Category: Wild Lithuania

Mallard duck female with ducklings | www.junemolloy.com
Wild Lithuania

Mallard with Ducklings

June

I’ve been watching the ducks down at our local pond since the start of April, following their journey. I think there are four drakes and three ducks. I certainly saw plenty of mating action in April and was really looking forward to seeing the ducklings emerge. I had spotted a few broken eggs on the path near the pond and was worried that eggs were being eaten by predators, so I was absolutely delighted to see this female with a brood of nine healthy-looking ducklings. Aren’t they just beautiful?! Continue reading “Mallard with Ducklings” →

Red Deer Hind | www.junemolloy.com
Wild Lithuania

Red Deer Hind with Calf

June

I’ve waited so long to take these pictures. I know they’re not perfect, but when one of your favourite animals strolls out from the trees a few metres away, you take whatever photos you can get, regardless of the strong shadows. Red deer feature prominently in my middle-grade novel, Guardian of Giria, and I have been seeking them out for about two years, mostly to no avail. This hind posed nicely for a moment, then trotted off across the road and disappeared back into the trees. I had just put my camera down when I realised she was being trailed by her newborn calf – the tiny creature on spindly legs looked like it was only hours old. I had no time to focus, so please excuse the blurry shot. I still think it’s cute as can be! Continue reading “Red Deer Hind with Calf” →

Bean Goose Migration, Lithuania | www.junemolloy.com
Wild Lithuania

Bean Goose Migration

June

There are days when I go out to take photos and seeing nothing of interest. Perhaps a few roe deer that run off as I approach or a fox skulking by a distant hedgerow. I regularly see birds, but most are small and skittish and have moved on before I can lift my camera. Once in a while, though, I get to see a true spectacle. Continue reading “Bean Goose Migration” →

Common Buzzard | www.junemolloy.com
Wild Lithuania

A Buzzard Soars

June

Our house is nestled at the edge of our village, facing out onto fields and forests for as far as the eye can see. Sitting in my front room, I regularly see buzzards swooping and soaring over the fields. Generally, they are quite far in the distance, but occasionally they do come quite close. I was lucky once to be in the garden, camera in hand, when one flew over the house. Most of the time, though, they are gone from range before I have time to grab my camera. Continue reading “A Buzzard Soars” →

Snowy Lane, Lithuania | www.junemolloy.com
Wild Lithuania

Snowy Lanes

June

Between the mists and the snow, the roads look endless. Oh, to drive forever on such roads, the crunch of snow beneath my wheels, the cold air pouring through the open windows as I dare not miss a single sight. The countryside is already beautiful, but under a thick blanket of snow, it is magical. Continue reading “Snowy Lanes” →

Wild Boar Nighttime Feeding, Lithuania | www.junemolloy.com
Wild Lithuania

Wild Boar Feeding Project, Tauragė (Lithuania)

June

Oh, the joy! Oh, the sweet, sweet joy! Finally, after years of searching and waiting, I got to see a wild boar in the flesh. But not just one boar – a whole sounder (group) of sows and piglets! And the experience was everything I hoped it would be! Continue reading “Wild Boar Feeding Project, Tauragė (Lithuania)” →

Sparkling Spider's Web | www.junemolloy.com
Wild Lithuania

Sparkling Webs

June

There is something soothing about September. After the build-up of spring and the crescendo of summer, things are slowly starting to wind down. The ouch is gone out of the sun but it is still warm enough to be outside, sometimes even in shorts and a t-shirt. The evenings are noticeably shorter but there is still enough light to walk the dog after dinner. By 9 pm it is fully dark, perfect for settling down with a good book or a movie without the guilty feeling that you should be doing something more “constructive”. Continue reading “Sparkling Webs” →

Common Cranes (Grus Grus) | www.junemolloy.com
Wild Lithuania

Cranes in the Mist

June

It appears our area is a congregation site for common cranes (grus grus) – thousands of them gather each autumn in the fields around our village, getting ready for the long flight south. They are a little skittish, so getting close can be tricky, but they are a magnificent sight to behold.
Continue reading “Cranes in the Mist” →

Hoopoe (Upupa epops) | www.junemolloy.com
Wild Lithuania

Hoopoe (Kukutis)

June

It was very misty this morning and I didn’t have a great sleep last night, so when I saw this guy on the garden fence I was certain I was seeing things. Unfortunately, he flew off before I could grab my binoculars. But later, when I went out to the bin, I spotted him again and managed to grab my camera before he flew off. I think this is the most beautiful bird I have ever seen “in the flesh”! Continue reading “Hoopoe (Kukutis)” →

Red Deer Stags | www.guardianofgiria.com
Wild Lithuania

Red Deer Antlers: Annual Regrowth

June

A red deer stag with a massive crown of antlers is a very impressive sight. And indeed, that is part of their function – to make the stag look more impressive to the ladies. It takes a lot of testosterone to grow those antlers and it takes a lot of food to nourish them, so large antlers are a good indication of the virility and strength of the male. Unfortunately for the stags, they lose their antlers every year and then grow a new set. And while they’re between sets of antlers, they look just like the girls!
Continue reading “Red Deer Antlers: Annual Regrowth” →