Clients are talking... Kliendid räägivad...

„It was a very good trip thanks and a good flight back.
Uku worked really hard - we were sometimes out until 9pm and out at 4.30am at times.
Great views of White-backed Woodpecker for all of us as well as surprises such as Brown Bear and a Glaucous Gull past Poosaspea Point.
So many thanks to you and Uku.
Below are White-tailed Eagle in Matsalu Bay, Black Woodpecker near Roosta, Bewicks Swans early in the morning at Poosaspea Point and Grey-headed Woodpecker and female Capercaillie near Tudu“. R.B / April 2014

White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) / Richard Bayldon

Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) / Richard Bayldon

Bewicks Swans (Cygnus bewickii) / Richard Bayldon

 Grey-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus) / Richard Bayldon

Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) / Richard Bayldon

„Just thought I would email to let you know that Bill and I arrived home safely, and we would like to say that we had a wonderful time in Estonia, your tour was perfectly organised, the accommodations were lovely and the food was wonderful, and Margus looked after us all very well, thankyou for suggesting the Ryanair flights and the Ilmarine hotel (which was also excellent) your suggestions made our trip to Estonia possible, please thank Ingrid and Margus for us, and thanks again to you, we are considering returning to Estonia for a spring tour, not sure when, maybe next year, we shall be in touch.“ A&B.G / March 2014

ESTONIA. Nature spectacles before us, just a short flight from the UK

By Luke Massey (UK) / 9-21 March 2014

Estonia is full of surprises, when I visited this winter I expected freezing temperatures and a snow covered landscape. What I was greeted with was a spring like scene; early migrants such as common cranes had already arrived, black grouse were already lekking in incredible numbers and bears were out of hibernation.

My first week was a tropical 10C with no snow, animals were hard to track down and we struggled to get great views of much but we knew that is what nature is all about, an ongoing treasure hunt. We finally got lucky with great views of black woodpecker and pygmy owl, elk began to show themselves throughout the forests.

Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) / Luke Massey

Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium passerinum) / Luke Massey

An evenings search for the rare and hard to find European flying squirrel struck gold, with not one but two individuals flying through the forest, landing feet above our heads. Scuttling up trees and leaping, gliding effortlessly from tree to tree.

Then the snow came, the temperature plummeted and Estonia was blanketed in snow. Animals and birds went into hiding, evading predators and conserving energy. We continued our search and came across black grouse lekking in the middle of a forest track whilst roe deer slinked through the forest, avoiding any predators tracking them through the snow. An elk wasn't so lucky as we found its half eaten body, the victim of a hungry wolf pack.

 

Black Grouses (Tetrao tetrix) / Luke Massey

Early nesting Ural owls left their nest as dusk fell, gliding silently through the forest and perching in front of us. The ploughed fields gave an important food source to the enormous flocks of migrating snow bunting and skylarks. 

Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) / Luke Massey

Further west we came across stubble fields filled with cranes, finches, geese and swans all feeding on the left over grains before moving further north once the weather abated. 

Common Cranes (Grus grus) / Luke Massey

Estonia delivered again, despite interesting weather conditions and elusive creatures. The birds and mammals we saw were amazing. Nature spectacles before us, just a short flight from the UK.

Estonian Nature Tours participated at Intertown Birding Competition

On 30th March Estonian Intertown Birding Competition was taking place 13th time already. Once again the winner was Haapsalu with 79 different bird species. Three different teams were standing for Haapsalu, one of them participated by ENT representatives Marika Mann, Hille Viigipuu and our birding guide Tarvo Valker. This year 21 towns with 116 observers uploaded their data, which broke the record again. Moreover, this year's total result – 118 bird species is the highest number of all times.

Take a look at Haapsalu's gallery...

Watch the video clip at TV3 news ... (begin with 23rd  minute)

Mainly thanks to Tarvo Valker our team had the winning score one in the general account :)

The winning team (from the left): Tarvo Valker, Marika Mann, Hille Viigipuu and Kaia Kukk
Photo: Arvo Tarmula

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Whooper Swan (Pronounced hooper)
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)
Bean Goose (Anser fabalis)
Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)
Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis)
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)

Smew (Mergellus albellus)
Goosander (Mergus merganser)
Hazel Grouse (Tetrastes bonasia)
Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Great Bittern (Botaurus stellaris)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus)
Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)
Common Crane (Grus grus)
Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Mew Gull (Larus canus)
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia)
Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
Wood Lark (Lullula arborea)
Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)
Eurasian Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Hedge Accentor (Prunella modularis)
European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Common Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)
Bearded Tit (Panurus biarmicus)

Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris)
Willow Tit (Poecile montanus)
Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus)
Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus)
Great Tit (Parus major)
Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
Eurasian Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris)
Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
Western Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)
Eurasian Siskin (Carduelis spinus)
Common Linnet (Carduelis cannabina)
Common Redpoll (Carduelis flammea)
Common Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)
Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)

Estonian Nature Tours osales linnadevahelisel linnuvõistlusel

30. märtsil toimus Eestis linnadevaheline linnuvõistlus juba kolmeteistkümnendat korda. Taaskord võitis võistluse Haapsalu linn, kus nähti kokku 79 erinevat linnuliiki. Haapsalu oli esindatud kolme võistkonnaga, ühes võistkonnas osalesid ka ENT töötajad Marika Mann ja Hille Viigipuu ning meie linnugiid Tarvo Valker. Vaatlustulemused edastati seekord 21 linnast ning vaatlejaid oli 116, mis on vaatluspäevade rekordid. Tänavune aasta oli võistluse läbi aegade liigirohkeim – Eestis nähti kokku 118 linnuliiki.

Vaata galeriid Haapsalu võistlusest...

Vaata videoklippi tv3 uudistes... (alusta vaatamist 23-ndast minutist)

Suuresti tänu Tarvo Valkerile :) osutus võistkond võitjaks ka üle-eestilises arvestuses.

 Võiduvõistkonna liikmed (vasakult): Tarvo Valker, Marika Mann, Hille Viigipuu ja Kaia Kukk

Foto: Arvo Tarmula

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