April 2016

Ending story  Tiit Hunt, www.rmk.ee

Translation Liis

Uno recently found one of the  antlers that Hubert shed in February last year.

The red deer camera ends this season.

We will be able to observe the doings of the red deer again in the beginning of September when the powerful mating roars from the male deer again resound from the fields and forests, and the antler-rattling of rivals is heard.

Hubert, the largest of the twenty-member deer flock that visited the feeding ground, shed his antlers already in mid-February and by mid-May the old antlers had fallen from even the youngest members of the flock.

Text and photos  Aare Lindt, www.loodusmuuseum.ee

Translation Liis

Scarce conformist moth; Softly's sholuder-knot moth    Harilik tüveöölane         Lithophane consocia

The scarce conformist or Softly’s shoulderknot moth is common in Estonia and it can be encountered everywhere.

Video recorded by  Fleur, LK forum

Translation Liis

Goshawk; Northern goshawk     Kanakull     Accipiter gentilis

To start with, the goshawk pair nesting in Riga city had 4 greenish-white eggs in the nest already in the evening of Wednesday, April 13. With this the clutch was complete; incubation goes on and can last 35 to 42 days.

Webcam image captured by  Ame, LK forum

Translation Liis

The whole family investigating…

White-tailed eagle   Merikotkas     Haliaeëtus albicilla

Friday's ”talker”  is about to hatch, in the last egg there is a large hole showing that eagle chick twins are going to hatch on Saturday. Congratulations!

Image from webcam captured by  Liz, LK forum

Translation Liis

And in early morning there were three eggs in the nest

Black stork      Must-toonekurg       Ciconia nigra

Kati showing the fruits of "nest sitting" to her mate Karl. Karl had been busy since morning dusk with getting necessary materials for the nest. A crisp and beautiful early morning.

Image from webcam captured by  Maggy, LK forum

Translation Liis

Tawny owl    Kodukakk       Strix aluco

After Saturday night it can be confidently stated that all Klaara´s eggs in the nest have hatched. The first trio was hatched by the evening of April 12 (who did so and when only Klaara knows) when what had taken place in the nest became visible on Klaara’s exit flight. On Friday night we noticed egg shells near the three chicks and on Saturday night the foursome was caught in the webcap by Maggy, LK forum.

Images set up by  Ame, LK forum

Translation Liis

It is not a speck of dirt on the egg, this egg already ”talks”

White-tailed  eagle     Merikotkas       Haliaeëtus albicilla 

Actually the eggs had already been carefully scrutinised in the morning – what and how? In windless weather the ”squeaking” would have been heard earlier.

So on Saturday we will see the second hatched eagle chick….

Video recorded by Urmas Lett, www.eenet.ee

Family photo captured by  Ame, LK forum

Translation Liis

White-tailed eagle    Merikotkas       Haliaeëtus albicilla

Yesterday morning first-time mother Anna had to feed the newly hatched chick for the first time. There was no doubt that the instincts developed over the millennia would not start working, but sometimes it may happen that a bond between the female and the chicks is not created. Today things already run nicely, but a good thing that no new chicks have hatched in the nest…

Video record Urmas Lett, www.eenet.ee

Image from webcam captured by  Liz, LK forum

Translation Liis

Black stork    Must-toonekurg        Ciconia nigra

After the last couple of days with poor and rainy weather a nice but cold morning followed. The face of spring changes rapidly.

In the warmth under the female there are already three eggs. In the nest of our black storks the same event can be expected on Saturday morning.

Video recorded by  Urmas Lett, www.eenet.ee

Translation Liis

Black stork    Must- toonekurg        Ciconia nigra

On Wednesday it rained from the evening until midnight and the nest material was soaked all through. Kati tries to get a drainage in the nest bottom so that the rain water will run off faster from the moss. The cold morning was close to 0 degrees and male stork Karl is in no hurry to leave the nest for a wet nature with frost at the ground.

Image captured by  Liz, LK forum

Translation Liis

Black stork     Must-toonekurg       Ciconia nigra

Last night quite a lot of rain fell on the Karula uplands and when the sky cleared the morning was cold: air temperature 0 and frost on the ground.

As expected, we saw the second egg in the nest in early morning

.

Web camera stream: LINK

Video recorded by  Urmas Lett

Translation Liis

White-tailed eagle; Sea eagle     Merikotkas    Haliaeëtus albicilla

.

On Thursday morning we could see the first hole in the WTE egg. The eagle chick, not yet hatched from the egg, interacted with the parents already a couple of days earlier by calls.

Image and video recorded by  Ame, LK forum

Translation Liis

”Talking” is clearly audible…

White-tailed eagle; Sea eagle   Merikotkas   Haliaeëtus albicilla

So the time has arrived when there is plenty of activities and responsibilities. Female Anna must make the nest bowl fluffy and aired: a clear sign to male Uku that from now on fishing is no longer just a hobby to feed two beaks; it must be done seriously day by day, but the spawning of fish in shallow waters has started and will last for a long time

Webcam image captured by  Maggy, LK forum

Translation Liis

Tawny owl   Kodukakk          Strix aluco

Klaara had been busy the whole night with feeding the chicks, with only brief intervals, but before daylight, at five o’clock in early morning, she had to go out to stretch her legs …

Image from webcam captured by  Baska, LK forum

Two eggs noticed before sunrise by  Liz, LK forum

Translation Liis

Black stork     Must-toonekurg         Ciconia nigra

The nest life of the black storks runs its own course, in the darkness of the night two eggs gleamed there.

The forum shows what has happened and is happening: LINK

Web camera stream: LINK

Video recorded by  Fleur, LK forum

Translation Liis

Tawny owl     Kodukakk       Strix aluco

When Klaus arrived at the nest with the evening meal* owl mum Klaara had something important to show… The family admiring the little miracle in the nest hollow.