From the Alutaguse viewing ground
Text: Bert Rähni, www.360.ee
Web camera image: Bleggi, LK forum
The night after Midsummer
The Alutaguse watching area is more quiet now, compared to the peak period in May and June. Bears haven’t been seen in the webcam for about a week. It is not unusual or surprising at all.
In spring Estonian brown bears need much energy and their main diet is mammals. In summer their diet changes - they prefer more insects and plants. Plants like ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria), wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris), hogweed (Heracleum sibiricum), marsh hawk’s-beard (Crepis paludosa) etc. are a big part of the summer diet of brown bears. The smaller energy need makes the brown bears lose interest in carcasses. After Midsummer day ( 24th of June) brown bears have disappeared from the Alutaguse watching area already for a couple years in a row. The brown bears are expected back in August, then they eat grain crops, apples and berries.
Next to the watching hide we saw at least 8 different Brown Bears, a young Wolf and any number of Red Foxes and Raccoon Dogs. The bird list shows Goshawk, Hazel hen, Jay, Crested Tit, Goldcrest and a Pied Flycatcher, who came into the hide through the ventilation opening; after a while the bird was out in nature again
The Alutaguse forest camera offers a great opportunity to watch small mammals and birds during the summer. Last year in autumn Wild Boars appeared, and they behaved way differently than in Wild boar camera. Some quiet nights Elk calls might be heard, although we haven’t seen them in camera yet.
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