-
BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!
Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Jos's Baltic Mammal Challenge 2015 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Jos Stratford
- Start date
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
I have laid sheets of roofing in the grass - they often get under that too. It is not this species that I worry about, it is the dozen or so other mice and voles that are less common
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
12 April. Bat Des Res, Gruesome History.
Heavy indeed is the historical backdrop to the latest additions to the Baltic Mammal Challenge. Constructed as western defenses to the Russian Empire in the 1880s, a series of forts and underground bunkers dot the landscape on the outskirts of Lithuania's second city, Kaunas. Today, rather ramshackle and overgrown, wildlife is taking over – frogs calling in flooded caverns, assorted birds in encroaching scrub and, most importantly, quite a mass of bats using the site as winter roost.
Not so nice its history though. Under assault by German forces in World War One, a ten-day period in 1915 saw 20,000 persons die at these forts in failed attempts to halt the eastward march of the German army. This though was mere child's play in comparison to the brutalities that would follow in World War Two – under Nazi occupation and aided by Lithuanian collaborators, the forts became the killing grounds of the Holocaust. At the Fourth Fort, today I found my first ever Northern Bat, a rare species in the winter roosts. At this very same spot on 18th August 1941, over 1,800 Jews were shot on the single day in the so-called 'Intellectuals Action'. On 28th October, over 9,000 were taken to the nearby Ninth Fort and executed, the 'Great Action'. More than 5,000 deportees from elsewhere in Central Europe would follow them, along with most of the remaining Jewish population of Kaunas.
In the years since Lithuania regained Independence, the Ninth Fort has been converted into a museum dedicated to the Holocaust, but the other forts remain quiet echos of the former selves, slowly overgrowing, but still sporting extensive mazes of underground vaults and bunkers. Cue the bats, the forts today form the most important hibernation site for them in Lithuania!
Knowing very little about the forts, not even whether it was possible to actually explore them, today was a revelation. Entering a couple of dozen or so vaults across several localities, several were flooded, some were empty, but others were not – slowly edging down into dark depths, stumbling over rock falls, splashing through pools on occasion, there I found bats – no large gatherings, but singles here and there, pairs and little groups also. Wandering from chamber to chamber, I soon lost count of the numbers, but Daubenton's Bats certainly dominated, perhaps 40 or 50 seen during my few hours underground. Brant's Bats also common, a couple of dozen of these seen. From my perspective though, the honours went to two other species, both lifers for me – a tad larger than the Daubenton's, pinker in the face and with long tragus and moderately long ears, the first was Natterer's Bats, about fifteen seen in all. The second new species was a single Northern Bat, not one that I had been expecting – rare in the winter roosts, and not common in Lithuania as a whole, this was a bonus. I had hoped to find Barbastelle as well, but much as I searched, not a single did I see. This however I can hopefully find during the summer with a detector.
So, as I left the site, a mere slither of the sites explored, my year total had jumped by two. I wandered back towards my car, the sites basked under the relative warmth of early spring sunshine. It was hard to imagine their gory past.
26. Natterer's Bat
27. Northern Bat
Pictures of site and bats to follow...
.
Heavy indeed is the historical backdrop to the latest additions to the Baltic Mammal Challenge. Constructed as western defenses to the Russian Empire in the 1880s, a series of forts and underground bunkers dot the landscape on the outskirts of Lithuania's second city, Kaunas. Today, rather ramshackle and overgrown, wildlife is taking over – frogs calling in flooded caverns, assorted birds in encroaching scrub and, most importantly, quite a mass of bats using the site as winter roost.
Not so nice its history though. Under assault by German forces in World War One, a ten-day period in 1915 saw 20,000 persons die at these forts in failed attempts to halt the eastward march of the German army. This though was mere child's play in comparison to the brutalities that would follow in World War Two – under Nazi occupation and aided by Lithuanian collaborators, the forts became the killing grounds of the Holocaust. At the Fourth Fort, today I found my first ever Northern Bat, a rare species in the winter roosts. At this very same spot on 18th August 1941, over 1,800 Jews were shot on the single day in the so-called 'Intellectuals Action'. On 28th October, over 9,000 were taken to the nearby Ninth Fort and executed, the 'Great Action'. More than 5,000 deportees from elsewhere in Central Europe would follow them, along with most of the remaining Jewish population of Kaunas.
In the years since Lithuania regained Independence, the Ninth Fort has been converted into a museum dedicated to the Holocaust, but the other forts remain quiet echos of the former selves, slowly overgrowing, but still sporting extensive mazes of underground vaults and bunkers. Cue the bats, the forts today form the most important hibernation site for them in Lithuania!
Knowing very little about the forts, not even whether it was possible to actually explore them, today was a revelation. Entering a couple of dozen or so vaults across several localities, several were flooded, some were empty, but others were not – slowly edging down into dark depths, stumbling over rock falls, splashing through pools on occasion, there I found bats – no large gatherings, but singles here and there, pairs and little groups also. Wandering from chamber to chamber, I soon lost count of the numbers, but Daubenton's Bats certainly dominated, perhaps 40 or 50 seen during my few hours underground. Brant's Bats also common, a couple of dozen of these seen. From my perspective though, the honours went to two other species, both lifers for me – a tad larger than the Daubenton's, pinker in the face and with long tragus and moderately long ears, the first was Natterer's Bats, about fifteen seen in all. The second new species was a single Northern Bat, not one that I had been expecting – rare in the winter roosts, and not common in Lithuania as a whole, this was a bonus. I had hoped to find Barbastelle as well, but much as I searched, not a single did I see. This however I can hopefully find during the summer with a detector.
So, as I left the site, a mere slither of the sites explored, my year total had jumped by two. I wandered back towards my car, the sites basked under the relative warmth of early spring sunshine. It was hard to imagine their gory past.
26. Natterer's Bat
27. Northern Bat
Pictures of site and bats to follow...
.
Last edited:
Farnboro John
Well-known member
That sounds exciting stuff, Jos. Congrats on the tick!
John
John
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Mike Richardson
Formerly known as Skink1978
What a fantastic place to explore (horrific history aside). No doubt in the UK such a place would covered in security grilles to prevent any access.
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Golden Jackal discovered in Lithuania. Government to kill it
Lithuania is sometimes a backward nation :C
News comes that a new species has been discovered in Lithuania - Golden Jackal.
First discovered in Estonia in 2011, then Latvia in 2014, all evidence points to this being a natural spread with animals now being discovered in the 'missing bridge' territories of Belarus and Ukraine (i.e. the jackals of the Baltic could have come up from Romania or southern Poland into Ukraine and then through Belarus into Latvia and Estonia).
However, rather than celebrate a species doing well in Europe, Lithuania's ministry has directed it should be eliminated. A native species to Europe almost certainly spreading naturally, Lithuania will now kill any individuals.
Add to this, it's frequent attempts to set very high annual quotas to kill Wolves, and this country should hang its head in shame.
Lithuania is sometimes a backward nation :C
News comes that a new species has been discovered in Lithuania - Golden Jackal.
First discovered in Estonia in 2011, then Latvia in 2014, all evidence points to this being a natural spread with animals now being discovered in the 'missing bridge' territories of Belarus and Ukraine (i.e. the jackals of the Baltic could have come up from Romania or southern Poland into Ukraine and then through Belarus into Latvia and Estonia).
However, rather than celebrate a species doing well in Europe, Lithuania's ministry has directed it should be eliminated. A native species to Europe almost certainly spreading naturally, Lithuania will now kill any individuals.
Add to this, it's frequent attempts to set very high annual quotas to kill Wolves, and this country should hang its head in shame.
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
22-26 April. Spotlights and bat detectors.
New equipment ...a cracking spotlight from Australia and a Magneta bat detector. Time to try them out!
First up, the spotlight. Simply phenomenal, a beam pushing to 600 metres does a fantastic job of turning night to day! Taking a midnight amble up to Labanoras on the 22nd for its test run, the tally of critters picked up included two Red Foxes, two Brown Hares, several Roe Deers and one Eastern Hedgehog ...not bad for a maiden run, especially given the latter was my first sighting of a live individual for the year. Three Wild Boar the following night near my Vilnius garden were likewise welcome, then a Mountain Hare in Rudninkai Forest a couple of nights later. Also found an unexpected group of Fallow Deer, but they were in an enclosure!
As for the bat detector, Lithuania 2015 will not be remembered for its wonderfully warm spring! Will cold weather prevailing for much of the month, only on the 24th did temperatures rise enough for any real hope of any bats emerging from their hibernation sites. So there I was, fiddling around with the dials on my new bat detector as darkness fell, pointing in all ways hoping a few bats might lurk. Silence. Gave it about half an hour and then decided it was still too cold ...but as I walked back, the detector spluttered into life ...slightly metallic chip-chop chip-chop calls sounding out, peaking at somewhere just below 30 kHz. Overhead, flying through a woodland clearing, one Noctule Bat, a pleasing start to my bat detecting experience! Just as this disappeared, so the detector then started up again ...a quiet repeated ticking at a little above 30 kHz. Buzzed around a couple of times, long enough to get recordings ...Brown Long-eared Bat! Also found one Daubenton's Bat on a wall.
Also in these days, a couple of daytime Red Foxes, a nice Pine Marten strolling through the sunshine at Labanoras and a Badger road casualty.
28. Eastern Hedgehog
29. Noctule Bat
30. Brown Long-eared Bat
.
New equipment ...a cracking spotlight from Australia and a Magneta bat detector. Time to try them out!
First up, the spotlight. Simply phenomenal, a beam pushing to 600 metres does a fantastic job of turning night to day! Taking a midnight amble up to Labanoras on the 22nd for its test run, the tally of critters picked up included two Red Foxes, two Brown Hares, several Roe Deers and one Eastern Hedgehog ...not bad for a maiden run, especially given the latter was my first sighting of a live individual for the year. Three Wild Boar the following night near my Vilnius garden were likewise welcome, then a Mountain Hare in Rudninkai Forest a couple of nights later. Also found an unexpected group of Fallow Deer, but they were in an enclosure!
As for the bat detector, Lithuania 2015 will not be remembered for its wonderfully warm spring! Will cold weather prevailing for much of the month, only on the 24th did temperatures rise enough for any real hope of any bats emerging from their hibernation sites. So there I was, fiddling around with the dials on my new bat detector as darkness fell, pointing in all ways hoping a few bats might lurk. Silence. Gave it about half an hour and then decided it was still too cold ...but as I walked back, the detector spluttered into life ...slightly metallic chip-chop chip-chop calls sounding out, peaking at somewhere just below 30 kHz. Overhead, flying through a woodland clearing, one Noctule Bat, a pleasing start to my bat detecting experience! Just as this disappeared, so the detector then started up again ...a quiet repeated ticking at a little above 30 kHz. Buzzed around a couple of times, long enough to get recordings ...Brown Long-eared Bat! Also found one Daubenton's Bat on a wall.
Also in these days, a couple of daytime Red Foxes, a nice Pine Marten strolling through the sunshine at Labanoras and a Badger road casualty.
28. Eastern Hedgehog
29. Noctule Bat
30. Brown Long-eared Bat
.
Attachments
Last edited:
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
End of April was marked by two new additions ... both at Labanoras, a Water Vole and a Wood Mouse. But Wood Mouse is further north than so far recorded (occurs in southern Lithuania), so have some doubts about this still, maybe get deleted if my research doesn't confirm it.
Yellow-necked Mouse is the default option here, but this individual was darker than these are usually and have only a very small yellow patch in the centre of the breast. Anybody know of Yellow-necked Mice with severely reduced yellow collars?
31. Water Vole.
32. Wood Mouse.
Yellow-necked Mouse is the default option here, but this individual was darker than these are usually and have only a very small yellow patch in the centre of the breast. Anybody know of Yellow-necked Mice with severely reduced yellow collars?
31. Water Vole.
32. Wood Mouse.
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Then came a little dash around the Baltic States to kick May into action, account coming soon...
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
After discussion with guys studying Yellow-necked Mice in Lithuania, still think my Wood Mouse identity is unsafe ...hereby delete it, taking the list back to 31 for the year at this point!
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Baltic Dash, 1-2 May.
Two days, three countries, 12 species of mammal …a cracking start to May! Departing at 1.00 a.m. on the 1st, darkness hours saw Lithuania and the southern half of Latvia slip by in a blur, a single Red Fox and a Brown Hare the only mammals seen. As dawn broke, meandering up through middle Latvia, a European Polecat made a mad suicidal dash across the road, prompt braking on my part the only thing saving it from an early grave. A few kilometres further, a European Beaver was less lucky – injured by the roadside, the critter had obviously had a very recent encounter with a car. I have doubts that it would survive.
Onward, over the border into Estonia, flocks of Taiga and Tundra Bean Geese appearing by the roadside, one Montagu’s Harrier drifting by. My destination for this mini trip was the far north-east of Estonia, or to be more exact, the extensive forests of Augutese. Within the depths of endless pines, bogs and mires, some of the most exciting of all European mammals lurk – healthy populations of European Lynx and Wolf, rare and elusive Siberian Flying Squirrels, Brown Bears at a density greater than almost anywhere else in Europe. To chance upon any however requires considerable luck! A roadside Capercallie served as greeting to Augutese, so too a Goshawk, another Montagu’s Harrier and numerous Cranes. Initial meanders through the forest and associated meadow clearings added the first Estonian mammals of the trip – several Roe Deers and a couple of Brown Hares. Plenty of tracks of Moose, also Red Fox, Wild Boar and Roe Deers.
After checking into a local hotel, one singing Wryneck in the garden, I then set off for long meanders through the forest – not particularly productive for mammals, but a splendid collection of grouse – no less than eight more Capercailles encountered, along with 12 Black Grouse (several at a late afternoon lek) and one Hazel Grouse. Also numerous Green Sandpipers in boggy ditches, a couple of Grey-headed Woodpeckers, a surprise male Pallid Harrier hunting across an agricultural field and a bevy of smart Ruff engaging in courtship. Mammals however were limited to more Roe Deers and a single additional Brown Hare. Also managed very successfully to put the car into a ditch …many thanks to the Estonian ladies who stopped and arranged for a vehicle to come and pull me out!
As dusk finally approached, with Woodcocks roding and Common Snipes drumming, hopes of critters rose considerably. Unfortunately, the much desired Brown Bear ambling out onto a trackside verge did not materialise, nor for that matter a Lynx or Wolf. I did however find fresh tracks of Brown Bear, and the ladies who helped me with the car said there are many bears in the area this year. More Roe Deers seen, one Beaver watched with a spotlight as it fed on a bank, then plopped into the water and swam upchannel. Approaching midnight, almost 24 hours on the road, I returned to my hotel, two Western Hedgehogs rounding off the day’s action.
At 5.00 a.m., a couple of hours later than I had planned, I departed the hotel again for another try in the forest. With the weather decidedly cool and the day turning to drizzle, not a lot was seen – a couple of Roe Deers only, plus seven more Capercaillies and four more Black Grouses. Also, one Lesser Spotted Eagle. I checked my small mammal traps – releasing two Bank Voles – then cut my plans to stay another night and headed south. One Mountain Hare seen a few kilometres later, two Red Foxes added in middle Estonia.
By nightfall, I was back in northern Lithuania and decided to detour to do a couple of hours of spotlighting in woodland areas and forest edge – an excellent crop of species seen, one Pine Marten, two Red Foxes, eight Brown Hares, three Roe Deers and two Wild Boars heading the cast, one Long-eared Owl too.
Back home just after midnight, a little under 48 hours on the road, the tally of species recorded as following:
Western Hedgehog – three Estonia
Red Fox – one Latvia, two Estonia, two Lithuania
Brown Bear – tracks Estonia
Polecat – one Latvia
Pine Marten – one Lithuania
Wild Boar – two Lithuania, tracks in Estonia
Roe Deer – 15+ Estonia, three Lithuania
Moose – tracks Estonia
Brown Hare – one Latvia, four Estonia, eight Lithuania
Mountain Hare – one Estonia
European Beaver – one Latvia, one Estonia
Bank Vole – two Estonia
Quest for Estonian specialities to continue later in the month, watch this space!
Two days, three countries, 12 species of mammal …a cracking start to May! Departing at 1.00 a.m. on the 1st, darkness hours saw Lithuania and the southern half of Latvia slip by in a blur, a single Red Fox and a Brown Hare the only mammals seen. As dawn broke, meandering up through middle Latvia, a European Polecat made a mad suicidal dash across the road, prompt braking on my part the only thing saving it from an early grave. A few kilometres further, a European Beaver was less lucky – injured by the roadside, the critter had obviously had a very recent encounter with a car. I have doubts that it would survive.
Onward, over the border into Estonia, flocks of Taiga and Tundra Bean Geese appearing by the roadside, one Montagu’s Harrier drifting by. My destination for this mini trip was the far north-east of Estonia, or to be more exact, the extensive forests of Augutese. Within the depths of endless pines, bogs and mires, some of the most exciting of all European mammals lurk – healthy populations of European Lynx and Wolf, rare and elusive Siberian Flying Squirrels, Brown Bears at a density greater than almost anywhere else in Europe. To chance upon any however requires considerable luck! A roadside Capercallie served as greeting to Augutese, so too a Goshawk, another Montagu’s Harrier and numerous Cranes. Initial meanders through the forest and associated meadow clearings added the first Estonian mammals of the trip – several Roe Deers and a couple of Brown Hares. Plenty of tracks of Moose, also Red Fox, Wild Boar and Roe Deers.
After checking into a local hotel, one singing Wryneck in the garden, I then set off for long meanders through the forest – not particularly productive for mammals, but a splendid collection of grouse – no less than eight more Capercailles encountered, along with 12 Black Grouse (several at a late afternoon lek) and one Hazel Grouse. Also numerous Green Sandpipers in boggy ditches, a couple of Grey-headed Woodpeckers, a surprise male Pallid Harrier hunting across an agricultural field and a bevy of smart Ruff engaging in courtship. Mammals however were limited to more Roe Deers and a single additional Brown Hare. Also managed very successfully to put the car into a ditch …many thanks to the Estonian ladies who stopped and arranged for a vehicle to come and pull me out!
As dusk finally approached, with Woodcocks roding and Common Snipes drumming, hopes of critters rose considerably. Unfortunately, the much desired Brown Bear ambling out onto a trackside verge did not materialise, nor for that matter a Lynx or Wolf. I did however find fresh tracks of Brown Bear, and the ladies who helped me with the car said there are many bears in the area this year. More Roe Deers seen, one Beaver watched with a spotlight as it fed on a bank, then plopped into the water and swam upchannel. Approaching midnight, almost 24 hours on the road, I returned to my hotel, two Western Hedgehogs rounding off the day’s action.
At 5.00 a.m., a couple of hours later than I had planned, I departed the hotel again for another try in the forest. With the weather decidedly cool and the day turning to drizzle, not a lot was seen – a couple of Roe Deers only, plus seven more Capercaillies and four more Black Grouses. Also, one Lesser Spotted Eagle. I checked my small mammal traps – releasing two Bank Voles – then cut my plans to stay another night and headed south. One Mountain Hare seen a few kilometres later, two Red Foxes added in middle Estonia.
By nightfall, I was back in northern Lithuania and decided to detour to do a couple of hours of spotlighting in woodland areas and forest edge – an excellent crop of species seen, one Pine Marten, two Red Foxes, eight Brown Hares, three Roe Deers and two Wild Boars heading the cast, one Long-eared Owl too.
Back home just after midnight, a little under 48 hours on the road, the tally of species recorded as following:
Western Hedgehog – three Estonia
Red Fox – one Latvia, two Estonia, two Lithuania
Brown Bear – tracks Estonia
Polecat – one Latvia
Pine Marten – one Lithuania
Wild Boar – two Lithuania, tracks in Estonia
Roe Deer – 15+ Estonia, three Lithuania
Moose – tracks Estonia
Brown Hare – one Latvia, four Estonia, eight Lithuania
Mountain Hare – one Estonia
European Beaver – one Latvia, one Estonia
Bank Vole – two Estonia
Quest for Estonian specialities to continue later in the month, watch this space!
Last edited:
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Year Tally:
32. Western Hedgehog
33. Brown Bear (tracks only)
32. Western Hedgehog
33. Brown Bear (tracks only)
edenwatcher
Well-known member
A hotel? Not your usual style!
Rob
Rob
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
With heated swimming pool and sauna I am led to believe ...what a waste of money, I got back at midnight, then departed again at 5.00 a.m.
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
7 May. Lithuanian Dormice, Part One.
Three species of dormice reside in Lithuania - Hazel Dormouse, Forest Dormouse and Fat Dormouse. Of the three, only Hazel Dormouse is fairly widespread, with the other two rare and very localised.
In the forests of south-central Lithuania, one of the country's leading mammal researchers has been conducting studies into Hazel Dormice for over 30 years, the result being one of the best studied populations of this unique animal anywhere in Europe. And on this day, I had the honour of accompanying him onto the field, a morning of checking the numerous nestboxes erected for the species.
Cranes bugling, Pied Flycatchers in song, so I arrived at the appointed location. Over the next four hours, a total of about 60 nestboxes were checked (a tiny proportion of the total number of boxes in the area). Numerous pairs of Great Tits and Blue Tits nesting in boxes, several pairs of Pied Flycatchers building nests too, but the first hour seemed strangely devoid of dormice! All changed about 25 boxes in ...curled up in a box devoid of any nesting material, two Hazel Dormice in day torpor. Checked for ring numbers, weighed and returned to the box, they didn't even wake up! If memory serves me well, one was a female yearling, the second a two-year old male. Four more found over the next couple of hours, all single occupants of boxes, all within well-constructed nests, all fast asleep.
Quite amazing these dormice - not only do they hibernate for half the year, but when they wake in spring they also go into this day torpor to conserve energy if the day temperatures are below 15 C. Hardly surprising that the Lithuanian name for them translates as 'sleeping mouse'! Plans are afoot for the other two Lithuanian dormice, but they hibernate even longer and even now, especially with Fat Dormouse, the animals may well still be in the winter hibernation sites!
Three species of dormice reside in Lithuania - Hazel Dormouse, Forest Dormouse and Fat Dormouse. Of the three, only Hazel Dormouse is fairly widespread, with the other two rare and very localised.
In the forests of south-central Lithuania, one of the country's leading mammal researchers has been conducting studies into Hazel Dormice for over 30 years, the result being one of the best studied populations of this unique animal anywhere in Europe. And on this day, I had the honour of accompanying him onto the field, a morning of checking the numerous nestboxes erected for the species.
Cranes bugling, Pied Flycatchers in song, so I arrived at the appointed location. Over the next four hours, a total of about 60 nestboxes were checked (a tiny proportion of the total number of boxes in the area). Numerous pairs of Great Tits and Blue Tits nesting in boxes, several pairs of Pied Flycatchers building nests too, but the first hour seemed strangely devoid of dormice! All changed about 25 boxes in ...curled up in a box devoid of any nesting material, two Hazel Dormice in day torpor. Checked for ring numbers, weighed and returned to the box, they didn't even wake up! If memory serves me well, one was a female yearling, the second a two-year old male. Four more found over the next couple of hours, all single occupants of boxes, all within well-constructed nests, all fast asleep.
Quite amazing these dormice - not only do they hibernate for half the year, but when they wake in spring they also go into this day torpor to conserve energy if the day temperatures are below 15 C. Hardly surprising that the Lithuanian name for them translates as 'sleeping mouse'! Plans are afoot for the other two Lithuanian dormice, but they hibernate even longer and even now, especially with Fat Dormouse, the animals may well still be in the winter hibernation sites!
Attachments
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Messed up my numbers and additionally I also forgot to add Bank Vole and Yellow-necked Mouse in March, many of which I have now caught over the last couple of months ...so an unexpected jump in my year tally - Hazel Dormouse takes it to 38!
Full account of the year so far, with more photographs and correct numbers (!) see HERE on my website.
Full account of the year so far, with more photographs and correct numbers (!) see HERE on my website.
Last edited:
Users who are viewing this thread
Similar threads
