Eco-rally diary

Photo and text Maret
Translation: Liis
Birds gone
 
I have watched birds all the days of January. I haven’t counted hours and kilometres exactly but there was no day with less than an hour or four kilometres. The longest hike was to Lahepere bay, 17 kilometres. In terms of birds the trip was a total failure – not a single species not seen this year. Or perhaps I saw some but didn’t manage to identify the creatures. In the cold weather the snow creaked loudly and scared off the birds. I think that this year I have been watching the sky and sea for at least 50 hours and marched at least 180 kilometres.
I have been desperately searching for the treecreeper, nuthatch, goldcrest and waxwing that are quite common creatures here but now are hiding from me. I have walked through all earlier meeting places many times but what has not been there are the looked-for birds. The same strange story it is with the black guillemot. About a year – year and a half ago when I wasn’t noting my observations yet I saw the guillemot repeatedly and at close range too. I haven’t managed to get this chick into the biodiversity database.
As a bonus point a goshawk flew past over me today. When I saw it coming between the trees I thought what business did a young herring gull have in a tree top ... On approaching the gull turned into a goshawk. I have never seen a goshawk so close up. Our local sparrowhawk seems half the size. Actually I waded to the grove because of the bird calls. 
The last birdwatching of January was disrupted by the firing manoeuvres of the defence forces and a helicopter that was checking on me. I and my dog have dropped unexpectedly into the battle mill earlier too.
 
February 4th,  2014
 
Read the blog of the eco-ralliers; you will find the January summary after Maret’s story:


 

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