Birding Estonia

We got up at 02:45 and had a nice breakfast. We drove slowly towards Spithami and made short stops now and then. Besides the usual birds in song we heard a playing Nightjar. We arrived to Pöösaspea at 04:15 and counted the rather mediocre seabird migration until 07:30. A total of 250 Red-throated Divers and a flock of nine overflying Rosefinchs were the profit of the morning.

Then we headed to our cottage and changed clothes as it was clear blue sky and 23 degrees! We drove to Veskijärvi to visit a fire-ravaged woodland. There we had very nice sightings of two Three-toed Woodpeckers, Black Grouses, displaying Wood Larks and Wrynecks. At noon we drove to the Silma Nature Reserve and when we arrived to Sutlepa Melä we received a SMS from Annika Forsten telling us that the first record of Booted Eagle were seen at Harjumaa Nova, which was close to the area we left an hour earlier. That’s life, as a birder. We birded around within the Silma area. Had a tasty dinner in Haapsalu and were back to our cottage at 19:00.

Todays sightings worthy of mention: White-tailed Eagle (3), Slavonian Grebe (1), Smew (4), Pochard (124), Little Gull (40), Great Reed Warbler (10), Savi’s Warbler (4), Grasshopper Warbler, Cuckoo (fairly common), Rosefinch (many). So far we have seen 128 bird species.

Now its time for bed!

Niklas, Ante & Janne

The Swedes at Pöösaspea early in morning.

Soaring Cranes at Saare Lyckholm.

White Storks in their huge nest at Saare Lyckholm.

Janne and Ante checking the beach for shorebirds at Havari.

Part of the very nice foot-bridge through the Sutlepa Melä area.