From here we made
our way down towards the Gulf of Riga at the Pikla fish ponds.It was sunny but blowing a hoolie but we
still managed to find a good selection of waders on the fields with Redshank,
Spotted Redshank, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwits and Ringed Plovers while Great
White Egrets and Grey Herons were scattered in all directions by a low flying
adult White-tailed Eagle.
There were Reed,
Sedge and Great Reed Warblers in the channels and a Blyth’s Reed singing in a
rose on the beach where Arctic, Sandwich and Common Terns moved by close in and
Goldeneye whirred along in small groups.It was very pleasant out of the wind but we soon moved on passing
Blue-headed and White Wagtails, Wheatears and Whinchats on the way out.
More road time
followed (including a Lesser Spotted Eagle) until a stop at Laaksaare for a
walk along a trail following a peaty stream on a circuit through the woods
where Wood Warblers, three Flycatchers, Hawfinches, Marsh Tit, Coal Tit and a
selection of other familiar woodland birds were encountered along with good
woodland flora, amazing bracket fungi and a fluffy Red Squirrel.
The orchard around
the small homestead where we parked held Common Redstarts and Rosefinches,
Siskins and a babbling Icterine Warbler too.
Rosefinch
Beautiful Demoiselle
Song Thrush
A traditional local
and very filling lunch was taken at Mulgi Kõrts in Abja-Paluoja before a
Black Kite caused a quick van exit at Viljandi.
This is called Porridge... Carb overload - mashed potato, grains, lardons, tomato, pickles and soured cream and a generous dollop of sinep - horseradish mustard. It was fabulous and we all waddled afterwards.
Black Kite
We stopped at an immense viewing tower but the weather was turning again and a drake Garganey was all we saw before the rain came lashing down. A Great Silver Diving Beetle larva was probably quite pleased with the damp path as it undulated off to pupate.
Down
windblown Garganey
Great Silver Diving Beetle larva
Many White Storks were seen from here on it to the city of Tartu our
base for the last two days of this adventure and after dinner we headed out and
quickly found a singing Booted Warbler not far from the city.I have seen very few Booted so this was a
real joy to watch and embarrassingly I did not actually know how they got there
name but sure enough the feet are darker than the legs…
Booted Warbler
Booted Warbler
Booted Warbler
At Kärevere we
checked out the Great Snipe fields briefly before heading down the road to a
small bit of the Alam-pedja reserve where a wonderful ten minutes on the bridge
over the river added a Common Sandpiper to the tally as well as River Warbler,
two Golden Orioles,Ravens, Rosefinches and melancholic Redwings while below
the fish were rising to the swarms of flies and a Kingfisher peeped out of
view.The first Woodcock were already up
and about and a bonus Barred Warbler crossed the road too.
What a magical landscape
Back at Kärevere it
was now well gone 10pm and the meadows were alive with the song of Corncrakes
and the drone of a trillion midges and mossies and there amongst them were the
weird bubbly fizzy pops of lekking Great Snipe. They were never that close and
there was no chance of a view in the grass but they kept leaping up and
hovering before moving a short way and dropping back in but all the salient
features were visible and the crew were happy despite the blood loss.
Kärevere - watching the Great Snipe lekk at a safe distance
Despite being after
11pm now we had one last stop and spent till nearly midnight in the last of the
glow in the middle of the extensive Aardla Wetlands where our target Spotted
Crake was heard upon arrival – another song, like the Corncrake that I had longed
to hear.But it was not alone and
Bitterns boomed, Water Rails squealed and Green Sandpipers moved around the
meadows while Little Ringed Plovers called and Garganey, Wigeon, Teal,Gadwall
and Mallard were all flighting around.
You can hear the Spotted Crake through the Edible Frog chorus
The frog chorus was
impressive as was the sight of a procession of 110 White Storks coming into
roost.We left a dog Fox proclaiming his
territory and headed back to our hotel for the night already knowing that it was
already another day…
.JPG)
No comments:
Post a Comment