World of Birds: ESTONIA – Nature´s Abundance

By Neil Bowman

„...The Loode Wooded Meadow, home to the largest concentration of Lady´s Slipper Orchids in the world, did not dissapoint. There was a veritable carpet of flower heads, say to be in excess 1,000. In such a chemical-free environment, insects abounded, including a Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-mothe and many dargonflies and damselflies.“

At the invitation of Estonian Tourist Board and Estonian Nature Tours two journalists from Great Britain were visiting Estonia in the beginning of June.

In late December Birdwatch, the Britain´s best monthly magazine for keen birders published a 3-page article about Estonian wildlife in Summer. Another feature appeared in the October issue of the Britain´s best selling bird magazine, Bird Watching.
Read more...

Many thanks to Dominic Couzens, Neil Bowman, Tim Appleton, Elin Priks, Tarvo Valker, Peeter Vissak, Maarika Toomel, Triin Ivandi and Aare Sillukse!

The Winners of the Questionnaire in British Birdfair 2015

For the fifth time Estonian Nature Tours offered a possibility to win a dream wildlife holiday to Estonia, this time only at the British Birdfair 2015. 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 32 people, 13 of them gave right answers to all the questions and therefore gained the right to participate in our drawing. The chance to win was pretty big!

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.

We are delighted to announce the winners:

Grand Prize: MATSALU - A PARADISE FOR BIRDS! Price: 755 € - Mrs. R.Walls

Click here to see Woodpeckers gallery...

Lot 1: Brown Bear photography (for two). Price: 210 € - Mrs. J.Houston

Brown Bear / Photo: Luke Massey

Click here to see the video...

Lot 2: Beaver boat-trip (for four). Price: 200 € - Mrs. K.Hatch

Beaver / Photo: Remo Savisaar

Click here to see the video...

Lot 3: Elk & Wild Boar safari (for two). Price: 150 € - Mrs. C.Williams

Elk / Photo: Remo Savisaar

Click here to see the video...

Congratulations to everyone!

The Winners of the Questionnaire in British Birdfair 2014

For the third time Estonian Nature Tours offered a possibility to win a dream wildlife holiday to Estonia in British Birdfair 2014 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 38 people, 19 of them gave right answers to all the questions and therefore gained the right to participate in our drawing. The second question was most difficult.

We are delighted to announce the winners:

Grand Prize: Wildlife holiday - Birds and Bears. Price 955 € - Mrs A. Durn

This year something extraordinary happened at drawing the lots. We decided with colleagues that I shall be the first to draw the grand prize among the correct questionnaire answers. I wanted to do it quickly, but my colleagues said: “No-no, do not rush! Try to focus, so that the person who really wants the prize will get it.” I was trying to concentrate in my own way and...
... pulled out the form, that was completed by last year's grand prize winner!!! Unfortunately she could not use her prize last year, but now she’s given the second chance :)
 
Congratulations, Andrea!

Marika Mann
On behalf of Estonian Nature Tours team

Lot 1: Brown Bear tracking and watching. Price 115 € - Mrs C. Ballinger

Lot 2: Flying Squirrel Study trip. Price 100 € - Mrs R. Obrien
Lot 3: Beaver boat-trip. Price 85 € - Mr C. Martenson

Congratulations to everyone!

Click here to see Brown Bear watching video...

 Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) / Sven Zacek

Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) / Neil Aldridge

 Flying Squirrel (Pteromys volans)  / Rainar Kurbel

Click here to see Flying Squirrel video...

 Beaver (Castor) / Remo Savisaar'

Click here to see Beaver boat-trip video...

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.

The Bears in Estonia are moving to the West

The abundance of bears has been growing during the latest decade little by little. As the consequence they have recently moved from the Middle Estonia to the West. While there were no bear litters in the Läänemaa County six years ago, then the latest count was showing four females with cubs. Leaving the female bears be unhunted has helped to increase their distribution area.

Peep Männil from the Department of Wildlife Monitoring has referred to the clear increase in the abundance of bears both in the Läänemaa County and in the Western part of the Harju County. “It can be mostly explained with the intensiveness of hunting: the pressure in these areas has been constantly low and so far no adult female bears have been hunted there,” explained he.

According to the latest abundance estimation there are 650-700 bears in the woods of Estonia. As a comparative remark we should say that the number of wolves is about 250 and the number of lynxes is up to 600.

Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) / Valeri Štšerbatõh

As of the bears it has been speculated that the increment rate has now stabilized after a prolonged increase period, mostly due to comparatively active hunting. In the previous season 53 bears were hunted, this year the number was 55.

The action plan of protection and containment of large carnivores for 2012-2021 is aiming at holding the number of bears at the level of 60 litters with cubs and 600 specimen as a minimum. Additionally it has been planned to carry on hunting as the remedy of preserving the fearfulness and to minimize bear damages.

Männil emphasized that for the protection of the bear population it is equally important to maintain their distribution to the Southern counties and prohibit hunting closer than 50 km to the Southern border.

Large carnivores have become extremely attractive nature tourism targets in Europe, mainly due to their low abundance and constrained distribution areas. Several countries, where the number of large predators is higher, have been dealing with this tourism branch for a long time already and lately it has started to developed in Estonia as well. The biggest attraction have been undoubtedly the bears. Unlike with wolves and lynxes it is possible to watch the bears, to take pictures and video clips and attract them to the feeding grounds and hides.

 

Tracks of Brown Bear / Bert Rähni

The bears are active mostly in the twilight and at night. In the daytime they are usually sleeping in some sheltered place and leave when people get too close. Therefore it is not easy to meet a bear in the wild. Right now the bears are taking their winter’s nap or making the last preparations for the sleep.

Karud kolivad Eestis üha lääne poole

Karude arvukus on saanud viimasel kümnendil rahulikult kosuda. Selle tulemusena on nad viimastel aastatel kolinud Kesk-Eestist ka Läänemaale. Kui veel kuus aastat tagasi polnud Läänemaal ühtegi karupesakonda, siis viimase loenduse järgi oli sinna siginenud neli poegadega emaslooma. Mesikäppade levikuala Eestis on aidanud laiendada eeskätt emakarude küttimata jätmine. 

Peep Männil keskkonnateabe keskuse ulukiseire osakonnast viitas, et karude arvukuse suurenemist on viimasel ajal olnud selgelt märgata nii Läänemaal kui ka Harjumaa lääneosas. „Seda saab põhjendada peamiselt küttimisega: küttimissurve on neil aladel olnud tagasihoidlik ning siiani ei ole seal kütitud ühtegi täiskasvanud emakaru,” selgitas ta.

Viimase arvukushinnangu järgi elab Eesti metsades kokku 650–700 mesikäppa. Olgu võrdluseks märgitud, et hunte on meil 250 ringis ja ilveseid kuni 600.

 Pruunkarud (Ursus arctos) / Valeri Štšerbatõh

Karude puhul arvatakse, et juurdekasvu kiirus on pärast pikemat tõusutrendi tänu suhteliselt aktiivsele küttimisele nüüdseks pigem stabiliseerunud. Kui näiteks eelmisel jahihooajal lasti üle Eesti 53 karu, siis tänavu on keskkonnaameti andmeil kütitud 55 karu.

Aastateks 2012–2021 koostatud suurkiskjate kaitse ja ohjeldamise tegevuskava seab sihiks hoida karude arvukust edaspidi vähemalt 60 poegadega pesakonna ja 600 isendi juures. Ühtlasi on sellesse hiljuti keskkonnaministri allkirja saanud kavasse kirjutatud, et karudele jahi pidamist tuleb jätkata eeskätt liigi inimpelglikkuse säilitamiseks ja karude tekitatud kahjustuste vähendamiseks.

Männil osutas, et karude asurkonna kaitse seisukohalt on väga tähtis tagada nende levikuala laienemine ka lõunapoolsetesse maakondadesse ja sellepärast tuleks tema arvates vältida karude küttimist Eesti lõunapiirile lähemal kui 50 kilomeetrit.

 

Suurkiskjad on suhteliselt vähese arvukuse ja väikese levikuala tõttu muutunud Euroopas väga atraktiivseteks loodusturismi objektideks. Paljudes riikides, kus suurkiskjaid on rohkem, on selle turismiharuga tegeletud juba pikalt ja ka Eestis on see viimasel paaril aastal arenema hakanud. Suurkiskjatest on aidanud loodusturismivankrit vedada just karud: erinevalt huntidest ja ilvestest on mesikäppasid võimalik näha, pildistada ja filmida, kui meelitada nad söödaplatside lähedusse rajatud vaatlusonnide juurde.

 Karu käpajäljed / Bert Rähni

Karud liiguvad ringi peamiselt videvikus ja öösel. Päeval nad tavaliselt magavad kuskil varjulises kohas ja inimest märgates eelistavad eemalduda. Seetõttu ei ole karu looduses just kerge kohata. Praegu teevad karud taliuinakut või viimaseid ettevalmistusi uinumiseks.

Allikas: Eesti Päevaleht

Brown bears awakening and safari season is coming!

Moving around in Alutaguse your senses are always open to extraordinary encounters. It may be a bear, or a flying squirrel, but it is an open chance that you meet with an even more unique experience, because in addition to the great grey owl other species with eastern or northern population areas stray here, such as wolverine, Siberian jay or rustic bunting. And perhaps some of the secrets of Alutaguse also come into the range of the new forest camera.
Alutaguse forest camera direct stream: Looduskalender.ee

Brown Bear Tracking and Watching Scheduled trips 2012:
May: 5.-6.05 / 12.-13.05 / 19.-20.05 / 26.-27.05
June: 2.-3.06 / 9.-10.06 / 16.-17.06
Book here: info@naturetours.ee / tel +372 5349 6695.
More info here...

Alutagusel karud ärkavad!

Kui mujalt Eestist tuli teateid karude ärkamisest juba kuu aega tagasi, siis Alutagusel on suurem ärkamine alles nüüd alanud. Ja nagu seal kandis ikka, on jälgi palju. Paari päeva jooksul nähti vähemalt viie erineva karu jälgi, suuremaid ja väiksemaid. Leiti ka kaks kõrvuti asuvat karu talvepesa.

Alutagusel ringi liikudes on meeled alati valmis kohtumiseks erakordsega. See võib olla näiteks karu või lendorav, aga võimalused on lahti millekski veelgi põnevamaks, sest lisaks habekakule satub siia teinekord teisigi ida või põhjapoolse levikuga liike nagu näiteks ahm, laanenäär või põhjatsiitsitaja. Võib-olla satub mõni Alutaguse saladustest uue metsakaamera vaatevälja.
Alutaguse metsakaamera otsestriim: Looduskalender.ee

Karuvaatlus Alutagusel plaanilised retked 2012:
Mai: 5.-6.05 / 12.-13.05 / 19.-20.05 / 26.-27.05
Juuni: 2.-3.06 / 9.-10.06 / 16.-17.06
Registreeri retkele: info@naturetours.ee, tel 5349 6695.
Rohkem infot leiad siit...

The Winners of the Questionnaire in British Birdfair 2011

For the first time Estonian Nature Tours offered a possibility to win a dream wildlife holiday to Estonia in British Birdfair 2011 and on our webpage as well.

Estonian Nature Tours wishes to thank everyone who completed our questionnaire and took part in the prize draw.

We are delighted to announce the winners:

Grand Prize: Birdwatching holiday Estonia in Spring. Price 1150 € - Mr
Rodger
Lot 1: Beaver photography. Price 180 € - Mr Brink
Lot 2: Flying Squirrel Study trip (1). Price 100 € - Mrs Francis
Lot 3: White-tailed Eagle Photograpy. Price 75 € - Mr Foley
Lot 4: MATSALU TICKET (for 2 person). Price 2 x 40 € - Mr Chew
Lot 5: Brown Bear tracking and watching. Price 105 € - Mr Cropper

Congratulations to everyone!