April 2017

Estonian Ornithological Society announces
Photo Vello Keppart
Translation Liis

Great egrets at Pedja River

Here is a summary of the final results of the Intercity Birdwatching Contest, with a species list. Please let me know if there are still any mistakes. Many thanks to all who took part!

The Intercity Birdwatching Contest that is arranged every spring by the Estonian Ornithological Society took place last Sunday. In the event 109 bird enthusiasts observed city birds in a total of 25 Estonian cities.

Despite the windy and sometimes also rainy weather this year too a great number of different bird species were noted in the cities. A total of 114 bird species was counted which is only 4 species less than the record number from last year.

Image from mobile  Mikk Sarv
Translation Liis

March 24th in  Tohkri village, Lasva parish in Võru County. The butterfly settled on Kristel Vilbaste’s coffee cup

Orange underwing    Harilik kevadvaksik     Archiearis parthenias

Quite rightly the orange underwings are held to be the earliest heralds of the butterfly period. The orange underwing is active in daytime, and it is one of the most colourful representative of its group.

The flight period of the imagos (adult butterflies) starts in March, lasting until the beginning of May.

Text: Urmas Sellis and Jānis Ķuze

Transmission courtesy of  Tele2 and EENet

Support KIK

Translation Liis

There are two cameras on black stork nests, one in South Estonia and the other in  South Latvia.

We can watch the black stork nest in Karula in Estonia   for the second year.

Image captured from last year’s webcam by Felis silvestris, LK forum
Translation Liis

Last year Mihkel visited the nest on March 13 for the first time

Buzzard       Hiireviu       Buteo buteo

Nest life is not always seen in the installed webcam, and this would not be the first time that it happens.

Latvian Fund for Nature

Introduction Urmas Sellis,
Eagle Club ( Kotkaklubi )
Translation Liis

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The breeding territory of eagle owls in Kurzeme (Courland) in Latvia is known since 1998. For several years nesting on the ground failed, and so a nest platform was built in a spruce at a height of 10 m in 2013. Since then the breeding of the eagle owl pair has been successful.