Estonia in early May - 2

The second instalment from the Avian Adventures tour in Estonia:

After staying out late the previous night we had a delayed start on the morning of Day 5 with breakfast in the hotel at 7.00 a.m. and departure an hour later.  Today we were moving from Pärnu to Tartu, the second largest city of Estonia.

Before long we entered Soomaa National Park where one of the first birds seen was a Lesser Spotted Eagle and this was quickly followed by another.  Both birds were perched and seen well from the minibus.  Next was a White-backed Woodpecker, seen briefly by those of us who had a view out to the right of the vehicle.  Unfortunately, it didn’t stay to be admired and although we got out of the minibus to look for it, it wasn’t seen again.  We walked along the road and did see a Great Spotted Woodpecker and we heard the drumming of a Lesser Spotted (Woodpecker) but these were hardly consolation.  We heard a Cuckoo calling, a Redwing was singing and a Green Sandpiper passed over.

Lesser Spotted Eagle

Eventually, we set out on the Hüpassaare hiking trail that winds first through forest and then on a boardwalk to the Kuresoo bog.  Thick layers of peat have formed here, preventing the vegetation from reaching nutrients in the ground below. The soil is poor and acid and the trees, even the very old ones, look like small miniatures.  It was interesting even if the bog itself wasn’t particularly bird-rich.  Species seen in the wooded area included Wood Warbler, Marsh Tit, Common Rosefinch and Pied Flycatcher, while the bog held Teal, White Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Lapwing, Common Gull and a distant Great Grey Shrike.  A Common (Viviparous) Lizard was seen very briefly.

Kuresoo bog

After dinner at the rather quirky Hansa Hotel we drove out of Tartu to Kärevere to see Great Snipes lekking.  It has to be admitted that this was not a great spectacle!  Although the Great Snipes did indeed jump into the air they were too far away for their sounds to be well-heard (if at all) and by the time there was any action the light was really poor.   In fact the Great Snipe were totally eclipsed by a Hobby that put on a wonderful flying display while we were waiting for the waders to perform.  Also seen were Lapwings, Wood Sandpipers, roding Woodcock, a Common Buzzard, a Red Fox and several geese, (probably Greater White-fronts) that arrived late.  The soundtrack to all this, as so often during the week, was the song of Thrush Nightingale and Cuckoo.  It was 10.30 p.m. when we arrived back at the hotel. 

Next morning, we left the hotel at 6.00 a.m. taking breakfast with us.  We travelled east from Tartu to the Järvselja Primeval Forest, protected as a nature reserve since 1924.  Once there, we set off on a boardwalk through the forest and either saw or heard a good selection of bird species most of which were familiar from back home.  These included Cuckoo, Wren, Chiffchaff, Wood Warbler, Blue, Great, Willow & Long-tailed Tits, although the last of these was a bird of the white-headed caudatus race.  A Woodcock was flushed from beside the trail and quickly flew off out of sight.

Once again our particular targets here were the woodpeckers and three species were recorded in fairly quick succession.  These were Great Spotted, White-backed and Grey-headed.  A Grey-headed sat motionless and we had great views of it through a telescope.  Sadly, the White-backed wasn’t as obliging.  Soon after this flurry of woodpeckers, a Spotted Nutcracker made its presence known (at least to Tarvo!) and it was soon located perched at the top of a tree close to the trail.  As we raised our binoculars it flew and that was the last we saw of it.

Later we drove to what was obviously a huge lake; it proved to be Lake Peipus, the fifth largest lake in Europe and across the other side we could see Russia.  We had just a short walk here but it was notable for giving us our best view of the week of a Thrush Nightingale, a species heard everywhere but usually from deep cover.  There were good views of Garganey and Great Crested Grebes and several Common Whitethroats were seen.  A flock of more than 50 Cormorants flew over and after circling for a while landed on the water.
 

Thrush Nightingale

For an early lunch we went to Mooste Viinavabrik, a former vodka distillery and now a guesthouse and restaurant, quite an impressive location next to scenic Lake Mooste.  Afterwards we had a short walk nearby without finding many birds, although again we saw a Nuthatch that was clearly different from those we see further west in Europe having a white breast.

Mooste Viinavabrik

Later we went to the Aardla wetlands visiting two separate areas.  At the first there were thousands of Great White-fronted Geese, two Common Cranes, about 10 Goldeneyes, a pair of Great Crested Grebes, at least one pair of Marsh Harriers, a Common Raven plus Whinchat and Reed Bunting.  A dragonfly here was identified as a Downy Emerald.

 Common Raven

Greater White-fronted Geese

The second area had many more birds, including many thousands of geese, mostly Greater White-fronts.  At one point, presumably spooked by a White-tailed Eagle, each and every one of these geese took to the air creating a noise reminiscent of a passing freight train!  It was quite a sight and sound!  There was a nice selection of ducks that once again included Garganeys and there were at least three Red-necked Grebes.  Two Black Terns here were the first we had seen.

Breakfast on Day 7 was at 7.00 a.m. and departure from the Hansa Hotel just an hour later.  Today was our last full day in Estonia and a day when we had to travel back to Tallinn, a distance of only about 190 km.  This meant that there was plenty of time for birding on the way and we began at Ilmatsalu where the fishponds proved to be quite productive.

The most memorable birds at Ilmatsalu were those that required some effort and persistence to see.  Savi’s Warblers reeled from the reed beds and Great Reed Warblers croaked; eventually there were reasonably good views of both species.  A Marsh Warbler sang from cover but finally gave us a glimpse; most difficult to see was Penduline Tit but we did after a while get one to show itself.  A Red-breasted Flycatcher was unexpected in this habitat and was presumably a newly arrived migrant.  It was a relief to see this bird having heard several during the previous two days.  Other notable birds here were a Common Rosefinch, about 20 Little Gulls, a pair of nesting Whooper Swans, a Red-necked Grebe, an Osprey, a Marsh Harrier and a flock of Black Terns.

Whooper Swan

Next we went to the village of Puurmani where a walk by the lake in Puurmani Mõisa Park resulted in us having a good view of a singing Icterine Warbler as well as both Spotted & Pied Flycatchers.  A pair of White Storks were on a nest and obliged with a bout of bill-clapping.  A Wryneck was heard briefly but failed to reveal itself.

Icterine Warbler

White Storks

We completed our jorney to Tallinn with lunch on the way at  Põhjaka Mõis where we also saw a Lesser Spotted Eagle.  In Tallinn we checked in at the Hestia Euroopa Hotel and at this point we had to say good-bye to Tarvo who had been an excellent guide and good company throughout our trip. 
Those of us who used a period of down time before dinner to take a walk outside and explore the city a little were rewarded by finding a spiffy male red-spotted Bluethroat in a fairly unlikely-looking city centre setting.  Unfortunately, it could not be found again when we returned later.  It was presumed to be a recent arrival that after feeding had quickly moved on in search of a more suitable location. 
Our last morning was spent on a ‘proper’ guided tour of Tallinn Old Town.  Said to be the best preserved medieval city in Northern Europe boasting Gothic spires, winding cobblestone streets and enchanting architecture, the Old Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
After lunch at Kuldse Notsu Kõrts (The Golden Piglet Inn), we walked back to the hotel to await our taxi to the airport. 

Swallows and Yellow Wagtail in December!

It's been another week of birding mostly around Tavira but we did spend one morning at Castro Marim and also devoted a day to visiting several lesser-known (to us) coastal areas to the east of here.

At Castro Marim we finally caught up with the drake Blue-winged Teal - at least we assume that the bird we saw was the long-staying individual reported back in September and again by Luis Gordinho at the end of October. Where has it come from? As always with wildfowl, you never can be sure. Other than that we saw pretty much what we would have expected including 28 Slender-billed Gulls and a dozen Little Terns, the latter now probably settled there for the winter.

Which brings us to the Whooper Swan that turned up two weeks ago at Altura. When we last looked in there on Wednesday of this week it was still present and now definitely looking a bit more rested. As with the Blue-winged Teal the question of its origin remains and there will always be those who quickly dismiss such birds as escapes from captivity. Maybe they are right but the recent records of Whooper Swans in Spain are interesting and could influence the decision-makers.

During our trip along the coast, as well as Altura, we spent time at Fabrica, Aldeia Nova and Cacela Velha before finishing up back here in Tavira. We were surprised at the end of the day to find that without really trying we had recorded 79 species, a total boosted by several woodland birds including Crested Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper and Green Woodpecker. It was that rare December day when we saw three species of wagtail! Last year we were surprised to see two Yellow Wagtails on 23rd November; the new record is 2nd December - but we will, of course, be hoping to find the bird again to extend that!

Yellow Wagtail

Around Tavira we have continued to see the usual Bluethroats, Blue Rock Thrush, Spoonbills, Greater Flamingos, Stone-curlews and Audouin's Gulls that we tend to take for granted, plus 22 wader species, an Osprey, two Hen Harriers, Slender-billed Gulls, Crag Martins, up to three first-winter Razorbills and lots more. A lovebird yesterday was a surprise; it was just at the edge of town and appeared to be a Lilian's Lovebird; it brought to mind the similar birds seen earlier this year near Armação de Pêra by Diederik van der Molen. Let's hope we're not about to add another exotic species to the breeding birds of the Algarve!

Razorbills

Generally the weather hasn't been too bad at all although maybe a little more cloudy than we would have liked. Temperatures have been reaching 17°C and three Barn Swallows over the saltpans yesterday didn't look out of place.

The Week's Highlights

On Monday we were at Castro Marim. It was another 70-species morning with no particular highlights but 30 Golden Plover were new arrivals since our last visit, there were eight Little Terns and at least half a dozen Slender-billed Gulls.

Tuesday was mainly an admin day but we did manage a quick look at some of the local birds around Tavira in the afternoon. These included 50 or more Audouin's Gulls and a Caspian Tern plus all the usual waders, Greater Flamingos, Spoonbills, etc. Back at home, a Crag Martin past the kitchen window was a bit unusual.

We wrote recently about birds being faithful to the same wintering areas year after year. On Wednesday, leaving the car at home, we set out on foot to look for a Black-winged Kite in an area on the edge of Tavira where we saw one regularly last winter. Black-winged Kites are relatively common in some parts of Portugal but not especially so in the Eastern Algarve. It is possibly our favourite raptor species and one that we are always pleased to see. On a warm, sunny morning we found our target bird surprisingly quickly - sitting on the same power cable that we saw it on at this time last year. The same bird? We would like to think so!
Late in the afternoon we decided to count the local Stone-curlew flock. The total of 109 birds was our best so far this autumn/winter.

Stone-curlew

Thursday was another beautiful day and we spent the afternoon walking around the saltpans on the Santa Luzia side of Tavira. A total of 64 species was recorded, 23 of which were waders (or shorebirds, if you prefer) including about 20 Knot which are not always easy to find there. A male Hen Harrier was presumably the same bird that we first saw on 26th October and has been seen several times since. There were at least 20 Slender-billed Gulls which we have to keep mentioning lest anyone should think that they are still rarities!

Back at home later, we saw a Black-winged Kite from the window, presumably the bird that we went looking for yesterday come to return the compliment.

We have already written about Friday - the day of the Whooper Swan at Altura and the Osprey in Tavira. We didn't mention three Barn Swallows at Altura or that we also found time to photograph those local Bluethroats again!

That Whooper Swan again - from even further away!

Bluethroat - also distant!

Today we had to be in Almancil for a couple of hours from mid-day (more of which later) but the binoculars and telescope are always in the car and not surprisingly we found time for some birding. On the way there, a Black-winged Kite got the day off to a good start. On the way back we made just a slight diversion and were rewarded with two more Black-winged Kites, a Booted Eagle, a Marsh Harrier, a remarkable 12 Black-crowned Night-Herons, a Glossy Ibis, about 100 White Storks, a dozen or more Spoonbills including one with what we believe to be a Spanish colour ring and scores of ducks - Wigeon, Pintail, Shover and Gadwall. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew into a nearby tree, a flock of Azure-winged Magpies passed by, a Water Rail was squealing, two Barn Swallows were overhead and there were more Little Egrets than we cared to count. All this while we stood by the car - which was a good thing really as we weren't dressed for birding.

Whooper Swan!

We were out early today trying to photograph Stone-curlews - there are currently over 100 of them here in Tavira. So far they have been pretty unco-operative but we're persistent and hopeful that eventually we'll get some decent results. An Osprey fishing nearby was a brief distraction as we watched the thick-knees watching us!

In need of a cup of tea, we returned home at about 11.00am to find an email message referring to a "Cygnus cygnus" seen this morning at Altura, about 20 minutes away. As there appears to be only one previously documented record of this species in Portugal (in December 1990), it didn't take more than a few seconds for us to be back in the car and heading down there.

It came as no surprise when we arrived at Altura to find that there were no birders there but we were soon joined by Carlos Vilhena who had found the bird earlier and phoned the report to Gonçalo Elias which had resulted in the email. Well done to both of them! Carlos seemed amazed that the news had travelled so fast and that he had started a twitch! Had this been the UK and a bird of equal rarity there would have been a crowd that Olhanense would have been pleased with.

Of course there will be questions about the origin of this bird but when it up-ended we could clearly see that it carried no rings on its legs that might indicate that it had escaped from captivity. It also appeared to be very tired and it quickly moved away to the middle of the pool when we approached.