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Estonia Trip May 7th to 22nd. (1 Viewer)

nirofo

Well-known member
After all the glowing reports we had of the thousands of birds in Estonia we were slightly more than disappointed. We arrived at the end of a 2 week heatwave, 21c, low southerly winds, almost all the wildfowl had gone through and we were told that the waders went straight through without pausing for breath!! The weather changed abruptly soon after we arrived, with temperatures plummeting to minus 7 degrees, strong northerly winds and one inch of snow on one occasion. These conditions continued almost to the end of the holiday, only picking up slightly in the last couple of days. Most of the passerines etc were only just arriving as we were leaving. However, we still managed to knock up a total list of 120 species.

Some of the usual specialities were missing but we had great views of many Sea Eagles, Lesser and Greater Spotted Eagles. Monty's, Hen and Marsh Harriers were numerous, a few allowing fairly close flight shots. Common Cranes were scarce, but we did manage some good display shots of males doing the dancing routine and one individual feeding so close we had to resort to head shots only, (very good).

The most consistent areas for Barnacle Geese were Matsalu Bay and Haeska, both producing large numbers of birds approximately 75,000 strong. Awesome sight and sound when they all take flight together. Hopefully some good pictures when they return from the processors. The best area by far for close up photography of various Grebes, Sawbills and Ducks was the Promenade in Haapsalu. The displaying Great Crested Grebes were fantastic, offering some of the best photographic opportunities of the holiday, weed display, running on the water together, aggression etc. Haeska produced some great opportunities for Fieldfare feeding young in a nest at the side of the car park, easy photographic distance from the car window (500mm lens + 1.4 converter), birds unpreturbed by the close proximity of people.

After the first few days of the holiday, aimlessly running around looking at all the recommended birding spots with nothing much to see but Barnacle Geese we decided to spend more time on Haapsalu Promenade which was close to our accommodation (Korgasaare Holiday Home), very clean and good value for money with a more than helpfull owner who speaks some English.

Towards the end of our holiday a few more passerines started to appear and although we didn't see many of the specialities, birds like the Common Rosefinch and the Red-backed Shrike gave very good views, one particular Red-backed Shrike male almost sitting on the end of the lens.

Will we be going again, HMMMM, let you know when the photos return from the processors.

nirofo.
 
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We returned from our latest Estonian trip on June 12th, but I thought some BirdForum members might be interested in a general article I've written for our county birding society newsletter. We clearly had more luck (and kinder weather!) than Nirofo.

We have recently returned from our fourth visit in as many years to Estonia, the northernmost of the Baltic states. Two-thirds of the country comprises forest and marsh and almost 10% is under the protection of a network of national parks. In some areas the farmland takes you back to the days before modern agricultural practices left large swathes of our own countryside bereft of most of its wildlife. The birds, wild flowers and insects are so obviously present in far higher numbers than back home. And with a human population density less than 15% of that in the UK (and with most people living in the larger towns), there is hardly a beaten track to get off.

In May, Estonia joined the European Union. Whilst that will undoubtedly bring economic benefits, the rich assemblage of wildlife associated with all that non-intensive farmland may be at risk, as we know only too well from experience. One way to help is to promote the country’s ecological richness as a tourism resource. So if decide to visit, please write to the Estonian Ambassador when you get home and tell him why you enjoyed it so much.

A selection of good birding areas follows, but wherever you are in the country, you will never be far from productive habitat.

Birding areas

A good base on the north-west coast is the sleepy town of Haapsalu, where the new observation tower is an excellent watchpoint for white-tailed eagles. Half an hour's drive to the south is Matsalu Bay, a Ramsar-listed wetland of staggering proportions. There are over 10 square miles of reed-bed (one of the largest areas in Europe), together with a great expanse of shallow open water, rivers, alluvial meadows and woodland. Its bird-list is equally impressive at 270 species, of which no less than 157 are regular breeders. Highlights of the many exciting species we’ve seen in the area include lesser spotted and white-tailed eagles (four of the latter circling in one thermal on one memorable occasion!), red-necked phalarope, hazel grouse, citrine wagtail, river warbler and Blyth’s reed warbler.

Dotted around the edge of the bay are a number of strategically erected observation platforms, from the top of which you will get panoramic views of the marshes and be able to look down on hawfinches in the tree-tops. From the giddy heights of the tallest, 70 feet up, we watched several very shy elk going about their business, oblivious to their observers. The tower at Haeske, on the northern shore of the bay is another reliable place from which to see white-tailed eagles.

Just north of Haapsalu is another large expanse of marsh and open water called Sutlepa. On our last visit we were treated to breeding red-necked and Slavonian grebes, booming bitterns , three red-necked phalaropes in glorious summer plumage and flocks of little gulls and black terns hawking over the reed-beds where Savi's and great reed warblers were singing. One warm August day we counted 12 honey buzzards in the air together over the nearby forest.

Carrying on north, the reed-beds and beach at Haversi and the pinewoods at Roosta are well worth a visit. We've seen nutcrackers, crossbills and parrot crossbills, and a fly-over Caspian tern on its way to the sea just beyond the trees. The beach all along this coast always seems devoid of human activity but holds a variety of waders and terns. The scrubby access tracks are good to walk for wryneck, barred and icterine warblers. Just across the main road we found a pair of black woodpeckers at their nest-hole.

The road finally ends at Poosaspea Cape, a promontory which juts out toward the Finnish coast 45 miles away. The cape is well-known amongst Scandinavian birders as a prime sea-watching and visible migration hot-spot. We spent an unforgettable morning there in late May, watching vast swirls of common scoters, together with velvet scoters, goldeneye, mergansers and summer-plumaged divers heading east along the Baltic flyway. Honey buzzards were flying both out to and in off the sea. One morning we arrived in time to see a flock of 50 nutcrackers bounding over the nearby pinewood.

Travelling now down to the south-west, we spent a week in early August at Kabli, on the coast ten miles north of the Latvian border. A variety of waders were feeding along the beach, whilst the adjacent bushes were full of migrant warblers and flycatchers. Some recently cut wet hay meadows at the back of coastal reed-beds held two great snipe, with plenty of common snipe to compare them with. A few hours spent trekking through the forest a couple of miles inland were rewarded with two white-backed woodpeckers on a dead stump in a clear-cut area. Nigula Nature Reserve is accessible from here. It comprises a typical Estonian peat bog, with numerous pools and hollows, surrounded by deciduous and mixed forest. Typical breeding birds include wood and green sandpipers, tree pipits and pied flycatchers, whilst scarcer birds include golden and lesser spotted eagles and a variety of owls and woodpeckers.

One of the best areas in the country for six woodpecker species is the vast Alam Pedja National Park, just north of Tartu, in the south-east of the country. There are two excellent trails through the Park, one of which is partly board-walked over another large bog. Numbers of brown bear, wolf and lynx apparently match those of human beings around here! From a small hillock by the nearby main Tallinn-Tartu highway we watched lesser spotted eagles to the north and spotted eagles to the east. Just down the road toward Tartu is a great snipe lek, with signs telling you where to stand to watch the birds displaying without disturbing them. In another nearby area, we saw penduline tits at the nest, followed by one of those sudden flurries of fever-pitch excitement which always illuminate a foreign birding trip - grey-headed, white-backed and great-spotted woodpeckers and a wryneck all appeared in under three minutes along a forest trail!

Tartu is a very pleasant small city in which to be based and when we were there in early June had the added advantage of a singing greenish warbler in mature trees just off the main square! At a large wetland site south of the city we were treated to several citrine wagtails. A little crake was calling a couple of days after we left.

A worthwhile diversion of the way back up to Tallinn is Endla Nature Reserve, a huge tract of bogs, lakes and forest all connected by excellent trails. Black stork, capercaillie, eagles, crane and red-breasted flycatcher are amongst the 145 breeding species. We were walking along a path deep in the woods one day, miles from human habitation, when we met a group of nuns coming toward us! Surreal experiences like this tend to occur with some regularity in Estonia.....

Species

Of those species of particular interest to British birders, we have found the following relatively easy to find:

red-necked grebe, Slavonian grebe, white stork, bittern, honey buzzard, white-tailed eagle, marsh harrier, Montagu's harrier, corncrake, crane, little gull, Caspian tern, black tern, wryneck, black woodpecker, lesser-spotted woodpecker, woodlark, thrush-nightingale, river warbler, Savi's warbler, marsh warbler, great reed warbler, icterine warbler, barred warbler, crested tit, long-tailed tit of the white-headed race caudatus, golden oriole, red-backed shrike, nutcracker, crossbill, common rosefinch, hawfinch, ortolan.

We have also seen the following specialities but these require a little research/work/luck:

black stork, lesser-spotted eagle, spotted eagle, hazel grouse, black grouse, capercaillie, great snipe, red-necked phalarope, Ural owl, grey-headed woodpecker, white-backed woodpecker, citrine wagtail, Blyth's reed warbler, greenish warbler, red-breasted flycatcher, northern grey shrike, parrot crossbill.

We are considering April for our next visit, when we hope to connect with lesser white-fronted and red-breasted goose amongst the many thousands of geese staging along the west coast during their northward migration. This is the best time to find owls (we still "need" pygmy and Tengmalm's) and woodpeckers (three-toed yet to be ticked off). I also like the idea of spending a week or two in September at the bird observatory at Sõrve, at the southern tip of the island of Saaremaa. Passage here is on a phenomenal scale. These are peak daily counts of selected species last year: 6190 jays, 14650 great tits, 1375 long-tailed tits, 225000 chaffinches, 19000 bramblings, 12000 siskins. There is usually of course a sprinkling of rarities amongst the masses of common birds moving through.

Practicalities

It’s a small, flat country, about twice the size of Wales, so you could drive from one side to the other in a day (except that it’s difficult not to keep stopping – distant raptors, birds on wires, yet another photo of white storks on telegraph poles, etc.). Good habitat is readily accessible throughout, via a network of well maintained and largely deserted gravel roads, which often lead for endless miles through remote farmland and forest. Take plenty of good insect repellant - Lembik Opik MP, an Estonian national, claims that the bugs were taught to bite whilst serving in the Soviet military!

Charges for car-hire are comparable with those in the UK, but the costs of most other items, such as accommodation (standards are excellent), meals and petrol are just over half of those back home. The vodka is strong and cheap! The people tend to be a little reserved, which is hardly surprising in view of their turbulent history, but soon prove to be warm and welcoming. Many of the younger generation speak English, which is just as well as Estonian is one of the most complex languages in the world.

Estonian Air have daily direct flights from Gatwick. A cheaper alternative may be a low-cost flight to Helsinki and a ferry-ride across to Tallinn. Before catching the flight home, the Old Town quarter of Tallinn is well worth a few hours’exploration for its architecture, museums and remarkably cosmopolitan restaurants. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is stunning and the views from the top of the Town Hall spire breathtaking.


Resources

"Estonia (Bradt Travel Guides)" by Neil Taylor.
"Eesti Teede Atlas" published by Regio, simply the best road atlas I have ever seen - essential.
http://www.visitestonia.com/
http://www.ee/ecotourism/natural.html
http://www.vironlintuseura.fi/eng/index.shtml
http://www.eoy.ee/
http://www.tarsiger.com/?p=news&sp=est&lang=eng
http://www.ee/www/Regions/Nature_Reserve_Areas/welcome.html
http://www.ess.slu.se/Grundutbildning/Masterk/2002/Estonia/natconserv.html
http://www.elfond.ee/index.php?keel=inglise
http://www.budget.ee

Andy
 
Estonia May 9th - 23rd 2005

Attached, belatedly, is a list of species seen during trip earlier this year as promised to a couple of people. Species in bold were WP ticks for me. An excellent destination with splendid birds and habitat which I'd highly recommend, even if the forest birding can be a bit of a slog betimes.

Probable highlight of the trip for me was being alone in the fading light at the flood meadows of the Emajogi watching 4 pairs of Great Snipe lekking while Woodcock roded and Common Snipe drummed overhead. Absolutely magical sights and sounds on a still, warm evening.

Weather however was generally cool during my stay and migration seemed to be held up somewhat and some of the passerines only began to appear towards end of second week. Even then they were not present in great numbers. Having said that it probably helped in picking up the two rarer goose species, timing is important and one ought to be reconciled to not getting all in one trip. All the more reason to return!

As to practicalities there is nothing to add to Aquila's comprehensive posts other than to say that I flew direct from Dublin to Tallinn (100 euro return) and would echo his recommendation re the Regio road atlas. Invaluable.

If anyone has further queries please PM me. Finally a big thank you to Aquila/Andy and Benoit for info offered.

Dave
 

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