Estonia Birding trip: Final day of good weather in Marsala

On Thursday 4th April, it was sunny and we had to make fiull use of aour last full day in estonia for this trip. We drove the short way from our fabulous accommodation and at first light were in the Haesaa woodlands which looked good for Woodpeckers and it had been recommended by our convivial host. There were birches in a marshy area, both Johnny and Rob had gone on ahead and I saw Rob intently looking at something and photographing, they were 2 superb white- headed Northern Long- tailed Tits being very confiding for Rob in nearby bushes but typically disappeared as i arrived however they took pity on me and showed a little better for me in the bushes acrioss the road opposite and I was able to get a few record shots. Johnny and Rob had a pair of White- backs but I couldn't see them! frustrating, until I saw a superb male White- backed Woodpecker perched on the left side of a dead tree. Slightly bigger than GSW, with whiet area on the back and 3 strands extending over to the flank, with salmon pink undertail coverts leading up to a streaked musty- yellow-white lower underparts, this was a stunning bird, I was about to take a picture albeit at some distance but it promptly flew right! As Rob & Johnny walked on, I picked up an excellent Black Woodpecker that flew in front of them ahead across the road from left to right. I also heard the distinctive call of a Grey- headed Woodpecker but none of us could see it! As we drove to the fields where the Buzzard was we almost hit a very low flying female Goshawk that flew right in front of the car & over the road (right to left) and we saw fly away over the field, nice to see one after missing one at... We saw the Rough- legged buzzard again huning over the field but it soon flew left and disappeared over woodlands. We then tried younger growth birch woods, where I heard the "kee-kee-kee" of a Lesser- spotted woodpecker seen by Johnny (left side of the road) but not by me. I did however hear a nasal trumpet call of a male Northern Bullfinch and the peuu calls and this bird eventually showed very well for me. We also spotted Elk tracks by the muiddy sides of the road and a mysterious Skull seen as well. Meanwhile back around the accomodation following a delicious cooked breakfast by our host, we were able to see around 20 Siskins, , 5 Tree Sparrows and a Song Thrush all posed well for the camera as they came to the feeder perching on the rock, the bushes and the feeder iteself. At a nearby ??? town, a Lake failed to reveal any Slav Grebes (not enough reddy habitat) GC Grebe and Heron seen here, plus a Hooded Crow on a structure. by the estuary, a Brent Goose was seen. Whilst at another ??? town, we saw 7 Smew (4 males and 3 females), up to 30 Goosanders, on the estuary an over flying White- tailed Eagle flying over the distant reeds, 2 close summer- plumaged Black- headed Gulls on the path in front of us on the estuary. Early evening at the town, we had a delicious home cooked Pizza, as we left, I nipped out and took pictures of the northern race Jackdaws, 3 seen. It started raining a little. Finally an evening visit to a very promising area of Pine Forest, revealed a clearing where amazingly we heard the call of a Ural Owl, like a soft "Chimpanzee call" and asoft "whoooo" absolutely wonderful and spine tingling to hear but disappointingly this didn't lead to a sighting of this much wanted enigmatic denizen of the Pine forest. While we waited in hope, 1 and then 2 Hawfinches perched up in the tree and then flew left over the clearing. A Great- spotted woodpecker flew over the road from the Pines. On the track itself, I saw some incredible Lynx tracks looking like massive X2 domestic Cat paw prints. As we drove around at dusk, Johnny saw a Ural Owl fly over the road this was missed by both Rob & myself but we did see 3 Woodcock one on the deck and 2 that flew past the car as dusk took hold.