October 2018

Text and illustrations  Tiit Hunt, www.rmk.ee

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 08.10.2018

Last week the barnacle geese reached Estonia and came into the Haeska camera view too – they were clearly a couple of weeks late or even more. The warm weather kept them in place in the north until the last moment and so they were not seen in September except a few small groups of local origin.

Yesterday’s radar observation in Esivere showed for the first time this large migration of various bird species from the Arctic that reached an order of hundreds of thousand individuals. A favourable slight northern wind set the birds moving.

Text: Jaan Riis, Looduse Omnibuss
English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 07.10.2018

The 20th season of the Looduse Omnibus Nature Nights at the National Library in Tallinn starts on Monday October 8th at 18.00 Estonian time  with the Night of Mountains. Our guests are young mountaineer Uko Nõulik, the EV100 anniversary year Estonia Expedition leader Raivo Plumer and the group Bonzo.

On August 14th this year the youngest Estonian mountaineer until now, 12 year old Uku Nõulik,  reached the tip of the highest peak in Europe, Elbrus. On Monday he will talk about how he prepared for this and how easy  or difficult the conquest of the peak was.

This forum, literally for citizen science, started 10 years ago. Registered members at  the moment are 3756, subjects handled 635, more than 600 000 posts…

Photo and text Epp Harmon.

The first Forum meeting in Alliklepa at the Looduskalender field site. Autumn 2008.

To tell it all from the beginning we have to look back ten years and across an ocean. Back then viewers of the black stork web camera of Looduskalender were from the whole world. By chance we gathered at that time in the Canadian Hancock Wildlife Foundation forum.

Memories from Urmas Sellis, Kotkaklubi
Estonian text posted 20.09.2018

Text and photos Tiit Hunt, www.rmk.ee

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 26.09.2018

In a field at the edge of Hosby village in Noarootsi about a hundred grey geese started to land in the calm weather.

The flock, flying  in orderly  flight at a height of 50-60 meters suddenly turned into a chaotic mixed bundle, they could be seen in the air in different and quite comical positions – made one laugh. I have never before noticed such trick flying by geese, it seemed that they did this frankly for their own pleasure. The possible joyous emotions of birds might be expressed just so and should not be underestimated.

Photo Arne Ader

Estonian text posted   23.09.2018

Petaalus wooded meadow. Matsalu

Astronomically autumn came on Sunday night September 23rd at 04.54 o’clock, or, when you woke up on Sunday morning it was already autumn.

We reached the equal day period but today the night was not yet longer than the day. But after the equinox the evening darkness arrives soon after sunset. Already within an hour we can see stars in the sky in clear weather where light pollution is slight.

This is a very strange year. Phenologically the start of autumn is considered to be the beginning of colouring of maple leaves (based on long-term observations - September 11th).