The MURA River The Cradle of Life documentary HD (2011)

the Warm Springs Sun has melted the last patches of smell the air smells like springtime the common smell drops the first harbinger of spring sprout from the earth a new circle of life begins around the motor river awaking thousands of flowers sprouts and connecting various animal species a new generation of descendants will rise from the arms of the water river as it did many times before we invite you to discover the embankment of the motor river and gain an insight into this beautiful circle of life we are aware of the fact that frogs are green but can they also be blue of course one of the exceptions is the male more frog being brown during most of the year it becomes provokingly blue during the spawning season it gathers in low and overgrown ox bows near the Mora River making loud noises to attract females soon after the Frog has laid eggs tadpoles mature and grow into a new generation by autumn the diverse water land surrounding the Morra River represents a valuable habitat to other amphibians like newts toads and grain frogs when holding the camera underwater we could discover frog spawn of the European tree frog feeling we've encountered a large amount of the common toads frog spawn on a shore of the gravel pit the common toad is the first among others in Slovenia that awakens out of the hibernation and lays the frogs born simultaneously we can observe the male toads which are only starting to prepare for the spawning season the grey heron is circling elegantly above the poplars it nests in groups of tens of pairs the nest lies in the treetops the breeding season begins in early spring before the trees become green the colonies are most lively when the young which are constantly fed by the parents are maturing the feeling process is accompanied by loud shrieking so the colonies are always very vivid the nest activity can also be observed on the ground the plants are covered with white excrements and axles can be found between the leaves our journey takes us further to the meadows of daffodils in the 19th century the post daffodils extended along the river from Gordon el gouna to Aris Krisha in the beginning of May thousands of flowers whitened the landscape due to intensive cultivation jung-in with manuals fertilizers and frequent mowing the daffodils have become rare and endangered nowadays they can be found only near vajay there we can admire their elegant blossoms along with other metal plants this place enables us to realize that extensive meadows are a real treasure of biodiversity one of the interesting inhabitants of Meadows are butterflies during our visit we can admire the clouded Apollo which can be identified by its white wings covered with black spots it's smaller and less colorful than its more known relative the mountain Apollo the clouded Apollo most lives in mountain areas and is also typical of the lowland around the Morra River females can be identified by their mating plug near their abdomen flying in an upright position with widely spread wings they eliminate pheromones that attract males if the mating is successful the eggs will be laid on a suitable nutritive plant this way a future generation will be ensured another interesting experience will be the visit to the Groves nears Gordon a canoe ship since we'll be able to see the southern festoon one of the most beautiful butterflies belonging to the peculiar leader a family the southern festoon can easily be identified by its yellow black pattern with few red spots sitting on blades of grass with its wings widely spread it Basques in the spring Sun if we're lucky we'll be able to witness the female during the process of laying eggs on the leaves of the European birth word a nutritive plant for caterpillars unfortunately the southern festoons are becoming more and more endangered since the meadows are often deserted what would be necessary is nothing more than constant traditional mowing as The Meadows are becoming warmer it'll be quite pleasant to continue our journey through the nearby wood before entering we can observe the hairy lungwort which only grows in the lowlands of Eastern Slovenia the flat groves are extending along the motor River in the form of a narrow belt which is the remainder of a large lowland forests situated within agricultural land the groves represent an oasis of life and the backbone of ecological stability of the entire area we are currently standing in a Grove overgrown by Oaks and beaches typical of this area are also depend on keyless oak the European hornbeam and the white elm in the air is a scent of garlic which is spread by ransoms or bears garlic its white flower head attracts various insects the colorful undergrowth is supplemented by the morning Widow and the yellow Archangel The Silence of the oak wood is suddenly interrupted by loud shrieking with some efforts we find a source the middle spotted woodpecker which is typical of this area but also rare and endangered as all woodpecker species could excavate some nests code to lay eggs after the incubation the breed is constantly fed with insects which are found on or underneath the bark another inhabitant of the oak woods is the stag beetle one of the most known bugs since every schoolboy or schoolgirl can identify it by its large mandibles less is known about its way of living the larva can be found in oak trunks eating wood and boring wide and long tunnels the development from a larva to a grown bug takes up to four years while walking the path through the wood we are slowly approaching the river the structure of the wood is gradually changing as we're crossing the Oxbow we arrive in groves overgrown by willows typical of this area is the white willow as well as the black and white poplar in many places we can observe the European ash and the Norway maple mighty trees with giant trunks and widely spread branches make us feel like being in a mysterious jungle such conditions are suitable for our largest wood mushroom the sulfur shelf which can be found on the Willows trunk the wild Arum having softly shaped tubes which surround the column like shaped inflorescence can be seen in the undergrowth the ostrich firm which has caught the camera's attention with its beautiful and funnel shaped leaves grows most beautifully in the flood groves we are now at the embankment of the Mora River where we can see it's channel with rapid pools gravel pits side branches and expose in Slovenia the river is known as a typical lowland river with typical meanders flowing East where is its source and where do its waves disappear the source of the Mora River which is 1898 metres above sea level lies within the war-torn National Park in Austria after 444 kilometers in lagarde Croatia it flows into the Drava River we are enchanted by the murmur of the crystal clear and cold water that rapidly flows over a rock shelf and gently the daily moments after its source higher up the slope there are several minor sources tiny silver jets are emerging into a larger current that joins the main channel after a waterfall again let's focus on the lowland part of the Morra River its groves gravel pits and ox boughs we follow the river further east where the meanders disappear beyond the horizon only now we can become aware of the perfection and mystery of its water cycle its currents will join with others and flow into the sea The Sun heats to sea water evaporates into the sky where it condenses into clouds the water falls back until the Alps as rain beneath the steep slopes the water reaches the source the river is reborn and flows directly to the lowlands of primordia in order to water its groves quench the birds thirst and fill the springs this beautiful water cycle enables the preservation of extraordinary natural resources of the modern river within this area we can find tens of different environments which are habitats to hundreds of botanical and animal species since several are in danger of extinction this environment is the last hope for survival due to the immense environmental significance the Mora river is defined as area nature mm it is part of the European Network the conservation of significant areas moreover the Murrah River is part of the UNESCO program Mura Brava Danube biosphere which is being realized in five neighboring countries having such high natural potential the motor River and its surrounding land has great opportunities for natural continual development and to become real European ecoregion the Murrah river is inhabited to another endangered species the Kingfisher which is a real jewel like a shiny arrow having the color of an emerald it shoots above the river and suddenly dives under the water surface when in sight it holds a fish in its beak truly an extraordinary fish on its nest lies at the end of an almost metre long tunnel dug into a steep sandy shore where it can peacefully breed its young near the tunnel it chooses a high fork branch in order to observe the surrounding area steep and unregulated banks of the Morra river or its side branches and ox bows are the kingfishers true natural environment expose our River lakes formed during greater floods when the river changes its current at first the remainders of the old channel are still connected to the river through side branches eventually they are separated which leads to the formation of lakes expose represent the natural habitat and fibia pnes and various other organisms that need still and stagnant water for their survival Oxbow situated in the wood are shaded only little light reaches the water surface consequently only few botanical species can survive in such environment the surface of an ox bell in the wood Moscoe Shuma is covered by a green carpet the spotless water meal among typical species we have also encountered the tiny barely 2 millimeter large leaves belonging to the smallest duckweed and the smallest flowering plant in Slovenia in order to find and admire its flowers we would need a glass lens or even a microscope expose in the open are shown on through the whole day consequently there are present a habitat to more diverse botanical species than the previously mentioned while the embankment shoals are covered with reeds and rush we can find a variety of interesting plants on the water surface there is the European white and yellow water lily the embankment offers shelter to the European frog bit one of the most interesting plants is the floating water mousse being the only one in the country it grows on the water surface the roots are situated under water such water environment is a true paradise for frogs which can remain in the Sun for hours and hours midsummer is also the appropriate time for watching the dragonflies we were able to see the four spotted chaser which beautifully exposed itself the old and shallow ox bows provide a suitable environment for the extraordinary water soldier its shape resembling an agave rather than the typical plants the narrow green leaves are covered with spines and arranged in the shape of a funnel its roots are floating in the water and growing out of the lower part of the plant when the water level rises they transform to floating plants which can entirely cover the water surface if the water level declines they strand on the dirty ground and continue to grow as land plants to a certain extent smaller gravel pits especially those having gently sloping riverbanks and folds can form at the same locations as those containing River branches within several years they become a vegetation rich habitat teeming with water birds they usually include the mallard the common coot and swans the great grass did Ghraib is a much more rarely spotted bird it builds nests that float in water in order to protect them from floods as soon as we glanced under the water surface an amazing sight awaits us among the many varieties of fish will often find the pumpkin seed a brightly colored species of fish it was brought from America to Europe in 1887 and has since then been regarded as an invasive species in the 1960s the signal crayfish was brought from America to Europe and has lived in the Morel River and its affluence ever since stemming from the Indian subcontinent the Himalayan Balsam grows in many areas of the river bank it is an annual growing in lush areas and can be recognized by its typically large pink blossoms it usually grows near the yellow colored canada goldenrod invasive non-native species have been outgrowing the native ones which may pose a serious threat with regard to health economy and environment due to accumulated slime on the ground the ox bows are becoming shallow and a slowly transforming to marshes at the last stage they turn into land and the only remainder of a river is an insignificant basin the ox bows are gradually dying off consequently various species lose their habitat due to fortification of Shores and building downs the Mora River cannot change its current and does not shape the ox bellies in order to prevent such a valuable natural environment the old ox pose can be renewed by deepening and connecting them with the main channel through the past years the project by Omaha has renewed some of these exposed by building water tooths to redirect the water to the old channels the European beaver weighing up to 30 kilograms and being approximately one meter long is the largest European rodent being extinct in Slovenia in the second half of the 18th century it luckily began to spontaneously populate Slovenian rivers after 1998 first it populated the kolba River followed by the drama River during the last several years it has also been spotted along the mana river the easiest way to track a beaver is by searching the typically shaped tree trunks from which they build their homes known as lodges branches and Trunks are placed on the shore the beaver construct a cavity within the pile that can be reached through several hidden tunnels that can be entered underwater the beaver is most popular for building dams it's masterpieces can now be admired on the motor river and its side branches our visit to the beaver dams was marked by the approaching autumn migratory birds have already left the region the trees are changing their colors and leaves are planing the wind the nature started preparing for the wintry rest as if being overwhelmed by the summer and in need of a short break in order for a new evolutionary cycle to begin in spring I'll stroll along the Murray River has come to an end we invite you to visit the river again in order to learn about it and gain new experience you may also support our efforts to keep the river unharmed the Mora River is endangered and it needs friends

Channel: idea televizija

Views: 71,237

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Id: bu3UDMYRSqA

Length: 30min 2sec (1802 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 06 2015