Estonia 7-11 April 2011

11 April - A four-day trip to Estonia on the Baltic, with Naturetrek, with variable weather, rain then sun and north wind. My 50D camera rather frustratingly packed up on day one..... We started at Variku (14), an area of forest and flooded fields with large flocks of migrating Whoopers (17) and Bewick's Swans, and the evocative calls of Common Cranes (16) echoing across the landscape from small parties of birds moving through. The area was excellent for raptors, with male and female Hen Harrier, and immatures of both Golden (15) and White-tailed Eagle seen. Black Grouse were seen as they left their lekking area. Other birds here included a Great Grey Shrike in the birches, and a flyover female Black Woodpecker (22-23).
Poosaspea is famous for its seabird migration, and there were large numbers of Long-tailed Ducks on the sea here (9-11), with some in summer plumage. Also seen here - Common and Velvet Scoters, Goosander and Red-breasted Merganser. A flock of Snow Buntings was on the headland (12-13). En route back to the hotel we stopped at a flooded woodland where we had excellent views of a male White-backed Woodpecker drumming.
The next day we travelled across the frozen Baltic (6) to Saaremaa island (7), and at the western end had good views of a dozen or so Steller's Eiders, including 4 males (8, photo copyright Jari Peltomaki). They were bobbing on a considerable swell in the northerly wind, which made it more atmospheric. The ferry crossing produced the following list of seaduck - Long-tailed Duck, Common Scoter, Velvet Scoter, Smew, Goosander, Red-breasted Merganser, Scaup and Tufted Duck !
The final day was spent at Luitemaa forest (18-19) on a rather frustrating Woodpecker and Grouse hunt - I was one of the group to get reasonable flight views of the male Capercaillie (20) we flushed in the pines, and we saw a female Grey-headed Woodpecker and two Crested Tits (21) and a couple of superb flyover White-tailed Eagles. Cranes continued to call and fly over, and we saw a pair dancing on a wetland in the forest. However birds here are at low density and we missed some species. The evocative song of the Redwing put this familiar winter visitor in a new light for us visiting from the UK.
The journey back to the old city of Tallinn, with its Hanseatic and Russian quarters (1-5), was enlivened by a perched Rough-legged Buzzard and several more pairs of Cranes.
The overall impression of the country is of vast areas of forest and bog, and an amazing potential for birds.