Video record and text by  Ahto Täpsi
Translation Liis

Trail of brown bear tracks at Viinistu in Lahemaa

Brown bear    Pruunkaru or karu    Ursus arctos

A thaw has set in, probably the bear's bedding had gone wet – just try to sleep then … Or maybe sleep hadn’t come properly yet? Such weather really does not favour hibernation.

Science news from the year of the great tit edited by Marko Mägi, marko.magi@ut.ee University of Tartu Bird Ecology department
Translation Liis

Some days ago I observed a nuthatch in the park who was carrying something into a branch crevice. I was not the only one observing this, so also did a great tit. When the nuthatch disappeared out of sight the tit grabbed the booty and went off. This happened several times. Is this behaviour the reason why great tits don’t collect winter stores? Is it simpler to keep one’s eyes open, and memorize the hiding places of others, in order to empty them later?

A video record from the ELKS anniversary celebration conference in the Estonian National Museum where nearly 500 people attended. The Rail Baltica was one of the main topics of our conference.

Editor of science news from the Year of the Great Tit Marko Mägi, marko.magi@ut.ee
Translation Liis

Many know the various songs of great tits but few have heard the bird hissing like a serpent. Hissing can be heard when you come across a female bird sitting on her eggs in a nest box, elsewhere great tits will not use this call. It is caused by predators such as least weasel, stoat, pine marten, pygmy owl, stray cats that are threats to an adult bird in a tree hollow. Although a nest in a hollow is comparatively well protected from predators the hollow can become a mortal trap if the nest is discovered – the only escape route is controlled by the predator and in the worst case the predator may even be able to get into the hollow.