August 2018

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.