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Jos's Baltic Mammal Challenge 2015 (1 Viewer)

Jos Stratford

Jos Stratford

Eastern Exile
Staff member
United Kingdom
In lands inhabited by elusive critters such as Lynx, Brown Bear and Flying Squirrel, I have decided to do a 'Big Year' in the three Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia), the overly optimistic target being to see somewhere near 50 species by the year's end.

For any hope of getting anywhere even close to the 50 mark, considerable luck and effort will be required, the four main groups that are going to cause headaches being:

1. The elusive big ones - Brown Bear, Wolf and European Lynx, all present in very low densities and generally almost impossible to see.
2. Highly localised ones - Flying Squirrel, Ringed Seal, European Mink etc. Need stake outs or luck, only the seal is realistically likely, maybe the squirrel.
3. The small stuff - all the rodents and insectivores - basically needs life trapping, no idea how easy it will be to find most.
4. Bats - hmm, think I need to buy a bat detector!

So, in reality, I think rising above 30 is going to be hit and miss, but it's going to be fun trying!
 
Good luck.. The Ciel micro trio looks like a great detector at a "reasonable" price. Drop by in the Bats section if you need any advice. A couple of members have first hand experience of this detector, and got off the ground really quickly with it.

The cheaper heterodyne detectors will get you by too, if you don't have a longer term interest.

I reckon the Bats will make or break it for your 50 ;)
 
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With the use of local guides it should be possible to see many of the more difficult species. Reliable stakeouts exist for Flying Squirrel, Brown Bear etc, and many guides can help with bats and rodents. Of course without any help it will be much more of a challenge. European Mink and Lynx must be two of your more difficult targets even if you already have the latter on your garden list!

Whatever your strategy I look forward to following this thread.
 
Very many of the stories that follow will undoubtedly be of failures, animals missed, such is the nature of mammals. And so it has been, the first three weeks of the year, two attempts on Mountain Hare and/or Wolf both producing zilch (though I did see tracks of Moose and Wolf) and one on European Lynx likewise unsuccessful (bar a flock of 70 Snow Buntings, unusual in Lithuania, and a Rough-legged Buzzard).

So, as the first two weeks of January slipped by, with just Roe Deer and Red Fox on the list (sauntering through the snows of Labanoras), this idea of a Big Year seemed a little nuts! However, as I am not competing with anyone, my rules are perhaps less pure than they should be ...if I record the species by any means, on the list it goes! Basic aim is to see everything, but I'll also note the species if I manage to capture it on my night cam or, with an asterisk, if I find tracks.

So, results so far, plenty of Roe Deer at several localities, quite a few Red Foxes here and there and what a star bunch of creatures on my land - all coming to bait, Roe Deer, Pine Marten, Stone Marten, Raccoon Dog, Roe Deer and, now present for ten days, a splendid Otter that is accessing frozen waters by burrowing through an old Beaver lodge.


For the Otters et al, CLICK HERE for video highlights of the night-time activities at my feeders this week.

.
 
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Good luck Jos. The Ciel Micro Trio is an excellent detector ( although I have developed a bad habit of propping mine up on the table if we are having dinner outside :t: ). Racoon Dogs a good one at this time of year. Most times I go looking for them, in Japan, they are either hibernating or taking up a permanent horizontal posture in the middle of the road.
 
Superb thread, Jos, many thanks for posting. Looking forward to further film; makes a great change from just hedgehogs in our garden!
 
I think as you've brought about our annual visitation by Turkish Van you can already consider your endeavours a success ;).

Will be interesting to follow. I might have a go at a 'World Mammal List' myself this year. Not sure I'll be targetting much but I should see quite a few.
 
It may be easier and more boring than it seems - you need to visit bat roosts in caves and cellars (preferably now, when bats are still hibernating) and spend lots of time putting and emptying rodent traps.

That is why I originally counted only mammals other than small rodents, shrews and microbats.
 
I think your rules are very sensible. I assume a howling Wolf's name will also go on the list?

What about bats only heard through the detector (i.e. a representation of their calls, not the calls themselves?)

Have you made out a list of possibles, and if so, how many species are on it?

Exciting stuff.

John
 
Hi Jos, good luck with your list. We have a brown bear hide and a staked out flying squirrel trips up here in Estonia. Elk can almost be guaranteed in spring, for lynx and wolves you need a lot of effort and some good luck. You can let me know if you decide to pay a visit.
 
On the trail of cats and dogs...

Fresh snow in recent days, ideal for tracking. So another attempt on Wolves, Mountain Hare et al. Bit of a bitter wind blowing too, but on site some immediate success with eight Black Grouse rising from an area of stunted birch and pine. A mere twenty minutes in, I happened across the tracks of Wolves, relatively fresh but almost certainly not of the day. Nevertheless, for want of better route, I decided to follow the tracks, a pack of three animals, one seemingly a large individual. Over hillocks and beyond, a couple of kilometres, then a much better discovery – crossing the path of the Wolves, very fresh tracks of European Lynx! Not common at this locality at all, this was a bit of a surprise ...and looking at the tracks, certainly not more than a few hours old at most, maybe even far less. A detour in route, I then followed the Lynx for a couple of kilometres more, the cat following small ridges through the mosaic of open ground and forest belts. It is certainly a feeling of excitement to be in the midst of such animals, always the possibility that the next snow-covered ridge might by adorned with such a fabulous animal. But no, plenty of places where it stopped and sniffed, one place it had sat a while too, but on and on it went.

Regrettably I was relatively short of time, so eventually gave up the pursuit, meandering back to my start point. Tracks of Mountain Hare beneath pines, a lone Moose cutting through, then refound the Wolf tracks and followed them a little more ...another kilometre and I found what must have been a temporary halting place, Wolf prints absolutely everywhere, scats too, plus several spots where they had been digging scrapes in the snow and soil.

So, still no sighting of Mountain Hare or Wolf, but a good day indeed...

All by tracks -
Wolf
European Lynx
Mountain Hare
Moose
Roe Deer
Red Fox
 
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How many mammal species lives in Baltics? Maybe little over 50?

I just checked - in Finland there is 79 species, so maybe few more in Baltics...
Is there any European Bison in Lithuania (or are they all in Poland and Belarus)?
 
A small population of Bison in Lithuania, easiest to see in winter - should be able to get these in the next couple of weeks.

The basic total of current species in the three Baltic States is about 70 (well over half of which are bats, rodents or insectivores). Since the 19th century, the actual total of recorded species is around 90, but of these two are extinct, three or four were unsuccessful introductions and ten or so are very rare vagrant species (bats or marine species).
 
A small question - which animal leaves feet tracks and then a line for its tail (assuming it was the tail and not its nose sniffing along the ground)? I assumed Red Fox but on the pictures I looked at there are no 'lines' for the tail...

PS good luck with your quest. I failed in Finland for various mammals last year although did find Elk Tracks (have seen Elk before) and Bear tracks/pooh
 
It was about 1000m altitude - no water nearby.
I should have taken a picture but was more concerned about driving on snow and ice and not in the 4x4!
Small animals I have seen in the vicinity are fox, hare, pine martin and sqirrel. I thought initially the tracks were fox but your thread inspired me to look at pictures on google. The snow was about 2cms on the ice....
 
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