Estonia Birding trip: 2nd full day = poor weather

On Tuesday 2nd April, in the early hours a trip to the Forest toilet (don't ask!) I heard Tawny Owls call, a "kewick" call and a hooting call too. Back at Undva beach, a Great Grey Shrike was seen on top of a small tree again and out to sea we saw an incredible flock of some 100 Scaup on the sea. A White- tailed Eagle flew by and Oystercatcher and Shelduck seen, plus 100 Mute Swans on the sea which was quite a sight! At the back of these Swans, we saw 2 Whooper Swans, there were also 3 Goosanders and 5 Goldeneyes. We saw a flock of 115 Chaffinces on the beach together with 3 Skylark. Back at Saarema Saddam harbour, 8 Long- tailed Ducks were seen, plus 5 Coot and further over by the harbour promentary 3 Steller's Eiders (the 2 males from yesterday and a female), the group of 3 kept closely together feeding all the time near the promentary. The female Steller's Eider again a typical squat all over brown Eider shape with 2 thick white diagonal borders on the mid flanks sandwiched by a dark irridescent blue. Again the tertial feathers were long on the female bird. A group of 30 Siskins flew by and left. On the road back where we had seen the large Tortoiseshell, we took a track going left down to a lake area and we could hear blood curdling screams of 2 pairs of displaying full summer plumaged Red- necked Grebes on the lake, the vivid brick red plumage on the neck and flanks really stood out on these birds. We also heard the calls of Crossbills from the trees. We looked in Kusaaree park, a nice urban park with mature trees where 2 single Hooded Crows seen, I spied a Treecreeper near the top of a tree and a Tufted Duck on a castle moat. Rob and Johnny had walked off but came back to inform me they had seen a pair of Caspians so we drove round to Kusaaree Saddam (harbour) and 1 Caspian Tern seen flying left over the trees in the mid distance. It was now overcast and raining slightly with stong winds so we drove to Saare lighthouise and point stopping off at a Holiday park first where we saw 2 pairs of Ringed Plovers and a female Black redstart. At the lighthouse and beach, it chucked it down with rain so observing from the car we saw 1, 3, 5 and 2 Chaffinches fly in off the sea and settle via vegetation near the car park, where 2 Greenfinch seen too. Out over the bay, I saw 2 White- tailed eagles flying over, plus a reasonably close female Long- tailed Duck on the sea and a White Wagtail on the beach behind me and walking back to the car I hard the rasping call of a Brambling. Driving down some side roads to an abandoned Soviet military installation a young Rook was seen by the side of the road ahead of us. Back at Kusaaree Park, we saw 7 Tufted Ducks (4 males & 3 females) on the moat, plus we had 3 Hawfinches perched high up in trees on the island, together with 2 further Hawfinches seen in the poark later, totalled 5 Hawfinches all told. 4 Gadwall (2 pairs) also seen on the moat. While we walked around the paths, 2 Treecreepers were seen by trees bordering the path. Parking up for our evening meal, I also heard the rasping call of a Brambling. On the journey up to 50 Cranes seen in fields, mostly pairs seen in fields plus a flock of 35 Cranes flying left.

Estonia Birding trip 2- Stellar views of the Steller's!

The first area we tried for Steller's was Undva Palnk, which was a beach area where perced on top a small tree was fine Great Grey Shrike and further along the track near a pool of water, 1 Crane. Mist was rolling in making viewing conditions difficult. So we decided to move onto Saarema Saddam (Saddam means harbour in Estonian) and this was a lovely sheltered area, as we parked up a White Wagtail was seen here. We saw another fine male Long- tailed Duck complete with a long -tail, but again no initial sign of the Steller's. We saw Coot here. Until suddenly 20 minutes later out of the mist 2 absolutely superb male Steller's Eiders flew in and incrediby settled very close in by the rocky beach edge. This was amazing, as Johnny set up his tripod, Rob & I in a circular arc stooped low and using a large rock as cover got closer so the birds were only around 8- 10 metres away, they were feeding along the edge of the sea/ beach edge. They literally dabbled at the water's edge, 1 bird raised itself up on the water. Then they settled down, they spent quite a lot of time dabbling by the waters edge before occasionally swimming out a little way before returning to the waters edge, they seemed oblivious of our presence band we literally drinked in these wonderful birds. Sadly some of the rarest birds we have seen. They had a typical Eider squat bulky shap and a very wondrous artistic paintbox plumage. With grey bill, whitish head with a small greenish splodge patch in front of the eye and greenish small "bobbles" (2) along the sides of the nape. They a small area of black underneath the chin and collar with long black and white tertial feathers extending down the back with black uppertail area. The underparts were a pale orange peach colouration being more vivid on the breast and paler/ whiter near the rear flanks. A black spot was observed on the rear lower flank. (see pics, these are not cropped and reproduced almost as taken! lightened slightly)

Estonia birding trip 1- a trip to the northern Baltic state

On Easter Sunday 31 March, I travelled to Estonia with Rob H and Johnny from Norwich for a much needed holiday my first since the Covid pandemic. We travelled from London Stansted and the airport experience is very much an endurance. After we took off,2 hours 20 minutes later we were landing at Tallin airport in Estonia, the northernmost Baltic state. The airport there was so much better. We walked to the car hire place, just 10 minutes walk away and collected the car. While we were waiting for someone to arrive to greet us, there was a lot of viz mig or visual migration with 2 majestic Cranes flying over, a Hooded Crow flew by. A Jackdaw also flew past. As did Geese first a skein of 15 Barnacle Geese, then White-fronted Geese, 2 then another 2 and finally 8. 4 Tundra Bean Geese then flew by. Not to be outdone, passerines put in a good showing with flybys including 3 Fieldfare, a Greenfinch, 15 Stock Dove and a Sky Lark. We observed saw a large nearby lake nearby, with 3 Goosander (2 males and a female), seen. This was very good and we were still at Tallin! On the journey, we saw several Hooded Crows and several Cranes in the fileds 2, 1, 2 + incredible flocks of 300 and 100. Whilst travelling along the main road, we saw a White Stork on top of its nest on the left side of the road plus a flock of Tundra Bean Geese c30 and a flock of c30 White- fronted Geese, also c30. At our first stop Marimetsa Soo (bog) we were greeted with hazy sunshine and a balmy 14 degrees celsius this was a wooded area and bog area. As we parked up, we saw a northern race Willow Tit fly past the car park. I was following in the wake of Johnny and Rob but I stopped as we got into the woods because I could hear a Woodpecker tapping, it sounded like a GSW and sure enough this was confirmed when I saw it perched tapping away a tree trunk. I then joined johnny and Rob into a more open boggy area and following the footpath along the right side of the field bordered by a dyke with reeds we heard and then saw the white- headed vision of northern race Long- tailed Tit, a fabulous bird but both it and a wheezing Northern race Bullfinch, a male both eluded our cameras sadly. A Tortoiseshell type butterfly had me perplexed. was it Large or Yellow- legged? Intriguing, more on this later. We were back into a wooded area and we could hear Crested Tit and one seen very briefly at the top of a Pine tree. Walking back we another 2 Tortoiseshell species but they wouldn't settle long enough, but we suspected they were Large. c8 Brimstones all seen singularly flew by. A walk back over the wood, a Sparrowhawk flew by. On the journey to the Ferry, we saw a Black Redstart, a female type that flew in front of the car left over the road. We stopped along a wooded roadside road and a much more obliging Tortoiseshell which posed well for the camera finally revealed itself as a much sought after Large Tortoiseshell. A Brimstone was seen here also. We then waited for the ferry to the island we needed to get to to try for the Steller's. As we waited a fine White-tailed Eagle flew over and several 5 Goosanders (3 males & 2 females) seen in the harbour with one very close male seen and photographed. Several Long- tailed Ducks were seen, 1 resplendant male complete with long tail and 3 female Long-tailed Ducks and on the ferry ride over to Saaremma island, we saw a flock of over 300 Long- tailed Ducks in flight which was quite a sight! Also a raft of around 100 Common Scoter and a fine Black- throated Diver which flew left around 100 metres in front of the bow of the ship.

Carlton trio of Garganey

On Good Friday, 29th March, I walked down to the far scrape, Peto's Marsh and just before the first hide, I saw Chris D and he kindly pointed out all 3 Garganey, a male stood facing right and a female was just left of him and a another male Garganey was swimming just behind him. A single BT Godwit, 3 Pintail (2 males and a female), still quite a few Wigeon c30 plus Great Egret flew left at the back. I also heard Chiff- Chaff and walking back near the old centre track, I saw and heard a single note calling Chiff- Chaff low down in the foliage and a singing Linnet high up in the tree.

Minsmere again

On Wednesday 27th March, I went back to Minsmere, unfortunately they were doing road repairs on the entrance road so no SC, I walked out to the old car parl area below the SM cliff and finally saw all 3 Adders, 3 males, 1 called Bracken was the showiest, whilst Edmund, the Black Adder was at the back and only seen briefly. Around 8 Sand Martins flew over too. Likewise the third male Adder, who was tucked in more. Then I walked to Island Mere, the fine Jack Snipe was seen bobbing, when not asleep, amongst the stubble but always for me, obscured but just right of the main channel and resonably close.

Minsmere Lesser Scaup

On Sunday 24 March, after a gridlocked Lowestoft which took 90 minutes to get past the bridge, along Westleton, I saw and heard a Chiff- Chaff, my first of the yearI arrived mid afternoon and saw the Lesser Scaup on island Mere, 3 males and 2 females, with the first group of 3 almost staright out (2 males and a female) and further over to the right the pair (male and female). ZAlso seen were 2 superb Cranes which flew right over the Mere and to the left, 3 Bitterns suddenly rocketed out of the reedbed and flew east. I saw Jeremy B and nearby we saw a super Stone Curlew stood up on the top of the field right hand side but by this time the light was going.

Dead mustelid

On Friday 23rd February, travelling to work at 8.00am I saw a freshly dead Mustelid, either a Polecat or ferret, I should have stopped but didn't check it until 5.15pm where sadly it been further run over and looked like a Polecat but too squashed to find out for certain.