Estonia lives up to expectations

The latest copy of 'The Comma' - the BC regional magazine for the West Midlands - has an article on our Butterfly trip to Estonia this year.  You can view the article by searching for The Comma issue 83 (the article is on p.22).

Autumn migration started and Eagle Club migration map has upgraded

Since 2005 the Estonian Ornithological Society and the Eagle Club have placed satellite and GPS receivers on birds. Receivers are placed on the birds primarily for the purpose of researching the species and organising protection. All of these birds have also been named.

Osprey, Pandion haliaetus / Urmas Sellis

From mid of July started autumn season on migration map. Migration map has upgraded, though the changes are not well visible - there are added new players, Opreys of ESTLAT project and completely new species - White-tailed Eagle. Probably all birds we can follow this year are by now visible on migration map. You can see four new juvenile Cranes (Ahja3, Juula2, Kadaja ja Hauka), of who at least tree are turned to migrate southwards. From the numbered territories there are juveniles tracked also in past years. For example, Ahja2 got transmitter 2011 and accordingly spent this summer at border area between Belarus and Ukraine. Cranes are tracked by Estonian University of Life Sciences.

White-tailed Eagle Nimeta (No Name, yet) was rehabilitated in Vet Clinicum and realized in Eastern Estonia. He did not move lot during a week, but then started to fly north. He was found in Finnish Gulf and we can assume he returns there. We will see, if he was breeding already somewhere... Nimeta is tracked with support of voluntary donations.

Very interesting is a track of Piret the Osprey. By some reason she returned from Sudan border back to north. Another Osprey of ESTLAT Eagles project Ilze stops for longer time in Hungary, Hortobagy National Park. The male Osprey Eriks stops in Bulgaria, but Estonian Ilmar is still at breeding grounds. Also Lesser Spotted Eagles start to migrate.

Click here to see Migration map

Source: Eagle Club

Sügisränne on alanud ja Kotkaklubi rändekaart on uuenenud

Eesti Ornitoloogiaühing ja Kotkaklubi on varustanud linde satelliit- ja GPS-saatjatega alates 2005. aastast. Saatjatega varustamine toimub eelkõige nende liikide kaitse parandamise eesmärgil. Kõik need linnud on saanud endale ka nimed.

Kalakotkas, Pandion haliaetus / Urmas Sellis

Juuli keskpaigast algas rändekaardil sügis. Lindude rändekaardil on toimunud muutused, mida ehk esmapilgul ei märkagi - lisandunud on uued tegelased, ESTLAT projekti kalakotkad ja päris uue liigina merikotkad. Rändekaardile on kantud praeguseks tõenäoliselt kõik linnud, keda sel aastal näidata saab. Uutena on ilmunud nähtavale Maaülikooli sookure töörühma poolt jälgitavad neli noort sookurge (Ahja3, Juula2, Kadaja ja Hauka), kellest vähemalt kolm on ka tänaseks rändele asunud. Numbritega territooriumitelt on ka varem noorlinde jälgitud, näiteks Ahja2 sai mullu jälgimisseadme ja toimetas terve viimase suve Valgevene-Ukraina piiril.

Nimeta merikotkas, kes oli ravil Maaülikooli Loomakliinikus asus pärast nädalast passimist Emajõe-Suursoos põhja poole liikuma. Ta leiti Soome lahest ja võib arvata, et sinnakanti ta ka tagasi läheb. Saame näha, kas ta oli enne hätta sattumist pesitseja või veel mitte... Tema saatja kulud kaetakse vabatahtlike annetuste abil.

Huvitav on kalakotkas Pireti teekond. Millegi pärast pöördus ta enne Sudaani piiri ületamist tagasi põhja suunas. Võimalik, et liivatorm tuli vastu või muud taolist. Igatahes nii pikka tagasilendu rände ajal pole varem jälgitud lindude puhul olnud. Teine ESTLAT Eagles projekti kalakotkas Ilze peatub Ungaris Hortobagy Rahvuspargi piiril. Läti isalind Eriks peatub Bulgaarias, aga meie Ilmar pole veel rändele asunud. Ka konnakotkad hakkavad reisima.

Lindude teekonda lõunasse saad jälgida Rändekaardilt

Allikas: Kotkaklubi

The Winners of the Questionnaire in British Birdfair 2012

For the second time Estonian Nature Tours offered a possibility to win a dream wildlife holiday to Estonia in British Birdfair 2012 and on our webpage as well. Estonian Nature Tours wishes to thank everyone who completed our questionnaire and took part in the prize draw. 

All together our questionnaire was filled in by 29 people, 12 of them gave right answers to all the questions and therefore gained the right to participate in our drawing.

We are delighted to announce the winners:

Grand Prize: Birdwatching holiday Estonia- A Shelter For Western Taiga Forest Birds. Price 860 € - Mr Barthorpe

Lot 1: Brown Bear tracking and watching. Price 100 € - Mrs Hall
Lot 2: Flying Squirrel Study trip. Price 100 € - Mr Rutt

Lot 3: Beaver boat-trip. Price 85 € - Mr Chew

Congratulations to everyone!

We asked all nature lovers to read carefully our homepage www.naturetours.ee or read up on the brochure "ESTONIA – the heart of European wildlife" You have now excellent opportunity to get acquainted to Estonia’s nature.

  

Photo: Greg Funnell

Click here to see Greg Funnell gallery, Estonia in Autumn 2011

Musical slaidshow - Estonia in July 2011

Photos: Andrea Broughton & John Bridges