Aasta loom 2013 on hunt

Eesti Terioloogia Selts, Looduskalender, Looduse Omnibuss, Eesti Looduskaitse Selts, Eestimaa Looduse Fond, Eesti Metsaselts, Tallinna Loomaaed, Eesti Loodusmuuseum ja ajakiri Loodusesõber on esimest korda valinud aasta looma ning aastal 2013 on selleks meie looduse värvikamaid kujusid – kardetud ja austatud metsavalitseja hunt. 

 Hunt (Canis lupus) / Valeri Štšerbatõh

Eestimaal elab lisaks inimesele üle kuuekümne imetajaliigi ning meie rikkalik loomariik vajab suuremat tähelepanu. Nüüdse algatuse eesmärgiks ongi tutvustada loomariiki, alustades hundiga, kes tekitab paljudes inimestes vastuolulisi tundeid. Ettevaatlik, harva kohatav lausa vajab algatuse organiseerijate sõnul lähemat kajastamist läbi aasta. Hunt on selleks justkui loodud – tema roll looduses on üheselt mõtestatav. Hunti kutsutakse metsa sanitariks, sest ta kütib haigeid või vigaseid loomi ning piirab näriliste ja sõraliste arvukust. Hundiuurija Ilmar Rootsi pajatab, et aasta looma – kriimsilma on meie esivanemad pidanud tähtsaimaks loomaks metsas. 

 Hunt (Canis lupus) / Toomas Tuul

Viimaste loendusandmete järgi elab meie metsades kokku 31 hundipesakonda ja nende arvukus on viimastel aastatel püsinud stabiilselt 200 looma ringis. Alates 2011. aastast, kui hundid asusid elama ka Hiiu- ja Saaremaale, leidub neid kõigis Eesti maakondades. 

 Hundi käpajälg / Greg Funnell

Hunt on peamiselt ööloom, tema tegutsemisrütm võib varieeruda sõltuvalt elupaigast ja aastaajast. Elupaigana väldib hunt lausmetsa ja eelistab avamaastikku, kuna sealsed küttimistingimused on paremad. Eesti aladel võib hunti rohkem kohata võsastikes ja rabades. Hundid elavad eri eluperioodidel kas karjas või paaridena.

Hunt (Canis lupus) / Sven Zacek

Loe veel hundiaastast Looduskalendri lehelt...

Vaata ka metsakaamera otsestriimi...

British newspaper suggests Estonia as excellent wildlife holiday destination

In the beginning of January, one of the most influential daily papers in Great Britain, The Guardian, suggested birding and mammal watching holidays with Estonian Nature Tours as one of the best holiday options for 2013.  In the article  “20 of the best bargain holidays in Europe for 2013” journalists throw out 20 bargain alternatives for those who get bored hanging around at the beach on their vacation. The quality newspaper describes Estonia as a country with some of the best preserved wildlife and nature of Europe. 

The Guardian is the 3rd most popular newspaper in Great Britain (average daily circulation of 210 000, followers in FB 465 000) while the online version is the 2nd most popular. 

The Guardian about Estonia:

Birds and beasts, Estonia

One of Europe's great unsung hotspots for wildlife, the Estonian countryside boasts Pygmy Owl, Black Stork and the wonderful Steller's Eider. If birdwatching is not your thing, mix and match some Brown Bear or Raccoon Dog tracking, an Elk and Wild Boar safari, a Beaver boat trip and, brilliantly, an expedition to watch Flying Squirrels. 

• Three-day birdwatching tours from €395, including two nights' DB&B, guide and transport; one- and two-day animal watching trips from €55 with Estonian Nature Tours (+372 477 8214, naturetours.ee). EasyJet and Ryanair fly to Tallinn from various UK airports

Birds and beasts, Estonia...

Bargain tours & Sheduled trips...

Click to see our Newsletter Winter 2013...

Client comment:

„The organisation was smooth and flawless, the accommodation as comfortable as could be wished, and the Estonian cuisine, both picnic-style and in dining-halls, was delightful. Most important of all, of course, were the birds...  Much of this was due to the excellent knowledge and skills of the tour leader, Mati Kose. His expertise and ornithological knowledge was quite breath-taking at times, and his command of English was so great... Another aspect of Mati's leadership was his extensive knowledge of Estonian history and life, which he enthusiastically communicated wherever appropriate. I especially enjoyed the evening meal that was taken at an 18th century German manor-house, and the interesting talk given by the owner... It would be really pleasing to have these positive comments go on the record.
The overall result is that I am now quite a fan of Estonia generally, and shall certainly by trying to go back, perhaps as soon as next year.“ J-M. C-E / UK, May 2012, Naturetrek

Estonia is selected one of the 30 world's most dramatic locations for bird migration

Book 'Migration Hotspots' by British author, Tim Harris, takes a look at 30 of the world's most dramatic locations for bird migration. 

To Estonian readers by Tim Harris:

Estonia has been chosen to appear among the elite of migration locations for its amazing spring and autumn passage of birds, involving millions of wildfowl and waders flying along the coast between the Baltic Sea and breeding grounds on the Arctic tundra. 

Penijõe tower / Kaarel Kaisel

And also for the almost unbelievable scale of the songbird movement through the country each autumn. Of course the wetlands around the Estonian coast are also among the final spring destinations for many ducks, herons and warblers. 

Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis) / Kaarel Kaisel

Common Granes (Grus grus) / Ivar Ojaste

And that same coast is superb in winter for its congregations of wildfowl, including the Steller's Eider, now considered a Vulnerable species by BirdLife International. Estonia is a crucial country for birds and should be on every birder's itinerary.

Steller's Eider (Polysticta stelleri) / Jari Peltomäki

These range from raptor 'bottlenecks'  such as Veracruz in Mexico and the Strait of Messina in Italy to places like Beidaihe in China and Point Pelee in Canada, where spectacular arrivals of songbirds take place. Find out more in 'Migration Hotspots'.

Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) / Jari Peltomäki

Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) / Remo Savisaar

The book covers each of the world's major avian flyways and features stunning photography throughout. The geographical reasons for the importance of each hotspot are explained, with a summary of the different birds that pass through and the best times of the year to see them. An introductory chapter that summarises birds' migration strategies is also added. n Estonia the special attention is focused to Matsalu National Park, but brief overview is also given about other important key areas, such as Sõrve, Kabli, Põõsaspea and Mehikoorma. Estonian texts are compiled with the assistance of Tarvo Valker and Marika Mann, illustrative photographs were purchased by Estonian Nature Tours.

The book will be published in August and will first be available at the British Birdfair 2013 at Rutland Water. It will be available from bookshops and online from Bloomsbury. 

Eesti on valitud 30 maailma kõige parema linnurände piirkonna hulka

Briti autori Tim Harrise raamat “Migration Hotspots” (“Rände tulipunktid”) võtab vaatluse alla 30 maailma kõige olulisemat linnurände piirkonda. 

Tim Harris Eesti lugejale:

Eesti on valitud rändepaikade paremiku hulka tänu erakordsele kevadisele ja sügisesele lindude läbirändele, kui miljonid veelinnud ja kahlajad liiguvad piki Läänemere rannikut pesitsusaladele arktilises tundras ja tagasi. 

 Penijõe vaatetorn / Kaarel Kaisel

Teine põhjus on peaaegu uskumatult massiline värvuliste sügisränne läbi terve Eesti. Loomulikult on ka ranniku piirkonnas asuvad märgalad kevadeti suure hulga partide, haigrute ja värvuliste sihtkohaks.

Valgepõsk-lagled (Branta leucopsis) / Kaarel Kaisel

Sookured (Grus grus) / Ivar Ojaste

Rannikumeri on põnev ka talvel, kui sinna kogunevad talvituvad veelinnud, nende hulgas ka linnukaitse organisatsiooni Birdlife International poolt ohualtiks liigiks kuulutatud kirjuhahk. Seega: Eesti on lindude osas ülioluline maa ja peaks olema iga linnuhuvilise reisikavas. 

Kirjuhahk (Polysticta stelleri) / Jari Peltomäki

Samasse kategooriasse kuuluvad veel röövlindude “pudelikaelad” Veracruz Mehhikos ja Messina väin Itaalias, aga ka niisugused linnualad nagu Beidaihe Hiinas ja Point Pelee Kanadas, kus leiavad aset erakordsed laululindude saabumised. Otsige lisa raamatust “Migration Hotspots”.

Männileevike (Pinicola enucleator) / Jari Peltomäki

Vöötkakk (Surnia ulula) / Remo Savisaar

Raamat käsitleb kõiki maailma olulisemaid lindude rändeteid ning on illustreeritud hingematvate fotodega. Käsitletud on kõigi rände pudelikaelte olulisuse geograafilisi põhjuseid koos kokkuvõttega erinevatest läbirändavatest lindudest ja parimatest vaatlusaegadest. Sissejuhatav peatükk võtab kokku ka erinevad lindude rändestrateegiad. Eestist saab peatähelepanu osaliseks Matsalu rahvuspark, kuid lühike ülevaade antakse ka teistest Eesti parimatest rändevaatluskohtadest, nagu Sõrve, Kabli, Põõsaspea ja Mehikoorma. Eesti tekste aitasid koostada Tarvo Valker ja Marika Mann, tekste illustreerivad fotod ostis Estonian Nature Tours.

Raamat näeb trükivalgust augustis ja tuleb esmakordselt müügile British Birdfair 2013 linnumessil. Raamat tuleb müügile ka raamatupoodidesse ning Bloomsbury kaudu saab seda osta onlinest. 

Estonian Nature Tours makes its entry to Italian market

EBN Italia – one of the leading birders’ associations in Italy – advertizes right on the homepage of their site Estonian Nature Tours’s birding tour to Estonia.

EBN Italia has started right now a new section dedicated to bird trips abroad. Trips for birders who want to travel across Europe to see target species and to enjoy new landscapes. The idea is targeted to the members of the birders’ organization, while the decisive points of the travel agents’ choice are high standards of  competence and the best  Quality/Cost Ratio. The very first choice of destination was Estonia. The tour will take place in early June and the guide will be Tarvo Valker.  The interest towards the tour is generally high.

 

Red-breasted Flycatcher (Ficedula parva) / Valeri Štšerbatõh
 

EBN Italia about Estonia:

Estonia is the European country with one of the lowest people density in a still intact territory, featured by European taiga. Target species of pur trip are   Blyth's River Warbler, Great Snipe, Ural Owl. River Warbler, Citrine Wagtail, Red-breasted Flycatcher,  Greenish Warbler, White-backed Woodpecker, Scarlet Rosefinch, Thrush Nightingale, Hazel Grouse, Capercaille.

 

Ural Owl (Strix uralensis) / Chris van Rijswijk

The latest copy of 'Quaderni di Birdwatching' – the best known edition dedicated to the topic of birdwatching in Italy – published an article about Estonian birds and mammals (text: Tarvo Valker, Marika Mann). 'Quaderni di Birdwatching' is a magazine of EBN Italia. EBN Italia is a leader association for birding in Italy. You can view the article here... 



 

Estonian Nature Tours siseneb Itaalia turule

EBN Italia – Itaalia linnuühenduste liider – reklaamib oma kodulehe avaküljel Estonian Nature Tours´i linnureisi Eestisse.     

EBN Italia tuli nädal tagasi välja uue ideega alustades linnureiside korraldamist väljapoole Itaaliat. Idee on suunatud linnuorganisatsiooni liikmetele, reisikorraldajate valikul on määravaks pädevus ning hinna ja kvaliteedi parim suhe. Sihtriigina langes esimesena valik Eestile. Reis toimub juuni algul, juhendajaks on Tarvo Valker. Huvi reisi vastu on suur.     

 Väike-kärbsenäpp (Ficedula parva) / Valeri Štšerbatõh

Linnuajakiri 'Quaderni di Birdwatching' avaldas viimases numbris artikli Eesti lindudest ja loomadest. Teksti autorid on Tarvo Valker ja Marika Mann. 'Quaderni di Birdwatching' on Itaalia juhtiv linnuajakiri, mis ilmub 3-4 korda aastas. Ajakirja annab välja EBN Italia. Loe artiklit siit...

Händkakk (Strix uralensis) / Chris van Rijswijk

Butterfly holidays 2013

One of the tours is already fully booked, another runs from the Tue 02nd July – Tue 09th July. It is an 8-day wildlife holiday in search of the butterflies and moths of Estonia, amongst them a fine selection of rare species such as Baltic Grayling, Scarce Heath, Scarce Fritillary, Frigga's Fritillary, Bog Fritillary, Cranberry Blue, Clouded Apollo, Northern Chequered Skipper, Poplar Admiral etc.

Trip: Butterfly Holiday 2013
Period: Tue 02nd July- Tue 09th July
Group size: 6/10 pax
Grading: Day walks only, for all ages
Accommodation: Comfortable hotel with private facilities
Food: Restaurants and local farms
Leaders: Peeter Vissak & Wilfred Powell (UK)
Extensions: Cultural/sightseeing extensions available on request
Local oganizer / agent: Estonian Nature Tours

Price: 1125 EUR per person
Single suppl. 205 EUR

Includes:
English- Estonian speaking guide(s)  troughout the journey, Beaver safari (2-4 boats), 7 dinners and 6 lunches, ferry tickets, 14-seats bus with driver. Entrance fees to protected areas. Guided tour in Tallin Old Town, transfer to the airport on last day. Accommodation.

Excludes:
Beverages and sauna. International tickets. Lunch in Tallinn on last day (everyone can walk and eat by theirselves before the transfer to the Airport).

For Tour itinerary, plus booking details, terms and conditions please phone or e-mail us:
Tel: +372 5349 6695 / E-mail: info@naturetours.ee

Woodland Brown (Lopinga achine) / Wilfred Powell

The latest newsletter of the Bedfordshire Natural History Society has an article on our Butterfly trip to Estonia last year. You can view the article by searching for "Wild about Beds" No.165 (the article "Butterflies in Estonia" is on p.8). 

 Amanda´s Blue (Polyommatus amandus) / Wilfred Powell

The first two butterfly tours in Estonia organised by Estonian Nature Tours for UK butterfly enthusiasts took place in early June and July last year and proved a great success. Both group leaders plan to revisit Estonia in 2013 with more butterfly lovers. Read more...

Poplar Admiral (Liminitis populi) / Wilfred Powell

The Guardian soovitab ühe parema puhkusevõimalusena aastaks 2013 Estonian Nature Tours´i linnu- või loomavaatlusretke

Suurbritannia üks mõjukamaid ajalehti The Guardian soovitas reedeses numbris Euroopa ühe parema puhkusevõimalusena Estonian Nature Tours´i linnu- või loomavaatlusretke Eestisse. Artiklis “20 of the best bargain holidays in Europe for 2013” pakuvad ajakirjanikud välja 20 soodsat alternatiivi neile, kellel on puhkuse ajal rannas vedelemisest kõrini. Kvaliteetajaleht iseloomustab Eestit kui üht paremini säilinud metsiku loodusega maad Euroopas.

The Guardian paberleht on Suurbritannias oma lugejaskonnaga (tiraaž päevas ligemale 210 000, Facebookis jälgijaid 465 000) kolmandal kohal ja veebiajaleht teisel kohal. 

Loe lähemalt Birds and beasts, Estonia...

Bargain tours & Sheduled trips...

Click to see our Newsletter Winter 2013...

Client comment:

„The organisation was smooth and flawless, the accommodation as comfortable as could be wished, and the Estonian cuisine, both picnic-style and in dining-halls, was delightful. Most important of all, of course, were the birds...  Much of this was due to the excellent knowledge and skills of the tour leader, Mati Kose. His expertise and ornithological knowledge was quite breath-taking at times, and his command of English was so great... Another aspect of Mati's leadership was his extensive knowledge of Estonian history and life, which he enthusiastically communicated wherever appropriate. I especially enjoyed the evening meal that was taken at an 18th century German manor-house, and the interesting talk given by the owner... It would be really pleasing to have these positive comments go on the record.
The overall result is that I am now quite a fan of Estonia generally, and shall certainly by trying to go back, perhaps as soon as next year.“ J-M. C-E / UK, May 2012, Naturetrek

Bird of the Year 2013 is Grey Partridge

Estonian Ornithological Society (EOS) has chosen Grey Partridge to be the bird of the year 2013. The habitat of this bird, about the size of a small domestic hen, is mainly in agricultural landscapes, often adjacent to farms, stables and other similar human settlement. Our knowledge about this bird is comparatively modest. The population in Estonia is estimated at 4000 – 8000 pairs, while recent counts reveal a steep fall in number.

 Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) / Tarvo Valker

Declaring Partridge to be the bird of year we can focus more attention on this species and its needs. In addition to several thematic evenings we intent to offer the possibility to enjoy webcam footage of these birds in their winter feeding areas. We also plan to install several nest-cameras to reveal what species have been plundering Partridge’s nests and when.

The Grey Partridge is the 19th Bird of the Year. The main purpose of this is to bring before the public one bird species or species group at one time and involve as many nature-lovers as possible in research and protection activities. Former birds of the year are available on the site of Estonian Ornithological Society.

Source: Estonian Ornithological Society

 

Aasta lind 2013 on nurmkana

Eesti Ornitoloogiaühing on 2013. a. linnuks valinud nurmkana, keda tuntakse ka põldpüü nime all. See väikese kodukana mõõtu lind elab peamiselt kultuurmaastikus ning tegutseb sageli talude, lautade ja muu inimasustuse läheduses. Vaatamata sellele ei teata nurmkanade eluolu kohta kuigi palju. Eestis arvatakse seda liiki pesitsevat 4000 – 8000 paari, kuid uuemad loendusandmed  näitavad, et nurmkanade arvukus on väga tugevalt langenud.   

Nurmkana (Perdix perdix) / Tarvo Valker

Aasta linnu staatus võimaldab selle liigi käekäigule ja hetkeseisundile pöörata käesoleval aastal enam tähelepanu. Mitmete loodusõhtute kõrval on plaanis veebikaamera vahendusel kaasa elada püüpesakonna toimetamistele talvises toitmiskohas. Lisaks on kavas paigaldada pesakaameraid, et selgitada, kes, millal ja missuguses biotoobis rüüstab nurmkanade pesi.  

Nurmkana on 19. aasta lind. Aasta linnu valimise eesmärk on tutvustada avalikkusele üht meil esinevat  linnuliiki või liigirühma ning kaasata loodushuvilisi aasta linnu uurimise ja kaitse tegevustesse. Varasemate  aasta lindudega saab tutvuda Eesti Ornitoloogiaühingu kodulehel.

 Allikas: Eesti Ornitoloogiaühing