Once a year in the first week of May, the residents of the Macedonian stork village Češinovo-Obleševo come together to celebrate the return of the elegant gliders from their African wintering areas. It is a clear sign that spring has finally arrived.

Bird migration is now in full swing, and many of these feathered globetrotters will be flying this spring over the Lebanon to their breeding areas in Europe. Despite a statutory ban on the hunting of birds, thousands of them fall victim each year to the hunters' guns.

Those working to protect storks in the Serbian borough of Taraš have been keeping extremely busy. The new observation tower, information boards and guided excursions are just a few examples of the wide range of activities they have been involved in.

In one year the summer may be warm and dry, the food supply abundant and the disturbances insignificant, but in the next it may be the complete opposite. External factors are an important influence in the breeding success of the White Stork.

The 15th conference of the European Stork Village Network will take place in Altreu, Switzerland, on 14-17 June 2018. The representatives of all European Stork Villages, as well as international nature conservation experts, will update each other on the latest progress on stork protection in the stork villages and across Europe.