A big wild stag

A big wild stag was wandering over the hills and through the valleys somewhere in southern Finland. By chance he found a pile of old potatoes which were brought there by a farmer living in the neighborhood.

"Delicious", the stag thought, "it must be refreshing for a change to eat potatoes instead of pine and birch saplings."

But what might the forest owner think of the big wild stag?

He thinks the big wild stag can't cope for long by eating potatoes. When all the potatoes are eaten, the big wild stag begins to use again pine and birch saplings to nourish himself.

Many are of the opinion that the big wild stag is the worst pest in Finnish forests.

Perhaps, however, it's an exaggeration to say so. The big wild stag is useful for instance because it is a game animal. It can be hunted and its meat can be eaten. It also brings indirect economical benefits because the hunters need to buy guns, accessories and services for hunting.

And from an ethical point of view to make use of nature is the general condition of life. In this respect the big wild stag acts exactly likewise a human being.

Eurasian jay

The Eurasian jay, which a very common bird in Finland, is hidding in woods during the summertime. 

But when the winter comes, it will appear in the yard and the garden in search of food for himself.

Magpie

Here we have the silhouette of a magpie.

Some think it's a pretty bird with its plumage that specially in sunshine is very colorful.

But in some parts of Finland the magpie has another name.

It's called the death notifier.

And why? 

Maybe because of its voice that sounds like a bloody-minded  laughter. 

Carbon sink may turn into carbon source

Aki Kaurismaki, a Finnish film director and Academician of Art is no longer an Academician. You can read the story dated 14.2.2019 on the YLE's website (https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10645998) that Kaurismaki renounced his academic title. Kaurismaki justifies this decission that despite warnings of dozens of experts Finnish government has increased  forest fellings in Finland to a level that, when realized, reduce carbon sinks to one sixth of the current level.

Here in Finland we tend to blame South American countries that are thousands of miles away from Finland for they are destroying rainforests.

We know that rainforests are important carbon sinks. It is also true that South American countries already have destroyed large areas of rainforests. It can even be argued that the destruction of rainforests is turning them into a carbon sources.

 Still I would say that looking for culprits from a distance is an easy way to forget your own responsibilities. Here in Finland our forests are carbon sinks. And mismanaged Finnish forests may turn into carbon sources for the same reason as South American rainforests.

Valkohäntäkauriit verottavat lintujen ruokavarastoja

Valkohäntäkauriit verottavat lintujen ruokavarastoja

Lopella olevan kesämökkimme puutarhassa on jo vuosien ajan ollut lintujen ruokintapaikka talvisin. Siellä olen talvisin tullut ottaneeksi valokuvia linnusta jos toisestakin.

Tärkeä lintujen talviruokintaan liittyvä periaate on, että syksyllä ilmojen viiletessä aloitettua talviruokintaa jatketaan yhtäjaksoisesti kevääseen asti, kunnes maa on vapautunut lumipeitteestä. Varsinkin harvaanasutuilla seuduilla saattaa kovien pakkasten sattuessa käydä niin, että linnut voivat ruuan puutteen vuoksi menehtyä, jos ruokinta lopetetaan ennen kevättä.

Talviruokinnan toteuttaminen kesämökillämme on kuitenkin haasteellista sen vuoksi, että illan hämärtyessä ja aamun valjetessa valkohäntäkauriit tapaavat käydä verottamassa ruokavarastoa lintujen ruokintapaikalla. Ne syövät lintujen ruuaksi tarkoitetut auringonkukan siemenet ja maapähkinät todella nopeasti. Ruokinta saattaa tämän vuoksi olla melko hintavaa hommaa, kun lintulaudan siemenvarastoa on oltava jatkuvasti täydentämässä.

Monet tosin tekevät ruokintapaikkoja myös valkohäntäkauriille. Minun puolestani ne kyllä voisivat ruokailla jossakin muualla kuin meidän mökkimme puutarhassa.

Juttu ja kuva, joka on otettu riistakameralla, on julkaistu Aamuposti/ Viikko/ Riihimäki ja Hyvinkää -lehdissä 6.2.2019.