12月の十勝。まだ雪もなく。からっからです。
それでも朝の気温はマイナス10度。指先が冷たくて、痛いのを我慢しながらの朝のモモンガたちとのコミュニケーション。それもまた12月、冬ってものです。
Tokachi in December. There's still no snow. It's dry.
But the morning temperature is minus 10 degrees. My fingertips are cold and I have to bear the pain while communicating with the flying squirrels in the morning. That's also December, that's winter.
まだ雪のない十勝の畑には、とうもろこしの落穂をもとめてハクチョウやタンチョウがあちこちで見ることができます。十勝川では海から遡上した鮭をもとめてオオワシがいました。鮭の遡上が少ないようで、ワシの数も少ない様子でした。
In the fields of Tokachi, where there is still no snow, swans and red-crowned cranes can be seen everywhere, searching for fallen corn ears. In the Tokachi River, there were Steller's sea eagles searching for salmon that had migrated upstream from the sea. There seemed to be few salmon migrating upstream, and so there seemed to be few eagles.
エゾモモンガたちの活動は、いくつかの巣穴を回って様子を見ていますが、今年は安定している日が続いています。朝は、日の出前の６時から６時半ころ。夕暮れは、日没後の１５：４５から１６：１５分ころが、モモンガの時間です。早起きはもうだいぶ慣れましたが、藍色の朝焼けの始まる美しさをみると眠さも吹っ飛びます。
I've been observing the activities of the Siberian flying squirrels by visiting several nests, and this year the activity has been stable. In the morning, they are around 6:00 to 6:30 before sunrise. In the evening, the flying squirrels are around 15:45 to 16:15 after sunset. I've gotten used to getting up early, but seeing the beauty of the indigo blue sunrise makes all my sleepiness disappear.
モモンガたちも徐々に私の存在を受け入れてくれたようで、距離が近くなりました。シーズン初めは、モモンガたちもおっかなびっくりで、緊張している様子でしたが、最近は、全く私には無関心。枝に乗って毛繕いや、夢中でカラマツの冬芽を食べていたり。自然な姿を観察できるようになりました。可愛いものです。
The flying squirrels gradually accepted my presence, and we became closer. At the beginning of the season, the flying squirrels seemed scared and nervous, but recently they have shown no interest in me. They climb onto the branches to groom themselves, or enthusiastically eat the winter buds of the larch trees. I have been able to observe them in their natural state. They are so cute.
こんな感じで冬が少しづつ深まりながら、雪が地面覆い、モモンガの頭に雪の結晶がのっかる日を楽しみに、毎日の観察とガイドに努めます。
As winter deepens in this way, I will continue to observe and guide the animals every day, looking forward to the day when snow covers the ground and snowflakes will appear on the flying squirrels' heads.
