August 2018

The author, Kristel Vilbaste, also presents texts in Vikerraadio

Photo: Mairit Kallaste

Translation into English by Maret

_{Estonian text posted 31.07.2018}

A drinking vessel for white storks under their nest. (Yesterday’s story in LK -  LINK)

The Weather God has been so stingy with rain, that even all the still-water bodies are starting to dry up.

My brother Enn Vilbaste says, that he cannot remember the water level in the Nigula bog lake ever having been so low  -  even stones that were never seen before are now all above the water. The ponds by the bog are totally dry. The beavers will have a critical time in their lives.

Screenshot from webcam  IceAge, LK forum
English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 08.08.2018

The young spotted eagle has  chosen a place next to the webcam

Greater spotted eagle    Suur-konnakotkas    Aquila clanga or Clanga clanga

Screenshot from webcam and video Svenja, LK forum
English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 08.08.2018

Black stork        Must-toonekurg          Ciconia nigra     

 

As in every year the visits of the female stork becomes rarer in July until we one day notice that she has not been visiting the nest at all for several days – that is how she sets out on migration.

The last time that we saw the third storklet was on the same day that they became two and a half months old. There have been occasions in earlier years when a young bird that has been out straying around has returned again to the nest after four days …

The author, Kristel Vilbaste, also presents texts in Vikerraadio

Photos: Arne Ader and Vello Keppart

Translation into English by Maret

_{Estonian text posted 26.07.2018}

Birch catkins

Did you notice, how toward the end of last week birches suddenly turned yellow? Normally at this time of the year birches get just yellow streaks in their green dos.

Some birches are already totally autumn-yellow. That, however, does not mean, that somehow the autumn will arrive earlier, it just means that birches are very sensitive to drought and water shortage. Drought is forcing some trees to drop their yellow leaves already.

Also the bird cherry (aka hackberry) is already autumnally red, we can find the first deep-red leaves on the footpaths and the trees themselves look unexpectedly bare. The bird cherry is the first tree to show us the signs of fall.

The author, Kristel Vilbaste, also presents texts in Vikerraadio.

Photo: Urmas Tartes

Translation into English by Maret 

_{Estonian text posted 24.07.2018}

Seven-spot ladybirds drinking the nectar of a creeping thistle

thistle We keep hearing from Pärnumaa (a county on the west coast of Estonia - M.), that the seaside is thick with ladybirds and the question is: what is causing this unprecedented occurrence?

People, who have frequented seasides know, that ladybirds by the seaside are not really such a rare happening. I remember well, that the year before I started school, I played with ladybirds on the beach at Kabli, and that all the beach dunes, bigger rocks and the tips of the reeds were full of them. When a tall wave happened to roll in, it was coloured red with ladybirds.

The author, Kristel Vilbaste, also presents texts in Vikerraadio

Photos: members of LK forum

Translation into English by Maret

_{Estonian text posted 25.07.2018}

Every year in July there are unusual things happening. For example a white-tailed eagle will come to Kütiorg to show off her nestling from this spring, Or I see a black stork flying over my car in the middle of the day.

Past are the months, where big birds were hiding in their nests, away from humans by all means. They were keeping their offspring in secret.

During the summer we were able to see them only with the help of the cameras, that had been placed by their nests by the Looduskalender staff.

The author, Kristel Vilbaste, also presents texts in Vikerraadio

Photos by Arne Ader

Translation into English by Maret

_{Estonian text posted 19.07.2018}

Swan flower

Fireweed has stretched open its long cluster of flowers and already its topmost tuft is blooming. But the hairy hill willow-herb is only starting and coltsfoot is still just ripe for picking to relieve men’s health troubles.

Tall yellow pillars  -  mulleins  -  stretch themselves tall in meadows, both the yellow great or common mulleins and also the dark mulleins with their bluish bloom centres. However, their flatter and sparser counterpart, the common agrimony, is at the end of its blooming season.

The author, Kristel Vilbaste, presents texts also in Vikerraadio

Translation into English by Maret

Photo Arne Ader

_{Estonian text posted 17.07.2018}

Wild Rose (or Dog Rose)

Our loudest song birds have lost their power. The cuckoo has “caught a barley awn in its throat” (an old Estonian saying - M.)  -  flying over a field it’s no longer chased by an angry flock of birds. Even the nightingale has gone quiet, only the oriole is still whistling.

Right now the bird population presents a totally different sound to the world. The ones singing are mainly hedge sparrows and warblers. In addition, we can often hear some young birds’ cries for help: herons at the lake, owlets in the night or the young ones among a huge flock of starlings. But the oriole keeps whistling away and quite often its shrill sounds predict rain  -  and now the rain showers do keep coming very frequently.

Screenshot from webcam  UteL, LK forum
English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 04.08.2018

Near the nest flying exercises go on in daytime too

¨Black stork      Must-toonekurg       Ciconia nigra

Female Kati has not been seen since the beginning of August but so quietly the departure of the black stork females proceeds.

Hunger is what sets the young birds in action because the couple of feedings in a day by male Karl is no longer enough for youths grown big. They have to start acting and occupying themselves as their instincts tell them.

Text and photos  Mairit
English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 30.07.2018

White stork        Valge-toonekurg         Ciconia ciconia

 

Kristel Vilbaste

Photo Arne Ader

English translation Maret

_{Estonian text posted 12.07.2018}

Cornflakes on wheat field

At some point in time, we start looking in the nature for cornflowers.

We probably don’t notice them much before the second week of July, but then all of a sudden every Estonian seems to need them. And there really are certain fields, where dicotyledonous plants are not abolished and where they bloom happily just then.

There are certainly many things to learn about our national flower. For instance, just when do cornflowers start to bloom in our fields. When you ask people, most of them think, that it must happen around the time for the Song Festivals (usually at the beginning of July - translator), because then just about everybody carries cornflowers, either in bouquets or in wreaths on the heads of girls.

Kristel Vilbaste

Photo Arne Ader

English translation Maret

_{Estonian text posted 11.07.2018}

Mole

You have most likely noticed in the past week, that occasionally on roadways (highways) you can see dead moles. Or maybe you have even happened to see some of these little animals aimlessly plodding along above ground, despite of their fear of light.

Right now is the time, when we are most often able to see them, because the mole families are chasing their offspring out of their underground tunnels. Maybe some eager youngsters are able to build a wall between themselves and their elders, but most of them have to get out into the open and find new soft ground suitable for tunnelling. And doing so, they often get caught in the beaks or teeth of their predatory enemies.

Kristel Vilbaste

Photo Arne Ader

English translation Maret

_{Estonian text posted 10.07.2018}

Linden

Last weekend I had a terrible time  -  I was suffering of a thundering cough. I must have caught it somewhere either swimming or just roaming around.The weather right now is like a baby’s bottom  -  one moment terribly hot and then again very cold and wet.

A most peculiar thing happened, when visiting my country home at the beginning of the week I went down to see if the lower pond still had any water in it and if the swan flower had started to bloom, I happened onto an unexpected remedy.