The lake began to freeze over in the beginning of the month and now we have to break through the ice to obtain fish for the captive cranes.
Our activities at the Park have centered around preparing for the upcoming spring fires. This means conducting prescribed burning in critical areas and cleaning debris and leaves near buildings. We were lucky to have the help of a group of students from the nearby village of Korepatina. They volunteered an afternoon to rake and clean around the summer camp.
We have also been creating another nature trail that will allow visitors to explore the oak forests adjacent to terrace, while catching glimpses of the wetland below.
The creation of the trail has also stirred the curiosity of the local wildlife. Birds like the European nuthatch and Eurasian jay, have enjoyed exploring the raked leaves for insects and other edible debris.
The trail has already proven very productive. It winds near the burrow of a local Raccoon-dog, who made himself visible the other day. Additionally, a Ural owl was spotted in a tree adjacent to the trail!
Our family of Red-crowned cranes are still present and doing well. We were concerned that the late hatch date of the chicks may hinder their ability to migrate on time, but they are flying around the wetlands and looking quite strong.
Unfortunately, another crane is also still present at the park, a lone white-naped crane. This crane was observed in the nearby farm fields and allowed close approach.
After a moment of observation, it became apparent why the crane was still here and unwary. It sustained a grave injury to its leg. Its future still remains uncertain.
On another note, the final mist-netting episode yielded a great capture…a small flock of Azure-winged magpies…
I would like to end this blog by wishing everyone Happy Halloween!
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