Video recorded by  Ahto Täpsi
Translation Liis

Raccoon dog    Kährikkoer or kährik   Nyctereutes procyonoides

Tuesday in Meegaste in Valgamaa. The raccoon dog may have died of old age or been killed by some disease. Ravens as well as tits were present, another raccoon did not despise the cadaver either.

Interestingly, on the roads it is raccoon dog cadavers that are left lying around in autumn, other mammals are not particularly interested in them.

Text and photos  Urmas Tartes
Translation Liis

Buzzer midge

This year snow fell on unfrozen ground. It means that under the snow carpet it can be even warmer than usual. Which in turn means that an abundant insect winter might be expected.

Before the snowstorms I managed to inspect the snow surface, near Keila river this time. There were plenty of insects – red stoneflies, snow flies, buzzer midges and various spiders were on the move on the snow. We will see what excitement the coming snowy  months will offer this winter.

Until the winds calm down it is nice to view photos in a warm room. In the museum of the Palamuse Parish School there is a photo exhibition to see in November: ”There is something more”.

Video recorded by  Fleur, LK forum
Photo Arne Ader
Translation Liis

Mallard     Sinikael-part     Anas platyrhynchos

…and so they have arrived at the spawning ground – three individuals passed the camera.

In the dry summer last year the water level was some twenty centimetres lower and the mallards could successfully loot the spawning nests of the brown trout. With a higher water level it is more complicated for them and the video shows this too.

The body length of mallards is about half a meter or a little more, adults weigh a kilo or some hundred grams more.