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Twitchable Eurasian Lynx, Estonia (1 Viewer)

JCL

JCL

Well-known member
I have just returned from Estonia (site 1hr from Talinn), having successfully twitched Eurasian Lynx (female and cub). While the snow remains, there is a decent chance of others connecting - but you need to move fast. I will write a short trip report/blogpost, but unfortunately broke my ribs during the trip, so typing v hard. Headline is if you want to try and see, contact Marika Mann at Estonian Nature Tours asap. She has access to the local guide who knows the site and without whose help (4WD, site knowledge, tracking ability) I would never have stood a chance no matter how long I tried. Record shot through car windscreen attached.

James
 

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Sounds interesting (as long as the chance of cracking one's ribs remains low). For the trip report - did you see other interesting local species (birds or mammals) on your trip?
 
Well done James - get well soon.... I am over-committed already this spring so can't go, but perhaps the opportunity will recur.

John
 
Hi James, I'm envious of your lynx sighting, less so the resulting damage. Lynx photography seem to be a dangerous business. Hope you and your camera are back in action soon.
 
Estonia is almost certainly the 'easiest' country in Europe to see them, the country has a good population of Lynx and certainly some areas have reasonable possibilities to encounter one with some dedication.

However, without considering this exact case, I would agree that someone visiting for just a few days would still need considerable luck even with a local information.
 
BigdogJim said:
Pretty envious of that sighting - nice one! It seems more like luck than anything. While he had been trying to track them for a few days the actual sighting appears pretty flukey given he just bumped into them whilst driving; given that the whole of Estonia (aside larger towns) will be part of a lynx' territory, that fortune could have happened anywhere. Describing them as twitchable seems a bit far-fetched imo.
Click to expand...

Not the case. The female and three cubs have been followed for several weeks and are using a small area. The site is such that each time the cats move more than several 100 m they have to cross a drivable track. If that track is covered in snow (as at present), they leave fresh prints. Find the fresh prints and you can work out which forest block they are in. Then you have an even smaller area to watch. For a Eurasian Lynx, while snow remains, that is pretty darn twitchable.
 
JCL said:
Not the case. The female and three cubs have been followed for several weeks and are using a small area. The site is such that each time the cats move more than several 100 m they have to cross a drivable track. If that track is covered in snow (as at present), they leave fresh prints. Find the fresh prints and you can work out which forest block they are in. Then you have an even smaller area to watch. For a Eurasian Lynx, while snow remains, that is pretty darn twitchable.
Click to expand...


Snow certainly helps, I have tracked many by that means out here. Still seeing them is generally a challenge. Unfortunately for those thinking of following you, temperatures are rising to 4-5 C and patchy rain in Estonia at present - snow might well be mostly gone already, certainly usable snow for assessing fresh tracks (vanished here in Lithuania in the last days)
 
Eurasian Lynx successfully twitched yesterday by one person who went out to the same site as me, using details as per my blog/Mammalwatching trip report.
 
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