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Jos's Baltic Mammal Challenge 2015
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<blockquote data-quote="Jos Stratford" data-source="post: 3161808" data-attributes="member: 12449"><p>1st February, a little before dawn, a favoured forest some way north of the capital. Quite a cold wind blowing and fresh snow settling in the hour of two prior to dawn.</p><p></p><p>Hot on the heels of action with <strong>Wolf</strong> tracks the previous week, so I stumbled across another set this morning ...three animals moving together, tracks exceptionally fresh, surely a maximum of an hour in front, maybe even just minutes. Through forest rich in prey, the three were covering quite some distance, but sticking to the easier-going forest tracks ...on which I could follow by car. High chance of an encounter I thought, following them for about 4 km before they decided to turn into a dense swampy area of growth! Not the day of the <strong>Wolf</strong> for me!</p><p></p><p>Also tracks of numerous <strong>Roe Deer</strong> and one <strong>Moose</strong>, one <strong>Red Deer</strong> crossed. Eventually ran out of forest and moved on for my main quarry of the day, <strong>European Bison</strong>! With the small population basically sticking to the Kedainiai to Panevezys area, winter is by far the best season to see them, the herds leaving the forest to gather on windswept agricultural areas adjacent, not entirely to the delight of the farmers! Well, thanks to the presence of a <strong>Calandra Lark</strong> the previous day (a first for the country), I was alerted to a herd located towards the northern extreme of their usual range. Got to the general area about 10 a.m., after after several <strong>Red Foxes</strong> and numerous <strong>Roe Deer</strong> on route and a little stop in at the <strong>Calandra Lark</strong>. </p><p></p><p>Quite a vast area, but it took all of minutes to spot a big bunch of big black blobs in the distance, a few smaller scattered black dots (<strong>Roe Deer</strong>) a little closer. Well the bigger blobs had to be them, and a quick scan revealed it was ...29 <strong>European Bison</strong> huddling as wafts of snow billowed up in the breezy conditions. Flat open fields carpeted in snow do not make for much in the way of opportuntiy to quietly sneak in closer, but after a while, the <strong>Bison</strong> began a slow plod down towards a stream, a small woodland providing cover for me to wait to watch rather closer, Worked a treat, one <strong>Brown Hare</strong> darting off as I approached, the whole <strong>Bison</strong> herd arriving a little later. I can't boast my fieldcraft was that good though, they soon spotted me and bolted back up the slope. Ooops!</p><p></p><p>Still, three new species for the year...</p><p></p><p><strong>11. Brown Hare</strong></p><p><strong>12. Red Deer</strong></p><p><strong>13. European Bison</strong></p><p></p><p>(<strong>Red Fox, Roe Deer, Moose</strong> and <strong>Wolf </strong>also recorded, the latter two through tracks only).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jos Stratford, post: 3161808, member: 12449"] 1st February, a little before dawn, a favoured forest some way north of the capital. Quite a cold wind blowing and fresh snow settling in the hour of two prior to dawn. Hot on the heels of action with [B]Wolf[/B] tracks the previous week, so I stumbled across another set this morning ...three animals moving together, tracks exceptionally fresh, surely a maximum of an hour in front, maybe even just minutes. Through forest rich in prey, the three were covering quite some distance, but sticking to the easier-going forest tracks ...on which I could follow by car. High chance of an encounter I thought, following them for about 4 km before they decided to turn into a dense swampy area of growth! Not the day of the [B]Wolf[/B] for me! Also tracks of numerous [B]Roe Deer[/B] and one [B]Moose[/B], one [B]Red Deer[/B] crossed. Eventually ran out of forest and moved on for my main quarry of the day, [B]European Bison[/B]! With the small population basically sticking to the Kedainiai to Panevezys area, winter is by far the best season to see them, the herds leaving the forest to gather on windswept agricultural areas adjacent, not entirely to the delight of the farmers! Well, thanks to the presence of a [B]Calandra Lark[/B] the previous day (a first for the country), I was alerted to a herd located towards the northern extreme of their usual range. Got to the general area about 10 a.m., after after several [B]Red Foxes[/B] and numerous [B]Roe Deer[/B] on route and a little stop in at the [B]Calandra Lark[/B]. Quite a vast area, but it took all of minutes to spot a big bunch of big black blobs in the distance, a few smaller scattered black dots ([B]Roe Deer[/B]) a little closer. Well the bigger blobs had to be them, and a quick scan revealed it was ...29 [B]European Bison[/B] huddling as wafts of snow billowed up in the breezy conditions. Flat open fields carpeted in snow do not make for much in the way of opportuntiy to quietly sneak in closer, but after a while, the [B]Bison[/B] began a slow plod down towards a stream, a small woodland providing cover for me to wait to watch rather closer, Worked a treat, one [B]Brown Hare[/B] darting off as I approached, the whole [B]Bison[/B] herd arriving a little later. I can't boast my fieldcraft was that good though, they soon spotted me and bolted back up the slope. Ooops! Still, three new species for the year... [B]11. Brown Hare 12. Red Deer 13. European Bison[/B] ([B]Red Fox, Roe Deer, Moose[/B] and [B]Wolf [/B]also recorded, the latter two through tracks only). [/QUOTE]
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Jos's Baltic Mammal Challenge 2015
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