Brief information about animals

Overwintering adult insects and larvae hide with the onset of cold weather in various secluded places, crawl under the loose bark of stumps and fallen trees, into crevices and cracks in the bark, hide under moss and fallen leaves, and burrow into the soil.

The likelihood of finding insects is under the bark. We inspect the snow near trees and stumps very carefully. After a thorough exploration of the area, we still managed to find small black larvae. They were examined through a magnifying glass. The found larvae were placed in a jar for further identification at school using a determinant. After laboratory processing, it turned out that the black larvae are so-called “snow worms” - the larvae of a small beetle from the soft-bodied family. They spend the winter under tree roots or stones, and crawl out during the thaw.

You can also see tiny wingless insects in the snow. Looking at them through a magnifying glass (and even with the naked eye), it is easy to notice that they do not crawl, but jump. These jumpers are a special species of springtail, named snow or snow flea for jumping on the snow. Springtails live on slightly damp ground and even under melting snow, but we were unable to find them.

During the thaw, many other insects crawl out onto the snow: bedbugs, flies, fungus gnats, gallworms, and various beetles. Spiders, harvestmen, wood lice and other invertebrate animals also crawl on the snow. We hope that in further observations, after the snow falls and the onset of thaw, we will be lucky enough to observe these insects.

Detection of traces of animal activity

From fresh tracks you can find out whether there are many hares in the forest, where a squirrel jumped to the ground and to which tree it ran, what birds sat on the snow, what small animals do not sleep, but run out into the snow. Remains of gnawed plants, bones and fur of eaten prey, droppings - all this tells the ranger about the events that took place in the forest.

Now we turned our attention to the tracks that the animals left in the snow. There are not very many tracks in the snow. We carefully examine the traces found. Numerous footprints that stretched out in a chain of very small footprints among the dry grass. These are traces of mouse-like rodents - mice and voles; deep, loose snow is their good ally. It saves animals from the cold and hides them well from the watchful eyes of predators; we did not immediately discover small holes among the tracks. Through them, mice appear on the surface in search of food. In addition, such passages serve to ventilate the labyrinths of rodents in the snow.

They checked the trace for how old it was: they passed a twig through the trace, and without bending it, it easily cut the trace, which means the traces were fresh. A trace that is 10-15 minutes old, even in severe frost, does not have time to freeze and at the slightest touch it crumbles, and when crossing an old trace, it will bend sharply, and with an old trace it will not cut it and will turn out from under the snow. A fresh footprint has a thin bottom and can be pierced with a twig; the old one is icy, thick, the edge of the old track on the windward side is thawing. There is snow in the holes of the old track.

At approximately a distance of 5 km from the settlement, we encountered tracks similar to those of a hare. Upon careful examination, the tracks were found to be indeed the tracks of a hare. The trail is fresh, we followed the trail for several tens of meters. At the same time, you must remember the main rule of the tracker: never trample the trail, walk next to it, two meters from it. We observed the hare's movement pattern, examined the loops it had made, found traces of feeding, gnawed willow branches, forest groves, and a lot of damaged bark on the Amur maakia. A hare left droppings not far from its “dining room”, which we also sketched.

Detection of traces of bird activity

Guests visited the feeders that we left to attract animals. This is a pheasant. They have come close to populated areas and are boldly walking around our gardens. They eat our food with pleasure. There are many tracks of pheasants near the feeder, and here they dug up snow, reaching the soil to feast on the supply of dry seeds. The pheasant's track is similar to that of a magpie, only larger, and they scatter the remains of the treat, which seems as if someone deliberately spilled the food.

There are easily recognizable tracks of a magpie in the snow, it is always nearby, it was seen throughout the entire research route, and it does not leave many tracks in the snow, because... rarely lands on the ground. He will mark it with “crosses” and put “stamps” on the sides - these are the imprints of his wings. And sometimes his tail will slide across the snow. In winter there is much less food for birds than in summer, so the magpie also fed in our bait feeder.

On an alley in the forest we come across smaller bird tracks, and with the help of a identifier we determine that these were left by a tit. Their traces are simple: small crosses - three fingers forward and one back, on the sides there are two thin lines: Here the bird made its wings when it took off. Here we see the owner of the found trace. We are watching the tit. A nimble little bird, fussily looking for food. In summer, tits feed on insects; In winter, they pick up any seed they come across. Tits hurriedly dart through the trees, carrying out the most vigilant inspection and the most thorough cleaning of the trunks and branches of the insects that winter here, including many pests. Every now and then they find some butterflies attached to the branches; in the cracks of the bark - numb caterpillars; pupae glued to the branches with cobwebs.

Immediately nearby we met another bird familiar to us - nuthatches, which deftly move along the bark of a tree not only up, but also upside down. No traces of nuthatch were found in the snow; their activity takes place on tree trunks. Like tits, they extract insects and their larvae from under the bark. It brings great benefits. Nuthatches love to feast on feeders; brave birds accept any treat. They even ate the sausage that we offered for experimental purposes.

On our route we also met a bullfinch. They become noticeable in late autumn. They have bright, clearly visible coloring: a shiny bluish-black cap on the head and a red chest. The female is dressed more modestly, where the male has red feathers - she has brownish-gray feathers and the cap on her head is not so shiny. The birds have a calm temperament, a dense and strong build and a thick, short beak.