ENT has done a thankworthy job in appraisal of Estonia's nature and conservation

Estonian Nature Tours has gained deserved confidence amongst nature conservation and bird protection organizations of Estonia. We have initiated and participated in several public disputes and discussions related to wildlife and continuously support research and protection of the Flying Squirrel and the Foundation for Estonia's Young Conservationist Award. We participate actively in discussions of the Matsalu National Park's Cooperation Assembly and manage a tourist information centre in Lihula together with the local municipality. By virtue of the report at the fall semester of Estonian Society for Theriology (study of mammals) it was acknowledged, that ENT has done a thankworthy job in appraisal of Estonia's nature and conservation, widely introducing Estonia and its wildlife abroad. Our participation in partnership days with the Ministry of Environment has also been extremely useful with worthwhile discussions related to protection of wildlife (ENT and the Ministry of Environment signed a mutual Free Will Contract in 2013). In connection with Estonia's Chairmanship in the 2nd half of 2017 there will be an international conference on environmental matters, arranged by the Ministry of Environment, where among other topics Wildlife Tourism will be discussed, as suggested by ENT.

ENT has had a busy year. Besides our existing clientele we have found several new partners, mostly from Great Britain, Germany, Spain and Belgium. The number has grown almost up to 30.  The number of loyal clients has increased as well and that indicates, that we have provided reliable and high quality service.

Our activities are also of great importance in a local context. Several accommodation providers from our network have told us that our clients significantly extend their season and help the enterprises to survive. It is always good to know that our clients are awaited and beloved.

Here, we would like to share with you something really marvellous. 
One of our customers sent us, by post, this little booklet >

Truly touching! With the consent of the artist we used some of his drawings when designing the front and back cover of the ENT brochure 2017.

See also a gallery “There is no need for words” > 

With pleasure, we are continiously offering individual bookings on our fully-inclusive holidays. 

See the selection of best birdwatching, mammal tours and other wildlife holidays in Estonia available for the year 2017/2018 by clicking here >

To order Estonian Nature Tours brochure 2017 (for free) please send your contact details (full address, name) to our e-mail: info@naturetours.ee

Petition to protect forests in Estonia

In the latest months there has been a snowball effect civil initiative to reject the new Forest Act. Specialists have been directing attention to the jeopardy of the current Forest Act for some years. Scientists from the University of Tartu and Estonian Land University share the viewpoint that Estonia should not carry on the former forest policy as it is climate hostile, non-transparent and is utilizing the forest resource out of future assets. Unfortunately the Ministry of Environment, who is inclining towards the forest industry, is ignoring the facts and is pushing through new amendments to the Forest Act, allowing to even increase clear cut areas, decrease the threshold value of the rotation age and simplify issuing of cutting permits.

In early December, a public letter was delivered to the President, the Parliament and Ministries, in which 101 writers, artists, musicians, scientists and film producers expressed their deep concerns at the threats from ongoing forest policy, demanding rejection of the new Forest Act and participation of environmental organizations in formation of the state forest policy.

The petition “Let us stop the destruction of Estonia's forests by industrialists!” gathered remarkable 7006 signatures (5000 was expected). ENT team members have supported the petition among others. On December 16, a picket was carried out in front of the Ministry of Environment, which protested against the official state forestry policy, that is concentrating more on forestry than protection of the environment, as was declared by the protesters. Further the protesters were moving to Toompea Hill to hand the petition over to Parliament. It is too early to assess what will be happening but we will keep you posted in our following newsletters.

Source: www.delfi.ee

Visit MATSALU – one of the most internationally recognized national parks in Europe

Estonian Nature Tours considers Matsalu National Park as its home. The founder and CEO of ENT Marika Mann is living in the park and she worked 10 years in Matsalu before started her career in birdwatching tourism. Our office is just a couple of kilometres away, in Lihula. We love Matsalu Bay and wish to share this beauty with you.

Matsalu National Park covers 486 square kilometers and is one of the most important bird wetlands in Europe. It boasts plenty of habitats suitable for use as staging posts or for breeding, including one of Europe´s largest wet meadow and 3,000 hectares of reedbeds, and the shallow, brackish, nutrient-rich waters of the Matsalu Bay which has a 165-kilometre coastline. It is not surprising that avian diversity is unequalled in northern Europe in spring and autumn. And it is easy to see why more than 170 species breed here – and why the north European day-list record of 194 was set in this region in May 2007.

Matsalu National Park / Photo: Arvo Tarmula (Source: online.le.ee)

Matsalu National Park was founded in 1957 to protect nesting, moulting and migratory birds. Since 1976 Matsalu is included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of international importance.
Matsalu National Park is the only reserve in the Baltic countries which has been rewarded with the Diploma of the Council of Europe, which confers the distinction of biological, geological and landscape diversity of Matsalu. The Diploma, rewarded in 2003, is the highest award of the Council of Europe Bern Convention to nature reserves, but simultaneously it is an obligation to provide sustainable and harmonic social, educational and economic functions to the region in such a way that preservation of biological and landscape diversity would be guaranteed. Areas with the Diploma possess high importance in promotion of nature education and nature tourism. The status of Matsalu NP has been audited twice and both times the results have been really good.

Matsalu National Park / Source: et.wikipedia.org

During a festive ceremony in Brussels, EUROPARC Federation rewarded Matsalu NP as the first location in Estonia with a certification of sustainable tourism. The requirement of the certification is efficient collaboration between different stakeholders and interest groups, as well as mutually agreed strategic purposes and activities, facilitating sustainable tourism in the region. Tourism and biological diversity are very closely related, as success of tourism industry is directly depending on favourable conditions of ecosystems.

The area of Matsalu National Park is also acknowledged by the EDEN network (European Destination of Excellence) of the EC.
Estonian Nature Tours is delighted to be included and to have a crucial role in assignation and preservation of several important statuses. Our contribution to setting up the network of tourism entrepreneurs, organising several seminars and study trips and drawing up marketing strategy and product development has been remarkable.

For bird watchers who want to enjoy a leisurely birding break with a fabulous variety of birds, we have on offer a fantastic five-day trip to Matsalu National Park. You will stay all four nights at Tuulingu Guesthouse, in the neighbourhood of the famous Haeska watch tower. The record for the highest day list of bird species from a single spot in Northern Europe was achieved from this tower – 128 species by nightfall in May, giving you some idea of the incredible diversity here.

Common Cranes / Photo: Remo Savisaar

Tour dates are 15th - 19th May/11th - 14th September and you can book flights from London Gatwick with Easyjet, or from other airports with British Airways, Finnair, SAS, Ryanair or Air Baltic.

Invite your friends, contact us, book a suitable period and start packing! 

For more information > info@naturetours.ee

Autumn migration counts and rarities

Estonia is a well known hotspot in Europe for visible migration of passerines and waterfowl migrating from Northwest Russia and Scandinavia to their wintering grounds across western and southern Europe and some of them even to Africa.

The most interesting has been an influx of Long-tailed Tits with massive numbers reported from various places. At Kabli bird station, more than 500 birds were caught for ringing. More than 8000 Long-tailed Tits were counted at Puise Peninsula on 29th September – the 3rd biggest daily count ever for this species. This kind of large scale irruption gives a hope for the west European birder that some white-headed „caudatus” may turn up much futher west.

Long-tailed Tit at Kabli bird station / Source: parnu.postimees.ee

Another star of this autumn has been Eurasian Jay – a species you wouldn´t excpect to migrate at all. The daily count of 18,000 passing Jays at Puise Peninsula on 26th September might show this species in a new light for you. This was also the best daily count ever for Estonia and possibly for the whole of Europe!

Like many European countries this autumn, Estonian birders were rewarded with an influx of Siberian Accentors. An astonishing five birds turned up in southwest Estonia in less than a week and three of them were caught in mist nets for ringing! A further three birds means that in all, eight individuals were seen in Estonia this autumn. One of them was still possible to observe a week ago in South-East Estonia! Siberian Accentor is the 387th bird species for Estonia and at present the only new bird for the country this year.

Siberian Accentor / Source: www.facebook.com/mati.kose

The influx of Siberian Accentors was very unexpected as the last individual in Europe was five years ago. Before 2016, there were only 35 records in Europe during last 100 years but over 210 Siberian Accentors were recorded across Europe during this autumn's irruption.

See the Map of the Siberian Accentor influx in Europe in 2016 > 

It has also been the greatest season ever for Yellow-browed Warblers with at least 22 individuals reported and half a dozen of them caught for ringing. On the back of this influx, the much rarer Phylloscopus, Hume´s Leaf Warbler, turned up near the northwest coast. This is only the5th record of this megabird in Estonia!

A third great rarity was spotted at Haapsalu on 3rd October, when Estonia's 4th Pied Wheatear was found by a local birder.

Other unusual findings for Estonia included 5 Firecrests, Black Vulture and Estonia's 11th Little Bunting.

Efforts to save the Flying Squirrel

On 18th November this year, Minister of the Environment, Marko Pomerants, sent a regulation on amendment of borders and protection procedures of 13 existing Flying Squirrel protection sites to other ministries to be approved. 25 new protection sites will be established with the same regulation.

Siberian Flying Squirrel is one of the most endangered mammals in Estonia. This, mainly nocturnal mammal is found in Europe only from Estonia, Finland and Russia (and possibly may occur in Belarus). They are highly dependent on availability of old-growth natural forests where there are enough old aspen trees to provide suitable nesting holes for breeding and hiding.

See the video of Flying Squirrel>

The first Flying Squirrel protection sites were established in 2006. To our knowledge the Flying Squirrel is currently found only in some old growth forests of the Virumaa County, although it was previously found in other forested areas of Estonia. The most critical risk factors influencing preservation of the Flying Squirrel population, are isolation and destruction of critical habitats, but also the small number of animals in sub-populations. Other factors endangering the species are predation, felling of nesting trees, disturbance and climate change. According to scientists' the Flying Squirrel's populations may be considered stable if, out of a known 250 sites, at least 150 of them are inhabited during that year. Due mainly to intensive forest management during last decade, the Siberian Flying Squirrel population has undergone a huge decline. According to monitoring data from 2016 there are only 45 known inhabited sites now left!  The most pessimistic predictions suggest the Flying Squirrel will become extinct in Estonia within 5 years.

More bad news for the Flying Squirrel was disclosed early in the spring when our government announced the plan to start using timber in Virumaa county power stations to produce electric energy.  As the key areas for the Flying Squirrel are located in the same county, this plan would increase tree cutting pressure even more in suitable habitats and crossing corridors, than less valuable forests.

Therefore an environmental NGO “MTÜ Noored Rohelised” launched a petition to collect signatures for protection of Flying Squirrel habitats and Estonian forests. With this public campaign, over 2000 signatures were collected and passed to the Estonian Parliament.

As a positive result, Minister of the Environment approved in February a new species action plan for the Flying Squirrel and launched a regulation in May to establish new species protection areas for this mammal. According to this regulation, 25 new species protection sites are planned to be established and areas of 13 previous sites will be increased. The most important outcome of this regulation will consider the need to protect green corridors between suitable habitats to ensure that Flying Squirrels can spread. This is a very important protection action to save the Siberian Flying Squirrel in Estonia because otherwise small populations become isolated and can become inbred.

In July the representatives of the Ministry of the Environment and the Environmental Board met with land-owners, local municipalities and other stakeholders. During the hearings the process of establishing new species protection sites was introduced and possibilities of compensation for conservation restrictions were discussed.

A meeting of private forest landowners in Alutaguse.
Ecologist Uudo Timm - longtime Flying Squirrel reseacher
gives a talk about squirrels.

BBC Wildlife: Estonian ecologist Uudo Timm is telling us the story how he fell in love with Siberian flying squirrels. Read an article published in March 2016 issue >

In the beginning of November problems concerning valuation of land and the future of land acquisition were under discussion.  Then on 18th November, the Minister of the Environment, Marko Pomerants, sent a regulation on amendment of borders and protection procedures of 13 existing Flying Squirrel protection sites to other ministries to be approved. 25 new protection sites will be established with the same regulation. The area of the species protection sites to be authorized, will be 56,547 ha, that will be almost equally divided into special management zones and limited management zones. About 75% of the territory is under state ownership, among the private land-owners there are 68 private persons and 23 enterprises. During the preparation of regulation all known sites were checked and the substance of taking or keeping these areas under protection was analyzed, also meetings with each and every land-owner and other involved persons were conducted.

Estonian Nature Tours is pleased to have been involved in the process of rescuing a Flying Squirrel. WE BELIEVE IN BETTER FUTURE! Thinking about this stunning animal and Estonian forests we would like to share a video with you >

Henry Laks and Marten Kuningas - Flying Squirrel
Lyrics and music by Henry Laks
Composition by Marten Kuningas 

NB! Because Flying Squirrels are endangered you may only visit their territories to observe them with a local expert.  If you are keen to see (or photograph) this stunning animal then contact us to book a suitable period or a place on our Mammals and Birds in Spring 2018 tour >  

Golden Jackals continue to spread in Estonia

The Golden Jackal is a fairly new mammal in Estonia, with the first confirmed sightings in 2013. Since then, sightings have become more and more regular. They have been mainly seen, heard and photographed in the coastal areas of West Estonia, including some islands, with only a few sightings from eastern Estonia. Golden Jackal has been officially declared as an alien invasive species and fair game since 2016 and as of November this year 20 specimen have been shot officially.

See the video..

Golden Jackals at Pärnu County / Source: maaleht.delfi.ee

According to research data Golden Jackals in Estonia feed on different plants, domestic animals, bovine animals, birds and invertebrates. Field research of artificial nests in Matsalu coastal meadow reveals that only Magpies and Ravens affect bird nests more than Jackals.  Fox damage has been decreasing compared to last year and this suggests they are unable to compete with the Jackals. It also seems that Jackals are outcompeting Raccoon Dogs as well.  Jackal and Wolf have different habitat preferences and for this reason Jackals have rarely been found in the hinterland. Anger amongst sheep breeders over the arrival of this species has quickly increased during the year. About 100 incidents of sheep killings have been announced this year, but more thorough investigation is needed to ascertain if these were caused by jackals, wolves or even lynx.

Thousands of Wild Boars affected by African Swine Fever

Wild Boars have been very numerous throughout Estonia but during the last one and a half years thousands of Wild Boars have been died from African Swine Fever. A huge cull of 11,500 Wild Boars have been shot by hunters during 2016 to reduce Wild Boar population and to avoid spreading the disease to domestic pigs. Nearly 10% of the Wild Boar hunted this year have been affected by African Swine Fever (ASF). More precisely there have been 1,333 incidents of ASF. This viral disease has spread all over the country and currently is not recorded yet only from Hiiumaa and Vormsi islands.  Sighting of Wild Boar in the wild may well become harder during next few years but hopefully the remaining viable animals will be able to build up their population again fairly quickly.

Pathological findings of ASF in Wild Boar

🔴 Nov 12-18, 2016
🌕 Earlier records
  ⎮ County borders
 ⎪ Hunting district borders

ASF is extremely contagious and critically fierce viral disease with lethal haemorraghic lineaments, fever and inflammatory affection to inner organs. Death rate is very high indeed, approaching 100%. Other animal species and humans are not taken ill with ASF, although they can carry the infection. 

It's safe to age in Estonia - the oldest Arctic Tern 28!

Matsalu Ringing Centre announced the eldest recaptured Arctic Tern in their history. It was captured in Denmark at the age of 28 years and 1 month. This bird was ringed on June 21, 1987 in Saaremaa by Mati Martinson, recaptured and released on July 30, 2015 in North Jutland, Denmark. Previous record was held by a 26 years old bird from 2005, when it was found dead in an Eagle Owl's nest.
The eldest Arctic Tern in Europe was 30 when captured. World's eldest Arctic Tern was captured in North-America at the age of 34 years.

Arctic Tern / Source: maaleht.delfi.ee

Marta - world's eldest Common Gull

Common Gull (Larus canus) population studies in Estonia

text by Kalev Rattiste & Peeter Vissak

Flash back! Year 1981 – assassination attempts to Pope John Paul II and president Ronald Reagan, Prince Charles marries Diana Spencer and Marta - one of many Common Gull chicks is hatching in Matsalu National Park, West-Estonia. Now we know her well, as she is the eldest known specimen of the species in the World.

Long-term individual based research of common gulls were initiated in 1962 by Estonian ornithologist Sven Onno. This species was selected as a model one due to its suitability for population studies (high birth rate and breeding site fidelity, insensitivity to human activities in the colony, both partners easily identifiable and catchable etc). The main aim was to study different aspects of  evolutionary ecology, including demography (e.g. reproduc­tive success, age at first breeding, survival, pair bond stability, longevity, birth site fidelity, wintering site fidelity), quantitative genetics and ecophysiology. 

Study area consists of three offshore islets in Matsalu National Park. Main studies are conducted on Kakrarahu islet (3.5 ha; 58º46’ N 23º26’ E). Nowadays, more than 750 pairs are breeding in this colony (all nests are marked and numbered). All breeders are ringed both with metal (Estonia Matsalu ringing scheme) and plastic ring (white rings with four alphanumerics, starting always with letter P, e.g. P3H9, P27K). Every year at least 95 per cent of breeders are identified and all hatched chicks are ringed in their first day of life. By everyday inspections laying time and weight of eggs, as well as hatching time of chicks are recorded.

In non-breeding period, many bird watchers observe these common gulls in their post-breeding wandering range, migration routes or wintering grounds. For example, in 2013-2015 there were 308 such notifications. Most often our common gulls are met in the Netherlands (42% of observations), Germany (26%), Denmark (18%) and Poland (4%), but also in Belgium, UK, Latvia, France, Sweden, Russia, Lituania, Czech Republic and Hungary, If you see an Estonian common gull, please inform Estonian Ringing Centre (matsalu@envir.ee) or directly our study group (kalev.rattiste@gmail.com).

Marta and Oskar in 2012 / Source: laanlane.ee

As a rule, only ten per cent of offspring reach sexual maturity and start to breed. On average common gulls breed for five-six years. Marta, the oldest known common gull in the world was breeding in Kakrarahu colony in 2015. She has born in Kakrarahu colony on 3rd of June 1981 and is now 34 years old. Her father was also born and bred in this colony (1973-1989), as well as her grandfather and grandmother (bred in 1966-1980). Marta’s first and second  partnerships lasted seven and one year, respectively. The second partner returned to his previous partner, who missed the 1994 breeding season. Since 1995 Marta is breeding with Oskar (for 21 years now!), who is eight years younger (born in 1989). Altogether Marta has laid 86 eggs and 59 chicks have hatched. For now, her ten children (6 males and 4 females), eleven grandchildren (6 males and 5 females) and three grandgrandchildren (all males) have returned to breed in Kakrarahu colony. Marta is wintering on the River Severn at Purton, England (51º44’ N 2º26’ W).

The first collared bull elk is doing well

In September the very first bull elk was equipped with a satellite-telemetric monitoring collar. This tracing device will give the mammalologists of the wildlife monitoring department of the Environment Agency necessary data about the whereabouts, habitat utilization, behavioral ecology etc. 
The tracing subject was caught in the Soomaa National Park and during the next months it has moved around in the Park, albeit changed the location from one edge to the other. The main reason of active movements in the autumn is the hunting season. The traced elk is usually moving around in the radius of 10 km. The monitoring device is spotting the animal every 4th hour while the coordinates are sent to the main server of the team. Local hunters are also briefed about the elk with a wide and bright white collar, clearly visible in the twilight as well.
The wildlife monitoring team is planning to put the tracing collars all together to 10 elks. Now, when there is much more snow, it becomes possible to follow and catch the animals with a snow mobile.

Photo: Marko Kübarsepp /
Source: www.keskkonnaagentuur.ee

When the animals are already collared and thoroughly monitored, it will be possible to research their abundance or physiology as well, e.g. their endoparasites from their droppings etc.
So far the Environment Agency has used collars to monitor Roe Deer, Wild Boar, Lynx and Wolf.

Badger's life scrutinised

Second year already there's a webcamera near a badgers' town, so people have had good possibility to watch their life through internet. What was soon revealed, that just opposite the commonplace imagination, badgers are by no means twilight and night animals. Zoologist Tiit Hunt assured that morning, midday and afternoon are equally good for these positively active animals to be in the picture. 

European badger / Source: maaleht.delfi.ee

Due to the fact that although we recognize continuously increasing number of badgers in Estonia, we only know very generally that they occupy almost the whole mainland area and the Saaremaa island, but any insight into their population ecology is missing. Therefore Badger was attributed the title of the Animal of the Year 2016. Badger is the 4th mammal, who has earned such special attention. In the former years the Wolf, the Ringed Seal and the Wild Boar have earned similar attention. There are comprehensive plans to start to gather thorough data about Badger next year.

Badger is mating in June and July, so the cubs are born in March and April, although Mother Badger is able to regulate the exact springing time according to certain circumstances, explained Tiit Hunt. It may happen that the offspring have to wait for relatively long time in their Mummy's womb. Similarly to the Bear badgers also mate every second year. It takes a month until their eyes open and a next month before they start to waddle around their den. 

June 25 this year happened to be a certain top record day. Zoologists were witnessing extraordinarily long mating activity of the badger couple, all together 90 minutes, that is the longest known act in the World!

Badger camera recordings here

Lynx still in the crosshairs

It happened in the Monday afternoon. I was walking my dog and after some few hundred meters from my home HE had crossed the river and the road, in slow pace. Probably early in the morning.

In Tuesday morning I examined more closely from where he had come and into which direction he disappeared. 

Here he has crossed the river ...

.. across the road and through the shrub

Partridges are again here in Penijõe, 11 or 12 ... 

... but he has continued walking along the road towards that lone cottage. 

My Monday’s and Tuesday’s footprints and Lynx’s ones just between them. 

He likes to squirt ...

... here and there

The Lynx had passed the house within 50 meters and headed into the shrub again. 

A Boar had plotted its course across Lynx’s yesterday’s trek ... 

From here on I sloshed in the snow half an hour more, but it turned too bushy. I headed back to the road and tried to find out, where the Lynx had continued, but no result. Most probably he had waled on towards the reed bed.

It’s raining, alas! But fresh snow will fall in the weekend, as the forecast goes.

It’s just the beginning!

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!

Beginners luck or the whole truth about mammal watching in Estonia?

We came out with a totally new opportunity Mammals and Birds in Estonia in Spring 2011. Our very first visitors experienced something extraordinary during the first trip – in 8 days they saw 5 Brown Bears in different places all over Estonia!

Read comments: One Week in Estonian Wildlife

So far, we have run 18 Mammals and Birds tours and most of them have been very successful. People have seen Flying Squirrels, Brown Bears, Elks, Wild Boars, European Beavers, Raccoon Dogs and many interesting bird species, for example Capercaillie, Hazel Grouse, Black Grouse, Black Stork, Great Snipe and various species of woodpeckers and owls. Some of the groups have been lucky even with Lynxes! What means, our clients can see in Estonia in one week more mammal and bird species than most of Estonians throughout their life. Remarkable, isn´t it?

Brown Bear in Nõva, Estonia 2014 / Photo: Jack Hill

Our first Mammals and Birds tour for this year is already full, so we decided to put on another one. Booking for a period Fri 13th May – Fri 20th May is now open! If you prefer to book through a UK agent so everything is included, there are still places left with Travelling Naturalist  from 15th May – 22nd May 2016.  

A very first Eurasian Lynx trip (probably in Europe) was organized by ENT in the beginning of March 2015 and it started successfully indeed. Pygmy Owl and Mr Lynx was seen in the  first three hours! Was it the beginner's luck? We will find it out soon. There are still places available on a tour Estonia – Eurasian Lynx Quest Wed 2nd Mar - Mon 7th Mar 2016, operated in conjunction with Wise Birding Holidays.. 

Restoration of bogs in Estonia solves several burning problems

Estonian environmental NGO-s and the Ministry of Environment have launched massive projects related to our boglands. The total area of swamps and bogs has decreased substantially since the middle of the 20th century. Recent inventories reveal that the situation is much worse than we thought and we must work hard now to reverse ths process.

Estonia is a land, that has uplifted from the sea during the last 12,000 years and therefore is full of previous lagoons, overgrown lakes, swamps and raised bogs. We are used to the myth, that Estonia is full of bogs. In 2011-2013, Estonian Fund for Nature completed a project, funded by the Coca Cola Foundation, which aimed in finding the best restoration areas of the Estonian Ramsar sites and compiling restoration plans. The main focus was on transitional bogs, as these are usually grown instead of open bogs as a consequence of amelioration. It is shocking to realise that instead of the textbook reference of Estonia being 22% swamps and bogs, the reality is that only 5.3% remains (according to the inventory from 2009-2012, made by Estonian Fund for Nature, Tartu University and NGO Arhevisioon). The disappearance of bogs since 1950 has been become critical and should be a real cause for concern!

Total area of Estonian fens and bogs is about 140 000 ha
/ Photo: Mati Kose

Beginning with this year Estonian Fund for Nature launches a new five-year cooperation programme with the upper mentioned partners to restore 5800 ha of bogs, damaged by amelioration and drainage. The project is still in the preparation stage, as the practical work should begin in 2017. The plans embrace 5800 ha of bogs to be restored, 3276 ha of Natura habitats therein and is financed by LIFE Programme and Environmental Investments Centre. In addition to practical work in landscape lots of information work will be done. The main idea is to restore as natural a water-regime as possible to relaunch peat accumulation processes. Alam-Pedja, Ohepalu, Agusalu, Lahemaa, Tudusoo, Sirtsi and other nature reserves and national parks will be included in the project which will run until 2020.

At the same time the State Forest Management Centre (RMK) is launching another programme to clear overgrown bog areas to restore the bog to its former glory. The main focus is on 5000 hectares of different valuable areas.

It was more than 40 years ago when a “Bog War” took place in Estonia. Pragmatism vs conservationism. Peat vs water. By that time edges of the largest bog massives were already cut through by ditches and the function of bogs as water reservoirs was perturbed. This Moscow-financed operation was a hot topic in newspapers and radio for 3 years, until some Estonian ministers switched their side and became “bog-keepers”. In 1972 the Council of Ministers specified the bogs that were to be excluded from the amelioration fund. All together 93 bogs and swamps (207,000 ha) were listed, from which 28 bog and swamp reserves were established in 1981 (total area 100,000 ha).

After the restoration of independence in Estonia utilitarian interests began to prevail and  peat excavation became a large scale problem with international business interests. The crucial question is whether peat is renewable natural asset or not. Our bogs have come into being since the latest ice age and accumulated peat at a rate of 1 mm per year. According to this knowledge the usable peat stock is about 2.8 million tonnes. However, large amounts of peat is quickly vanishing through decomosition resulting in mineral soil plus lots of carbon dioxide emission – an even worse problem.

The problem is as complex as it gets. We have to consider the pure water reservoir, accumulated carbon dioxide, ability of bogs to produce more oxygen than it uses itself, the habitat of rare and threatened mammals, birds, invertebrates and plants - plus the wonderful asset of our time - silence!

It is easy to make a list of the most important species of interest, more or less related to bogs, swamps and adjacent transitional areas: Capercaillie, Moor Frog, Willow Ptarmigan, Hazel Grouse, Black Grouse, Common Crane, Great Grey Shrike, Whimbrel, Jack Snipe, Wolf, Elk, Brown Bear, Golden Plover, White-faced Darters, Cranberry Blue, Freija Fritillary, Bog Fritillary, Baltic Grayling etc. The orchids of interest are Musk Orchid, Fen Orchid, Heath Spotted Orchid, White Adder’s Mouth, Bog Orchid, Narrow-leaved Russow’s Orchid and others.

Cranberry Blue (Plebejus optilete) / Photo: John Maddocks

Estonian Nature Tours takes its clients to several of these reserves, e.g. Lahemaa, Tudusoo, Alam-Pedja etc. 

Great Tit - bird of the year 2016

Knock-knock on the window! The next Bird of the Year, announced by Estonian Ornithological Society, has entered the scene. This time – the 22nd year already - it is one of the most common and best known garden birds - the Great Tit. And there are good reasons for it. First - it is one of the most common birds around and second - almost everyone knows this bird from childhood, as it can be easily seen everywhere all the year round. There are several other tit species in Estonia that one can get acquainted with too, but this is the species you are likely to see the most.

Great Tit (Parus major) / Source: et.wikipedia.org

The Great Tit is a widespread and common species throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central and Northern Asia, and parts of North Africa where it stays mainly in woodland. But usually Great Tits do not migrate except in extremely harsh winters. This little bold - if not blatant - creature comes up to our homes, if short of food, and very often looks inside through the window to check what’s on the table. A good moment to have a close look. He or she? The sexes can be told apart by the width of the black stripe down the breast - the males have a broader stripe than the females.

To be honest we can celebrate the 45th anniversary of thorough Great Tit studies in Estonia. In 1971 en masse passerine ringing activities were called into being by the ornithologists of Matsalu and Nigula Nature Reserves. Special attention was paid to the Great Tit, who is readily available all the year round and also on migration. This research work was done in different places round Estonia under the code name “Operation Parus”. It was part of larger international programme “Baltika”. Lots of schoolchildren all over the country participated in this programme and several by now well-known ornithologists made their first steps as birders during these years.

By the beginning of 2000 the total number of ringed Great Tits in Estonia was about 600,000 birds. The ongoing century has added another 100,000, so the approximate total is now 700,000.

Northern Lights in Estonia

Some eager New Year’s firework photographers discovered, that the background of their long shutter release pics were filled with the beautiful colours of the Aurora! The very first days of 2016 provided more chances to see them. This is a video of some Northern Lights of the 2015/16 night:

Although the Estonian  climate can include its share of grey overcast nights, there are always crisp frosty starry nights too with occasional Aurora Borealis. One may think this belongs to the ultimate North, but depending on suitable weather and Solar activity it may often happen in our own backyard. The trade secret is to be outdoors around midnight. Celestial signs say clearly that Estonia is a real Nordic country.

As a matter of fact years are not brothers and Solar wind may be stronger or weaker. In fatc the activity of the sun moves through a cycle of aorund elevben years.  In 2015 the sun has been at its peak of solar activity and  offered us several spectacular fireworks. April 17 was maybe the best day (night) to watch it. Another active period was in October. Estonian photographers have not been lazy and there are several beautiful albums on the internet.

Our own bird-guide Mati Kose has presented some best shots here: 

Northern Lights in Estonia, Spring 2015 / Photo: Mati Kose

Well known nature photographer Sven Zacek has shared his Aurora-shots from a night-trip to a bog here..

The best places to see northern lights in the Baltic region are in the northern parts of the Nordic countries, and the best time is around the ‘magnetic midnight’ – around a half-hour before regular midnight. They occur all year round, but due to the bright Baltic summers they are only really seen in the darker time of year, from August to April. Of course in higher latitudes the probability to see them is also much higher. Statistically, in Northern Finland, one would expect to see the Northern Lights twice in a week; in Helsinki and in Estonia it would only be perhaps twenty nights a year and in northern Germany only a couple of nights a year.

According to Kristofer Jäntti this captivating phenomenon – Northern Lights - has fed our curiosity since the very beginning of times. Obviously it has not gone unnoticed by the ancients – the earliest cave paintings in Southern France date to 30,000 years ago. They had a prominent role in the mythologies of many cultures around the Arctic Circle. In Finland the Northern Lights were believed to originate from a ‘fire fox’ that would run in the North aong the mountains so that the sparks they caused would become Northern Lights. In Estonia it was believed that gigantic whales with their water jets were the reason of the spectacular light-show.

This story has its dark side as well - namely that solar activity evokes people and nations and very often spectacular light shows coincide with crucial historic events.

It depends only on Sun activity and sheer luck, but in March and in October the odds are that Northern Lights may show up around midnight as  an additional bonus to birding.

MATSALU – Mecca for birdwatchers!

Despite Finland’s reputation for birding, many birdwatchers from this country prefer to spend a weekend in Estonia, in Matsalu National Park, to observe the migration of birds every May and September. There is something very exciting about watching migration in action, as huge numbers of birds pass through this area, from small passerines through to waders and wildfowl and large birds like raptors, cranes and storks. The enormous passage of migrants makes this area very special - why else would Matsalu have been chosen to appear among the top 30 migration locations in the world?

For the first time, we have on offer a fantastic 5-day holiday to this fantastic birdwatching area renown for both migration watching and a fabulous selection of breeding birds.

NEW! MATSALU – A PARADISE FOR BIRDS!
Wed 18th May – Sun 22nd May / Tour leader: Kaarel Võhandu
Group size: 6/7 pax
Price: 855 € pp.

There are only five places still available - so please make your booking soon.

Tour itinerary..
BOOK HERE..

Perhaps Estonia’s prime site for birding the list of possible species you can see is impressive - Lesser Spotted and White-tailed Eagles, Black Stork, White-backed, Three-toed and Grey-headed Woodpeckers, Corncrake, Capercaillie, Black and Hazel Grouse.  Passage migrants include a great selection of wildfowl and waders - look out for breeding plumage Ruff and Spotted Redshank that look simply stunning.  Savi’s Warblers sing from reedbeds hunted by Marsh and Hen Harriers, Bitterns boom and Bearded and Penduline Tits breed.  Huge flocks of geese pass through along with Common Cranes, storks and so much more.

Our base for the holiday is the delightful Tuulingu guesthouse, which stands barely 30 metres from the coast.  This rebuilt old farmhouse, has front windows and the cafe terrace facing the shallow sea and the flat muddy coast, where you can sip coffee as you watch the swarming birds.  Passage birds may be moving through the scrub and trees beside the guesthouse and you may not want to leave for our days out in the nearby forested areas, reedbeds and wet meadows.  To get an even better panorama you have only to walk 15 metres and climb up the watching tower and almost the whole of Matsalu Bay is literally at your feet.

Tuulingu Guesthouse / Photo: ENT

With woodlands and 3,000 hectares of reedbeds, plus the shallow, brackish, nutrient-rich waters of the Matsalu Bay which has a 165-kilometre coastline. It is not surprising that avian diversity is unequalled in northern Europe in spring and autumn. Over 170 species breed here – and it is easy to see why the north European day-list record of 194 was set in this region in May 2007.

Take a minute to enjoy the video..