First Jun opened the summer on the Urals Vecherkom furiously and mercilessly. The blinding ball of the sun climbed over the wall Tulymsky stone and began to glow pale green foliage with a stiff ultraviolet. Birds have lowered the volume songs of praise the sun. Nature froze in anticipation of noon.
I was always amazed how severe is our planet to its inhabitants at twelve o’clock. Of course, you can wander through the forest, sweating in the hope of finding some feathered daring the heat. But the best way to pass the time in the cool hut. Because in the end it will come, this blessed and long Vishera evening, when again in the whole expanse of the soul will start singing birds and the air filled with the scent of young grass and leaves can be drunk as an invigorating infusion.
The female Goldeneye
Before the hour of the day I faithfully wandered through the floodplain forest, conducting bird census. At times the trail came out on the Bank of Vishera, where you can relax, throwing off the backpack with heavy camera equipment. The bottom of the five Visherskaya thresholds, called Evil because of the complexity of its passage on the boat, bubbled and foamed. Pitfalls, generating ripples, disappeared under water. In past years, summer low-water period here you can see the hunting of Kahala or dippers, but now the rapid flow did not attract birds.
After sitting on a log near rattlesnake water and making traditional entries in the field diary, I turned back and by two o’clock reached the hut research hospital. Hung sweaty clothes and set out to take shelter in a wooden hut until the evening. At this time from the crowns of nearby trees was heard the robber rollicking trill. So declares the presence of the female cuckoo. This males sweetly and relentlessly kind. Females do not need to specifically advertise themselves.
Common merganser
Another sign of the completion of the spring and the disappearance of migratory birds. Yesterday in the meadow Lipinskogo farm still fluttered groups of red-throated Pipits, which nest in the Arctic tundra, but today did not. Apparently, the heat rushing them home.
DUCKTALES
Finally the little hand on the dial comes to rest upon the figure six. We can assume it was evening. Dressed in the costume of a devil and thrown over the back of the backpack with the equipment, go up, Lipie and soon calm down in his pit in front of the viewfinder of the camera. Some time no one appears nearby. Hear boiling river, fighting the snag, blocking her way. On an island ten metres from cover, landing light grey Kulik and loudly declares itself a categorical “ti-Lu”. It’s greenshank. Beside him, found a small representative of the genus of sandpipers — Sandpiper. On taiga small water bodies and bogs it is the most common inhabitant.
Make a series of shots of waders and see on the river above the female Gogol. Lipie in may, these birds arrange marriage merrymaking right in front of the window closest to the river house. The drakes perform the current dances on the water and present themselves as modest ladies in all its glory. No wonder that in Russian language there is an expression “walking strut”. But soon the males lose their primitive gallantry and begin to chase the females. Who is the most strong and tireless, he is the father gohost. Although, perhaps, not so simple…
Drake shovelers
Suddenly appear in the frame big krohali — other mass Vishera ducks. A couple of these fish-eating birds, apparently, had come up from below. In the summer we will not see colorful drakes, the eye caught only the dull females and young people. Now the luxury feathers of a duck Caballero strikes. Drake merganser, and Goldeneye, black-and-white. But thin red beak with a hook at the end, a snake curved neck give it predator-ichthyophaga. Krohali permanently lowered his head into the water and swim, looking for fish.
The duck population of the lower reaches of Lipii includes four species. About the last one hasn’t been mentioned. This is the Teal and gadwall. Recently I came across this gingerhead man Drake. Through the eyes of them is the green bar, but for some reason in the pictures it turned out brown.
From sitting too long in the shelter legs cramping. Gradually evening shadow covers the whole river. It’s time to leave…
Teal-gadwall
Next day cool. At times the rolling clouds and sow rain rare. When it starts, I don’t leave the shelter, just cover the lens with a cloak. Ducks in the rain change their behavior. Quicken. Out of nowhere appear two new females Gogol. They violently Express their joy about the cloudy weather and splashing, kicking up clouds of spray. When a friend me a couple of Gogol, Drake, forgetting about his constant friend, rushes to new ladies. Seest case — all spring per female had three Cavaliers, and now he’s one on three! But soon the sun Peeps out, and the girls, evading sassy boyfriend, leaving.
Near the opposite shore, found some unexpected guests — two Drake shovelers. Apparently, females are already building nests, and males migrate to molting sites. I always thought that shovelers in the reserve and the surrounding area do not nest, but such an early appearance detached from the marriage concerns of drakes suggests that place their nests close by.
Summer surely comes into its own, and the presence of wandering carefree drakes explicitly talks about this. In the duck tribe exemplary fathers are not required. That swans and geese mate for life. Will soon be pulled to the ground and molt familiar Lipinski drakes mallards, teals-common teals, Gogol, goosanders. Females live with their young until mid-August.
AT THE END OF SUMMER
August comes, and night is surprisingly cold. As often happens in the Northern Urals. Occasionally run short rains, and shines again cool sun. Feeling the arrival of autumn covers every creature, and strange to see the still green foliage. So strawberry blushes in the grass. But the cold wind that swoops in suddenly, and trembling aspen leaves tell a different story. The birds were silent. The nesting works behind, grown and feathered young loitering on the banks and edges. Numerous gang of red and greenish Klestov blithely rejoice a large crop of spruce cones. And this winter at all: in February, the most impatient will start to nest. Crossbills Wake me up every morning. As soon as it is dawn, somewhere there is a gang of these birds, and begins to chew the house in which I live. Than they are attracted by the old planks and logs? Apparently, they find valuable minerals…
The window is visible ridge Tulymsky stone is always different. Here he’s wearing a hat of clouds, but pulled the blanket. You can look at it endlessly. One might envy the owners of this farm protected — Alevtina and Sergey Smirnov, who are watching the majestic stone constantly.
Luv-ner (in Mansi name Tolima) is impressive. Although it is inferior in height Konakovskom stone in the Sverdlovsk region, but harsher, darker. The traveler, heads to cross it, you have to be careful that multi-ton boulder shifted, the slope of small broken stone come alive under his feet, threatening to overwhelm the traveler.
The beautiful calmness of the forest of being! Urban civilization of the person deprived of the pleasure of living without thinking about minutes. And in the forest we just planned that tomorrow go there and do something, it does not reflect how much it is necessary to go and when to go back…
Usually after klestovoi Wake up call I’m whittling knife torch and melt the furnace. Soon the voices of a small expeditionary kettle. Taiga starts a normal day.
After finishing the simple meal, I go out in the misty morning and go to the next bird census. Trail, cleared Sergei Smirnov, winds through birch-spruce forest and sent up a quiet river, Lapie. The eye continually caught red aspen or vestibula forest litter burly mushrooms… Popetlyat the woods, the trail goes to the high side of the river, which again offers Tulym.
Tufted duck
A family of grouse, he saw a man, the noisy scatter in the parties. As is often the case, one can not measure the curious fledgling sits nearby and squints at me brown eye. Snaps the shutter of my camera, but under the forest canopy on a cloudy day, a good picture is hard to make. Soon grouse broods disintegrate and the young birds will begin to look for a place under the sun. Unlike grouse, they hold their ground and, taking a chosen part of the forest, can live there all his life. The male and female form quite a respectable family, where the worries and cares of the offspring and involved father.
I get to the key that joins Lipu. Next the trail is not so good. I turn back…
Comes the cool of the afternoon. I’m about to prepare lunch, suddenly found on the pole in front of the home of the Buzzard. Slowly opening the door, I photograph not timid predator. The day turned out well. It remains to cross to the other side of the Vishera and engage Ural parrots — lastami. They are not there in such abundance. Returning from cordon, I again find the house of the Buzzard. Apparently, he’s here constantly stalking mice and voles.
Evening. Tulymsky stone is colored in a pinkish tone. A small cloud pours its southern spur of a short shower. Lipie grazing mallards and Teal-svistuny, two merganser catch of fry in the shallows. The day is coming to an end. Now you can light a candle, to fill in the diary and read the stories of Kipling, from the library of Sergei Smirnov…
