwarzenau in the Waldviertel, which lies along the Franz Josef Railway. ÖBB went to great lengths to relocate the pair, which had been nesting there for years. A 17-meter mast was even erected especially for this purpose. However, the stork has a mind of its own and simply moved "to the company" opposite.

A pair of storks moved to a new nesting site on a radio mast at Schwarzenau station in the Waldviertel region in 2021. This was not only dangerous, it also damaged the technology and the access to the station became very dirty. So ÖBB tried to relocate Master Adebar for some time, which upset stork lovers, the "Krone" reported.

Nest torn down twice
After the nest was demolished in 2022, the couple simply built a new one the previous year. This year, a huge effort was made: 500 meters further on, a 17-meter mast was erected in quieter surroundings and a nest with "original parts" was built on top. A pyramid-shaped nesting site defense was erected on the radio mast (see picture in slideshow below).

Across the road is the former post office building, where the stork now nests.(Bild: Molnar Attila)

The radio mast near overhead lines and the like was too dangerous for ÖBB. They tried to relocate the migratory bird 500 meters away in a quieter area.(Bild: Molnar Attila)

To prevent the stork from building its nest again, a pyramid-shaped stork barrier was installed, making it impossible to nest there.(Bild: Molnar Attila)

Migratory bird is very "sociable"
Unfortunately, no storks have yet been spotted on the new mast, but they are nesting on a chimney on the other side of the radio mast. This causes a lot of smiles. Because the people of Schwarzenau know that this is the former post office.

"The stork just wants to stay in the middle of the action. Now he's turning his back on the railroad and becoming a mobile postal partner, which is very compatible with the baby delivery service," laughs the locals. And ÖBB routiniers know that he has nested there before.