As a destination for wildlife photography tours in Europe, Estonia is still relatively undiscovered — yet it offers remarkable potential. In winter, besides photographing Golden eagles and White-tailed eagles from our photography hides, the country provides many additional opportunities for nature photographers.
Below are some of our recommendations for winter wildlife and nature photography in Estonia.
Wildlife Dreams photography hides
Located about a two-hour drive from our eagle hides, the Wildlife Dreams hides offer excellent winter photography opportunities. From these hides photographers may capture Northern goshawk, Eurasian sparrowhawk, White-backed woodpecker, Grey-headed woodpecker, Crested tit and other tits, and occasionally even a White-tailed eagle. Mammals frequently photographed there include Red foxes and Raccoon dogs.
Lahemaa National Park
Only 45 km from our eagle hides lies Lahemaa National Park, one of the best areas in Estonia for winter nature photography. The park offers numerous nature trails and habitats in a relatively small area.
Along the Baltic Sea coast photographers can capture Long-tailed ducks, Smew, Goosander, Red-breasted merganser, Goldeneye, Whooper swans and other overwintering waterbirds. In the old-growth forests, various tits and woodpeckers often appear, while open landscapes regularly host Great grey shrikes, occasionally Rough-legged buzzards sometimes Northern hawk-owl.
Winter also creates excellent conditions for landscape photography: partially frozen sea, snow-covered forests, ice formations on coastal rocks and snow-laden trees provide striking Nordic scenery.
Winter Elk (Moose) photography tours
A Elk (Moose) in a snowy landscape is always a memorable subject for photographers. We organise early-morning and evening moose photography safaris, or you can search for moose independently following our guidance.
During these outings we often encounter Roe deer, Red foxes and Mountain hares, and sometimes Ural owls.
Eurasian lynx photography
In recent years Estonia has gained recognition as a destination for Eurasian lynx tours and today it is widely considered one of the best places in the world to see this elusive cat.
We want to be honest: photographing a Eurasian lynx is never easy. We have been running Lynx watching tours for years and know exactly what it requires — patience, persistence and a bit of luck. However, under the right conditions it is possible to photograph a Lynx, usually with the help of artificial light and occasionally even in daylight.
The best periods for Lynx watching and Lynx photography in Estonia are March and again late September to October. In late February and early March it is possible to combine eagle photography with searching for Eurasian lynx during the same trip.
If you are planning a winter wildlife photography trip in Estonia, our eagle hides and wildlife tours can be combined with these additional photographic opportunities.