Latvian Bittern Camera 2015 and 2016

[Fleur]

21:44 visitor in the reeds

[Hagnat]

21:44 visitor in the reeds ...

Probably the Great Reedwarbler you hear. Nice you also have the Cranes.

[Hagnat]

A male Bittern was booming pretty close. Daddy?
There is also a cow(?) close. Making funny noises and walking in the reed.

22:30> The booming male passed behind the camera. First from the left to the right and then back again.
At least one other male was booming far away. What a sound!
And lots of frogs.

Female in the almost dark


23:25 Male still close

[Hellem]

23:43 A male bittern is still booming so close Last year they boomed only far from the camera. What a voice! And the frogs concert of course Some frogs are soloists in this frog choir

00:07 It seems, that the male bittern is standing in the same place all the time.

Fleur , thank you for the videos

[guest]

3.58

4.03
ftp://ftp.ldf.lv/kameras/2016/lielais_d ... -04-03.jpg

5.37

http://dabasdati.lv/forums/viewtopic.ph ... 2&start=60

[guest]

5.37 ate all the eggs

5.39

[Fleur]

good morning, but not a good morning

so sad...
guest, think you for the pictures so we can see who did it

[Hagnat]

It looks like a Mink

[Fleur]

It looks like a Mink

yes, maybe this explained the reason that female Bittern a lot of call few day's ago? Maybe....

I heard her call few minutes ago also.

[Hagnat]

For the last egg the Mink came from the lower left corner at 05:37. All the time female Bittern was watching it silently from above and did nothing. She seemed afraid. In the end she flew away but came back soon.

Looking at each other


(I will search earlier videos for more facts)


Just after 04:00 she sits on the nest and is even fishing. There is only one egg remaining (see picture posted by "Guest". After that she walks around the nest fishing.
I am afraid we will not able to see the robbery of the other four eggs. In the dark.

I have searched the videos on sound from midnight on and the only major disturbance I have found started just before 02:00 and lasted for some ten minutes. There was perhaps also a disturbance around 02:50. Both times it was only crackling/breaking reeds, no alarming female.
The male was booming nearby all night.

My guess is that the Mink ate the first four eggs in one go, perhaps in two, and came back for number five at daylight.

[vainamoinen]

It looks like a Mink

American Mink. Main nest destroyer of the nests of the waterbirds here in Latvia. Very serious problem.

[Fleur]

.......and that maybe explained the Male calling so close to the cam last evening / night ?

[Fleur]

9:13


9:16 Female is still near the nest

[Hagnat]

10:10 She is excitedly calling again but I do not see her, although she is close. She was on the left out of sight

[asteria]

A few eggs left in the nest I think.

[Hagnat]

A few eggs left in the nest I think.

Only empty shells.

[Marfo]

O, what a shame! After all the efforts of searching for a nest and setting up the camera. I was worried a cow might step on the nest...
I was so looking forward to this Bittern season.
At 10:35 the female was calling but I couldn't see her.

[Hagnat]

Pictures from video 05:37-05:39
I picture 4 he is eating

[Hagnat]

Murkjelis in the latvian forum made a video of the event. Thank you Murkjelis.
No sound.



http://dabasdati.lv/forums/viewtopic.ph ... 6827eb0292#

[Hellem]

So sad , American minks are serious problem in Estonia too.