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Saturday 2 May to Saturday 9 May 2009 with James Lidster and Antero Topp as leaders
Cost: £1340 plus about £330 for flights Click here for explanation of price breakdown Maximum group size: 13 with 2 leaders. 2 leaders will join this tour regardless of group size |
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Tucked away in a forgotten corner of the Baltic Sea, Estonia is a fairytale land of extensive forest, wild bogs, and ancient grasslands all braided together by an amazing number of rivers flowing down to a coastline fringed with around 1000 islands. Needless to say this wonderful mosaic of ancient habitats is alive with birds and Estonia is rapidly acquiring a reputation as one of Europe's premier birdwatching destinations. Although the country has developed quickly since its independence, an enlightened series of protective measures has ensured that many species in decline in Western Europe have increased in Estonia and birds such as Corncrake and White Stork are an inseparable part of the Estonian landscape. Equally significant as the breeding birds is the incredible spring migration. In early May, hundreds of thousands of geese, scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, divers and waders depart their wintering grounds around the North Sea for their rich Arctic breeding grounds and can be found streaming along the coast of Estonia, providing one of Europe's greatest migration spectacles. Day 1 : The tour begins with a flight from London to the ancient city of Tallinn. After arrival we’ll meet up with our local guide and drive to our hotel at Haapsalu. There will be birds to look at as soon as we set off and stops along the way may produce a range of species including Bewick's Swan, Goosander, Smew, Scaup, Hobby, Avocet, Spotted Redshank, Thrush Nightingale, and Savi's Warbler as well as perhaps one of Estonia’s scarcer birds - Short-toed Eagle. Towards the end of the day we’ll search the coastline for any wader roosts and may venture out after dark to look for Ural and Tengmalm's Owl. Night at Haapsalu Hotel. Days 2-3: We’ll spend the following two days exploring this region. We’ll find ourselves surrounded by a wonderful mosaic of habitats of which the magnificent bay at Matsalu takes pride of place. This vast shallow bay should be holding large numbers of Bewick’s and Whooper Swans, Red-necked and Slavonian Grebes, Long-tailed Duck, and Velvet Scoter to name a few. A visit to a coastal headland will enable us to witness at first hand the northbound migration of a range of species and, as well as some of the waterbirds already encountered, we could see Red and Black-throated Divers, Brent, Barnacle and Taiga Bean Geese, Arctic Skua, Caspian, Little and Sandwich Tern and perhaps the odd Osprey. Moving inland we find open meadows where White Storks mingle with gatherings of Common Cranes and Ruff and where the distinctive rasping call of Corncrake carries in the wind. Both Marsh and Montagu’s Harrier are also possible and feeding flocks of Pink-footed and White-fronted Geese may hold a rarity in the shape of a Red-breasted or Lesser White-fronted Goose. There will patches of open water surrounded by reeds where Bittern, Garganey, Black Tern and Bearded Tit can be found while the rich deciduous and coniferous woodlands close by are where we’ll look for Woodcock, White-tailed and Lesser Spotted Eagle, Goshawk, Honey Buzzard, Wryneck, Black, Grey-headed, White-backed and Lesser Spotted and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nutcracker, Red-backed Shrike, Parrot Crossbill, Hawfinch and Ortolan Bunting. Nights at Haapsalu. Day 4: We’ll spend a final morning on the coast watching the arctic migration. After the breakfast we’ll drive to Pärnu, with some birding stops en route. We’ll have lunch in Pärnu and then spend the afternoon birding at the Audru wetlands where we may encounter a variety of gulls and terns including beautiful summer plumaged Little Gulls or even a skulking Spotted or Little Crake. Night in Pärnu.
Day 5: Today we visit the Soomaa Nature Reserve which was created in 1993 to protect a large area of floodplain meadows, bogs and forest. This is a rich area for birds and we hope to see more Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Montagu's Harrier, Black Stork, Marsh Sandpiper, Three-toed, Black and White-backed Woodpeckers. This is also an excellent place to find a diminutive Pygmy Owl glaring down from the top of a pine tree. In the stands of reeds we will hear and hopefully see Great Reed and Savi’s Warblers, each readily picked out by their distinctive songs. Mammals could include Beaver, Elk and even Pine Marten. Night in Parnu. Day 6: Moving on we reach Nigula Bog, a vast treeless marshland dotted with pools and hollows where a few pairs of Common Cranes and Great Grey Shrikes breed. The surrounding woodland is good for woodpeckers as well as for Hazel Grouse Black grouse (which may require an early start to see at their lek) and Capercaillie. The surrounding woods should be echoing to the songs of some early arriving migrants such as Blyth’s Reed, Barred and Icterine Warblers or even Red-breasted Flycatcher and Common Rosefinch. After lunch we’ll visit Kabli bird observatory and concentrate on looking for migrant waders and warblers. Later we conitinue deeper into Estonia to Tartu. Night in Tartu.
Day 7: One of the stars of this region is Great Snipe and a visit to a traditional breeding ground should give us some good views of this rare wader performing its strange lek. Other birds in the area could include Great Spotted Eagle, White-winged Black Tern, Golden Oriole, Roller, Common Redstart, Red-backed Shrike, Penduline Tit, and Marsh and River Warblers. Night in Tartu.
Day 8: After some final birdwatching around Tartu we’ll set out on the return journey to Tallinn airport. We’ll make some stops along the way before connecting with our flight to London where the tour ends.
E-mail or phone +44 (0)1767 262522 for availability.
Last updated June 2008 |
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Bird List