General Interest
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Re: General Interest
Fish, hoopoes & bone-ache day …
Kristel Vilbastes latest weekly chronicle http://www.looduskalender.ee/en/node/2700 tells about plenty of fish in Peipsi.
A link to fish & fishing in Peipsi here : some history, statistics, fish names & pics …
A very exotic winter guest stays around some sandpiles near Pärnu too – a hoopoe, vainukägu. Fascinating bird, wish I could meet one! Anyone who has seen one?
PS. Bone-ache day, luuvalupäev, was on Monday 9th, according to the Estonian folk calendar
Kristel Vilbastes latest weekly chronicle http://www.looduskalender.ee/en/node/2700 tells about plenty of fish in Peipsi.
A link to fish & fishing in Peipsi here : some history, statistics, fish names & pics …
A very exotic winter guest stays around some sandpiles near Pärnu too – a hoopoe, vainukägu. Fascinating bird, wish I could meet one! Anyone who has seen one?
PS. Bone-ache day, luuvalupäev, was on Monday 9th, according to the Estonian folk calendar
- caysa
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We have "someone" living under our coop!
It is not a rat - I know how those tracks look like
These tracks are like miniature cat tracks, very round and you can see all the toes and nails. The size is about 1 cm. It has paths and burrows to and from the birdfeeder. The burrows are narrow, a thumb would just fit in.
Sometimes we can see blood stains on its path. We have never seen the animal so it must be very quick or/and nocturnal? Also inder the coop we can see a heap of sand that it has digged out. Any idea what we have? I will try and get some pics of the tracks when we get new snow....
It is not a rat - I know how those tracks look like
These tracks are like miniature cat tracks, very round and you can see all the toes and nails. The size is about 1 cm. It has paths and burrows to and from the birdfeeder. The burrows are narrow, a thumb would just fit in.
Sometimes we can see blood stains on its path. We have never seen the animal so it must be very quick or/and nocturnal? Also inder the coop we can see a heap of sand that it has digged out. Any idea what we have? I will try and get some pics of the tracks when we get new snow....
- AllyKass
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maybe its weaselcaysa wrote:We have "someone" living under our coop!
It is not a rat - I know how those tracks look like
These tracks are like miniature cat tracks, very round and you can see all the toes and nails. The size is about 1 cm. It has paths and burrows to and from the birdfeeder. The burrows are narrow, a thumb would just fit in.
Sometimes we can see blood stains on its path. We have never seen the animal so it must be very quick or/and nocturnal? Also inder the coop we can see a heap of sand that it has digged out. Any idea what we have? I will try and get some pics of the tracks when we get new snow....
Mother Nature teaching to us about balance of power.
- caysa
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Could be!!! But a very small one.....AllyKass wrote: maybe its weasel
I cant find weasel track pictures in google
- Ricky
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Puh, that´s a strange one. The feet (1cm) are nearly as broad as the whole animal (diameter of burrow). How can that animal walk?caysa wrote:We have "someone" living under our coop!
It is not a rat - I know how those tracks look like
These tracks are like miniature cat tracks, very round and you can see all the toes and nails. The size is about 1 cm. It has paths and burrows to and from the birdfeeder. The burrows are narrow, a thumb would just fit in.
Sometimes we can see blood stains on its path. We have never seen the animal so it must be very quick or/and nocturnal? Also inder the coop we can see a heap of sand that it has digged out. Any idea what we have? I will try and get some pics of the tracks when we get new snow....
Only idea I had would be something like Mustela nivalis (Least Weasel), Mustela erminea (Ermine), Mustula putorius (Polecat), Neovison vison (Mink). But because of the size I´d perfer the 1st one.
- caysa
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Sounds cool!!! I wish I could set up a movement sensored camera... But I don't know how!!Ricky wrote: Puh, that´s a strange one. The feet (1cm) are nearly as broad as the whole animal (diameter of burrow). How can that animal walk?
Only idea I had would be something like Mustela nivalis (Least Weasel), Mustela erminea (Ermine), Mustula putorius (Polecat), Neovison vison (Mink). But because of the size I´d perfer the 1st one.
I so want to see it!!
Any pictures of tracks???
- caysa
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I serched google with the latin name and see what I found!!!
That looks exactly as these tracks! And the picture of the "den opening" looks exactly as what is under the coop!
That looks exactly as these tracks! And the picture of the "den opening" looks exactly as what is under the coop!
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I spoke to Joyce last night. Those two chicks are thriving now, and about to be moved downstairs to the "ex-sitting room". Life as a house chick must be good! They need wood shavings now to scratch and peck in, and anyway, another 16 eggs are due to hatch (incubator in her bedroom!)bociany wrote: I shall cheer for the small chick (can't call it underdog)
- caysa
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Good luck to the little chicks and to Joyce!!Jo UK wrote: I spoke to Joyce last night. Those two chicks are thriving now, and about to be moved downstairs to the "ex-sitting room". Life as a house chick must be good! They need wood shavings now to scratch and peck in, and anyway, another 16 eggs are due to hatch (incubator in her bedroom!)
When reading this I am so glad my hens are really good mothers - I need no incubator and I have no chicks in the house - they are all with mama when that time comes.
- NancyM
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thanks, JoJo UK wrote:I spoke to Joyce last night. Those two chicks are thriving now, and about to be moved downstairs to the "ex-sitting room". Life as a house chick must be good! They need wood shavings now to scratch and peck in, and anyway, another 16 eggs are due to hatch (incubator in her bedroom!)
- Ricky
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Hello to everybody,
In some warmer areas spring has already begun. This also goes for lower and therefore warmer parts of Austria and Germany. One sign of the beginning of spring is the start of the toad migration. During the last days the first toads, frogs, salamanders and newts have started their dangerous journey in order to reach their waterbodies they need for reproduction. These journeys can be quite long for such small animals – up to some kilometres. On their way most of them have to cross roads which usually leads to a high mortility rate – which sometimes nearly reaches the 100% mark. In any case many – much too many - amphibians die on our roads. This is not only caused by cars squashing them but also by cars that are too fast. The lungs of amphbians can be bursted through the shock wave a passing car causes.
Since all readers of these pages are nature lovers I´m sure you all wish that as many of them as possible will survive their jouney. And indeed all of you can at least help a little:
As soon as spring is coming in your area you really help those animals with driving slowly (but still fast enough so that you don´t hinder the traffic) in those parts of the roads where amphibians might migrate. You can be sure that this will mostly be near of waterbodies. But also elsewhere you can find them. The slowlier you can drive without being a danger for others the better it is for the amphibians. You can see them better and can react to that and the shock wave is not so dangerous for them. The best thing - of course - to try to drive as little as possible on those roads where the main migration takes place. The migration begins with the dusk and goes on to midnight.
In some areas the toad migration has already started, in others it will last some more weeks to the beginning. The weather conditions needed to let the migration start are night temperatures slightly above zero and rain. When that is the case I want to ask you all to help the amphibians that way if it is possible for you. You´ll do a great service to nature. Maybe there´s also the possibility – if you want to help in an active way – to join a group that is in charge of a toad fence.
I want to thank all who are able to help – if it´s only a little bit or more.
P.S.: When migration will start here I shall place some pictures here if you want to. You just have to tell me if (and how many) you want to.
In some warmer areas spring has already begun. This also goes for lower and therefore warmer parts of Austria and Germany. One sign of the beginning of spring is the start of the toad migration. During the last days the first toads, frogs, salamanders and newts have started their dangerous journey in order to reach their waterbodies they need for reproduction. These journeys can be quite long for such small animals – up to some kilometres. On their way most of them have to cross roads which usually leads to a high mortility rate – which sometimes nearly reaches the 100% mark. In any case many – much too many - amphibians die on our roads. This is not only caused by cars squashing them but also by cars that are too fast. The lungs of amphbians can be bursted through the shock wave a passing car causes.
Since all readers of these pages are nature lovers I´m sure you all wish that as many of them as possible will survive their jouney. And indeed all of you can at least help a little:
As soon as spring is coming in your area you really help those animals with driving slowly (but still fast enough so that you don´t hinder the traffic) in those parts of the roads where amphibians might migrate. You can be sure that this will mostly be near of waterbodies. But also elsewhere you can find them. The slowlier you can drive without being a danger for others the better it is for the amphibians. You can see them better and can react to that and the shock wave is not so dangerous for them. The best thing - of course - to try to drive as little as possible on those roads where the main migration takes place. The migration begins with the dusk and goes on to midnight.
In some areas the toad migration has already started, in others it will last some more weeks to the beginning. The weather conditions needed to let the migration start are night temperatures slightly above zero and rain. When that is the case I want to ask you all to help the amphibians that way if it is possible for you. You´ll do a great service to nature. Maybe there´s also the possibility – if you want to help in an active way – to join a group that is in charge of a toad fence.
I want to thank all who are able to help – if it´s only a little bit or more.
P.S.: When migration will start here I shall place some pictures here if you want to. You just have to tell me if (and how many) you want to.
- macdoum
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Here in Alsace there are many groups organised to protect the passage of frogs. They also build fences and then collect the frogs to put them on the other side of the road or highway. Then there are tunnels more often built into the roads when the roadworks people are re-newing the surfaces and such. Its very well organised now and many young people willing to help.
Carmel a member of SHOW And, yes some pictures please?
Carmel a member of SHOW And, yes some pictures please?
Carmel a member of SHOW .. I hope you love birds too. Its economical. It saves going to heaven.
Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson
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At least until some 5+ years ago around our summer house many frogs and toads died on the roads in late summer when they were big (or small) as the top of a thumb: for some reason they invaded smaller roads towards evening, maybe because it was smoother going, maybe more moisture (dew), maybe more small insects . Haven't seen it in later years, much less small frogs in grass too.
Taliking of migrations - another going on today in Sweden, 15 000 people skiing 90 km from Mora to Falun, Vasaloppet, elks, wolves and others beware!
Taliking of migrations - another going on today in Sweden, 15 000 people skiing 90 km from Mora to Falun, Vasaloppet, elks, wolves and others beware!
- Ricky
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Good to hear that it is well organized in Alsace. Here it´s not the case. In an area of maybe 30 kilometres diameter I only know one fence.macdoum wrote:Here in Alsace there are many groups organised to protect the passage of frogs. They also build fences and then collect the frogs to put them on the other side of the road or highway. Then there are tunnels more often built into the roads when the roadworks people are re-newing the surfaces and such. Its very well organised now and many young people willing to help.
Carmel a member of SHOW And, yes some pictures please?
Et oui, je vais prendre des photos.
(And yes, I will take pictures.)
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This is the Osprey nest -saaksikamera - Finland!!
The sea in this view has been serene and ice free all winter - but has suddenly decided to freeze since late February !!!!
The sea in this view has been serene and ice free all winter - but has suddenly decided to freeze since late February !!!!
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It's the only Planet
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- yarko
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Hi Patsycat, it's normal that it freezes in February -Patsycat wrote:This is the Osprey nest -saaksikamera - Finland!!
The sea in this view has been serene and ice free all winter - but has suddenly decided to freeze since late February !!!!
Wikipedia says: The Baltic Sea itself does not freeze during a normal winter, with the exception of sheltered bays and shallow lagoons. The ice reaches its maximum extent in February or March.
Proud member of SHoW (StorkaHolics of the World)
"I love not man the less, but Nature more." Lord Byron
"I love not man the less, but Nature more." Lord Byron
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Thank you Yarko - I didn't know that!!
SAVE THE EARTH!!
It's the only Planet
With Chocolate!
It's the only Planet
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- asteria
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Yess! This one flew on our balcony to eat and I made a pic.
Whoever saves one life saves the world entire