Wild moufflons in Small Carpathians
Sunday, May 19 2013
On the third Sunday in May we planned a trip to the Small Carpathians focused not only on nature, but also on the history of this area. The main aim of the trip was to observe wild moufflons (Ovis musimon), which are not native species of our game, but they are the only representatives of sheep in the European wild nature.
The weather was pleasant and the spring sun shone from the early morning. The starting point of our trip was at the village Naháč, were all 10 participants met at 6:00 am. Right in the beginning we had the opportunity to listen to the morning songs of birds. Our way led along a brook, where Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris) bloomed. Later we could admire the WW2 fortification remains and geologically important conglomerates of Jablonica type. After half an hour walk we reached our destination, where we first saw a herd of wild boars (Sus scrofa), which startled a few Red Deer (Cervus elaphus). At the mudhole we made a short break and observed Red Deer, when a female moufflon with a calf appeared. We continued further down the remains of a forest narrow gauge railway, where we could see a nest of Black Stork (Ciconia nigra), grazing Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) and a fox (Vulpes vulpes) chasing mice. Our tour went to the ruins of the Monastery of St. Catherine, where we enjoyed a well-earned rest.
