June 2016

Photo Arne Ader
Translation Liis

Water avens

Water avens     Ojamõõl         Geum rivale

There may be a plant with a pretty bell-like flowe In spring in humid meadows, around springs or in forests, at fields, in the outskirts of gardens or even in the shadow of the porch – the water avens. 

The stalk covered with downy soft hairs, the little bent head and the very small leaves make a delicate impression. It is a favourite of bumblebees, with the folk name of ”honeyflower” locally.

Video recorded by Urmas Lett, www.eenet.ee
Translation Liis

Osprey family doings

Osprey   Kalakotkas      Pandion haliaetus

The long incubation period is coming to an end for osprey pair Irma and Ivo: the eggs were laid on May 1, 4 and 7.

This Wednesday the first osprey chick was hatched and in the future we will surely have more to write about them.

Text Margus Ots, Great Tit Year coordinator
Image from webcam captured by Jo, LK forum
Translation Liis

Great tit         Rasvatihane       Parus major

In nestbox no 1 with a webcam the chicks left on Friday last week or 4 days ago (Estonian original published 07.06.2016). On checking the nestboxes today it turned out that the great tit was building a new nest and that there were already 2 eggs in it! So she laid the first egg already yesterday, only 3 days after the departure of the clutch.

Video recorded by Urmas Lett, www.eenet.ee
Translation Liis

In the morning the female arrives to entice the chicks out of the nest with food; the leaving is surveyed by the female’s observant eyes. The ”sleepier” chicks are made to take off  into flight from the nest trunk. Morning is a good time for leaving.

An attentive viewer will manage to distinguish the young birds from the adults, but the difference in size is small.

Video recorded by Liz, LK forum
Translation Liis

Great tit    Rasvatihane         Parus major

That the 9 chicks in the second nest trunk would leave by Monday morning was predictable. Interested viewers could see how it happened.

A great number of viewers have been interested in the doings of our everyday familiar birds. Hopefully the curiosity about the activities of the Bird of the Year was also satisfied on some counts.

Photos Arne Ader

Translation Liis

Crane nest with chick and egg

Crane    Sookurg        Grus grus

These graceful birds can be seen andheard already in March. In spring there is no mass migration through Estonia, so we have mostly to do with cranes nesting here. They may be up to 7 500 pairs.

Video recorded by  Aita, LK forum

Image from webcam captured by Lussi, LK forum

Translation Liis

Black stork    

Since Friday night there are only two chicks left in our black stork nest.

We ask parents please not to show the video below to children!

The smallest chick had grown about half less than its siblings – reasons for this may be many (impossible to decide only visually). Plausibly the adults felt that they would not succeed in raising the smallest chick to fledging. The water level in flowing waters is very low due to the drought, thus feeding resources are also clearly reduced. Why see this act as intentionally cruel – the mind of birds differs significantly from that of humans, instincts for preservation of the species and rationality have prevalence.

Photos from  Wikipedia

Translation Liis

Female butterfly

Large white; Cabbage white     Suur-kapsaliblikas        Pieris brassicae

The photos show the differences between the sexes  of the large white. The forewings of the female have two large black dots, the male lacks them.

The undersides of the wings are pale yellow, and the undersides of the forewings of both sexes have two black patches.  The wing span is 5-6 centimetres.

Text Margus Ots, Coordinator of the Year of Great Tits

Video recorded by Olle Koert, www.tt.ee

Translation Liis

Wryneckl / Photo: Uku Paal

Wryneck     Väänkael       Jynx torquilla