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Get Closer to Nature with LVM On-line Cameras

With the end of the winter, when the sun is shining more and more during the day, JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) environmental experts supporting the #stayathome initiative offer an opportunity to go nature with the help of four on-line cameras. Anyone interested, without leaving their home, can now follow the nesting success of golden eagles, watch the events taking place in two nests of lesser spotted eagles in Betiņsala and Aizkuja, as well as enjoy unique moments and sounds that can only be heard in a swamp.

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Lesser spotted eagles in Aizkuja and Betiņsala

Already at the end of February, both on-line cameras for watching lesser spotted eagles were restored. LVM experts moved the on-line system from an uninhabited nest in Varakļāni to the lesser spotted eagle nest in the plot “Žūklis”, near the village of Aizkuja, in Madona Municipality. The cameras are powered by the sun, therefore breaks in the on-line transmission can occur on less sunny days.

This year, for the first time, those interested will have an opportunity to watch the events from Aizkuja, where two years ago, lesser spotted eagles built a nest in a thick aspen tree and an eagle baby grew up there in 2019. The nest is located in a forest managed by LVM and a micro-reserve with a buffer zone has been established to protect the habitat.

A second on-line camera was set up near the already known lesser spotted eagle nest in Betiņsala, where the egg laid by the female bird was destroyed as a result of a fierce fight.

“We experienced a number of different surprises when we were restoring the camera in Betiņsala. First of all, we found that during the winter, mice had gnawed the antenna cable, which we successfully repaired. Then we noticed that in several places, fallen trees had pressed the camera cable to the ground. At one point, this cable crossed a beaver path that led to a hazel bush. Here, too, we successfully repaired the cable damaged by beavers,” Uģis Bergmanis, LVM Senior Environmental Expert, tells about the preparations for the new on-line season.

Although lesser spotted eagles have just started their way home from their wintering grounds in Africa and are only expected to arrive at their nesting sites in early April, the first spring messengers are already to be spotted near the nests: in early mornings you will hear woodpeckers working hard, tits, wood nuthatches, hazel grouses singing, ravens crying, whereas in the evening twilight, the most attentive ones will be lucky to hear Eurasian pygmy owls and tawny owls.

Is this a good year for golden eagles?

Observing the events of the last few days in the golden eagle nest, Uģis Bergmanis, LVM Senior Environmental Expert, hopes for successful nesting in the habitat of the golden eagle couple Spilve and Virsis, as mating sounds can often be heard lately.

Spilve is a young female who has not had babies yet, but she has been behaving uncharacteristically in recent days; this morning, she stayed in the nest hours long. In the past, she only stayed there for a short while. Meanwhile, the experienced male Virsis, who has had babies before, has been actively roaming in and around the nest since mid-January.

“It would be a big event if we experienced the big event. In Europe, so far successful nesting of golden eagles has been observed only in Estonia, where the female eagle is currently hatching an egg,” tells Uģis Bergmanis, LVM Senior Environmental Expert.

Early on in the week, the most attentive on-line viewers applauded to the courage and responsibility of Virsis, who scared away an uninvited guest, a bigger-sized white-tailed eagle, who sat down right next to the nest in the tree.

Nesting was successful in this nest in 2016. LVM environmental experts set up an on-line camera then, but successful nesting has not been observed so far.

Marsh - a diversity of plants and animal traces

The panorama in the camera shows the hunting grounds of the golden eagle couple: a vast and unspoiled high bog, home to many other protected animal and plant species.

The marsh on the on-line camera fascinates the viewers with its alluring sounds: grouses mating, cranes crying, whistling of the European golden plover that has just returned from its wintering grounds. One will also often hear cries of the golden eagles Virsis and Spilve.

We invite you to watch these unique events together with your family, friends, acquaintances, colleagues and share what you have seen. Uģis Bergmanis provides regular updates on the latest developments in the golden eagle nest and marsh, as well as is happy to answer any questions that you might have.