Santa’s helpers hurry-scurry out there. Have a look...
Monday, December 29, 2014
Friday, December 19, 2014
I was simply amazed at the beauty of Estonia...
“Both Stephen and I have travelled widely and seen a lot of the World’s natural wonders and wildlife. But this holiday will stand out for the reasons I have given below. So, it remains for me to thank you all very, very much for giving us such a wonderful holiday. I’ll never forget it…
I was simply amazed at the beauty of Estonia, especially as the leaves changed colour. As you may know I was particularly interested in the history of the country and its past politics. Despite the challenges, it has become a lively, successful and optimistic country. You can feel the will to succeed and we found the Estonian people charming. I think Stephen will confirm that we felt a real ‘bond’ with the people of your country.
A view to the Kabli bird station Heligoland trap. Photo: Wilf Powell
It was a great group of people and we shall keep in touch with them. All were relaxed, happy, enthusiastic and interesting people. So easy to get on with and we thoroughly enjoyed their company. Tarvo and his incredible level of skill were indispensable to the enjoyment and value of the trip. Without those skills and his hard work, we would not have got the high level of value and enjoyment that we did from the adventure. And both he and the lovely lady at the farm in Kihnu coped so well with the enforced change of plan due to the weather. I really liked the hotels you organised, especially the distillery and the farm stay was great. The migration was terrific to experience for me and summed up when we came across that little still-warm Goldcrest that had died that morning and just couldn’t make it! Nature can be both cruel and humbling…
The smallest passerine in Europe – Goldcrest. Photo: Stephen Judd
Tallinn was lovely and the hotel you booked us was excellent and the staff great and so helpful. We really enjoyed the football and mingling with the fans of both England and Estonia. The tickets were good and the tasty food and free beer much enjoyed. Thanks very much for getting them for us. They were most appreciated. We didn’t get to see the art museums after all, but the walking tour you organised was great. We especially liked the wooden coat of arms in the church and of course the cathedral. We also thoroughly enjoyed the Seaplane Museum, which is quite unique!
My intention is to visit again, possibly in the Spring, to see the things we missed and re-visit some and would contact you to sort out something for us. I’d really like to go in search of bears and other mammals as well as bears.”
My intention is to visit again, possibly in the Spring, to see the things we missed and re-visit some and would contact you to sort out something for us. I’d really like to go in search of bears and other mammals as well as bears.”
Mike and Stephen J. Autumn 2014 - Migration Hotspots in Estonia
Click here to read Migration Hotspots in Estonia Tour report...
Click here to read Migration Hotspots in Estonia Tour report...
Estonia may be small externally but we think it is big internally!
We are grateful that you've noticed us, and that you are interested in our beautiful country and its wildlife.
We hope you find something in our brochure that will tempt you but would also like to add that while everything we say in our brochure is true - it is not easy to put into words the pleasure of visiting our country beyond simply seeing and enjoying the wildlife. We frequently find that two or three days into a trip people start asking questions! Questions like Where are all your people? Where are all the cars? They talk of the pleasure of being somewhere you can listen to the sounds of nature in silence while being in a safe environment. If we add to this the delight of travel in a country with excellent roads and clean roadsides and streets plus delicious food and friendly people who speak English - well surely this country would like a dream land!
Estonia may be small externally but we think it is big internally!
Estonian Nature Tours has been a pioneer in developing nature and bird tourism throughout Estonia. We have 11 years experience of organising outstanding wildlife holidays in this fabulous country and feedback from our clients has always been very positive. We try as much as possible to respond to requests quickly. We always communicate with our customers sincerely and personally. Cordiality and humour are also important to us and at the same time, we expect mutual respect - we don´t think that our customer is “king”, our client is our guest and we want to take care of him, or her, in the best possible way. Believe it or not - we have developed a fan club, with many of our customers visiting Estonia with our help again and again!
ENT office team (from left side: Hille, Marika and Raili)
One more thing that makes us special - there are very few tourist companies where the owner takes the time to greet a group at the airport or in the office (we are located in the countryside). And there may be no other company in the world where the owner bakes a cake for her customers or offers a picnic-basket on an evening boat-trip! We always want your trip to be special and believe little details like these make the difference.
We like to think of Estonian Nature Tours as small internally but big externally.
Come to Estonia and feel it for yourself!
On behalf of the Estonian Nature Tours team, sincerely
Marika Mann
We like to think of Estonian Nature Tours as small internally but big externally.
Come to Estonia and feel it for yourself!
On behalf of the Estonian Nature Tours team, sincerely
Marika Mann
Friday, December 12, 2014
Send a postcard to Your friend and do a favour to an endangered butterfly!
The one and only known habitat of an endangered butterfly species Scythris penicillata in the whole World is located in Kogula, Saaremaa island. Thereby the destiny of this tiny creature is commended to our hands. We speak here about a really petty bronze-brown butterfly with its wingspan of 9 mm. This extremely rare species was discovered by Finnish lepidopterologists in 1994 in Kogula, Saaremaa. They had a hard time of identifying the species, until given a hand by Swedish scientist Bengt Bengtsson, one of the best specialists of this family in the world. Scythris penicillata was first escribed in 1900 in French Alps. In after years the habitat was so severely altered by human that the species was never spotted again.
Buying and sending the donation postcard, published in cooperation between Estonian Fund for Nature (ELF) and lepidopterologists as a gift, one can contribute to protecting the endangered butterfly species Scythris penicillata and its habitat. The donation postcard was published with the help of volunteers. Illustrations and layout of the postcard are by Maria Karolin. Printing was supported by the print shop Kroonpress. The postcards are printed with vegetable oil printing inks on small carbon footprint paper, using only precipitation water and renewable electricity
Donation postcards are available in the ELF office for subscription by mail. There are five, ten and twenty Euros donation amount postcards to choose among. First make the money transfer and then send your subscription together with the postal address to elf@elfond.ee or make a call: +372 742 8443.
Payment details:
Receiver: Eestimaa Looduse Fond
Receiver address : Lai 29, Tartu, ESTONIA
IBAN: EE282200221005100292
Bank name: Swedbank
Bank address: Liivalaia 8, 15040 Tallinn, ESTONIA
Bank BIC/SWIFT code: HABAEE2X
Video clip (90 sec, in Estonian) feturing Urmas Jürivete (specialist of petty butterflies, Estonian Lepidopterologists Society) introducing Scythris penicillata:
We have still places on our Butterflies & Dragonflies Holidays 2015:
An 8-day fully-inclusive holiday in search of wild flowers and other wildlife of Estonia, amongst them a fine selection of orchids and rare butterfly species such as Baltic Grayling, Scarce Heath, Scarce Fritillary, Frigga's Fritillary, Bog Fritillary, Cranberry Blue, Clouded Apollo, Northern Chequered Skipper, Poplar Admiral etc.
Scarce Fritillary (Euphydryas maturna) / Wilfred Powell
An 8-day wildlife holiday in search of the dragonflies (and butterflies) of Estonia, amongst them a fine selection of rare species as Siberian Winter Damsel, Azure Hawker, Green Hawker, Bog Hawker, Baltic Hawker, Dark Whiteface, Spearhead Bluet, Yellow-Spotted Emerald as well as Baltic Grayling, Scarce Heath, Scarce Fritillary, Frigga's Fritillary, Bog Fritillary, Cranberry Blue, Clouded Apollo, Northern Chequered Skipper, Poplar Admiral etc.
Woodland Brown (Lopinga achine) / Wilfred Powell
Siberian Winter Damselfly (Sympecma paedisca) / Peeter Vissak
Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) / Mike Williams
Yellow-Winged Darter (Sympetrum flaveolum) / Peeter Vissak
Northern Chequered Skipper ( carterocephal silvicolus) / Wilfred Powell
For futher information on Butterfly trips we have on offer, plus booking details, terms and conditions please phone or e-mail us:
Tel: +372 5349 6695 / E-mail: info@naturetours.ee
Tel: +372 5349 6695 / E-mail: info@naturetours.ee
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Kingi sõbrale kaart ja ohustatud liblikale heategu!
Ohustatud liblika Scythris penicillata ainus maailmas tänapäeval teadaolev elupaik asub Saaremaal Kogulas. Seega on selle pisikese liblika saatus usaldatud meie kätte. Tegu on väga väikse, umbes 9 mm tiibade siruulatusega, pronksjas pruuni liblikaga. Üliharuldase liblika avastasid Saaremaal Kogulas Soome liblikateadlased 1994. aastal. Liigi määramisega oli tükk tegemist, lõpuks aitas selle kindlaks teha Rootsi lepidopteroloog Bengt Bengtsson, kes on selle sugukonna paremaid tundjaid maailmas. Esmakordselt kirjeldati Scythris penicillata’t Prantsusmaa Alpides 1900. aastal. Hilisema inimtegevuse tõttu oli sealne elupaik sedavõrd muutunud, et liblikat enam ei leitud.
SA Eestimaa Looduse Fondi (ELF) ja lepidopteroloogide koostöös sündinud annetuskaardi kinkimisega saab ohustatud liblika Scythris penicillata ja tema elupaiga kaitsmisele kaasa aidata. Annetuskaart valmis vabatahtlike abil. Kaardi illustratsioonide autor ja kujundaja on Maria Karolin. Trükkimisega toetas ettevõtmist trükikoda Kroonpress. Kaardid on trükitud taimsetel õlidel põhinevate trükivärvidega väga madala süsinikujalajäljega paberile, kasutades vihmavett ning ainult taastuvatest ressurssidest toodetud elektrit.
Annetuskaarte saab osta Tartu loodusmajast ja ELFi kontorist või tellida posti teel veebilehelt www.elfond.ee/annetuskaart. Samadest kohtadest saab soetada ka varem valminud annetuskaarti ohustatud linnu, niidurüdi toetuseks. Valikus on viie, kümne ja kahekümne euro suuruse annetusega kaardid.
Videoklipp (1,5 min, eesti keeles), kus Urmas Jürivete (pisiliblikate uurija, Eesti Lepidopteroloogide Selts) tutvustab Scythris penicillata’t:
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Join our Steller's Eider Break 2015!
The following videos were filmed during Wise Birding Holidays, giving you an idea of some of the great wildife encounters that are possible with us in Estonia!
Steller's Eider (Polysticta stelleri) / Jari Peltomäki
We have still places on our Steller's Eider Breaks 2015:
Request our tour packages also from Wise Birding Holidays...
Steller's Eider Flock / Undva Point 24th Feb 2014
Drake Steller's Eider / Undva Point 25th Feb 2014
Hawk Owl / Estonia 26th Feb 2014
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