Kalakaamera

Text written and illustrations selected by  Tiit Hunt, www.rmk.ee
Estonian text posted 20.08.2019

The weighty fish contingent has not started their journey yet: they might reach the Keila  River estuary perhaps in a month at the earliest. Sooner or later – depending on weather and the water conditions the very large salmons and sea trout come in camera view and maybe  groups of tens of river lampreys that soon begin to gather in the river to be prepared early for the springtime spawning .

Transmission by  EENet
Introduction and illustrations  Tiit Hunt, www.rmk.ee
Estonian  text posted 30.06.2019

The fish camera is now located in the Keila-Joa River at the mouth of the Keila River in a fast-flowing cut: the sea begins at about a hundred meters from here. A kilometre upstream the 6,1 m high Keila waterfall is an insurmountable obstacle for migratory fish coming from the sea.

The summary recorded by  Brusnika, LK forum
Estonian text posted 12.05.2019

 

The water has receded from the Võrtsjärve meadow. Time will show what next.

Our thanks to all viewers!

The last webcam visitor. IceAge, LK forum

Screencap from webcam Toivo
Estonian text posted 23.04.2019
English translation Liis

 

 

Water stick insect         Nõelhark       Ranatra linearis

 

This creature belongs to the Nepidae or Water scorpion insects, and appeared yesterday in camera view in the Võrtsjärv water meadow.

Those who move in mainland water bodies are probably more familiar with the water scorpion  Nepa cinerea with its leaf-like body. The stick water insect (see images) is seen less often .

Transmission provided by EENet
Introduction and illustrations Tiit Hunt, www.rmk.ee
English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 09.04.2019

We installed a fish camera in the waters on the northern shore of lake Võrtsjärv, hoping to see the activities of pikes during their spawning period. The camera is located on the bank area that is flooded by high water at a depth of about 40 cm between sedge tufts and last year’s grass where the conditions are perfect for the spawning of the pikes

Web camera image  IceAge, LK foorumist

Photo Kaido Haagen, www.kaidohaagen.com

English translation Liis

Stickleback shoal at the trout spawning place. Such a great number has not been seen earlier

 

Ninespine stickleback       Luukarits          Pungitius pungitius

Screencap from webcam  IceAge, LK forum

Illustrations from Wikipedia

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 23.01.2019

 

In  the spawning area we meet spawners as well as their ”satellites”

Members of the LK forum have been interested in what small animals we can see in action in such waters. The information below is provided by Henn Timm from the Estonian University of Life Sciences:

"In the upper reaches of rivers and streams where the flow is rapid and the water is cold there is almost no plankton. The zoobenthos (the animal fauna of the bottom) is dominated by crenobiotic species (invertebrate aquatic organisms living in cold spring waters), for instance unicellular species, crustaceans, insect larvae, leeches, snails … Typical fish species are river trouts and graylings “.

Screencap from webcam  IceAge, LK forum
English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 30.01.2019

Spawning period is ending

 

River trout, Brown trout        Jõeforell or hõrnas       Salmo trutta morpha fario

 

The spawning period is coming to an end in spring-fed water bodies.

This year viewers could see in the webcam, and thanks to the low water level, even the spawning under the ice cover. Unfortunately the water turned more muddy due to the low flow rate, but such a view we have simply not seen in previous years.

Screencap from webcam by  IceAge LK forum
English translation Liis

 

Estonian text posted 10.01.2019

On the female fish in the foreground we can see marks of the spawning, a furrow on the body above the anal fin

 

River trout; Brown trout  Jõeforell or hõrnas  Salmo trutta morpha fario

 

Video recorded by Parabols, LK forum

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 12.12.2018 

 

The video is a couple of years old. This year the water flow is extremely small and the water too muddy for recording a video

 

Ninespine stickleback    Luukarits    Pungitius pungitius    

 

The slim, spool-shaped sticklebacks have conspicuous spines on the back (dorsal) fin. There may be nine up to eleven of them, and in addition one on each ventral fin.

The thin peduncle or tail stem is noticeable. The lifetime of these small fish reaches up to three years. Most have a similar body length, five to six centimetres.