Text and photos  Aare Lindt, www.loodusmuuseum.ee
Translation Liis

Great oak beauty

Great oak beauty  Hiid-samblikuvaksik   Hypomecis roboraria

The great oak beauty can be seen in Estonia quite often in broadleaf and mixed forests, but frequently also in gardens from mid-June to early August.

It is one of the largest among the geometer or Geometridae moths, with a wing span of up to 60 mm. Thanks to its efficient protective colouring it is simply not noticed in nature.

Image from webcam captured by  Fleur, LK forum
Translation Liis

Badger     Mäger       Meles meles

The openings of the badger sett towards the webcam are becoming overgrown with grass but the sett has not been abandoned. In summer new den openings are diligently dug out and the network of burrows is enlarged. So it is too with the sett that we watch, where we had to move the camera to the other side. The bottom image gives an idea of where the camera is installed.

Photos Arne Ader
Translation Liis

Valerian

Valerian; All-heal     Harilik palderjan      Valeriana officinalis

Summer has come so far that the valerian flowers, or is about to flower in North Estonia. Herbalists have used the herb already for thousands of years until today.

Does the valerian flowering in the meadows remind of the Umbelliferae family plants? It is a perennial, in the honeysuckle family and related to madders (Rubiaceae).

The large inflorescences, cymes, are adorned with funnel-shaped pinkish flowers, a little different from others in the family that do not have such long umbels.

Text  Margus Ots, coordinator of Great Tit Year
Image from webcam captured by  Laranjeiras, LK forum
Translation Liis

Camera view from nest box 1

Great tit      Rasvatihane     Parus major

A part of great tits in Estonia nest twice during the summer. At present the young from the first clutch have mostly left the nest and the tits are laying a second clutch. While the first clutch of great tits has 8-13 eggs, the second is smaller – usually 6-9 eggs. The tits that started laying the second clutch earliest have started incubating again by now.

Image from webcam captured by  Lussi, LK forum
Translation Liis

Look – I already stand with my legs straightl

Black stork    Must-toonekurg       Ciconia nigra

The week of birthdays goes on as already noted in earlier stories. There are two storklets left in the black stork nest and adults Kati and Karl have managed to feed them despite the low water level in the small rivers and forest creeks, where the adults go to hunt small fish 

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