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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Dragonfly holiday in Estonia 1st Aug- 8th Aug 2014


The first dragonfly tour in Estonia organised by Estonian Nature Tours for UK and Switzerland dragonfly enthusiasts took place in early August this year and proved a great success.

For futher information on a Dragonfly tour we have on offer on 10-14 June 2015, please e-mail us for the detailed itinerary: info@naturetours.ee

"Many thanks for a most enjoyable week in Estonia; an excellent tour and my thanks to all concerned. Estonia is a lovely country with so much to offer those with an interest in nature." Trevor D.

Species list by Philip H. Smith (1st Aug - 8th Aug 2014):


Species
English name
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
Calopteryx virgo
Beautiful Demoiselle

+



+
Calopteryx splendens
Banded Demoiselle

+

+

+
Lestes sponsa
Common Spreadwing
+
+
+
+
+
+
Lestes dryas
Robust Spreadwing



+


Sympecma paedisca
Siberian Winter Damsel
+

+

+
+
Ischnura elegans
Common Bluetail
+
+



+
Enallagma cyathigerum
Common Bluet
+
+
+
+
+
+
Coenagrion pulchellum
Variable Bluet

+
+
+


Coenagrion puella
Azure Bluet

+
+
+


Erythromma najas
Large Redeye

+

+
+
+
Platycnemis pennipes
Blue Featherleg

+

+

+
Aeshna mixta
Migrant Hawker





+
Aeshna grandis
Brown Hawker
+
+
+
+
+
+
Aeshna cyanea
Blue Hawker


+
+


Aeshna viridis
Green Hawker
(+)




(+)
Aeshna juncea
Moorland Hawker

+
+

+
+
Aeshna subarctica
Bog Hawker





(+)*
Aeshna serrata
Baltic Hawker
+





Anax imperator
Blue Emperor





+
Ophiogomphus cecilia
Green Snaketail



+
+
+
Somatochlora metallica
Brilliant Emerald

+

+

+
Somatochlora flavomaculata
Yellow-spotted Emerald

+
+
+
+

Libellula quadrimaculata
Four-spotted Chaser
+

(+)
+


Orthetrum cancellatum
Black-tailed Skimmer
+
+
+
+


Leucorrhinia albifrons
Dark Whiteface




+

Sympetrum danae
Black Darter

+
+
+
+
+
Sympetrum sanguineum
Ruddy Darter
+
+
+
+
+
+
Sympetrum flaveolum
Yellow-winged Darter
+
+
+
+
+
+
Sympetrum striolatum
Common Darter
+





Sympetrum vulgatum
Moustached Darter
+
+
+
+
+
+
Total 28 (+ 2)









Note: (+) = unconfirmed or seen by guide(s) only;
          (+)* = dead specimen.

 

Female Baltic Hawker (Aeshna serrata) / Philip H. Smith

 Male Baltic Hawker (Aeshna serrata) / Philip H. Smith

 Black Darter (Sympetrum danae) / Trevor Davenport
 
 Female Robust Spreadwing (Lestes dryas) / Philip H. Smith

 Male Robust Spreadwing (Lestes dryas) / Philip H. Smith
  
 
 Dark Whiteface (Leucorrhinia albifrons) / Philip H. Smith

 Moustached Darter (Sympetrum vulgatum) / Trevor Davenport

 Green Snaketail (Onychogomphus cecilia) / Philip H. Smith

 Yellow-spotted Emerald (Somatochlora flavomaculata) / Philip H. Smith

 Siberian Winter Damselfly (Sympecma paedisca) / Philip H. Smith

 Female Moustached Darter (Sympetrum vulgatum) / Philip H. Smith

Male Moustached Darter (Sympetrum vulgatum) /
Philip H. Smith

 Common Blue Butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) / Trevor Davenport

 Searching for bog species... / Philip H. Smith

 Estonian bog / Philip H. Smith

 Bog lake / Philip H. Smith

 Forest lake / Philip H. Smith


Trevor Davenport and Philip H. Smith participated also in our butterfly holiday in July 2013.




Friday, August 8, 2014

Special offers! Why Autumn in Estonia?


We are pleased to offer the opportunity to travel Estonia with an exceptionally affordable price this Autumn.

Special offers until 31st August!

Mammals and Birds in Autumn 
Fri 26th Sep - Fri 3rd Oct 2014        
Price: 1295 € pp.
BOOK HERE...

To see Brown Bear video click here...
"In all, 12 000+ Barnacle Geese flew over our head towards Matsalu Bay". See video here...

 Elk (Alces alces) / Luke Massey

 European Beaver (Castor fiber) / Remo Savisaar

Itinerary:
Day 1 Arrive in Tallinn, to Haapsalu
Day 2 Matsalu National Park
Day 3 Tracking & birding; Beaver boat-trip
Day 4 To central Estonia; Elk & Wild Boar safari
Day 5 Toosikannu & Mõrdama
Day 6 Transfer to North-East Estonia; Bear Hide
Day 7 Birding & tracking; alternative overnight in the bear hide
Day 8 Departure

Highlights
Mammals: Racoon Dog, Red Fox, Elk, Roe Deer, Flying Squirrel (in darkness 70% quaranteed), Wild Boar (90%), Brown Bear (90%), European Beaver (95%), tracks and droppings of  Lynx and Wolves (100%, or even  the animals themselves if you are lucky!)
Birds: Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, hundreds (or thousands) of Common Cranes, White-fronted Geese and Bean Geese, thousands of Barnacle Geese, peak autumn migration of songbirds, waders and waterfowls, Ural Owl, Pygmy Owl, Goshawk, Peregrine Falcon, Black Grouse, White-backed Woodpecker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Yellow-browed Warbler (probably), Nutcracker, Crested Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Bearded Tit, Lapland Bunting etc.

Birds and Bears
Wed 8th Oct - Sun 12th Oct 2014                           
Price: 795 € pp.
BOOK HERE...

To see Brown Bear video click here...
"In all, 12 000+ Barnacle Geese flew over our head towards Matsalu Bay". See video here... 
   
 Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) / Luke Massey

 Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis) / Luke Massey

Itinerary:
Day 1 Arrive in Tallinn, to Haapsalu
Day 2 Matsalu National Park
Day 3 To North-East Estonia; Bear hide
Day 4 Alutaguse forests; alternative overnight in Bear hide
Day 8 Departure

Highlights
Birds: massive Arctic waterfowl migration – including thousands of  Long-tailed Ducks, Velvet Scoters and Red-throated Divers, spectacular passerine migration with tens of thousands of Siskins, Chaffinches and Bramblings, possible massive invasion of Jays and Nutcrackers,  stunning raptor migration with hundreds of Sparrowhawks in few hours, Bewick's Swan, Rough-legged Buzzard,  White-tailed Eagle, Common Crane, Hazel Grouse, Grey-headed Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Tengmalm's Owl, Pygmy Owl, Great Grey Shrike, Waxwing, Yellow-browed Warbler, probably Hawk Owl etc.
Mammals: Racoon Dog, Red Fox, Elk, Roe Deer, Wild Boar (probably), Brown Bear, tracks and droppings of Lynx and Wolves etc.

Short breaks are becoming increasingly popular and in response to the high demand for this type of holiday we are continuing to increase our programme. For birdwatchers who can make a quick decision and are keen to focus on the spectacular bird migration, we offer this Autumn new, fully-inclusive, 4-day trip in Western Estonia.

WESTERN ESTONIA IN AUTUMN
Thu 25th Sep - Sun 28th Sep 2014
Price: 495 pp.
BOOK HERE... 

Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) / Sven Zacek

Common Crane (Grus grus) / Remo Savisaar

Itinerary:
Day 1 Arrive in Tallinn, to Saaremaa    
Day 2 Saaremaa island              
Day 3 Põõsaspea, Leidissoo, Matsalu National park                                    
Day 4 Departure

Highlights
Birds: Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Eurasian Crane (thousands), White-fronted Geese and Bean Geese, tens of thousands of Barnacle Geese, peak autumn migration of songbirds, waders and waterfowls, Goshawk, Peregrine Falcon, Black Grouse, Hazel Grouse (probably), Capercaillie (probably), woodpeckers, Yellow-browed Warbler (probably), Nutcracker, Crested Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Bearded Tit, Lapland Bunting etc.
Mammals: Wild Boar (probably), Raccoon Dog, Red Fox, Elk, Roe deer, Red Deer, tracks of Brown Bear, Wolf, & Lynx (probably) etc.

To find out more about our fantastic value birdwatching holidays available for the Autumn 2014  click on our website  or visit us at the Birdfair Marquee 5 Stand 32!


Estonia in the autumn is a magnificent destination for the birdwatcher who wants to see forest species, such as woodpeckers and forest grouse, together with raptors and arctic migration, with that added touch of eastern rarities and even some mammals. From early September until late October, thousands of ducks, geese and cranes use these wetlands as their last feeding and roosting grounds before their final migration to the wintering sites. One of the best time to observe (and photograph) the bears from the hide is in September and October when they return to feeding places to gorge on food before  hibernation.

10 Good Reasons to Visit Estonia in Autumn:
10 000+ Cranes - unforgettable experience
White-backed, Three-toed and Black Woodpecker
Western Taiga forests - habitats to Hazel Grouse, Ural, Hawk and Pygmy Owl
Invasion of Nutcrackers
Massive assemblies of migrating waterbirds from the Arctic
Long coastline and many islands – a paradise for seawatching
Bird stations and siberian rarities
Raccoon Dog, Brown Bear and Ringed Seal
Mating season for Elks
A lot of surprises, colours and silence

Birdfair 2014. What´s new?


The 2014 British Birdfair will take place at Egleton Nature Reserve, Rutland on Friday 15th – Sunday 17th August. 

This is the seventh time Estonian Nature Tours (ENT) will participate in the biggest bird and ecotourism fair in the world as an exhibitor.

Visit us in Marquee 5 Stand 32!

Estonian Nature Tours has been a pioneer in developing nature and bird tourism all over Estonia. We have more than 10 years experience in organising outstanding wildlife holidays in Estonia and the feedback from our clients has always been very positive. Believe it or not – we have developed a fan club, with many of our customers visiting Estonia with our help four or even five times!
Short breaks are becoming increasingly popular and in response to the high demand for this type of holiday we are continuing to increase our programme. For birdwatchers who are keen to focus on the spectacular bird migration, we offer new, fully-inclusive, 4-day trips in Western Estonia for a year 2015.

ESTONIA IN SPRING
Fri 15th May – Mon 18th May 2015
Price: 530 € pp.

Hazel Grouse (Bonasa bonasia) / Remo Savisaar

ESTONIA IN AUTUMN
Fri 18th Sep – Mon 21st Sep 2015
Price: 530 pp.

Common Cranes (Grus grus) / Remo Savisaar

Another new idea is our 5-day fully-inclusive holiday for dragonflies. In recent  years Estonia has been a magnet for birdwatchers from Europe and beyond. Now this Baltic State is also becoming a mecca for dragonfly (and butterfly) enthusiasts eager to see the country´s speciality species.

DRAGONFLIES IN ESTONIA
Wed 10th Jun – Sun 14th June
Price: 755 € pp. 
BOOK HERE...
To read tour report Butterflies in Estonia by Trevor Davenport click here...

Yellow-Spotted Emerald (Somatochlora flavomaculata) / Philip Smith


Ruby Whiteface (Leucorrhinia rubicunda) / Mati Martin


Estonia is an up and coming destination for wildlife photography. Boasting fantastic species such as White-tailed Eagles, Brown Bear, European Beaver, Wild Boar and Elk. All of which you may get the chance to photograph if you visit Estonia.

White-tailed Eagle Photography
September – October / February – March (on request)
Price: from 50 € pp.
Beaver Photography
April – October (on request)
Price: from 45 € pp.
Brown Bear Photography
May – June / September – October (on request)
Price: from 85 € pp.


White-tailed Eagles (Haliaetus albicilla) / Luke Massey


We also have the expertise to discuss your requirements and arrange suitable accommodation and a rental car for your itinerary.

If you are keen to see specific mammals such as Flying Squirrel, Elk, Beaver or Brown Bear then let us know – we can now offer individual bookings on our Mammal study trips and safaris 2015.

Brown Bear tracking and watching                
16.-17.05 / 23.-24.05 / 30.-31.05 / 19.-20.09
To see Brown Bear video click here...

Flying Squirrel Study trip              
15.05 / 17.05 / 24.05
To see Flying Squirrel Study trip gallery click here...

Beaver boat-trip               
April – August (on request)
To see Beaver boat-trip video click here...

Elk & Wild Boar safari    
April – June / August – October (on request)
To see Elk & Wild Boar safari video click here...
 
Flying Squirrel (Pteromys volans) / Rainar Kurbel

Estonian Nature Tours invites you

Estonia – a geographical crossroad for butterflies and dragonflies 
on Saturday 16th August 12:00am – 12:20pm
Anglian Water Birdwatching Centre
Presenter: Dr Wilf Powell
Butterfly Conservation (member), Wildlife Trust (member), Bedfordshire Natural History Society (member of Council)

Despite being a small country lying at the same latitude as N. Scotland, Estonia is host to around 100 butterfly and 57 dragonfly species. This reflects its geographical position, where species with predominantly northern, southern or eastern European distributions meet. This talk will give an introduction to this fascinating butterfly and dragonfly fauna.

NB! For futher information on any of the butterfly (and dragonfly) trips we have on offer in 2015, plus booking details, terms and conditions please visit us in Marquee 5 Stand 32 or e-mail us for the detailed itinerary. The best idea is to visit our stand and chat with Dr Powell right after his presentation (12:30pm – 14:00pm). Wilf Powell has been in Estonia four times and will be back in the Autumn, this time watching bird migration.

Scarce Fritillary (Euphydryas maturna) / Wilfred Powell   

All photography enthusiasts who have heard (or not yet heard) anything from Estonia and the wonderful opportunities there are welcome to our stand Marquee 5 Stand 32 on Saturday 18th August  2:00pm – 4:00pm. A professional award-winning photojournalist, Neil Aldridge, will talk about wildlife photography opportunities in Estonia.


Neil's work includes three streams - Conservation Photojournalism, Travel and The Conservation Collection. He has travelled around the world but keeps coming back to Estonia, one of his favourite locations.
Neil's photography has been widely published. He is a contributing photographer to the renowned BBC Wildlife Magazine. His African wild dog work also featured in the winning portfolios of the coveted Wildlife Photographer of the Year and International Conservation Photography Awards, as well as the iLCP's Extinction exhibition in Telluride, Colorado in 2010. As well as several Highly Commended achievements, Neil has twice been a winner of British Wildlife Photography Awards.

 Männikjärve bog in Estonia / Neil Aldridge


Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) / Neil Aldridge


Friday, August 1, 2014

Estonian Nature Tours brochure 2015 is now available


With pleasure, we are continiously offering individual bookings on our fully-inclusive holidays. To order Estonian Nature Tours brochure 2015 enter your details here...





See also the selection of  best birdwatching, mammal tours and other wildlife holidays in Estonia available for the year 2015  by clicking here...