September 2018

The author, Kristel Vilbaste, also posts texts in Vikerraadio

Photos: Arne Ader

Translation into English by Maret

Estonian text posted 16.08.2018

British Native Arrowhead

I see in my child’s biology textbook a peculiar plant that I don’t remember from my childhood. British Native Arrowhead is a plant, that is used to teach heterophylly. That means that the plant has different-shaped leaves under the water than above the water.

On British Native Arrowhead, the above-water leaves do look like arrowheads, but arrowheads as big as the palm of a hand. The leaves above the water are oval and the ones under the water are long, ribbon-like. The plant grows in knee-deep water and pushes up a bit above the surface.

The author, Kristel Vilbaste, also posts texts in Vikerraadio

Photo: Arne Ader

Translation into English by Maret

Estonian text posted 15.08.2018

Eurasian jay

Have you noticed, how many acorns we have this year? A good year for acorns was supposed to mean a winter with lots of snow.

Because of the dry weather the acorns started falling down as early as at the end of July. But you cannot carry such an acorn around in your pocket for long, as its shell has not yet hardened and will turn black very quickly, and the acorn itself will wither. It’s still too early to collect them; the same goes for hazelnuts  —  they still taste like hay right now.

Nevertheless, we have many searchers for acorns. First of all the Eurasian jays, who carry them off shouting with joy. And although the Estonian name for those jays (pasknäär) does not have a nice sound, the bird itself is very pretty.

Photo Arne Ader

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 06.09.2018

White storks

White stork      Valge-toonekurg          Ciconia ciconia

A month ago the white storks were busy very visibly and diligently at road verges. The young birds had fledged.

In the beginning of September we only meet some solitary stray bird or groups of not yet breeding birds.

The white storks always leave somehow suddenly – they are busy as if there would be no hurry anywhere and one morning you suddenly notice that you haven’t seen any birds for several days...

Text Aivar Leito
Pnoto Arne Ader
English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 04.09.2018

Crane

Hello again crane friends!

Screenshot from webcam IceAge, LK forum
English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 01.09.2018

The young  greater spotted eagle finally got the name Tõnnipoeg

Greater spotted eagle       Suur-konnakotkas         Clanga clanga

Three months have passed in a flash. In our web camera nest a handsome juvenile has grown up. There is still action near the nest but this period too will end in the next few days.

Let us see what will happen that the camera lens will no longer show.

The author, Kristel Vilbaste, also posts texts in Vikerraadio

Photo: Arne Ader

Translation into English by Maret

Estonian text posted 14.08.2018

A flock of common cranes

August the 10th is St. Lawrence’s Day and August 15th is the Day of the Assumption of Mary, and for the farmers they mean that the fall labours should have started.

In the old days, that was the time for sowing rye and looking up to see, if the cranes, the “sowing cranes”, were flying high or low. If they flew high up, it meant that the rye would grow tall, if they flew low, the rye would remain low as well. Apples would acquire their proper taste and forests would be full of berries.

There is another reason as well to look up to the skies right now.

Screenshot from webcam UteL, LK forum

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 01.09.2018

So the stork nest was left to wait for its nesters next year….

Black stork    Must-toonekurg        Ciconia nigra 

As the first of the young black storks Maru left the nest, on August 4th. About the nest life in between we have written in the news articles.

Karula and Päike left on migration on August 15th. Male Karl did not come to the nest later because he noticed the departure of the storklets and he was busy near one of them (Karula), at a watching distance as the transmitter data showed.

Videos recorded by  Fleur, LK forum
English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 31.08.2018

Badger        Mäger        Meles meles

The offspring of the badger family this year should be about five months old. The female teaches the cubs behaviour and experiences that she herself has gathered over the years. She is busy with the cubs most often in early evening and ever more often they go on discovery trips together.

Video recorded by  Fleur, LK forum
English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 31.08.2018

Roe deer         Metskits or kaber         Capreolus capreolus

 

The roe deer fawns were born about three months ago, so they are about the same age as  the chicks of the greater spotted eagles and the ospreys that have grown up to juveniles in our web camera view.

The author, Kristel Vilbaste, also posts texts in Vikerraadio

Photo: Arne Ader

Translation into English by Maret

Estonian text posted 09.08.2018

Chicory

Old people used to say, that if the first week of August is hot, we will have a long and cold winter and the snow will stay long in the spring.

Today’s weather people have so far been a bit shocked by their own summer forecasts and don’t even dare to predict so far ahead.

It feels, as if the whole nature is padding itself with cotton wool. The woolly tips of the thistles are big and soft and the seed pods of the willow herb look like downy mountains. The ground looks like it was covered in fog, it is so dry. There has been no rain for three months is some parts of Estonia and digging down as deep as you manage, it is still as dry as ashes.

But in the nature’s enchanted garden we can still find flowering beauty.

The author, Kristel Vilbaste, also posts texts on Vikerraadio.

Photos: Arne Ader

Translation into English by Maret

Estonian text posted 08.08.2018

Common buzzard

Sitting on the balcony at my cottage, I get confused by the sounds of a bird. It whistles. And it is confusing, because there are two birds who whistle rather similar tunes.

When there is a bigger, whistling bird whose flight resembles jumping, coming from the direction of Tammesõõru, it is a Eurasian jay. But the other one, whose whistle, almost a scream, is heard from high up between the treetops and sometimes over the meadow beyond the creek, is the common buzzard.

Information from  Aivar Leito

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 30.08.2018

„Hauka 3“ in home territory; trail camera image Urmas Sellis

Crane         Sookurg      Grus grus

Dear Crane Friends!

I am happy to tell you that now  the movements of our cranes with transmitters can be seen again in the Bird Migration Map (http://birdmap.5dvision.ee/EE), that is, the autumn migration 2018 season has been opened.

Image from camera, video and summary  Tiit Hunt, www.rmk.ee

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 28.08.2018

The badger family is doing well as before, two cubs are alive and in good health and parasites do not seem to harass them overmuch. Longer tours out of the badger castle seem to have ended for this year.

Last week the camera had recorded badger activities almost every evening and night and even during some morning hours. We have not seen the old male badger in his home burrow for some time but if he is well and healthy he will return home in due time.