We arrived late in
the day with colour still in the sky and Tarvo drove us the 90 minutes to the
Altmõisa Guesthouse within the Matsala national park. A few expected birds were noted but it was
the female Moose with two calves that got us off to a flyer. Smiles all round. It was just getting dark when we got there at
11.40 and Thrush Nightingales, Song Thrushes and Marsh Warblers were welcoming
the night in while Woodcock were roding and Wood Sandpipers called high overhead.
Sleep? I tried my
very best to get some restorative slumber last night but the chorus of throaty
Thrush Nightingales kept me on the edge and at 2.15am when it was actually
dark, a male Whinchat started up just outside the.I somehow drifted back off and woke to a full
dawn songburst at 4.15 and decided that I might as well get up. Breakfast was
over 3 hours away but I had a fantastic time walking up and down the road and
in time, most of the party drifted to join me.
Whinchat - he never stopped
We did rather well
with a displaying Barred Warbler moving between favoured trees in the Juniper
scrub, mimicking Marsh Warblers and of course the Thrush Nightingales.A Grasshopper Warbler reeled and in the same
spot a pair of Montagu’s Harriers were nesting and we even got to see a food
pass while bugling Cranes headed off from their roost illuminated by the dawn
light.
Thrush Nightingale
Barred Warbler
Barred Warbler
Marsh Warbler and Thrush Nightingale
Thrush Nightingale
Common Cranes
Montagu's Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
There were
Yellowhammers, Red-backed Shrikes, Cuckoos, Whitethroats and
‘pleased to meet you’ Rosefinches on the telephone wires and other finches bimbling
around included Siskins, Greenfinches, Bullfinches and Hawfinches.
Red-backed Shrike
Yellowhammer
brown Rosefinch
Red-backed Shrike & red Rosefinch
Around the lodge there were Linnets, Black Redstarts
and Spotted Flycatchers, parachuting Tree Pipit and circling, grunting
Goosanders while Whooper Swans could be heard.Military Orchids, Twayblade, Clustered Bellflower and Water Avens
lined the path.
Military Orchid
Military Orchid
Common Twayblade
Spreading Bellflower - Campanula patula
It started to
lightly rain and breakfast and much needed caffeine beckoned.We soon left in the wet and birded our way
around some of the local parts of the Matsala national park and several stops
added a wealth of wetland species with five Terns including several hulking
Caspians and waders that included Knot, Grey Plover, sooty Spotted Redshanks,
both Godwits and displaying Dunlin.
White-tailed Eagles of various ages loafed on rocks and Great White
Egrets and Grey Herons were to be seen along with a variety of common
waterfowl.Twenty-one Cranes sailed past
the Haeska watch tower at just above eye-level and a Citrine Wagtail was heard
but we shall get another chance.
It was a very tall tower at Haeska - Hi Tarvo!
Great White Egrets - no Littles in Estonia - still a vagrant
White-tailed Eagle
Single Russian
White-fronted and Barnacle Geese were amongst a flock of Greylags and a Hobby
almost flew into the van while Common Gulls had young on the top of a big
thatched house and in nests in the pine trees.
Common Gulls
A couple more
roadside Montagu’s Harriers were seen and a Goshawk was hot on the tail of
Woodpigeon but we only saw the puff of feathers behind the trees to suggest
that it had been a successful hunt. Quite a beast.
Lunch in Haapsala
where four Slavonian Grebes were found on the lakes in the town along with our
first Coot, Goosander brood and more Caspian Terns.We left there in the rain again but
thankfully it cleared up by the time we reached Varika and five male Black
Grouse departed from the fields upon our arrival.
It was magic little spot
overlooking meadows and fields surrounded by woods and there were breeding
plumaged Black-tailed Godwits and Golden Plover along with Curlew, Whimbrel,
Lapwing and Redshank. Two Quail sung
from the wheat and at long last I heard a Corncrake. I have amazingly been in on finding and
seeing two migrant birds but until today I had never heard one. It was my highlight of the day to finally
have one doing what they do just in front of me. Marsh Warblers sung from one ditch and the
one adjacent had a Blyth’s Reed Warbler too which was a useful aural
comparison.
Corncrakes
Tarvo noticed two
Hooded Crows diving onto the tree tops and there, gleaming in the sun was a
proper glowing Golden Eagle.It soon
took flight and revealed itself to be a near adult with just a little white in
the tail base and after another brief rest it got a good aerial thrashing from
a tiny looking male Monty.It was the
highlight of the day for most people.
Our first butterflies were seen with Grizzled Skipper, Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary,Red Admiral and
Large Heath along with Beautiful Demoiselle dragonfly and a very smart Chimney
Sweep moth.
Variable Damselfly
Common Blue Damselfly
Chrysops sp
Chimney Sweep
A large Click Beetle
Roesel's type Bush Cricket
Large Heath
Grizzled Skipper
Clustered Bellflower - Campanula glomerata
Ragged Robin
Early Marsh Orchid
Mountain Clover - Trifolium montanum
Meadowsweet
A final walk in the
woods at Marimetsa added Ravens, Crested Tit and Green Sandpiper and some very
good Dragons with Emperor (still a scarce Estonian species), Downy Emerald, Black-tailed Skimmers, Four Spotted Chasers, Broad Bodies Chasers and
stunning thin waisted Dark White-faced Darters. There were Butterflies too with
a couple of Fritillaries, Amanda's Blue, Black-veined White and Northern Chequered
Skipper.
Emperor
Emperor
Dark White-faced Darter
Dark White-faced Darter - female
Black-tailed Skimmer
Dark White-faced Darter
Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary
False Heath Fritillary
False Heath Fritillary
Northern Chequered Skipper.
Small Copper
Amanda's Blue
Amanda's Blue
Red and black Shieldbug - Graphosoma italicum
Pretty Marbled
Water Avens
Red Fox and Water Vole - two new for the mammal list...
Crane heads
We even made it
back for 7pm dinner and yet we had still only been in Estonia for 22 hours at
this point. The first Woodcock began roding and a White-backed Woodpecker was calling
in the Poplars while 16 Dark-bellied Brent Geese hurtled through heading
north.The Thrush Nightingales still had a little time to go before the night time session. What a great first day.
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