Bird watching in the Baltic States

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

June 2024

Tuesday 4 ^th of June 2024 and waking up just after 3 o'clock. I have my tea and I prepare my bags before leaving my rented cottage. I leave at 6 o'clock as I did not want to arrive too early.

It will take 5 and a half hours to drive to the ferry terminal Wärtahamnen in Stockholm. Baltic Queen will depart for Tallinn at 17:30.

I will drive slowly and I want to be at the ferry terminal around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The GPS showed ETA at 11 thirty when I left my rented cottage.

I am almost alone on the highway

Keeping a slow speed to save gasoline, enjoying the views and in order not to arrive too early. Cloudy and it looked like it could start rain any second. And there was sunshine at the same time.

I kept between 80 and 90 km/h but the ETA did not change very much. But I will make a few stops so it will be OK.

First stop was to buy an ice cream. Well, it was actually the second stop. The ice cream machine did not work at the first stop.

I stop for ice cream

I am hauling arse going north on highway #E4 and I am pondering the idea to stop in Linköping to look for birds. But I pass the exit and continue towards north.

I take off the highway to find a place to enjoy my sandwiches that I bought with the ice cream. I crossed Göta Canal and I was looking for a place to stop but there was nothing.

I roll in to Stockholm and it was highway almost all the way to Wärtahamnen and the ferry terminal. So it was very convenient.

I see the ferry when I come of the highway

Coming off the highway and I could see the ferry. The gate were closed but the green light was on and I drove up the the check-in booth. She told me that she would open in a few minutes.

I put the car in reverse and backed in to the waiting lane. She opened the gate after 2 minutes and I checked-in. She told me to drive to lane 1 and to wait there for boarding.

It was about quarter to 3 o'clock and I was waiting in the car. The boredom drove me out of the car at 3 thirty. I went to take some pictures and one guy from the staff told me that we would start boarding and I went back to my car.

I go out to take pictures

I go out to take pictures

He checked my ticket and he told me to board the ferry on the left hand side. The trucks had started to board but they will stay in the middle of the ferry.

I start the car and I start to drive towards the ramp in the stern and my camera was stand-by for exciting “boarding” pictures.

Driving onboard as the first car and I park the car at the door forward of the ferry so I will be first out tomorrow in Tallinn.

Time to board

Time to board

On board

I stop at the forward door, first out tomorrow

I take my “overnight” bag and my computer bag and I go to look for the elevator. I check the map at the elevator and my room is on the 8th floor.

I take the elevator to the 8th floor and my room is as far back you can come. And my car is as far forward you can come on the ship so there is a wee bit of trotting to do.

I find my room and it looks nice and there is everything I need.

My room

My room with my bed

Starting by setting up my IT center and I am off to try to find my way out to deck. Maybe there is a bird or two I can take pictures off.

I walk up to 9th floor and there is no sun deck so I go up to the 10th floor. There is a disco on the 10th floor and there is also a sun deck.

So, I walk through the disco and I walk out on the sun deck. I am alone and there is a DJ playing music. But stil no people on the disco deck.

I walk up to the disco

Disco

The sun deck

Walking around ending up on top of the boat. I am looking for a place where I can sit with a view behind the boat. There is no place to look behind the boat. Only from the disco deck.

I was the first car coming on board and along walking around. I satt own on the sun deck on the 10th floor, Port side and I overlooked the ferry terminal.

About one hour until departure and there were more and more passengers walking around on sun deck enjoying the summer weather.

Wärta Terminal

Baltic Queen

Baltic Queen

Baltic Queen

Baltic Queen

Baltic Queen is starting to move at 5 thirty and I go back the sun deck at the disco. When I come back to the disco it is full of people drinking beer on the sun deck

The sun deck is full and I realise that there will be no bird watching and I buy a soda water. I try to get a few pictures as there are plenty seagulls following us when we leave Stockholm behind.

Giving the birds a few tries before giving up and I sat down to enjoy the views and my soda water. And it was getting hot in the direct sunlight.

Leaving Stockholm

Leaving Stockholm

Leaving Stockholm

Gull following us

Estonian flag

Leaving Stockholm

Leaving Stockholm

Leaving Stockholm

Leaving the sun deck to go to buy some snacks and water in the supermarket. I return to my room and I go to bed a few minutes after 8 o'clock. About 10 minutes later and the music starts.

I do not know if it is from the disco two floors up, or if it is from the show room above my floor.But the whole room was shaking from the bass and people were screaming having a goodtime. I made a mental note to ask for a room forward when going back to Sweden.

So it was way past midnight before I could fall asleep.

+++++++++++++++
Wednesday 5 ^th of June 2024 and I am almost alone at the GRILL HOUSE restaurant having my breakfast, nice! The breakfast was, well, it was OK.

I went to disco deck to have a look at the sun deck. A gorgeous morning and I sat down to enjoy the views of the Baltic Sea.

Steaming towards Estland

Leaving Sweden behind

Spending the last two hours of the trip in my room and I went to my 15 minutes before arrival. Thats when they opened the doors to the car deck. Locked during the trip as they do not want passengers on the car deck on the voyage.

Well, there was a lot of passengers waiting to get off on deck 5 and it was impossible to get down to the cars. They called me on the PA system, time to drive off the cars. And I am not in the car and my car is standing in the door.

I came down on deck and it was empty, just my car remaining and one truck they tried to get out through the door. But my car was blocking the door.

I get in to my car and I move my car and the truck can drive off the boat.

The truck can drive off the boat

The truck manage to get out and I can leave the boat as the last car. The terminal was empty so it was just to drive through. No custom and immigration so it was very convenient.

I had to stop at a parking area before leaving the area. I need to arrange my “overnight” bag. I also need to put my room outside Riga in Lavia in the GPS.

I also take the opportunity to get some pictures of Baltic Queen when she was alongside the jetty here in Tallinn.

Baltic Queen in Tallinn

Baltic Queen in Tallinn

I leave driving toward road #4 that will take me to the border between Estonia and Latvia. I had expected a highway from the terminal, but I had to drive through Tallinn. And I have never seen so many traffic lights before.

So it was a struggle to get to the highway. So it was nice when I could leave Tallinn behind. I drove past two White Stork nests on the highway. I made a mental note to stop to try to get some pictures going back to Tallinn.

I also spotted one Common Buzzard in one of the fields on my way to the Latvian border.

On my way to the Latvian border

Happy on the highway and I was hauling behind on the highway. I will arrive to my room in a good time. I was happy for 30 minutes or so, the highway turned in to a 2 lane road.

And there were many trucks on the road so it was not going as quick as I was wishing for. I took of the highway to get on a gravel road to see if there was any birds.

There was not many birds, a couple of Meadow Pipit and one Red-backed Shrike

Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Back on the paved road and I continue towards the border to Latvia. I will make a top or two for bird watching in Latvia before going to my room.

I will go to Lithuania looking for birds tomorrow. I will have a few days in Estonia for bird watching so I can look for more birds then. Going back to Estonia on Friday and I think I will spend my bird watching in Latvia on friday.

But plans can change, but this is my plan for now.

Passing the border to Latvia

Passing the border to Latvia and I am getting hungry. I bought some lunch biscuits in the supermarket on Tallink - Baltic Queen coming here. So, I need a nice place to enjoy my lunch while looking for birds.

I stop to check my eBird app for hotspots and there is one just passing the Latvian border. So, I turn around and I drive back to the border and this takes about 20 minutes.

I look for the place but, well, I drive back towards Riga. I had seen a road sign for sport and camping so I will go there to have a look.

My lunch biscuits disappeared like an aspirin and it tasted good. But there were not many birds to see. Starlings, wagtails and one Blackbird.

I consult eBird and there is one eBird hotspot not far away from my room. Kalngale-Adazi, and I program my GPS and I take off.

I soon have to stop again, I think it is a deer or a hare in a field. But when I come closer, I see that it is a White Stork in the field. This time I stop and I get a picture.

White Stork

starting my eBird app at the eBird hotspot: Kalngale-Adazi It is a long wide gravel road and I have to drive for a while before I see my first bird.

It is a Whinchat sitting in the vegetation, quite far away so the picture is nothing to write home about. I reach an intersection and I turned right to follow a dirt road up to the forest.

I stop to take a picture of a bird in a sand pit, but it is covered by grass so I cannot ID the bird. Maybe they can help me on birdforum.

I turn around and coming back and there is a raptor looking like a Common Buzzard. But I will ask birdforum to confirm my ID.

Winchat

Unknown bird

Unknown bird

Back on the gravel road and I turn right to get to my hotel. I stop after a few meters, there is a singing Sedge Warbler and I get pictures and two recordings of the bird.

I also managed to get a recording of an Meadow Pipit. The pictures went to the garbage bin as the bird was sitting on a wire between me and the sun.

The last bird was 19 Woodpigeons sitting in a group on the wires along the road. But now the clock turned late and I drove to my hotel. So, the Woodpigeons was the last birds for today.

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Listen to the Sedge Warbler

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Sitting in the reeds next to the gravel road

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Same bird as XC910790. Now it took off so it is a flight call

Listen to the Meadow Pipit

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Sitting on the wire along the gravel road

Woodpigeon

I checked in and I left for the supermarket to buy breakfast and lunch for tomorrow. I hope I can leave around 5 o´clock in the morning driving to Lithuania.

+++++++++++++++
Wednesday 6 ^th of June 2024 and my alarm goes off at 4 thirty. I have cheese and ham with my tea and I am out of here at 5 o'clock. According to my GPS it is about 5 hours to my first eBird hotspot close to the Russian border.

It is sunshine coming out to the car and I was in a good mood. But darn, Latvia has some serious problem with their roads. I have booked a room in the forest outside Riga in order to avoid the city traffic. But this was all for nothing.

And the roads, they have been maintained since it was the Soviet Union. And what's the story with all the traffic lights? Normally there are sensors on the traffic lights, but here it is a timer.

I was almost alone on the streets and I had to stop at almost every intersection to wait for green light at an otherwise empty intersection.

One hour later and I was south of the Capital Riga and now the sky turned black and it started to rain.YIPPEE

The sky turns black

I washoping for the weather to improve when I reach my birding site in Lithuania. But it was for sure not looking any good.

After 2 hours of driving, I stopped to fill up gasoline in my car. I bought some water as well.

Leaving the petrol station and I turned up on the road and I crossed an intersection and suddenly the border between Latvia and Lithuania was in front of me.

It was just to drive by and I was in Lithuania.

Border between Latvia and Lithuania

Border between Latvia and Lithuania

Border between Latvia and Lithuania

Spotting a White Stork nest after having been driving through Lithuania for about 90 minutes. I make a U-turn to go back and I leave the main road going down to a dead end at a church.

The stork nest is on top of a pole in a garden next to the church. One adult + two babies and the second adult landed just after I had parked the car. The second adult had some stuff in the bill when the bird landed in the nest.

There was a Dunnock at the graveyard and I managed to get a picture of the bird. I kept the picture even though the bird was too far away.

White Stork with two babies

Second adult landing

Second adult landing

White Stork with baby

Dunnock

Leaving the church behind and I passed another stork nest after a couple of minutes and I stop again. The nest had one adult and two babies and I spotted one adult in the field under the nest.

The stork was pottering about in the field and I do not know if the stork was looking for food or nest material for improving the nest.

White Stork

White Stork

Time passes very quickly and I do not want to arrive late. I also need to drive back to my hotel in Riga. So I was very happy, when suddenly, I found myself on a highway.

I was hauling arse until it was time to leave the highway and I found myself on a gravel road.

I spot one White Stork nest and I could only see one baby in the nest. But there were two adults foraging in the field next to the nest.

White Stork nest

Raven

I drive along the gravel road through the farmland. I spotted one more White Stork sitting on a roof on a farm house I drove by.

I continue along the gravel road and there are many birds, of course, they take off before I can get a picture. But I enjoy the drive as it is a very beautiful scenery.

I spot a bird sitting on a wire and I stop, the bird takes off. But when the bird takes off there is a White Wagtail lands on the wire.

The bird starts to sing and I get bot a picture and a sound recording.

White Wagtail

Listen to the White Wagtail

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

Sitting on a wire next to a Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer

I turn off my eBird app when I reach the paved road and I continue towards the coast. I see many storks and stork nests, but now I have given up the idea to stop and report “every” white stork I see to eBird.

There are a lot of them, I had expected maybe a couple of them. But they are everywhere.

I drive past a field and it looks like a raptor sitting in the field. I put the car in reverse and I go back to check it out.

Turns out that it is a cat.

It is a cat

Black-headed Gull

Driving past a field and I can report my first Black-headed Gulls in Lithuania. I can also report one Red Kite on my way to eBird hotspot: Kintai Fish Ponds North (Kintai Ž.Ū.T. Šiaurė)

I end up in the middle of nowhere and I have to turn around. Back on the paved road and I try the next gravel road. I start my eBird app and I will have it running until I reach eBird hotspot: Kintai Fish Ponds North (Kintai Ž.Ū.T. Šiaurė)

Meadow Pipit

Reaching the eBird hotspot and I start my eBird app at 11:36, that is about 5 and a half hours after leaving my hotel.

It is a gravel road turning in to a mud track. I see one Shelduck and a Grey Heron when I make my first stop. Both of them takes off when I get out of the car.

A couple of poor pictures that I erased immediately.

There is a group of White Storks flying across the area. A little bit later and I have two storks landing in front of the car.

White Stork

Suddenly, a White Stork lands in front of the car

Grey Heron

I see 3 Grey Herons, all of them flushed, but I get one picture of a Grey Heron in flight. I see Greylag Goose babies in the ponds. There are a lot of Mallards but I cannot see any babies.

There is also one Great Egret flying over the area so I get some new birds to my list of birds I have seen in Lithuania.

eBird Report

Kintai Fish Ponds North (Kintai Ž.U.T. Šiaure), Klaipedos Apskritis, LT
Jun 6, 2024 11:36 - 12:06
Protocol: Traveling
3.98 kilometer(s)
10 species

Greylag Goose 17 Some have babies
Mute Swan 4 Pairs
Common Shelduck 1
Mallard 50
Common Cuckoo 1 Heard only
Black-headed Gull 30
White Stork 8 A group of 6 flying over the area. Later on 2 landing in front of my car.
Great White Egret 1
Grey Heron 3
Barn Swallow 4

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S179679513

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Today's track at eBird hotspot: Kintai Fish Ponds North (Kintai Ž.Ū.T. Šiaurė)

Time turning quick and I turn of my eBird app to drive to the Russian border. That will be my last stop for today before driving back to my room in Riga.

Rusnė is a small town at the border to Russia on the otherside of the small river. I can start my eBird app at Rusne Salos Pradzia 30 minutes later.

There are a few birds to report from the Lithuania side. There is a sand bank on the Russian side and there are several birds resting on the sand bank.

Russian watch tower

Russian watch tower

Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia on the other side of the river

Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia on the other side of the river

Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia on the other side of the river

Rubber boat in the river

Birds in Russia

Going back to my car and I drive back to Riga. And I have never seen so many storks before. I drove through a small town and there was a stork nest in almost every pole along the road.

Back in my room almost 14 hours after having left earlier this morning. A cup of tea and I was soon asleep with my alarm set to go off at 4 thirty.

+++++++++++++++
Friday 7 ^th of June 2024 and I leave my room just after 5 o'clock in the morning. I will drive back to Tallinn and my hotel today. But I will do some bird watching in Latvia before I leave.

I start close to the hotel, but the access to the river was blocked so I left for eBird hotspot: Kalngale-Adazi where I had been on my first day.

A gorgeous morning and I drive on the gravel road enjoying the views. There is the big group of Wood Pigeons sitting on the wires along the road.

The area was full of Skylarks on the road, but they took off when I approached with the car. And I could hear a lot of birds in the reeds.

A Deer

A Deer

Sedge Warbler

Skylark

Driving by a couple of deer and I stop to take pictures. Looking good sticking up their heads above the grass.

Taking a tour up in the forest but I do not see any birds and I drive back to the wetlands. I spot one Sedge Warbler and the bird is singing next to the gravel road.

I decide to try to take a video of the bird, and I am lucky, the bird remains and continue to sing when I stop the car.

Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler

I decide to check out the Riga HES dam before starting to drive north towards Tallinn. There are two eBird hotspots at the dam: Dole--Riga HES dam and Dole--Zirnu Sala (Pea Island)

Succussed to get pictures of a Yellowhammer when I approached the end of the gravel road. I added the Yellowhammer on my eBird app before I turned off the app.

Dole--Riga HES dam was programmed in to the GPS and it is not far away. 20 minutes’ drive and I turned on a bird watching pod that I found so I have something to listen to during the drive.

Driving through a forest

There was no way to drive along the dam so I ended up below the embankment on the Daugava River side. I could hear a lot of birds on the mud track.

I spotted two birds in the grass and it looked like a Dunnock and I grabbed my phone to report a Dunnock in my eBird app. But something was wrong and I never reported the bird. Dunnock have a plain chest and this bird is spotted.

I checked up the bird and for me it looks like a Twite, the only sparrow bird I can find with a spotted chest and belly.

I sent the pictures to birdforum and the bird was quickly ID as a Linnet

Linnet

Linnet

Thanks to Bewick and Welsh Peregrine at www.birdforum.net for help with ID

Listen to the Yellowhammer

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

We can hear the traffic from the embankment in the background.

Leaving the area driving to the eBird hotspot: Dole--Zirnu Sala (Pea Island) on the other side of Daugava River.

Driving along the dirt track next to Daugava River and I can keep an eye on the river to see if there are any birds.

Dirt track along the Daugava River

Dirt track comes to an end

There is a Northern Wheatear and a couple of House Sparrows on the dirt track, otherwise not much. Reaching the end of the dirt track and I park the car.

I can see a lot of birds from the car and I walk down the ladder to the Daugava River. There are some benches and it is a very nice area.

There are one Mute Swan family just at the water edge. I spot a few Great Crested Grebes as well and among them one baby.

And the baby come swimming towards me together with an adult.

Great Crested Grebe with baby

Great Crested Grebe with baby

Great Crested Grebe with baby

Great Crested Grebe with baby

Great Crested Grebe with baby

Great Crested Grebe with baby

I manage to get a few pictures and a video of the great Crested Grebe. Very fun to watch the baby piggy backing on the parent practicing diving.

Getting a few pictures of the swan family and there are two male Mallards swimming by me when I was sitting on the bench.

A gorgeous day and it is really a nice place to sitt. But time is turning quickly and I need to get to Tallinn and I have a couple of hours to go. And I have planned another stop.

Mute Swan baby

Mute Swan baby

Mute Swan mama or papa

Male mallards

Male mallards

Mute Swan mama with baby

Herring Gull

Next stop will be another eBird hotspot and it require a detour towards east. And this turned out to be a waste of time and gasoline. There was no access to the spot so I programmed Tallink Hotel in to the GPS and I started to drive towards Tallinn in the north.

Driving through a small village, Leipa and I spotted a stork nest when passing Lode Bus Stop. I stop to take a picture of the nest.

No adults visible and I could see two babies in the nest. I reported some Feral Pigeons at the bus stop as well before continuing towards Tallinn.

10 minutes later and I turn off the paved road to get on a gravel road to see if there are any birds in the fields.

Stork nest with babies

Listen to the Yellowhammer

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Recorded along a gravel road.

Stork nest with 3 babies

Adult stork on top of pole close to the nest

One recording of a Yellowhammer before I leave the gravel road. 20 minutes later and I leave the paved road again. There is a stork nest with 3 babies and one adult.

There is another adult standing on a pole close to the nest, maybe not room enough for five storks in the nest.

Continuing towards Tallinn in the north leaving the storks behind. There are a lot of storks so I do not bother to stop to report them anymore.

Rook is missing from my list of birds in Latvia so I stop when I see a field full of Rooks, Jackdaws and two Hooded Crows. There were two White Storks in the field as well.

Stork foraging in the field

It is getting late and it is still far to Tallink Express Hotel in Tallinn. And still no sign of the border between Estonia and Latvia.

Passing a house with the Estonian flag from the pole, but no sign of any border.

But it seems like I have crossed the border to Estonia and when I stop to report the last stork it says Estonia on the report.

White Stork in Estonia

Heavy traffic when I reach Tallinn and it takes like forever to reach Tallink Express Hotel. And when I finally have made it to down town it looks like a ferry have arrived and the roads are full of trucks coming with the ferry from Sweden or Finland.

No parking at the hotel so I put the car at the curb while checking in. Then I have to drive the car to the parking area behind the hotel and it is around 13 hours since I left my hotel in Riga when I am in my room drinking tea.

My room

My room

I am in bed at 8 o'clock and I have turned off my alarm. So tomorrow it will be a luxury morning with no alarm, and long sleep.

+++++++++++++++
Saturday 8 ^th of June 2024 and I wake up quarter to 5 and I turn on the kettle. Breakfast is at 8 o'clock as it is weekend. I decide to have breakfast at the hotel before driving to Narva at the Russian border to look for birds.

At 8 o'clock I bring my camera and I went down for breakfast. The food and tea were OK and I was full when I left for the car parking.

Breakfast

I will drive to Narva at the Russian border and I will make two stops on the coast to look for birds going there. First stop, Kaberneeme Poolsaar is programmed in the GPS.

Again, driving through Tallinn, but I was surprised to find myself on a nice highway when I had Tallinn in the rearview mirror.

First stop, Kaberneeme Poolsaar and I start the eBird app at 09:40 and the first bird I see is an wagtail. There are two Linnets as well.

White Wagtail

Northern Wheatear

After having spent 30 minutes in Kaberneeme Poolsaar before I turn off my eBird app. I leave the village but I soon stop again. Driving by a field full of gulls and I check out what kind of gulls there is.

The field is full of Black-headed, Common and Herring Gulls. There is a stork nest in Kolgaküla and I stop to report the storks at 10:50. There is a Common Magpie on the road side as well.

Continuing towards Narva in the East and I reach Lahemaa National Park--Vergi and I start my eBird app at 11:42.

There are a lot of birds, but most of them too far away for proper ID.

There is something looking like a restaurant

There are a lot of Swans and gulls. One group of Great Cormorants flying over the Baltic Sea that looks like a mirror today.

Driving past the restaurant and I spot some Goosanders resting on the sand beach.

There is a small marina and I get out of the car to try to get close to the Goosanders. I flush a Grey Heron so this is another bird I can report to eBird.

Goosander resting on the beach

Goosander resting on the beach

Goosander resting on the beach

Goosander resting on the beach

Goosander resting on the beach

Bird watching at eBird hotspot Lahemaa National Park--Vergi

Bird watching at eBird hotspot Lahemaa National Park--Vergi

Time is turning quickly and I do not want to spend another full day. I turned off my eBird app at 12 o'clock and I was in a hurry to get to Narva. I start at the mouth of River Narva and it was already 2 o'clock in the afternoon.

Disappointment, it was not possible to get down to Gulf of Finland. But there was an old factory blocking the road. I spent some times at the marina in Narva-Jöesuu.

There was a sailboat race on the river. There is not many birds to report, one moulting male mallard resting on the water edge.

Moulting mallard

Narva River between Estonia and Russia

Watch tower on the Russian side of the Narva River

Russian guard boat on Narva River

Great White Egret on the Russian

Grey Heron on the Russian

I was happy to have seen the egret and heron on the Russian side. More birds for me to report from Russia. But otherwise, there was not much to sea here and I walked back to the car.

There was a crow sitting in the tree, above the car and I made a recording before I left. The last picture I took was of a Eurasian Jackdaw.

Listen to the Hooded Crow

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Sitting in the tree above my car.

Eurasian Jackdaw

Leaving Narva-Jöesuu behinf driving South towards Narva and the plan is to drive along the Narva River as much as possible.

Driving south and I am soon leaving the paved road to get on a dirt road going down to the river. I stop to start my eBird app and I flush a Grey Heron from the reeds. There is a short stretch of the dirt road where I can see the river from.

Otherwise, it is mostly dense forest so I can hear a lot of birds. But not many seen.

Common Magpie

The only bird picture I get is a Common Magpie before I am back on the paved road towards Narva. Approaching Narva and I turn towards the river. I consult my map and there should be a street along Narva River.

Reaching the river and I turn on my eBird app. starting by driving north and I am soon stopping to make a recording of Barn Swallows flying around.

I also make notes of the birds I see on the Russian side to make another checklist for Russia. Birds seen in Russia must be reported for Russia.

Russian side of the Narva River

Listen to the Barn Swallow

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

Flying around, several on them. Flying low as it was rain coming.

Herring Gull in Russia

Mallards in Russia

Russian patrol boat in Narva River

Russian watch tower

Herring Gulls in Russia

I managed to get more birds from Russia than I could report from Estonia, well, almost, 5 species from each side of the river.

I drive for long as I can along the river and I end up at a marina. I turn around, it is past 3 o'clock in the afternoon and it is about 2 hours to drive to Tallinn.

The last picture that I take is a couple of Feral Pigeons foraging on the ground.

Feral Pigeon

Turning off my eBird app at 3 thirty and now I am in a hurry to get back to my hotel in Tallinn. I am in the hurry and I step on it but I have to make a stop at the outskirts of Narva.

The power lines are full of Wood Pigeons and I stop to report them to eBird.

Leaving Narva behind and I step on it, and again, I have to slow down. The gasoline alarm goes off. 0km remaining and there had been 60 km remaining when I left Narva River.

In the middle of nowhere and I get a little bit worried. For sure, I do not want to run in to an empty tank here with the rain pouring down.

Wood Pigeon

So I leave Narva and my Wood Pigeons behind in a slow speed. I see some factory funnels behind the forest ahead of me and I hope there is a gas station.

Filling up the car and then it is full speed towards Tallink Express Hotel in Tallinn. And again, a day returning from my bird watching and it is after 6 o'clock in the evening.

Cheese and ham with my tea for evening meal and I was in bed around 8 thirty. And for the second night, no alarm set to go off tomorrow morning.

+++++++++++++++
Sunday 9 ^th of June 2024 and I wake up 20 minutes before 7. I went for breakfast at 8 but as there was too many people, I returned to my room.

I will go to explore an eBird hotspot in the Western part of Estonia today. And I will keep it short today, planning to return to my hotel early afternoon.

The restaurant is not so crowded at 9 o'clock and I have my breakfast. The weather, well, since I left for the firefighting course in Gothenburg it has been raining almost every day.

Shit weather for long as I can seen

Leaving the hotel and it is raining, not promising for any good bird watching. I start with one eBird hotspot in Tallinn where I see one Grey Heron.

Wind and rain so I do not bother to get out and I continue to my next eBird hotspot. Driving towards SE and the eBird hotspot: Läänemaa Suursoo Landscape Protected Area It is raining all the time, but I hope it stops so I have a chance to see some birds.

Driving South on road #17 and I pass sand/ gravel pit and I turn around to go back to check out the area. I spot some birds in one of the ponds and it turn out to be one female Common Goldeneye swimming in the pond.

And a bit further away there are three Common Goldeneye babies. Taking pictures, impossible with the rain. But it was a new bird for me in Estonia so I was happy.

Stopping at a sand/ gravel pit

Two Common Goldeneye babies

Female Common Goldeneye

I make the report in my eBird app and that is the last of my internet. I need to find a place with WIFI to refill my SIM card. This will not be easy here in the wilderness.

And no GPS, how to find the hotspot? eBird hotspot: Läänemaa Suursoo Landscape Protected Area is in the middle of nowhere. Well, I had to navigate through the map and I managed to find the eBird hotspot: Läänemaa Suursoo Landscape Protected Area

It is a hotspot with forest and open fields and you drive along a narrow dirt track.

Reaching the field and I am pleasantly surprised, two Common Cranes foraging in the field. Something I had not expected!

eBird hotspot: Läänemaa Suursoo Landscape Protected Area

Common Crane

Common Crane

I think the birds look very dark, they are usually light grey, but I realize that it is because of the rain. They are soaking wet.

Continuing on the dirt path and I spot a lot of Northern Lapwings on the field.

Soon stopping again, this time to listen to one Skylark in the field. Very close and the bird is singing beautifully so I record the bird. There is strong wind that we can hear the wind, but it is a beautiful song so I kept the recording.

Listen to the Eurasian Skylark

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my mobile phone using the Merlin app. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity.

In the field next to the car, I could hear a second bird replying far away.

A lot of wind noise in the recording

Time passing quickly and the clock is suddenly twelve thirty and I decide to drive back towards Tallink Express Hotel in Tallinn.

I will stop to look for WIFI to refill my SIM card, and I can as well fill up gas in the car. And there should be WIFI at the petrol station.

Another stork nest and I make a U-turn to get a picture and to report it to eBird. And I have not seen many White Storks in Estonia so I want to report as many as I can see.

Nest with storks

They have WIFI at the petrol station but I cannot connect. But they had pastries and I bought a bag to enjoy in my room. Of course, I feel very bad after having finished the pastries and this was the last time eating pastries.

I put my alarm on 04:30 when I went to bed. They will pick me up outside the hotel tomorrow morning at 8 thirty and my training will start at 9 o'clock.

Check HERE to find out how things works out.

You are visitor no.

To www.aladdin.st since December 2005

Visitors from different countries since 26th of September 2011

Mobilize your Site

View Site in Mobile | Classic