Bison dung & hoof print

The European Bison (aka the Wisent) Bison bonasus is Europe's heaviest land mammal. It is a creature of old forests, not of grasslands, and despite its huge size (bulls can weigh up to 900kg and stand 2m high at the shoulder) can hide away with surprising ease. This was the case in the Bieszczasy forests in Poland recently where we tracked herds on two different days, finally getting good views of family parties before they thundered off into cover. We tracked them by following recent hoof prints (as in the photo with a biro for size-comparison) and finding fresh dung (photo with pine cone for size comparison).

Wild Boar tracks

When searching for the tracks of Wolf in Poland we came across many other animal tracks. Here is a typical hoof print of a Wild Boar. Note first of all that this print is made by a cloven-hoofed mammal. Cloven-hoofed mammals have 4 toes: 2 cleaves (at the front) and 2 dew claws (at the rear). Unlike most deer, Wild Boar leave 4 clear imprints, as in this photo. This is because their gait (and the fact that their dew claws are located lower down on the leg that those of deer) results in the dew claws touching the ground. Hence, most Wild Boar leave dew claws imprints, whereas deer usually do not. Most deer leave just 2 slots (left by the cleaves). This hoof print was probably left by a young Wild Boar as the front two claw marks are pointed and narrow. Those of adult boars are broader and more rounded.

Wolf Tracks

In Poland recently we spent many hours tracking mammals. The photo here of a Wolf paw-print in wet mud was taken in the Bieszczady Mountains. Wolf prints are very similar to those of a large domestic dog, which is actually not surprising as the Wolves is itself a large dog! Key things to note are: long toe pads which are well spaced-out and splayed apart and long, pointed, pronounced claw marks. Though not shown here the track-line of a Wolf is also rather narrow, whereas most dogs walk in a more of a zig-zag. Location is also important: this photo was taken in a remote area where there are no pet or stray dogs but where there are packs of wolves.

Poland: Porcelain Fungus

The cap of this distinctive white fungus Oudemansiella mucida is semi-translucent and shiny as it is coated in a slimy substance. It usually grows on beech and often protrudes straight out of the tree-trunk, often fairly high up. This photo one was taken recently in the Bieszczady Mountains, SE Poland. Some say it is edible but others suggest it is not, so it may be wise to avoid it. Indeed, unless you are absolutely sure that a given fungi is edible, or with an expert on fungi ID, all mushrooms and toadstools should be left alone and certainly not eaten.

Poland: Fly Agaric

Walking in the forests of south-east Poland recently we came across a great range of fungi... mushrooms and toadstools of all shapes, sizes and colours. The Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria was one of the easiest to spot and identify. Many other fungi that we found remained unidentified and we left them alone as some would have no doubt been very poisonous. The Fly Agaric in this photo was found amongst birch trees, with which it always associates. It is an attractive toadstool but poisonous.

Poland: Tatras cable-car

In Poland recently we made several attempts to get to the higher peaks of the Tatra Mts by cable-car, but poor weather, with high winds, meant the car was cancelled for several days. Finally, on a clear, still day last week we were able to take the cable-car from Kuznice to just below Kasprowy Wierch (1987m). At the top we had superb views (see photo here) and soon saw several Chamois. The walk down to Kuznice was some 4 miles, at times often steep, but well worth it as we passed through the different vegetation zones and got a real overview of these spectacular mountains.

Back from Poland

Just got back from south-east Poland. I spent 2 weeks, mainly in the Bieszczady and Tatra Mountains with 2 groups of nature lovers from the UK. Birding highlights included White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Hazel Grouse, Ural Owl, Pygmy Owl, White-backed Woodpecker, Crested Tit, Great Grey Shrike and Nutcracker. Mammals included European Bison and Chamois and we found tracks and other signs of Brown Bear and Wolf. The old forests were full of wierd and wonderful fungi, too. I was unable to get on-line for most of the time and so neglected my blogs, but in the next few days I will add a range of notes and photos from the trip.