Bewick's Swan at Ilmatsalu fish ponds.

My favourite birding site this autumn is Ilmatsalu. The swans arrived at Oct. 07.
The world population of Bewick's Swans is currently estimated at 17 000 individuals. Nearly all of them are supposed to pass Estonia during the migration (at least that is also the number of Bewicks Swans counted in Estonia), altough some flocks may pass trough Finland and Latvia.



The Bewick's and Whooper Swans are very similar but the bills of Bewick's Swan feature a small, typically rounded patch of yellow, whereas in whooper swans the wedge-shaped patch of yellow extends below the nostril. The differences, sometimes difficult for the beginner are evident in this photo, taken at Ilmatsalu fish ponds (The link (in Estonian) leads to the birdlist and map of the area).



Ilmatsalu is a settlement with fish ponds located between city Tartu and an wilderness area Lower-Pedja. Due to its location it attracts a huge numbers of birds in migration time - especially when some of its ponds are dry and it is easy to get food in the shallow water. In this photo the swans, geese (and even some herons) are on the field - due to the rainy summer a lot of grain remained unharvested.



The white birds in the background of the first photo are Great White Egrets. They used to be rare vagrants in Estonia until recently, but this year one pair attempted to breed (first in Estonia) in Ilmatsalu. In autumn there was massive invasion of egrets to Estonia.




Little Grebe is another rarity in Ilmatsalu. This southern bird has bred really late - it is doubtful, wether this chick was able to fly on Oct.08.



Other more interesting birds in Ilmatsalu in mid-october included Great Gray Shrike, Kingfisher, White-backed Woodüpecker, Smew, Goshawk ...



... and a White-tailed Eagle.

Rein

Birds in Sirtsi bog

In our hiking trip in Sirtsi bog we saw about 100 Barnacle goose checking us in fifty meters. Golden eagle was passing by. Also Ural owl.

Heading back home, woodcock danced to us in mud puddle :)

Triin

Beaver-watching in Kõrvemaa

This picture is made at the beaver dike. I had a great chance to see the area day before and after the forester had removed the dam. The dam was about 1 meter deep and 2 meters wide. It was made from cut down trees, mud, soil, branches. All the ditches behind the dike were full of standing water.

We walked upstream and found out that there are tree more dams. The distance between the first and the second was about 100 m. The flood had spred into the ditches in the spruce forests, inundated a large area and killed the trees. We saw a lot of muddy tracks and trees cut down and peeled off by the beaver.

Slowly it became darker and I decided to climb up in the tree hoping to see beaver. I was sitting on the branch and waiting. At the beginning it was allright, but later my legs started to get tired. There were also mosquitoes all around, but with my hands busy I couldn’t really fight with them.

So far I didn’t hear a thing. Suddenly there was a splash but that was all. In a while I saw a big light bird flying around me - an Ural Owl.

One week later I was visiting the same spot again. The dam number four was removed as well.

Triin

Tips for finding Pygmy Owl

Pygmy Owl is a fairly common bird in Estonia. The population size in this country has been estimated to 500-800 by Estonian Ornitological Society , but in our oppinion it is about double of that size - depending somewhat (less than in many other owl species) on the fluctuation of the number of rodents, of course. In spring and autumn this owl is quite easy to hear and see - at least for experienced bird-watcher. It keeps quiet in wintertime, but can then be noticed more easily than in summer, when it keeps totally low profile. Only solitary males can be heard then. Sometimes it is possible to hear and see by chance fledged young. The best habitat for Pygmy Owl is the aged coniferous forests.


Photo by Rein Kuresoo, click on image to see it on Flickr.

The normal call of this owl is a sequence of monotonous fluted notes.sometimes followed by a trilling staccato.





Björn Welander's video from the site Veoh.com

However, in the end of August the parent owls tell their offspring to piss off. This is expressed by the 5-7 note ascending musical scale call with last broken tone note. Also young birds searching their place under the sun and moon use this call.



Photo by Rein Kuresoo


Rein

Trip with DOF-Travel

We had a good birding with DOF-Travel on 14-21.06.2008
The main guides were Rein and Andres Kuresoo, Triin accompanied the journey as an apprentice. A tour to Tartu area, Western Estonia and Saaremaa island produced 160 species of birds – not at all a bad result for a summer trip. Although the focus was on birds, we also took a look on orchids.



It belongs to our concept of good birding trip – looking for something else (plants, bugs or mammals) or just outdoor cooking in a good habitat makes you forget that you are waiting for some bird. Tuning the patience that way pays usually off and you can also see more birds. The Ladyslippers were already gone over, but most of the orchids had their best appearance just now.


Insect Orchid, Üügu cliff


Pyramidal Orchid



Funny:

In Viidumäe nature reserve Rein suddenly stopped and started to mimic a Pygmy Owl's whistling. After a while the owl seemed to respond. Stepping closer we realized that it was just a squeaking of a tree. “I wish I had my keybook of the sounds of European trees with me,” told Rein and stepped further. DOF tour leader John Speich was about 100 meters behind us. When he reached the place, he and the rest of the group heard both the tree and the Pygmy Owl.
What was that? A solitary male wasting the season for a weird squeaking tree? Breeding Pygmy Owls keep usually very low profile in May/June and do respond rarely, only the “bachelors” would still advertise their territories at that time.



Hits:
Lekking Great Snipes
Citrine Wagtails
Greenish Warblers
White-backed Woodpeckers
Lesser Spotted Eagle
Black Stork
Hoopoe


Missed:
This time we missed Blyth’s Reed Warbler – not a rare bird in Estonia. Some good habitats from previous years were destroyed with trimmer and abandoned properties overgrown with bushes and nettles tend to get more and more rare. As a night singer, this warbler can remain stubbornly silent in daytime and we stayed stubbornly in beds all nights on the other hand.
Collared Flycatcher. Altough a territorial male was reported to be present at the park at Kuressaare Castle, the bird was not at home.

See the trip report - thanks to John Speich!


22.06.2008
Rein, Triin

An afternoon with yellow birds and blue flowers

Citrine Wagtail was first recorded breeding in Estonia in 1990 (a mixed pair with Yellow Wagtail). Since then it has become more and more regular breeding bird at least in two places in Estonia – near Häädemeeste and near Tartu. The birds are especially showy at the time, when the Siberian Flag (Iris sibirica) is in full bloom. Citrine Wagtails share their breeding habitat with Yellow Wagtails – both subspecies flava and thunbergii were present at Aardla polder.


Male Citrine Wagtail with Siberian Flag (click to the image to see full-size picture in Flickr)


Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava thunbergii)


Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava flava)

Rein

Birding with Réal and Carolle

On 08.-15.05 we were individual guides for Réal Bisson and Carolle Mathieu from Canada. Triin brought Réal into some good birding sites around the capital while Carolle was having a conference in Tallinn. When it ended, we continued trip together.

Our timing was perfect - we witnessed one of the great spectacles of Estonian nature – the great lift-off of migrating arctic waterfowl. The peak arrived at May 11th —
suddenly the bubbling sound of the Black Grouse lek in Marimetsa bog was poured over with a waterfall of honking noises of the flocks of Barnacle Geese. During the day we saw about hundred thousands Barnacle Geese flying NE followed by millions of Long-Tailed Ducks and Velvet and Black Scoters later in the evening and night.

Good Luck:

• A pair of Red-Crested Pochards swimming just behind the windows of the restaurant of Hotel “Promenaadi” in Haapsalu

• Although Réal had Red-Breasted Goose in his wish list I had told him to forget about this species, because I had seen one bird already in the season (I have never had twice a luck with a lottery-ticket and most of the geese flocks had left the country anyway!). Yet we discovered five Red Breasted Geese in a huge flock of Barnacle Geese at Põgari coastal meadow.
  

• Greater Spotted Eagle spotted side by side with Lesser Spotted Eagle at Aardla polder near Tartu offered a good comparison of the size and plumage of these close species.
  

•  We found a nest of White-Backed Woodpeckers and saw very well both adults.
  
  

• A pair of White Egrets was seen at Emajõgi River. This pair had a first recorded breeding attempt in Estonia this summer.
  

Bad Luck:

• Capercaillie was a priority species for Real. The lek is over in Mid-May and the best way to see the birds is to drive the gravel roads in good Capercaillie habitat. This time we drove hundreds of kilometres to see one bird just about 700 meters ahead in front of another car.
  

• Justified hope to see and hear Barred Warbler became a desperate search on May 13th, when we had to leave its typical habitats in W.-Estonian juniper stands. Probably it was just a couple of days too early for this species.

All in all the group identified 173 species
An art list from the trip (link)

Rein, Triin

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