ESTONIA 1–6 April 2010 1–6 April 2011 Leader: Tarvo Valker

Estonia is the most northerly of the ‘Baltic States’. The people of Estonia have always had a close relationship with nature: forests were not needlessly cleared, resulting in almost half of the country still being wooded, and wild animals were not persecuted. Estonia is a wonderful birdwatching destination where species that are becoming rarer in Western Europe are more easily observed. The extensive undeveloped coastal areas, with widespread reedbeds and grasslands, winding rivers and vast floodplains, and the mires, bogs and primeval forests in the central part of the country are habitats for thousands of breeding and migrating birds. Spring begins in late March when woodpeckers start drumming, Western Capercaillies become very active at dusk in the old pine forests and all the swamps and bogs resound at sunrise with displaying Black Grouse. In shallow bays, there are thousands of Whooper and Bewick’s Swans and various ducks whilst tens of thousands of Taiga and Tundra Bean Geese and White-fronted Geese gather in the fields.

Day 1 Flight from London to Tallinn and transfer south to Pärnu. After checking into our hotel, we will go out to look for Ural Owl, Eurasian Pygmy-owl and Eurasian Eagle-owl. Eurasian Woodcocks will be seen roding. Dinner will be taken at a local restaurant. Two nights in Pärnu.

Day 2 After an early breakfast we will explore nearby forests to search for resident woodpeckers. Black, Grey-headed, Eurasian Three-toed and White-backed Woodpeckers can all be found here and we will also listen out for displaying Hazel Grouse. After a picnic lunch we will make a short visit to the lookout tower and wooden pathway in the Tolkuse Bog. In wonderful scenery comprising colourful peat bogs interspersed with small lakes we should find Common Cranes and various species of geese on migration. In the late afternoon, before we return to the hotel, we will have another owling session.

Day 3 Today we will take a ferry west to Saaremaa Island primarily to look for Steller's Eiders. They winter in compact flocks of between 300 and 1000 and, depending upon the severity of the winter, can be found either in the bays or in patches of open water amongst the sea ice. Other species that can be found on the island include Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Wood Lark. We will return to the mainland in the late afternoon and drive to the western region of Estonia. Three nights in Roosta.

Day 4 We will start the day at nearby wetlands to look for lekking Black Grouse. After a late breakfast we will go to Põõsaspea, a small northerly-pointing spit situated at a migratory crossroads for waterbirds from the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia. This is one of the best places for observing the Arctic waterbird migration, with hundreds of thousands of Long-tailed Ducks, Common Scoters, Taiga and Tundra Bean Geese and White-fronted Geese passing during the peak of migration. After a late lunch and a short rest back at the hotel we will visit the wetlands and western taiga forests near Nõva to look again for owls.

Day 5 Another early start will find us once more looking for lekking Black Grouse, this time in the forests and on heathland at Leidissoo, where Western Capercaillie, Hazel Grouse and various woodpeckers also occur. Next, we will visit Matsalu National Park, the oldest Ramsar site in Estonia. At times of peak passage over a million diving ducks have been estimated along the coast here, whilst counts of Bewick’s and Whooper Swans, Taiga and Tundra Bean Geese and White-fronted Geese regularly number in the tens of thousands. Although these migrants offer some remarkable spectacles, Matsalu is much more than just a migration point. Amongst the 170 species recorded as breeding on the reserve are Red-necked Grebe, Great Bittern, Osprey, White-tailed Eagle and Caspian Tern. After lunch at a local tourism farm we will head for Tuhu Bog with its stunted pines and heather and its Golden Eagles.

Day 6 After some early birding we will return to Tallinn by late morning and have a short guided tour of the old town. Tallinn was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 because of its medieval city centre, the finest in northern Europe, with cobblestone streets and buildings that date back to the fifteenth century. In the afternoon we will transfer to the airport for our return flight.

General Information There are no special health requirements. Visas are not required for EU citizens. The pace of the tour is medium with only a moderate level of fitness required for walks.

Group Size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 6; maximum group size: 11 with 1 leader, 16 with 2 leaders.

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