December 2018

Photo Arne Ader

New Year’s Eve. Otepää

A Happy New Year’s Eve and best wishes for 2019!

Video recorded by Urmas Lett, www.eenet.ee

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 26.12.2018

The closer to winter we are the more difficult it is for the cautious creatures to give up easily available mouthfuls

Jackal; Golden Jackal     Šaakal or harilik šaakal        Canis aureus

In what kind of landscape might our jackals thrive? A study has compared the habitats of jackals in Europe and in potential regions in the Baltic countries; we will briefly look at Estonia .

Information from EOÜ, www.eoy.ee

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 25.12.2018

In December the annual mainland winter bird count continues. The second counting period is from December 25th 2018 until January 7th 2019.

The birds should be counted in an area and a path of one’s own choice. The observer should know winter birds (up to 40 species) from their calls and exterior. For the counting an about 10 km long path should be selected which may pass through different landscapes.

EJS announces

Photo Arne Ader

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 21.12.2018

Elk tracks

Our hunters honour a hunting truce at Christmas for the 26th time.

Why is it important to have a hunting truce period?

·       hunters values this as a vital and deeply ethical part of hunting. The hunting truce does not originate from the law: it is an tradition agreed on by hunters. Several societries keep it for longer.

Why is the hunting truce important?

·       The hunting truce during the Christmas  holidays is important for nature as well as forhumans. It is an ideal time to reflect on the relations between yourself and nature and to take the time and discuss the most important events of the ending year.

Image and video from webcam Liz, LK forum

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 21.12.2018

 

Jackal; Golden jackal   Šaakal or harilik šaakal   Canis aureus

By now extensive DNA investigations have been made and almost definitely it can be stated that the jackals in Estonia have Caucasian origins.

Transmission provided by Elisa and EENet

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 22.12.2018

Text and web camera records Tiit Hunt, www.rmk.ee
English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 21.12.2018

And it arrived! When on Monday we still pondered whether the wolf would  show up  here then this morning a few minutes past 7 o’clock it was there.

It may be a lonely wolf in the area that showed up last winter too when the jackal camera was located about six kilometres from here on the Metsküla shore.

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

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 17.12.2018

Last night at 3.41 and in the morning at 8.01 a lynx appeared in the webcam – the Animal of the Year . 

Video recorded by Parabols, LK forum

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 12.12.2018 

The video is a couple of years old. This year the water flow is extremely small and the water too muddy for recording a video

Ninespine stickleback    Luukarits    Pungitius pungitius    

 

The slim, spool-shaped sticklebacks have conspicuous spines on the back (dorsal) fin. There may be nine up to eleven of them, and in addition one on each ventral fin.

The thin peduncle or tail stem is noticeable. The lifetime of these small fish reaches up to three years. Most have a similar body length, five to six centimetres.

Video recorded by AnSa, LK forum
English translation Liis

Estonian text  posted 12.12.2018

Jackal; Golden jackal      Šaakal or harilik šaakal        Canis aureus

 

In full winter fur the animals look much sturdier. The cautious animals are busy in full daylight. Of course they are tempted by the smells of offered food but about this we have already written earlier.

Image from webcam IceAge, LK forum

Video Urmas Lett, www.een

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 10.12.2018

The feet of three mallards are visible; they are on their way upstream to even  shallower water

Mallard         Sinikael-part       Anas platyrhynchos

Video recorded by Klaabar, LK forum/

English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 03.12.2018

The water level in the trout spawning place is really very low. The frog had probably crept into a turf at the brink, a little higher up than the spawning area to spend the winter but the cold weather and ice cover forced it to search downstream for deeper water where it would be possible to dig into the bottom mud once more …

Catching such images is not common. Wintering frogs have plenty of enemies

Images from webcam screen IceAge, LK forum
English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 01.12.2018

Trout or brown trout   Jõeforell or hõrnas    Salmo trutta morpha fario

Videos from trail camera by Aureus, LK forum

English translation  Liis

Estonian text posted 02.12.2018

Videos recorded in the last days of November, in the same area as the web camera site – where else. In this video we can see that the older individual is unwilling to share the food with the younger animal

Jackal; Golden jackal  Šaakal or harilik šaakal   Canis aureus

 

The animals often behave depending on their momentary mood and temper.

Summary by Tiit Hunt, www.rmk.ee
English translation Liis

Estonian text posted 29.11.2018

The badger camera ends a season rich in events, “custom made” compared to earlier seasons in the sense that the animals pleased the watchers with being often present in camera view and not leaving the home hillock in summer for any longer periods.

A tiny whimpering cub could be seen already on the third day on-line between the jaws of the badger mother coming out of the burrow. The cub was brought to the outskirt of the sett to a freshly arranged nest. A second cub was transported in the same way a couple of hours later.

At least seven raccoon dog pups saw daylight in the badger sett with nineteen burrow openings The bustling of the “city folks” lasted day and night.