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First ice on Emajõgi river. At right the Aiu river mouth

 

There is a mystery about Emajõgi. Its high waters, freezes and thaws are not always logically predictable, or explainable afterwards. But each time they offer delight for the eye, and enchantment at times.

 

This time I enjoyed the icy breathing of Emajõgi river at the Aiu water meadow: between the river of the same name and the Kärkna Old river. It is one of the places where the uniqueness of the Emajõgi is visible: its spacious water meadow with  winding tributaries and old river cutoffs.

 

I reached the ice performance at the last moment. Of the wide river bed only a narrow water strip was still visible without an ice mirror. From time to time small ice fragments escaped to move in it. On touching the sides of the channel these small pieces of thin ice glaze swished enigmatically. And, oh miracle – from far in the west whooper swan calls sounded!

 

Aiu water meadow  and Aiu river

 

The ice cover on the Aiu river that flows into Emajõgi was sounder but it did not invite to walking. But here the ice already carried fishermen: their fresh tracks were preserved in the rime that had fallen on the river.

At sunset I sensed that the coming night could be even more exciting than the arrival of the ice. On the water meadow where dusk was falling, light shows began: in the sun’s part of sky greenish blue, yellow and purplish-red colours mingled, the moon part of the sky at the same time showed a sinister dark blue streaking. There were more than 10 degrees of cold but no proper snow. Only the rime fallen on the ground created bright bands and spots in the withered brown of the meadow hay.

 

No animals moved. During the evening hours I did not manage to meet a single mink or otter. No white-tailed eagle either flew across even once that day.

 

As the night progressed the moon disappeared into clouds and the weather darkened. This reminded me of a comic-scary story that deserves retelling here.

 

Reeds on bank of Kärkna old river cutoff

 

16 years ago a winter feeding ground meant  for white-tailed eagles was located at this spot at the Kärkna cutoff. Friend Einar brought fish to the place from time to time and some white-tailed eagles and a gang of ravens came to feed here. So a plan to photograph the eagles was born and we placed a camouflage tent in the old river reed embankment ...

 

On a winter night I started off early on the road across the Ihama water meadow in order to get to the photo shelter before sunrise. I had no luck with the weather, there was an exceptionally hard wind. And there I became aware of a large and dark shape approaching me through the snowfall. From time to time the ghostly shape made a short stop whereupon it again started moving towards me. The thought of a bear scared awake from its winter sleep flashed across my mind ...

 

I was very happy when I finally recognized the approaching apparition – the thing reminding of a ghostly animal was my own observation tent that the wind had torn loose from the river bank and which now, somersaulting on the snow, found me.

 

What timing! Once more I managed to be in the right place at the right time!

 

More photos from the same trip: LINK

 

The publication of the Alam-Pedja tales of Looduskalender is supported by  Keskkonnainvesteeringute Keskus, Environmental Investment Centre.