Having not accomplished a visit overseas collectively but, the six of us available (myself, Nathaniel Dargue, Owen Beaumont, Liam Andrews, Josh Fusiara and Alex Masterman) had been eager to have a brief winter birding break someplace in Europe. We collectively settled on Estonia primarily as a result of star species available, in addition to some good basic birding, low-cost lodging (round €20 per night time every), pretty reasonably priced and direct flights (€160). Our journey centered on a number of key targets: Steller’s Eider, owls, woodpeckers and grouse. For a lot of species, utilizing some type of playback was very important in aiding our means to see them, with us typically driving down forest tracks and stopping periodically to make use of tape – not one thing that we loved doing. Unfortunately, the truth is {that a} it will be almost unimaginable to see a few of the species with out it.
Direct flights had been booked by WizzAir, that took us from Luton to Tallinn. We organized a rent 4×4 mini-van although Europcar that we picked up on the airport. Walking and driving tracks had been high quality; some locations had quite a lot of compacted ice that required some extra focus nonetheless. Surprisingly, we almost all the time had wonderful cellphone service, even in the course of dense woodlands and bogs. All our days had been self-guided utilizing data available on-line. Some good meals was available too in native cafés and eating places, with most villages having small supermarkets such a Co-ops.
In phrases of birding data ready for the journey beforehand, we spent quite a lot of time trying by earlier journey studies and eBird checklists. Although what turned out to be our saving grace simply earlier than the journey was PlutoF, an internet site we might found that I can solely describe as almost the Estonian equal to BirdGuides! The web site is up to date always all through the day, offering actual co-ordinates of most the Estonian goal species (although Steller’s Eider and Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker places are withheld). Without PlutoF, we certainly would not have seen practically as a lot as we did over the course of the journey. You could make a free account, search species by their scientific names, and filter sightings by the date of statement.
Itinerary
Day one: 1 March 2024
Day one began with an early arrival at Luton Airport (3 am) for six.10 am flight that might hopefully give us half a day to do some basic birding on the way in which right down to the island of Saaremaa. Unfortunately, the journey could not have gotten off to worse begin for me as, on the examine in desk, I realised I had introduced my mum’s passport as an alternative of my very own (I do not know the way this occurred, and sure I do know I’m silly). The remainder of the squad departed Luton on time, touchdown in Tallinn at 11 am native time.
They then went on to select up the rent car, leaving the airport by 12.15 pm. Meanwhile, I had managed to retrieve my very own passport (because of my celebrity Dad) and headed to Heathrow Airport, the place I booked a ten.15 pm flight with a connection in Warsaw, Poland. Disastrously, my Heathrow flight obtained delayed, which means I missed my connecting flight in Warsaw, which left me stranded within the capital for 9 hours earlier than the following available flight to Tallinn. A fairly horrible first day, however issues may certainly solely get higher from right here.
While all that was happening, the remainder of the group had meandered their method right down to Virtsu ferry terminal to catch the ferry to Saaremaa, choosing up 4 Great Grey Shrikes, White-tailed Eagles, Common Cranes, Eurasian Goshawk and Northern Treecreepers en route. After a clean ferry crossing, they arrived at our cabin in Kuressaare, the principle city on Saaremaa. The lodging was full with a swimming pond, sizzling tub and sauna. It appeared extra locations had a sauna than not – we weren’t complaining!
Common Crane, Saaremaa, Saare (Miles Cluff).
Day two: 2 March 2024
Eventually, at 1.40 am, I arrived in Tallinn and made my method right down to Virtsu ferry terminal through an Uber. The ferry from Virtsu to Saaremaa is simply half-hour, at a discount of €4 which you can pay on arrival. After a surprising crossing by the frozen sea at dawn, I used to be reunited with everybody at Kuivasta.
With the entire group again collectively once more, we wasted no time and headed off birding. The foremost objective of the day was to see Steller’s Eider, one of many sole causes we got here to Estonia within the first place. The north aspect of Saaremaa gives an internationally necessary wintering inhabitants of those spectacular seaduck and is often the one place in Estonia to seek out them. It’s additionally most likely the simplest place on this planet to see Steller’s Eider by way of travelling time, accessibility, cost and climate. When researching by earlier journey studies and eBird checklists earlier than the vacation, Saaremaa Harbour (58.5363, 22.2352), positioned simply north of Ninase, was recognized as the plain greatest place on the island to get nearer views of them, with the breakwater providing sheltered areas for any seaduck.
We handed a couple of Common Cranes feeding and courting within the roadside fields on the way in which to the harbour, a magical begin to the day, and simply the closest views any of us have had. On arrival, one other Eurasian Goshawk flushed off the seashore, earlier than flying into the forest. There was loads of parking area on the harbour itself – you’ll be able to even park shut sufficient to the seafront to make use of the automotive as a cover. The robust south-easterly winds meant there was shelter for duck on the north aspect of the breakwater. Before even getting out the van, we may see the unmistakable plumage of two drake Steller’s Eider, with a feminine in tow.
We’d primarily sacrificed the entire day to find the eider, not realising that we might have seen them inside seconds of arriving at our first spot early within the morning! We stood on a few wood pallets and used the breakwater as a protect to look at all of the geese with out disturbing them as they gave excellent views. We had hoped to see them at identifiable vary, and knew they may very well be difficult to get good views of, however right here they had been exhibiting down to twenty metres! Still, barely frustratingly, the birds spent more often than not with their heads tucked into their backs. On the opposite aspect of the breakwater had been lots of of Long-tailed Duck, displaying and feeding in tightly packed rafts within the harbour, additionally making for an distinctive spectacle. The good begin to our first full day birding.
Steller’s Eider, Saaremaa, Saare (Miles Cluff).
Now feeling extra relaxed, we had a sluggish drive in the direction of Uudepanga Bay (58.5146, 21.9159) on the north-west finish of Saaremaa, the place the principle flock of Steller’s Eider is normally stated to happen, although sometimes extra distant than birds at Saaremaa Harbour. It was clear on arrival that the bay was stuffed with wildfowl, with good numbers of Greater Scaup, Common and Velvet Scoters, Long-tailed Duck, Whooper Swans, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Goldeneye and a single grownup drake Smew, plus loads of White-tailed Eagles (which was the case in most locations we went).
It did not take lengthy to find a raft of round 80 Steller’s Eider. In recent weeks there had been studies of as much as 350 birds, however presumably the remainder had been additional out to sea. The flock was very distant within the bay, barely identifiable views with the wind and uneven water not serving to. If visiting Saaremaa, we undoubtedly suggest spending extra time on the harbour for Steller’s Eider, given the calmer situations and nearer viewing.
With nonetheless loads of time left within the day, we headed for the forests of Viidumäe Nature Reserve, hoping for some woodpecker and owl motion. However, the forests had been silent, with little to no chicken exercise in any respect, presumably as a result of chilly, breezy wind and overcast cloud.
After a couple of birdless hours, we thought it will be greatest to profit from the Steller’s Eiders on our final day on Saaremaa, and so we headed again to the harbour. All three eider had been nonetheless loafing simply off the breakwater late afternoon, even nearer than earlier than. Frustratingly, they had been refusing to get up, and after some time, they flew off out to sea. An unforgettable first full day – however the week would solely get higher from right here!
Long-tailed Duck, Saaremaa, Saare (Miles Cluff).
Day three: 3 March 2024
Our third day in Estonia had us travelling again to the mainland, the place we might spend the remainder of the journey. Little did we all know on the time it will show to be one of the unimaginable days of birding most of us have ever had. The goal was to focus on owls and woodpeckers. We departed our Kuressaare lodge and headed again to Kuivasta ferry terminal. We had been stunned to see a Ringed Seal hauled out on the ice near the boat, a brand new species for the journey.
After one other picturesque frozen crossing, we wasted no time heading in the direction of Lindi LKA, the place PlutoF was exhibiting studies of an overwintering Northern Hawk-Owl at a photo voltaic farm close to Kõpu (58.2922, 24.1743) in recent weeks. On the way in which there, it will’ve been impolite to not pull over for a shock group of 19 Black Grouse (together with lekking males) in a roadside area at 58.5432, 23.9121, a good bonus for the day and never one thing that was actually on our radar.
We arrived at Lindi LKA and after no various minutes of driving round, the distinctive silhouette of a Northern Hawk-Owl materialised on the high of a big birch! We could not imagine it – I do not assume any of us actually anticipated to see it, and after so little effort as properly. I’m undecided I’ve ever scrambled out of a automotive so clumsily and as rapidly as that earlier than. The owl swooped down and spent the following hour and a half above and across the roadside, perching on pylons, telegraph wires and even on photo voltaic panels down at eye degree, not caring about our presence in any respect. The views had been totally outrageous, in good gentle, no wind and nobody else to be seen! We had been speechless – a bucket listing chicken for all of us. I imagine that is the very best chicken I’ve ever seen.
Northern Hawk-Owl, Pärnu, Estonia (Miles Cluff).
While watching the owl, some 150 Tundra Bean Goose flew over in a few teams, the primary of the journey. Annoyingly, we did not see any on the deck all through the week, so by no means obtained to correctly examine for Taiga Bean Goose.
Like with the eider, we had allotted the entire day for looking for the owl, so we did not actually know what to do subsequent. Liam had heard and seen a Black Woodpecker within the giant woodland behind the place the hawk-owl was, so we went for a little bit wander to relocate it. It was instantly apparent that the forests of the mainland contained much more birds than on Saaremaa. The giant woodland largely consisted of mature silver birch, wealthy in lifeless wooden and best for drumming woodpeckers. The climate was good for drumming, too, being heat and calm. We had been rapidly confronted by a few vocal woodpeckers at 58.2898, 24.1786, and had been shocked to seek out that they had been a pair of White-backed Woodpeckers! This was one other species that we anticipated to be extraordinarily difficult to trace down on this vacation, however right here they had been with out us even attempting We had some elegant views of the male drumming on the high of a fallen silver birch limb, although we by no means managed to relocate the Black Woodpecker. What a loopy begin to our first day on the mainland – it wasn’t even 11 am but.
With woodpeckers on the mind, we thought our subsequent greatest plan was to move for a close-by village park, Audru Park (58.4116, 24.3589), simply outdoors Pärnu. This was flagged to us as a superb web site by eBird for Middle Spotted Woodpecker. The park was pretty small and consisted of largely deciduous woodland (primarily oak and hornbeam), vastly completely different to the White-backed Woodpecker woodland. Yet once more, after just a few minutes inside arriving, we had been watching a Middle Spotted Woodpecker, solely 10m away on chicken feeders. During the following hour or so we had unbelievable views of three Middle Spotted Woodpeckers ingesting sap low down within the timber in entrance of us. A pair of continental Eurasian Nuthatches (europaea kind) excavating a nest gap supplied quite a lot of leisure too – actually sensible trying beasts, missing almost all of the livid tones from our nuthatches in Britain. Everything was simply falling into place.
Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Pärnu, Estonia (Miles Cluff).
We checked a couple of different close by areas for Grey-headed Woodpeckers with no luck, so with the afternoon progressing, we thought our greatest guess was to attempt for an additional of our foremost targets: Pygmy Owl. We drove to Kildemaa Forest (58.429822, 24.803022), solely a 25-minute drive east of Pärnu, the place many studies of Pygmy and Ural Owls had appeared just lately on PlutoF. The forest was largely coniferous, with some blended woodland, simply accessible by the community of logging tracks all through the forest. There had been loads of giant clearfells that contained a couple of mature timber (presumably left for the good thing about wildlife), which had been best for woodpeckers.
We drove the van down the logging tracks, stopping and listening repeatedly, which we discovered to be a superb birding method. We rapidly had plenty of Crested, and Willow Tits, Northern Bullfinches trumpeting away and Crossbills. A little bit of a shock additional into the forest was a Raccoon Dog working throughout a aspect observe (given they need to be hibernating). At the identical spot, we turned conscious of the distinctive, echoing calls of a Black Woodpecker deep within the forest at 58.4070, 24.8021. It did not take lengthy for the chicken to fly overhead and begin drumming on a lifeless tree on the different aspect of the clearfell, giving some good scope views. The drumming was rather a lot louder than I anticipated, extra akin to a machine gun than anything. We had been buzzing, Black Woodpecker was considered one of my high targets for the journey, and it undoubtedly did not disappoint
With our luck in, we slowly drove additional down the principle observe, and once more, stopped to hear for any calls. This time, we heard precisely what we hoping for, a calling Eurasian Pygmy Owl! The chicken sounded deep into the blended woodland at 58.3998, 24.8176, and we weren’t hopeful that we might get eyes on it. While patiently ready and attempting to pinpoint the place it was calling from, a pair of Grey-headed Woodpeckers started calling from the clearfell proper behind us. At this level, we did not know the place to look, with Pygmy Owl one aspect of the observe and Grey-headed Woodpeckers on the different aspect!
The woodpeckers placed on a very nice efficiency within the standalone timber in the course of the clearfell. These ended up being the one Grey-headed Woodpeckers we noticed the entire journey. Having briefly forgotten what we had been initially trying to find, we had been rapidly reminded there was nonetheless a calling Pygmy Owl someplace behind us. After 20 minutes, a small form dashed by the cover and landed in a silver birch by the observe. There it was! It was a mesmerising expertise being stared instantly at by its piercing yellow eyes – there was a lot character in such a tiny chicken. Another species that I’d been determined to see, it definitely lived as much as the hype. We watched it for 5 minutes out within the open earlier than it melted again into the forest.
Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Kildemaa, Estonia (Miles Cluff).
With daylight fading, we headed to our lodging in Risti to drop off our luggage and reenergise with some junk meals. Still eager to profit from the entire day, we headed out once more shortly after for a nocturnal owl search, with hopes of connecting with Ural Owl. PlutoF had come to the rescue once more and supplied us with a couple of completely different co-ordinates on the west aspect of Marimesta LKA, solely a 10-minute drive from our lodge. We knew that Ural Owls want clearings in the course of dense coniferous forest, so our greatest guess was to drive alongside forest tracks and cease at every clearing to hear for his or her calls. The tracks are very icy right here, so only a phrase of warning for anybody visiting at the moment of the 12 months.
At a clearing on the finish of the observe we lastly heard the deep hooting of two Ural Owl, which means the day’s sizzling streak continued. It wasn’t lengthy earlier than the highly effective form of a big owl flew low over us into the clearing, shortly joined by the second chicken. We had some passable views within the low gentle earlier than then flew again deep into the woodland. We had been left in awe on the species we had managed to see all through the day, it actually could not have gone any higher.
Day 4: 4 March 2024
Today required one other stupidly early begin, with Hazel Grouse the principle goal. We had our hopes set pretty low given the secretive nature of this diminutive grouse. Nevertheless, we headed for a daybreak arrival at Rouma Kula (58.9641, 24.0656) in Marimetsa LKA, an space that we knew was good for Hazel Grouse, in addition to Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker (although data right here had been sparse). The space contained the grouse’s most popular habitat of dense, damp, blended coniferous woodland on the edge of a big bathroom.
There was loads of room for parking, though the walk into the woodland was treacherous, with compacted snow on the path forming thick ice. Several of us hit the deck on the walk, although fortunately there have been no accidents or damaged optics. In the primary stretch of woodland in the direction of the bathroom, we had our first Spotted Nutcracker of the journey, a vocal chicken on high of a conifer silhouetted in opposition to the sunshine (58.9649, 24.0478). A couple of extra may be heard calling all through the forest.
Further alongside the spruce forest observe, nearing the boardwalk on the east fringe of the principle bathroom, we heard the weird high-pitched whistle of a singing male Hazel Grouse! If you have by no means heard the decision of a Hazel Grouse, I counsel you have got a hear on-line – it is most likely the final chicken you’d consider being able to making a sound like that. Hearing it’s one factor, however attempting to see it’s one other. Unlike a few of the different birds on the journey, this required a little bit of graft, and took us some time earlier than the male in query ran throughout the observe in entrance of us at 58.9647, 24.0433.
Hazel Grouse, Marimesta, Estonia (Miles Cluff).
It appeared it plucked up some braveness although, as over the following hour we had some good views of the chicken singing away low down within the spruces as he moved between favoured perches. With our goal within the bag, we continued in the direction of the bathroom, listening to one other singing male Hazel Grouse not distant. We thought it will be greatest to depart them be, so headed out onto the boardwalk by the bathroom. Alex had managed to discover a Great Grey Shrike and 10 Black Grouse, however little else may very well be seen on the bathroom. It was spectacular panorama however, with a beautiful vista from the viewing tower in the course of the bathroom, and is someplace we undoubtedly suggest trying out.
Over the moon having seen Hazel Grouse, we turned again to the automotive and spent the afternoon driving across the forests and clearings west of Marimesta LKA the place we had been the earlier night. A couple of extra Crested Tits, Crossbills and a heard-only Eurasian Pygmy Owl had been the very best we may muster. We selected having a extra stress-free night, retiring to the cabin to sit back out within the sauna.
Day 5: 5 March 2024
Our ultimate full day noticed us within the firm of a tour information that we might booked by Birding Haapsalu a couple of weeks previous to the journey. Admittedly, we did not assume we’d have seen as a lot as we had accomplished over the earlier days, so in hindsight we most likely did not even want the information. However, we nonetheless hadn’t seen Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, notoriously probably the most difficult of the woodpeckers to see in Estonia.
Our information met us at our lodging at 6 am, then we drove straight for the coniferous woodland west of Marimesta bathroom, precisely the identical areas we had been trying within the earlier afternoons and evenings. One of the clearings occurred to be the place we had the 2 Ural Owls and calling Pygmy Owl the earlier nights! There had been indicators of Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, with drilling holes and bark stripped from spruce timber. After a couple of hours within the space, Owen lastly positioned us a feminine climbing up a big spruce by the observe – solely a quick view for all us, however adequate. Another troublesome goal checked off and one which we did not actually have an excessive amount of hope in seeing.
With all our targets for the journey now seen, we had been eager to get some extra Ural Owl views in higher gentle. We killed a couple of hours doing a little basic birding and making an attempt to twitch one other Northern Hawk-Owl close to Haapsalu, however to no avail.
With late afternoon approaching, we headed for the clearings on the south-west aspect of Leidissoo LKA close to Vanaküla, an space the place Ural Owls had been seen in good gentle by another tour teams in earlier days. It did not take lengthy, and at 5.20 pm we heard the resonating name of a male Ural Owl within the thick of forest. The chicken flew out the forest into the open clearing and spent the following hour placing on a really magical show. At shut vary and in wonderful gentle, it was every little thing we may’ve dreamed of. I do not typically get goosebumps when birding, however there was one thing so magical about this encounter that I could not put my finger on. All of us had been misplaced for phrases … and if that wasn’t sufficient, we had been handled to a second chicken calling within the forest too! Just pretty much as good because the Northern Hawk-Owl earlier within the week. It actually felt like we had seen the easiest of Estonia over the previous few days.
Ural Owl, Leidissoo, Estonia (Miles Cluff).
Day six: 6 March 2024
With our flight home from Tallinn at 11.15 am, we did not have a lot time within the morning for any birding. Our information the day prior to this had tipped us off {that a} close by street on the south aspect of Marimetsa LKA bathroom was utilized by Western Capercaillie at daybreak, the place they eat gravel off the street which helps with digesting plant materials of their stomachs. Our early morning efforts weren’t rewarded although, and we needed to go away in useless. We headed again to the lodging and completed packing our luggage, earlier than driving to the airport for a clean journey home.
If you are on the lookout for an affordable, self-guided winter birding break, then I feel you’d battle to seek out any higher than a couple of days away in Estonia. We had an absolute blast, and mopped up most species in simply 4 full days. Incredible surroundings and a few spectacular species – what’s to not love!
