Autumn Mammals and Birds tour summary

Dates: 25 Sep – 2 Oct 2015
Group size: 7 pax
Local guide (text by): Kaarel Võhandu 

We started our tour in Western Estonia. In the first morning we went to Puise peninsula which is an excellent passerine migration spot. Migration was in full swing and we saw 157 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 4 Black Woodpeckers and 1 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. If there was a short gap in migrating woodpeckers it was filled with passerines and jays. We also spotted a young Hen Harrier and a Peregrine Falcon. Around lunch time we visited several spots in the northern coast of Matsalu bay, where the highlights were 5000 Barnacle Geese and 3800 Lapwings. In the evening we took a boat trip on Suitsu and Kasari rivers. The beavers did not make an appearance but we got to stare a drinking elk in the eye from 4 meters. Photographers were complaining it was too close for their telephoto lenses.

Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) / Photo: Kaarel Võhandu

Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) / Photo: Kaarel Võhandu

In the morning of the third day we did some forest birding picking up a singing Pygmy Owl, that we did not manage to get views of. We then headed to Cape Põõsaspea for some seabird migration. Hundreds of Common Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, Goldeneyes, Brent Geese and Wigeon passed by. We also spotted some Velvet Scoters, Red-necked Grebes, Black- and Red -throated Divers and Scaups. Hike on the meadow of the peninsula produced Great Grey Shrike and an unexpected highlight of the trip, lifer for everybody – the Great Snipe. We spent our evening at Saunja bay watching 1700 cranes flying over to their nighttime roosting sites. From raptors we spotted two Ospreys and two Hen Harriers.

Brent Geese (Branta bernicla) / Photo: Kaarel Võhandu

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) / Photo: Kaarel Võhandu

In the fourth day we transfered to Central Estonia. We did quite a few stops along the way and were awarded with one Goshawk, couple of Nutcrackers, two White-tailed Eagles and one Merlin. We stayed at Toosikannu guesthouse, where they have a huge fenced area with semi-wild Red Deer, Elk and Wild Boars. We saw plenty of those on an evening safari. In the fifth day we did a lot of forest birding. The birds proved hard to find but with some hard work we managed to locate a Kingfisher, some Grey-headed Woodpeckers, a very late White Stork and a flock of Black Grouse. On the night time spotlighting drive we spotted a Ural Owl sitting in a tree at the roadside. As we admired it another one started calling somewhere nearby.

Merlin (Falco columbarius) / Photo: Kaarel Võhandu

In the sixth day we drove to NE Estonia, settled into our guesthouse and went to the bear hide in the evening. There were lots of Raccoon Dogs and Red Foxes about. Willow and Crested Tits were common on the bird feeders. But no bears around. As it got dark people started to nod off in the bunks. Luckily some stayed up and spotted a mother Bear with two cubs arriving around midnight. Everyone were quietly woken up and we were lucky to admire their activity for 45 minutes or so. We left the hide in the morning and on our hike out spotted a Badger crossing the trail. Driving around in the forests we spotted quite a few Black Grouse, one male Capercaillie and heard a Hazel Grouse calling. In the afternoon we had a look at the 4th largest lake in Europe - Peipsi and Russia behind it. There was a good number of birds at Vasknarva with 900 Goldeneyes, 50 Cormorants, 300 Mallards, 40 Tufted Ducks and 3 Smews. An Otter was fishing in the river. Last night we spent driving around forest roads and spotted 6 Woodcocks and another Ural Owl hunting on the road.

Crested Tit (Parus cristatus) / Photo: Kaarel Võhandu

Elk (Alces alces) / Photo: Kaarel Võhandu

Red Deer (Servus elaphus) / Photo: Kaarel Võhandu

Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) / Photo: Kaarel Võhandu

Remarkable 121 bird and 11 mammal species have been seen during the 8-day Mammals and Birds tour in Autumn 2015! 

EuroBirdwatch 2015

During the international bird watching days Eurobirdwatch 2015, taking place in 3-4 October, more than 220 000 birds from 153 species were counted. Compared to earlier years the result was clearly moderate. Over 100 bird counting lists were sent to the Estonian Ornithological Society, compiled by almost 400 birdwatchers. Most numerous countables were Barnacle Goose (>65 000), various other Goose spp. (32 500), Chaffinch (16 000), Lapwing (12 000) and Brambling (7300). The most often seen bird species were prevailingly Great Tit and Hooded Crow, followed by Eurasian Jay, Magpie, Raven, Blackbird and Fieldfare.

Barnacle Geese / Photo: Luke Massey

Our Bird of the Year was also recorded: there were 10 Rough Legged Buzzards and 190 Buzzards, 29 of which on the migration movement in Lao, Pärnu County. In the same location 21 Sparrowhawks, over 1400 Wood Pigeons, 25 Black Woodpeckers, 73 Bearded Tits and one Serin were seen. The most interesting event in the Kabli bird station, Pärnu County, was the migration wave of 2400 Meadow Pipits and massive movement of Chaffinches, Bramblings and Reed Buntings. Two late Tree Pipits were also seen.

European honey buzzard

At Cape Põõsaspea, Läänemaa County, 770 Divers and over 5000 Long-Tailed Ducks were counted during 2 days, while the most interesting species were Purple Sandpiper, Rock Pipit, Razorbill and Common Guillemot. The most interesting birds on Hiiumaa island were 7 Little Grebes and 52 Great Egrets. In Kuressaare Bay on Saaremaa island 3000 Coots were counted. In Virumaa County more than 20000 Barnacle Geese were seen and in Mehikoorma, Tartu County, 16 White-tailed Eagles were counted. Other exciting species, seen during the birdwatch days, were Grey Plover, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Snowbunting, Corncrake, Red-breasted Goose, Shelduck, different terns, Redstart and Lapland Longspur. Surprisingly big amount of Penduline Tits and Bearded Tits were seen and there were even some Swallows and White Storks. Among singularities there was a Hybrid Goose, a leucistic White-fronted Goose and a white-winged House Sparrow. Some domestic fowl were recorded: 30 Leghorn Chicken and 7 Pheasants.

The winners with 111 species were from the club Estbirding, the second and third best teams recorded equally 88 species.

This international event was held the 22nd time already, while there were participants from 41 European and neighbouring countries. About 33 000 birdwatchers were recording more than 5 million birds. The next event takes place in next year’s October 1-2.

Estonian Ornithological Society is grateful to each and every birdwatcher, facilitators and instructors and personally to Kristjan Adojaan and the company 5D Vision for the online record template. The final species list is available on the homesite of Estonian Ornithological Society.

Large waterfowl on the go

by Peeter Vissak

Cranes are gone by now / Photo: P. Vissak

The very sudden Crane migration wave in the last week of September was perhaps unexpected, but marked the end of the warm "indian summer". When a message from Finland told about 17 thousand cranes starting off from Tampere region and about 14 thousand birds from Pori region, it was like a promise of upcoming crane observation. And they were coming in the daytime and at night, with the NE wind and full moon. Part of these huge flocks, that were starting from Southern Finland, flew straight across Estonia without stopping (a disappointment), but they were in a hurry and had to make their next day ration of 500 km.

Barnacle Geese in gathering sites in Matsalu / Photo: P. Vissak

For birdwatchers there was still the spectacular gathering of different goose species. Tens of thousands of Barnacle Geese and Bean Geese could be watched reciprocating between the feeding areas and resting and sleeping areas. During the latest decades over 100 thousand stopping Barnacle Geese have been annually counted only in the Matsalu region. There are equally good watching locations both in the Northern and Southern coast of Matsalu Bay. With a bus, full of people, we were lucky to watch almost endless flight of geese over the Silurian limestone cliff in Kirbla. 

White-tailed Sea Eagle hunting on geese / Photo: P. Vissak

In the gathering sites passers-by can occasionally watch hunting eagles among thousands of geese taking wing. Despite that West-Estonian fields and coastal meadows are perhaps the best restaurants and hostels for these restless birds on their way.

Aurora borealis in West-Estonia / Photo: P. Vissak

Almost a week ago, late at night, taking long-exposure photographs of Aurora Borealis all over the starry sky, it was almost relaxing to hear the arrived Whooper and Bewick Swans on nearby shallow bays. Next morning observation revealed hundreds of Wigeons and Mallards among them, also some Teals and Goldeneyes. During the upcoming weeks some more thousands are expected to arrive and stay here until the shallow coastal sea is fully frozen.

Wooper and Bewick's Swans in West-Estonia / Photo: P. Vissak