ONCE IN A LIFETIME! Fox Sparrow break in ESTONIA

From 295 € pp.

For twitchers who can make a very quick decision and are keen to see the extremely rare vagrant Fox Sparrow, we now offer a 2-day bargain trip.
Book now so you don’t miss out on this rare opportunity!
The offer is valid from today until such date that the bird decides to move on.

We kindly request that you contact us directly before booking flights. Our local guide, Tarvo Valker will be checking the site daily and will be able to confirm whether the bird is still present.

Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) / Tarvo Valker

More than a week ago, an extremely rare vagrant Fox Sparrow was found in Estonia, just one hour drive from our capital, Tallinn. So far, nearly 100 twitchers from Estonia, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, UK and Belgium have been fortunate enough come over and see this bird. The bird is still present and many birdwatchers think that it could easily stay here for several more weeks, meaning that there will be a very good chance for everybody to come to Estonia to twitch this stunning passerine.

The normal distribution range of the Fox Sparrow is in North-America, while in Europe there have only been 2 previous confirmed records of this extremely rare vagrant.  The last time this bird was recorded in Europe was 51 years ago! Obviously nobody knows how long the bird will stay.

The Fox Sparrow became the 386th bird species recorded in Estonia.

To see a video clip about emotions of one of the top Western-Palearctic species twitchers, Bosse Carlsson from Sweden, click here... 

Scroll down and click to the video, wait about 30 seconds, after a Vodka advert :)

Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) / Source: Wikipedia

Estonian Nature Tours is offering to help make your twitching trip to Estonia as comfortable as possible. We offer a short trip which will include a rental car driven by a keen birdwatcher who will make all due efforts to ensure that you see the Fox Sparrow, as well as a one night stay at a comfortable hotel. The location of the hotel allows for further birding in the wonderful surrounding areas, looking for northern bird specialties like Waxwing, Great Grey Shrike, Long-tailed Duck, Pine Grosbeak (possible), White-backed Woodpecker and Hazel Hen, to name only a few!

For a group size of  2-8 people, price includes local transportation, guide, one dinner and one night in hotel with private facilities and breakfast. Exclude international tickets and insurance. All you have to do is get yourself to Tallinn Airport (or Tallinn Harbor) where our local guide will meet you.

For futher information on Fox Sparrow break or any of bargain birdwatching trips we have on offer, plus booking details, terms and conditions please phone or e-mail us:

Tel:  +372 5349 6695 / E-mail: info@naturetours.ee

Watch the weather forecast here...

Rare in Europe Fox Sparrow was spotted in Estonia

Last Sunday Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) was the very first time spotted in Estonia. It is also very rare throughout the whole Europe.

Just in the middle of November another European rarity, the Dusky Thrush was also spotted in Estonia, where it usually doesn’t occur. And now, some weeks later the Fox Sparrow was here.

Fox Sparrow is so incredibly rare because this is a North American species, as the birdwatchers say, having been spotted in Europe only  two or three times.

Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) / Source: Wikipedia

„Rarities happen to be in the birdwatchers‘ sight unexpectedly and this exactly happened there at the wastewater sewage plant in Haapsalu, where the local well-known birdwatcher  Aivar Veide happened upon the bird. He was lucky enough to get the pictures right away, but first it was not clear, what it was, because the species is missing from the keybooks of Europe,” said Margus Ots, the chairman of the Bird Rarities Committee of the Estonian Ornithological Society to the “Terevisioon” broadcast. “These pictures spread quickly in the internet and the species was soon determined.”

To explain, how the rare Fox Sparrow could happen to Estonia Margus Ots  said, that the outermost distant rarities come to pass here mainly with the same reason – something went wrong on the migration route.

“The bird may have been hit by a storm and then carried away even onto another continent. Another suspicion is, when talking about small Passerines, that being out on the Atlantic Ocean due to a storm or whatnot, they may take a wrong ship to rest on and travel towards Europe instead,” said Ots.

How it will cope with our winter, Ots ould not say.

The rarity has been watched by dozens of birdwatchers both from Estonia and from Finland. “While this is a rare bird throughout Europe then we may expect birdwatchers from further countries as well, such as Great Britain and similar,” Ots commented. Obviously nobody knows how long the bird will stay in one place.

The Fox Sparrow became the 386th bird species ever met in Estonia.

Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) / Aivar Veide

Source: ERR 04.12.2012