Estonian „Satellite Cranes“ arrive at their winter-homes by New Year’s Eve

At the end of 2015 the latest birds with satellite transmitters – Common Cranes with code names „Ahja 4” and „Savimäe” – arrived at their wintering locations.

Ahja 4 was caught in 2013 in South Estonia near Ahja village. It’s left leg was equipped with a new up-to-date 22 g satellite transmitter GPS/Argos MTI, working on solar energy. In the very first autumn it made the grade taking two months to travel 5,800 km and reach its chosen wintering place near Addis Abebe, Ethiopia. Cranes usually winter in southern Europe or north Africa, only one small group from Eastern Finland is wintering in Ethiopia, making their migration 6500 km long. This winter Ahja 4 reached its traditional „winter cottage“ on 28 December, sound and safe.

Savimäe was caught and tagged with a similar transmitter in the same year (2013) and in the same region, but near Savimäe village.
This winter Savimäe joined the flock that stayed in Hungary. After some time, when the weather suddenly turned cold, it continued its journey and reached its usual place in Algeria by 31 December – exactly the same time as in the previous year.

It's not just pure scientific curiosity, that has driven Estonian ornithologists to equip some large bird species with transmitters to follow their migration. Knowing their life and travels the whole year round, we can make much better decisions about their conservation needs. This work has been done in Estonia since 2005.
Transmitters are attached to different eagle species and some other raptors, cranes and storks. There have been short-wave radiotransmitters, satellite transmitters and GPS-based ones. Weight, power supply and signal strength have been constant problems that needed to be improved.
These days it is possible to watch the route of migrating birds in acceptable detail. See the migration map..

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