June 2016

Video recorded by  Ame, LK forum
Translation Liis

White-tailed eagle      Merikotkas          Haliaeëtus albicilla

A few minutes earlier female eagle  Anna again arrived with a fish to coax the eaglets out of the nest. She showed nicely how to throw oneself from a branch so that the wind carries you - and left with the fish.

8.35 was departure time for one eaglet. Flying does work when you really want to or when hunger pinches.

Text and photos  Aare Lindt, www.loodusmuuseum.ee
Translation Liis

Clouded magpie moth

Clouded magpie moth     Pargi-tähnikvaksik        Abraxas sylvatus

The clouded magpie occurs in all Estonia and is quite common locally. The moth flies from early June to the end of July in parks, mixed forests and coppices.

In daytime they can be seen sleeping on tree leaves. It is sometimes taken for bird droppings, because of the pattern of spots on the wings.

Video recorded by  Elena, LK forum
Translation Liis

White-tailed eagle     Merikotkas       Haliaeëtus albicilla

After a week nothing is left of the white-tailed eagles’ nest. After the storm the adults fed the eaglets frequently (in a storm fishing is not possible even for eagles) and kept close to the nest (providing support to the eaglets?).

Image from webcam captured by  Iceage, LK forum
Translation Liis

At the moment both buzzard chicks are in the nest.

Buzzard    Hiireviu       Buteo buteo

On the branches of the nest tree, outside camera view, the older buzzard chick climbs around, the younger spends the time in the nest.

Text  Margus Ots, Great Tit Year Coordinator
Image from webcam captured by  Shanta, LK foorumist
Translation Liis

At 1 o’clock pm half of the chicks from the 8 eggs had hatched 

Great tit     Rasvatihane         Parus major

Photo Arne Ader
Translation Liis

Wild strawberry

Wild strawberry       Metsmaasikas         Fragaria vesca

At Midsummer this year the wild strawberries with their amazing aroma can be enjoyed everywhere in Estonia.

Mobile photo  Kristel Vilbaste
Translation Liis

Photographed on Saturday night in Kütiorg. Glowworms this year keep to moist areas

Glowworm beetle      Jaanimardikas    Lampyris noctiluca

Only the female glowworms glow as we know – in order to signal their presence to the adult male glowworm, modestly brown-coloured, with soft wings and capable of flying. The glowworm species must be continued.

Photos Arne Ader
Translation Liis

Wood cow-wheat

Wood cow-wheat    Harilik härghein        Melampyrum nemorosum

The cow-wheat adds a many-coloured look to the Midsummer garland of nine flowers everywhere.

As its habitats we note the verges of forest roads or wooded meadows; the mass flowering of the bright yellow cow-wheats however comes in July.

It is often asked if the cow-wheat does not have purple flowers?

Photos Arne Ader and Urmas Tartes
Translation Liis

Striped shield bugs

Striped shield bug; Minstrel bug; Italian striped bug Triiplutikas      Graphosoma lineatum

No one who encounters the striped shield bug can have any doubt about its identity.

The bug is up to 1 ½ centimetres long, with a flat, wide body and no one else wears such a striped ”Vatican Swiss Guards uniform”.

Photos Arne Ader and Kaarel Kaisel
Translation Liis

Biting stonecrop

Biting stonecrop; Wallpepper   Harilik kukehari                Sedum acre

The biting stonecrop that is among our smaller plants flowers.

Despite its small size the stonecrops are well visible in dry heaths with a scanty flora. The stems of the plant stretch almost three times taller  during the flowering.

Photos Arne Ader
Translation Liis

Common ringed plovers

Common ringed plover   Liivatüll     Charadrius hiaticula

Elegant shore birds who live on the coast and the islands, nesting on the sand or gravel, in north-western Estonia in the gravel quarries.

Easy to recognize from appearance: top of head and back sand grey, a white patch on the base of the beak, eyes covered by black “mask”. The neck is ringed by a white band and the chest is decorated with a black shirt front. Beak orange with a black tip, legs also orange or yellowish.

Photo Arne Ader
Translation Liis

Follicle fruits of marsh marigold

Marsh marigold    Harilik varsakabi         Caltha palustris

Many plants have not started flowering yet but the seeds of the marsh marigold are already ripening and if it hurries, it will have time to flower once more at the end of summer.

As the grasses develop the marsh marigold that flourished in damp habitats in spring becomes less noticeable, even the leaves will lose their bright green colour.

Photos  Kristel Vilbaste
Translation Liis

The nests of black garden ants this year in Tartu are built at the roots of dandelions that retained moisture  during the recent drought. Do the ants predict a dry summer?

 

Black garden ant      Mullamurelane or must sipelgas         Lasius niger  

Video recorded by  Mutikluti, LK forum
Translation Liis

White-tailed eagle    Merikotkas     Haliaeëtus albicilla

A severe storm the whole Saturday and there was already a fear that the right-hand part of the nest had fallen down with an eaglet. From 6 o’clock the storm started to abate, and bird calls were heard from the nest forest but there are still strong winds.

Only remnants of the nest remain but all barely fledged eaglets have stood up to the harsh ordeal. Nearby the calls of the adult birds can be heard.