An 9-day holiday focusing on the fantastic opportunities to photograph Estonia´s wildlife.
Period: Sat 23rd May - Sun 31st May 2015
Price: 1795 € pp.
See Estonian wildlife photo gallery by Neil Aldridge and Remo Savisaar...
This photo tour combines specialist photographic tuition and expert wildlife guiding through the skills and knowledge of noted professional wildlife photographer from UK, Neil Aldridge and leading Estonian photographer Remo Savisaar. We offer just six people the chance to photograph some of Europe's iconic wildlife, now rare or extinct elsewhere in Europe.
Join Neil and Remo and travel from coast to forest and from bog to riverbank photographing Estonia's wildlife and wild places. Highlights of the trip include the chance to photograph bears and other forest-dwelling mammals like elk and wild boar. Beaver sightings have also been excellent on previous trips. Estonia has great swathes of forest and picturesque bogs that give the chance to focus on landscape photography. On top of that, Estonia boasts a bird list of over 300 species.
Highlights
Highlights of the trip include the chance to photograph some of Europe's iconic wildlife that is now either rare or extinct elsewhere in the continent. Mammals that you will be aiming to photograph include bears and beavers, with the added hope of finding other forest-dwelling species like wild boar and elk.
Estonia has an impressive bird list of well over 300 species and Neil and Remo will be hoping to find for you forest species like woodpeckers, raptors like osprey, marsh harrier and white-tailed eagle, as well as coastal waders and seabirds. May is also a good time for seeing waterbird migratory activity from the coastal sites you will be visiting.
Estonia's forests and bogs not only support an array of wildlife but the country's landscapes and habitats are wonderfully photogenic. The chance to photograph landscapes long since cut down or purposefully drained elsewhere in Europe makes this a particularly special place to visit. Estonia's many bird-watching towers make getting a unique perspective on flat landscapes relatively easy.
Highlights of the trip include the chance to photograph some of Europe's iconic wildlife that is now either rare or extinct elsewhere in the continent. Mammals that you will be aiming to photograph include bears and beavers, with the added hope of finding other forest-dwelling species like wild boar and elk.
Estonia has an impressive bird list of well over 300 species and Neil and Remo will be hoping to find for you forest species like woodpeckers, raptors like osprey, marsh harrier and white-tailed eagle, as well as coastal waders and seabirds. May is also a good time for seeing waterbird migratory activity from the coastal sites you will be visiting.
Estonia's forests and bogs not only support an array of wildlife but the country's landscapes and habitats are wonderfully photogenic. The chance to photograph landscapes long since cut down or purposefully drained elsewhere in Europe makes this a particularly special place to visit. Estonia's many bird-watching towers make getting a unique perspective on flat landscapes relatively easy.
Accommodation
Accommodation is in comfortable guest houses and hotels. This is to ensure that there are necessary facilities to charge camera batteries and laptops throughout the trip. It is also good to have somewhere safe to leave any equipment or belongings while out on a shoot. However, because you will sometimes be out in the field for long periods, every effort is made to try to keep the accommodation costs reasonable.
Accommodation is in comfortable guest houses and hotels. This is to ensure that there are necessary facilities to charge camera batteries and laptops throughout the trip. It is also good to have somewhere safe to leave any equipment or belongings while out on a shoot. However, because you will sometimes be out in the field for long periods, every effort is made to try to keep the accommodation costs reasonable.
Your guides
Neil Aldridge is an award-winning photojournalist and professional wildlife guide. Neil’s photography has been celebrated in the winning portfolio of the international Wildlife Photographer of the Year and he is a British Wildlife Photography Awards winner. He is a published author and his work is seen widely in publications such as BBC Wildlife Magazine. Neil’s photography experience, knowledge of wildlife and professional field guiding qualifications make him ideally suited to assisting others in photographing and experiencing wildlife and wild places. Neil leads wildlife photography trips in Europe and Africa.
Remo Savisaar is one of Estonia’s leading wildlife photographers. Remo was attracted to the nature around him at an early age and has been passionate about nature photography for the past seven years. His award-winning photographs have received recognition at international level. He has held numerous exhibitions and his work has been published in books and in magazines, including National Geographic. His knowledge of photography and eye for a good photograph has meant that he has also been a member of the jury of several photo contests. This makes Remo well suited to helping others see and take that winning photograph.
Neil Aldridge is an award-winning photojournalist and professional wildlife guide. Neil’s photography has been celebrated in the winning portfolio of the international Wildlife Photographer of the Year and he is a British Wildlife Photography Awards winner. He is a published author and his work is seen widely in publications such as BBC Wildlife Magazine. Neil’s photography experience, knowledge of wildlife and professional field guiding qualifications make him ideally suited to assisting others in photographing and experiencing wildlife and wild places. Neil leads wildlife photography trips in Europe and Africa.
Remo Savisaar is one of Estonia’s leading wildlife photographers. Remo was attracted to the nature around him at an early age and has been passionate about nature photography for the past seven years. His award-winning photographs have received recognition at international level. He has held numerous exhibitions and his work has been published in books and in magazines, including National Geographic. His knowledge of photography and eye for a good photograph has meant that he has also been a member of the jury of several photo contests. This makes Remo well suited to helping others see and take that winning photograph.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Tallinn
Arrive in Tallinn, where you will be met by your guides. You will be collected from the airport and transferred to the hotel. The first evening will involve getting to know each other over welcome drinks, a trip briefing and dinner.
Day 2 - Paljassaare Peninsula, Saaremaa Island & Kiipsaare Peninsula
Early in the morning the group will visit the protected Paljassaare peninsula. Situated in Tallinn, Paljassaare has beautiful landscapes and a long bird list. From Tallinn’s first bird observation tower, magnificent views unfold onto pools and lagoons amidst the reed thickets and bushes of the peninsula and onto the sea beyond.
May is the time of waterfowl and wader migration, so your guides will be looking for avian subjects, particularly those in flight. Little Ringed Plover nest on the peninsula and can often be photographed at close quarters. 215 bird species have been recorded here altogether, 40 of which are protected throughout Europe. Low light, lovely colours and morning haze will add extra atmosphere to the shots.
After breakfast everyone will pack up and leave for Saaremaa Island, which is reached via a brief ferry trip. The destination here is Pilguse manor – birthplace of famous explorer Admiral von Bellingshausen, where you will have a short rest. In the evening there will be the chance to photograph at Kiipsaare Peninsula, which is an ever-changing sandy coastal formation and features a stranded lighthouse, behind which the sun sets. Waterfowl and waders will still be active. You may also find seals, which are common in these coastal waters. Dinner will be back at Pilguse Guest House.
Day 1 – Tallinn
Arrive in Tallinn, where you will be met by your guides. You will be collected from the airport and transferred to the hotel. The first evening will involve getting to know each other over welcome drinks, a trip briefing and dinner.
Day 2 - Paljassaare Peninsula, Saaremaa Island & Kiipsaare Peninsula
Early in the morning the group will visit the protected Paljassaare peninsula. Situated in Tallinn, Paljassaare has beautiful landscapes and a long bird list. From Tallinn’s first bird observation tower, magnificent views unfold onto pools and lagoons amidst the reed thickets and bushes of the peninsula and onto the sea beyond.
May is the time of waterfowl and wader migration, so your guides will be looking for avian subjects, particularly those in flight. Little Ringed Plover nest on the peninsula and can often be photographed at close quarters. 215 bird species have been recorded here altogether, 40 of which are protected throughout Europe. Low light, lovely colours and morning haze will add extra atmosphere to the shots.
After breakfast everyone will pack up and leave for Saaremaa Island, which is reached via a brief ferry trip. The destination here is Pilguse manor – birthplace of famous explorer Admiral von Bellingshausen, where you will have a short rest. In the evening there will be the chance to photograph at Kiipsaare Peninsula, which is an ever-changing sandy coastal formation and features a stranded lighthouse, behind which the sun sets. Waterfowl and waders will still be active. You may also find seals, which are common in these coastal waters. Dinner will be back at Pilguse Guest House.
Day 3 - Viidumäe & Sõrve
The first destination will be the Viidumäe Reserve, where you will start the day photographing from the high observation tower. The tower may be beyond some who struggle with vertigo but the views over the forest are worth it - particularly at sunrise!
The group will continue exploring the reserve and finding forest landscapes, flowers and butterflies to photograph. The flora of Viidumäe comprises of a remarkable 700 species, the most interesting ones being different orchids and other plants. The forest is rich in mosses, lichens, large butterflies and spiders. This smoothly changing forest landscape with steep overgrown cliffs, small swamps with dwarfish pine-trees will keep the group busy until late morning. Lunch and a rest will then be enjoyed.
Late afternoon will see the group head to the Sõrve peninsula. The quiet backroads can provide opportunities for photographing elk, deer, owls and other birds. The bays by the peninsula are home to waterfowl and white-tailed eagles hunt here. The sunsets over the sea can be stunning and there will be the chance to photograph this before returning for dinner at Pilguse.
Day 4 - Pilguse & Photo Tutorial Session
The start of the final morning on Saaremaa will be with optional, informal photography in the grounds of the Pilguse Guest House, which is home to wagtails, swallows, wrynecks, flycatchers, owls, corncrakes and other birds. En route to the ferry terminal you will be checking for orchids, including the incredible lady's slipper orchid, which grows in good numbers on the island.
After 11am, the group will take the ferry to the mainland, have lunch and continue on to South-East Estonia to check in at Mooste – a former vodka brewery and now a restored and picturesque guesthouse and Photo Tourism Centre.
Following lunch and a rest, a photo tutorial session will take place using the centre's excellent facilities.
Day 5 - Jarvselja, Portfolio Reviews & Rapina
After coffee, the morning will be spent photographing forest wildlife, such as deer and elk, in the nearby Jarvselja forests before returning to the Guest House for breakfast and rest.
Before lunch, your guides will once again make use of the excellent facilities at the Mooste Photo Tourism Centre and there will be a group portfolio review and tutorial session. After lunch you will head out to photograph at Rapina, putting the lessons from the tutorial into practice. Dinner will be at the Guest House.
Day 6 - Ardla Wetlands & Beaver Boat Trip
After leaving Mooste the group will spend the morning at the Aardla wetlands to watch and photograph waders, birds of prey and other birds. The wetlands are also good for plants and amphibians. You will be able to choose from several shooting sites, depending on the spread of the flood. There is a bird tower which is also an option for shooting from an elevated position.
The evening will be devoted to finding and photographing beavers on the Emajogi River, which borders the rich Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve. The boat trips can be incredibly rewarding as you will pass through wetlands and grasslands, which are home to corncrakes, bitterns, cranes, kingfishers and marsh harriers. A late dinner at the Hansa Hotel will be waiting on your return.
Day 7 - Endla Bog & Alutaguse Bear Hide
An early start will see the group arrive at Endla Bog in time for sunrise. It is worth it - the protected Endla Bog-system covers more than 100 square kilometers and comprises raised bogs with picturesque dwarf pines and bog-lakes, swamp forests and karst springs. These locations hold great natural diversity of about 450 plant and 180 bird species. Cranes, waders, Golden and Spotted Eagle, different woodpeckers and passerines can be expected. Endla Lake is considered to be one of the richest and most diverse birding locations in Estonia.
You will then check in at Matsu guest house in North-East Estonia just before lunchtime, followed by a welcome rest to be as fresh as possible for an overnight session in a bear hide. These hides offer the best opportunity to take pictures of these shy giants of the forest. The hides are well sound-proofed though and there may be the chance to photograph other mammals such as raccoon dog and red fox, as well as forest bird species. With long daylight hours it remains light enough (depending on cloud-cover) to shoot well into the night and from early morning.
Day 8 - North-eastern Forests & Alutaguse Bear Hide
After leaving the bear hide, the group will return to the guest house for breakfast before spending the day resting. Depending on tiredness and the temperature, there will be the option to explore the nearby forest roads.
The final night will, once again, be spent in the bear hide. If at this time anyone feels satisfied with their sightings and photographs and wishes to get a good night's sleep, there is the option for guests to remain at Matsu Guest House, where dinner will be provided.
Day 9 - Alutaguse Bear Hide to Tallinn
After leaving the bear hide, the group will enjoy breakfast together at Matsu Guest House. You will then pack before leaving for Tallinn. One final lunch will be enjoyed together in Tallinn and, before heading to the airport to catch return flights, there will be time for an optional brief guided tour of the beautiful old area of the town.
Period: Sat 23rd May - Sun 31st May 2015
Price: 1795 € pp.
Includes: English-Estonian speaking guides troughout the journey. All meals and all local transport. Entrance fees to protected areas and museums. Accommodation.
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