Lynx is hot topic again

After a month our first Lynx tour in this year will take place. Only Almighty knows how well we'll succeed. We have lurked and followed lynx tracks for several years, now the truth will be told ...

Lynx (Felis lynx) / Sven Zacek

What we need is snow and frost. Last night a thin blanket of snow had fallen, so I was hunting for some tracks. Strolling early morning along the wooded meadow was pretty successful - a raccoon dog had toddled around, a wild boar and a squirrel had crossed the road and a fox had chased a hare. In the wooded meadow I could hear mild knocking and tapping - woodpeckers were there indeed. Redpolls, almost 30 of them, were nibbling up in the white alder. Beside that Willow Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Green Finch, Bullfinch and a bird I didn’t recognize by the call. On my way back I saw a Sparrow Hawk on top of a power post and on the right hand side a Buzzard lurking on the wire.

Thereafter I was driving to the forest ride, where two days ago I had taken the pictures of fresh Lynx footprints.

In the same day I took some pictures of two more animals, but I‘m not very sure about them. My wild guess is that Wolf was the one, who had pulled away and Raccoon dog the one who approached ...

No fresh footpints today, although Wild Boars had crossed the road some time ago. I also checked the edge of the bog. Further on there were 18 Black Grouse in the field.

Later we took a camera and made together with Raili a short detour by car. Couple of elks had crossed the road at night and a pack of wild boars in the morning. Six Blackcocks and a Greyhen were in the field (lucky her!).

Driving back to Lihula along the Pärnu road we saw 5 more Black Grouse in another field. All together 30 Black Grouse for one morning and everything else as a bonus - not so bad at all!

Tarvo had seen Lynx tracks in the last weekend in Vormsi island.

This Saturday I’ll go and scout around more seriously - on foot in the morning and by car in the afternoon. This time I’ll concentrate on the Lynx (and the Wolf) exclusively.