Ideas from the Front Page

[Fleur]

Liis, have a good time, enjoy it, the translation will not run away

[Liis]

Our birder's story of his 268th "seen in one year" species is up in English
http://www.looduskalender.ee/en/node/14477
And the birder himself and his team at the Estonian Open are in the last photo HERE

[Jo UK]

Welcome back, Liis.
Seems like you enjoyed your "lump of rocks"!

[Liis]

"Wish I were there" nature events are close on each other's heels in Estonia. The Rõuge mushroom week just finished, now it is the
Matsalu International Nature Film Festival, Wednesday September 12th to Sunday September 16th, seems that it is the 10th festival too.

About the festival http://www.matsalufilm.ee/meist/index_eng.html
Films selected for the best film competition: http://www.matsalufilm.ee/festival/index_eng.html
Screening schedule (in case someone gets a plane ticket) http://www.matsalufilm.ee/festival/ajakava_eng.html

About photo exhibitions and lectures http://www.looduskalender.ee/node/14484 (in Estonian, translation coming - so we all know what we miss )


PS. Thank you, Jo, and yes, the rocks were as fascinating as ever. Why are there so few stones and minerals walks and guides but any number of birdwatching and botanical events and excursions?

[macdoum]

Welcome back Liis. Good to see you. :peek:

[Liis]

Autumn today says Looduskalender, with a spectacular after-sunset sky photo.
And hoping for Indian summer, or Old wives' summer (hmm, only old wives?) or Brittsommar (St Birgitta's summer) or ... :

The name Old Wives’ Summer (Altweibersommer) derives from the activities of young baldachin spiders; these spin long, silken threads which float in the air like the wispy white hair of an old women; the spiders use them to sail through the air in early autumn
From http://frikosmusings.blogspot.se/2010 ...
Now, do we really, really believe that origin?

Baldachin or money spiders, Linyphiidae, currently with 6 subfamilies.

( Macdoum!)

[alice44]

Fireblade -- in the German thread (?) -- said it was the spider season a few weeks back.

It had yet started back then, but I have been thinking of posting in the fall Oregon thread -- that Spider season has arrived.

So today we still notice spiders in this season, but I am totally ignorant of the Old wives' connection.

In the US we refer to Indian summer, although here in the Willamette Valley we do not really experience it, because it does not really happen until after a frost and with luck there will be no frost until mid November.

[Katinka]

Thank you very much, Kaido - for giving an info about winter mushrooms at LK front page on Nov. 21Winter mushroom season only beginning.
Great, in a "dramatic" light appeared photo with the Puidu-sametkõrges!

[Liis]

Snowy and cold!
So are there chaffinches (metsvint; Fringilla coelebs) in Estonia in winter? - Question from What is going on? topic

The winter garden bird counts says that some do stay:

202 chaffinches were reported in the Winter Garden Bird Count 2012 (TALV 2012), January 28-29 2012.
It was no. 23 in the list of birds ranked by no. of observations (1st in list: great tit, 11 621 observations; 2nd greenfinch, 7077 observations).
City of Tallinn reported 17 chaffinches. - Most frequently seen bird in Tallinn too great tit, 1006 observations; 2nd greenfinch, 765 observations.

BUT: there are 2-3 millions pairs of them in summer …

Whole TALV2012 report, in Estonian, HERE on the Estonian Ornithological Society's home page

[Liis]

Redpolls (LK front page), are winter visitors in Estonia but seldom nest there; rather in the tundra regions.
But they do breed further south - in Britain.
How come? Too far to fly to the tundra, maybe?

[vainamoinen]

Redpolls (LK front page), are winter visitors in Estonia but seldom nest there; rather in the tundra regions.
But they do breed further south - in Britain.
How come? Too far to fly to the tundra, maybe?

In Britain and Central Europe (Alps) breeds separate subspecies (ssp. cabaret). Some specialists consider it as another species - Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis cabaret). I think it could have a little bit different breeding biology.

[Liis]

Thank you, Vainamoinen! Redpoll range charts were intriguing, surely to do with the various subspecies; with a distinct gap for Estonia on several of them.

Animal of the year 2013 in Estonia is the wolf (LK front page) - be sure to enjoy the song about / to? wolves! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drCfgg6f3Qw

[Liis]

Päkapikud, "Tom Thumbs" ...
re the little Ilmatsalu kindergarten acorn gatherers http://www.looduskalender.ee/en/node/15383

Modern päkapikud, the ”Tom Thumbs”, are most often seen in the Christmas period. They might be best described as miniature Father Christmases, sometimes quite young. These particular päkapikud and relatives have a range that seems basically limited to Estonia and the Nordic countries. Goblins, brownies, proper dwarfs, leprechauns and other suggested international counterparts in dictionaries etc do not quite fit the little päkapikud of Ilmatsalu kindergarten.
Päkapikk literally = päkk: part of palm or foot sole + pikk: long (EDIT).
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomte, about modern Tomte(nisse), a near relative.

Someone hopefully knows and can tell if Estonia has had a proper native pre-modern päkapikk being. The modern species seems very definitely have arrived here.

Contributions to the Tom Thumb, päkapikk, tomtenisse ... distribution and description and terminology chart, please, forum members

[leonia]

In German we know little beings called "Wichtel". May be relatives of the päkapikud? But they are very rare!

[macdoum]

Yes the tom-thumbs have many names in different places. In Ireland the 'little people' abound

Fairy Encounters



According to Irish tradition, fairies inhabit a mystical realm known as Faerie that exists parallel to the world of man. Faerie is a magical world that is both wonderful and dangerous. Humans who stumble into Faerie must be wary of fairy tricks. Fairies have been said to lure human visitors with enchanted food or drink. Time in Faerie is different from time in the world of man. Though it may have appeared to be only a short while, those who return home from Faerie often discover that they have been gone for a very long time.


Solitary Fairies.

Solitary fairies live by themselves. One such fairy is the Pooka, a mischievous fairy that will often play deceptive and sometimes dangerous tricks on humans that it encounters. The Pooka can also turn itself into different forms in order to carry out a trick. Another solitary fairy is the banshee, which is among the more menacing and feared fairies to visit the human world. The banshee is said to emit a chilling moan that announces an individual's impending death.

Trooping Fairies

Fairies that dwell together in large societies are known as trooping fairies. The Tuatha de Danann is an ancient race of fairies descended from the Celtic goddess Danu. They are said to be a very wise and learned race. Legend says a battle ensued between humans and the Tuatha de Danann for dominion of Ireland. Humans ultimately won the battle, and the Tuatha de Danann retreated into a hidden location known as the Otherworld.


Elves

Elves also dwell in the land of Faerie. Like trooping fairies, elves live together in groups. Although elves have magical powers like the fairies, they are much more similar to humans in manner and physical appearance. Leprechauns are the most well-known elves in the Irish tradition. They resemble small, hairy men dressed in green and wearing narrow-brimmed hats. Leprechauns are famous for guarding their pot of gold. Many tales tell of humans who encounter a leprechaun and try to acquire its treasure. Somehow, the leprechaun always manages to outsmart the human.

Fenodyree are more benevolent elves. Known for their strength and large stature, these elves will offer their assistance to Irish farmers or maidens in return for a reward.


Modern Day

Through the centuries, the fairies and elves of Irish lore have maintained their universal appeal. Authors in Ireland and around the globe continue to reiterate these stories. Some of the most well-known literary works to feature Irish fairies or elves include William Butler Yates' "The Celtic Twilight" and "Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry," and William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Fairies and elves also have appeared in modern films such as Disney's "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" and "Peter Pan."

Now,you know all about the 'little people' in Ireland.

[Liis]

Yes the tom-thumbs have many names in different places. In Ireland the 'little people' abound ------------------
Now,you know all about the 'little people' in Ireland.

Well, I know at least that I don't! So many species ....
Actually I almost used "little people" for the Ilmatsalu kindergarten päkapikud but some hazy memory of not altogether un-sinister traits flitted past. Gnomes, goblins and the like seemed too gnarly, so Tom Thumb - whoever he was?

Pöialpoiss, Tom Thumb, is another word for päkapikk (or are they separate species?), also the Estonian name for goldcrest, Regulus regulus. (Back on nature topics ...)

[Liis]

Any members who have chewed resin gum properly? See
http://www.looduskalender.ee/node/15416

Late translation, sorry, but you might still be able run a mini test on your Christmas tree - unless of course it is one of the non-Nordic, expensive foreign varieties: Abies Nordmanniana, Picea pungens, artificial ...

Some more Christmas tree info from Christmas tree blog on the Swedish forestry home page
- 78,5% of all households in Sweden will have a Christmas tree.
- In Estonia they could be bought, to be cut by yourself in the forest, by way of an app in your smartphone.
- Every 5th Christmas tree in Swedish homes is - well, not quite legitimately acquired.

PS. 7 500 Christmas trees were brought out from the Estonian State Forest Management Centre (RMK) forests for Christmas, 1/3 bought by mobile. http://www.rohelinevarav.ee/?news=3

[Manu]

I would like to say THANK YOU to all who made/make a great job and write/translate all these very interesting daily reports on LK-Main-Page. It's a lot of work all you are doing. Thank you for that

[tabitha]

Thank you for these daily reports! They are so interesting, and they help me to catch up on all the goings-on.

[Liis]

Happy New Year!
Birder Year ends, Wolf Year begins
Congratulations to The Birder, Margus Ots, on the Big Year adventure and record!

Final Birder Diary report, January 31st, 2012

On the first day, Jan 1st 2012, of the Big Year project Margus Ots collected 56 species. First ones in, just minutes after midnight in the Silma protection area, were goldeneyes and a mallard startled by fireworks in Haapsalu and a sparkling wine cork bang.

Since then the list has grown to 276 species (link to final list in article).
Margus’s year statistics of hours spent in watching, kilometres in trekking on foot and by car, and more, will come.

Birder reports statistics: my computer has 170+ birder diary files (probably a few more in another), 52 000+ words, 250 000 characters in the English translations. Plus innumerable forays into Internet for feathers, bird parts, names (since Margus kindly provides links to all the correct Latin names, manageable; otherwise … )

Links to all the Birder blogs: http://www.looduskalender.ee/en/taxonomy/term/49
Thank you Margus Ots!