June 2017

Story told by Heleri

The tit pair nests beside the letterbox this year too (see the image below)

Great tit        Rasvatihane        Parus major

Videos recorded by  Liz, LK forum

Black stork      Must-toonekurg           Ciconia nigra

At a couple of weeks old the storklets start to get up on their feet and that has its specific causes and needs.

Screencap from webcam  Seira, LK forum

…and so there are two beaks to feed

Osprey        Kalakotkas         Pandion haliaetus

Since Thursday night there are two chicks in the osprey nest. As the first one was hatched on June 7th it was presumed that it would take a little longer to the next hatching: the eggs were laid on May 2nd, 5th and 8th, but on Thursday night there were already two ospreys-to-be.

Screencap from webcam  Riitta, LK forum

Female Irma with the chick, a few hours old

Osprey         Kalakotkas           Pandion haliaetus

A little past 5 o’clock it happened – the osprey chick was hatched. It may take a couple of days to the next hatching.

Screencap from webcam by Bea, LK forum

Photo Arne Ader
Translation Liis

Hobby inspecting osprey nest

Hobby          Lõopistrik            Falco subbuteo

Whom more have we seen in the osprey webcam?

News from Linnuvaatleja, www.linnuvaatleja.ee
Translation Liis

While there generally is a consensus on the purpose of bird song – singing is the easiest way of self-promotion and warnings to competitors – the springtime birdsong in early mornings has been explained in several ways. It has for instance been thought that on a calm windless morning when the background rustling is absent the singing reaches further and it is efficient for the birds to warn competitors and attract partners. It has also been proposed that in singing the male birds gobble early morning cool air, because it cools the sexual organs and protects the germ cells from overheating.

Text Kalle Eller

Photo Arne Ader

Translation Liis

Pine shoots

And the time has arrived to begin to establish a forest. All this needs spending but it will be richly repaid in the future. One solution is of course that we fetch plants and seeds from a forest nursery, but for smaller areas cheaper and from nature’s point oif view more appropriate solutions can be tested.

Text Kalle Eller

Photos Arne Ader
Translation Liis

Birches coming into leaf

What will be the forest of your future does unfortunately not depend on your own wishes only. Nature’s particular traits have to be carefully reckoned with. The soil, the movement of water and the annual changes in water level determine from which tree species a strong and healthy forest will consist. The characteristics of soil and water are vital factors in determining the formation of the underwood vegetation.

Video Urmas Kärdi
Translation Liis

…at the end of the video you can count them

Fox; Red fox        Rebane or punarebane     Vulpes vulpes

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

Mallard      Sinikael-part          Anas platyrhynchos

The female is the single caretaker of her large family and must pass on all her wisdom of life to the next generation.

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

Black stork       Must-toonekurg       Ciconia nigra

Three storklets are left in our stork nest.

Text, photos and video Tiit Hunt, www.rmk.ee

Translation Liis

River lamprey         Jõesilm            Lampetra fluviatilis

When the bird cherries flower, the river lampreys spawn, this has been noticed in the old days and the connection seems to be true even this particular spring.

Text and images Tiit Hunt, www.rmk.ee
Translation Liis

Pool frog        Tiigikonn          Rana lessonae