I have just arrived in the hotel to meet with the group on the first evening of our first ever Lynx tour... I am slightly nervous as this is a very exciting species and I am hoping it will be successful. Our guide Tarvo is annoyed as he has left his luggage at the airport... not a good start! The first members of the group are coming downstairs and I sense a little tension in the air. Here is how the initial conversation went...
Group: “Hi, Marika, nice to meet you!”
Marika: “Nice to meet you too! I hope you have had a great start except for the problem with Tarvo´s luggage?”
Sue: “Never mind, he'll sort that out. Tarvo is really very good ..”
Marika: “Yeah .. he is, indeed. He is one of the best, always very kind and helpful not only with customers but with me, too.”
Marika: “Nice to meet you too! I hope you have had a great start except for the problem with Tarvo´s luggage?”
Sue: “Never mind, he'll sort that out. Tarvo is really very good ..”
Marika: “Yeah .. he is, indeed. He is one of the best, always very kind and helpful not only with customers but with me, too.”
Group: “Have you had a difficult day?”
Marika: “It has been this way and that. But now, the most difficult period is just beginning. You all want to see the Lynx surely, which is a challenge for sure..”
Chris and Helen are coming...
Marika: “Hi, Chris, how are you?”
Chris: “I'm fine. And you?”
More greetings, hugs.. Peep and Raido come up the stairs.
Marika: “Now, you all are here... hello again to everyone! Before we go to enjoy our first dinner, I wish you a very good luck for seeing a Lynx!”
Marika: “Now, you all are here... hello again to everyone! Before we go to enjoy our first dinner, I wish you a very good luck for seeing a Lynx!”
Tarvo: “Chris, now you have to say it..”
Marika: “What it? Do we have some kind of ceremony? Is there a problem??”
Chris: “Actually, we already saw a Lynx!!”
Marika: “Nnooooo, do not make a joke with me...”
Customers: “Yes, we saw, we saw indeed!”
Marika: “REALLY? Everyone saw well?”
What happened after, you can only imagine.. I was not able to manage my emotions, even at my age, I jumped and leaped and shook Tarvo.. "Why you did not tell me earlier?!" Emotions were up for several days – our very first Eurasian Lynx trip (the first in Europe!) was a success already!! Pygmy Owl and Mr Lynx seen in 2.5 hours!
Chris: “Actually, we already saw a Lynx!!”
Marika: “Nnooooo, do not make a joke with me...”
Customers: “Yes, we saw, we saw indeed!”
Marika: “REALLY? Everyone saw well?”
What happened after, you can only imagine.. I was not able to manage my emotions, even at my age, I jumped and leaped and shook Tarvo.. "Why you did not tell me earlier?!" Emotions were up for several days – our very first Eurasian Lynx trip (the first in Europe!) was a success already!! Pygmy Owl and Mr Lynx seen in 2.5 hours!
Tarvo´s luggage was also found from the airport.
The ghost of the forest with Team Lynx!
Photo: Chris Townend
„Sometimes with nature you need some good luck and last night was a night to remember as our first Eurasian Lynx Quest Tour to Estonia scored this ultimate prize yesterday evening on the first day of our tour!
Eurasian Lynx has always been notoriously difficult to see and thanks to a recce last year and some great local work from our local guide we hit one of the Lynx "hot spots" last night at just the right time. Little did I know that the first sweep of my torch would reveal a Eurasian Lynx just 70-80 metres away!! Everyone was onto it immediately and we all had great views as it strolled across an open field in full view! Quite simply Wow!“
C.T. / UK, March 2015, Wise Birding Holidays
It does not mean that we do not need to continue our fieldwork in order to learn the behavior of the Lynx. A lot of work remains to be done..
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