Steller’s Eider, Owls and Woodpeckers – Scheduled Tour

After arriving at Tallinn International airport, you’ll be picked up by ou guide with a minibus and start driving towards Saaremaa island. The transfer, together with a ferry ride, takes about 4 hours and we will do some birding already on the way to our accommodation. Roadsides may produce views of Rough-legged Bussards and Great Grey Shrikes. On the ferry and after reaching the island of Muhu, we get our first good views of the Baltic Sea. Whooper Swans, Smew and White-tailed Eagles are usually present in good numbers. Depending on the time of arrival, we’ll already go looking for our first target bird, which is Europe’s smallest owl species – Pygmy Owl. Our accommodation is an old manor house situated in Vilsandi National Park and we will stay there for 2 nights.

Before breakfast, we can have another shot at spotting the Pygmy Owl. The forests of Viidumäe may also produce views of Black Woodpecker, Nutcracker, and northern subspecies of Nuthatch (Sitta europaea europaea).   Saaremaa is also warmer than the mainland, so might come across Mistle Thrushes, Fieldfares, and even European Skylarks. After breakfast, we go looking for the Steller’s Eider in the northeastern part of Saaremaa. We might find the Steller’s Eider quickly or it might take us the whole day. Besides the Steller’s Eiders, we can spot other overwintering waterbirds, such as Smew, Long-tailed Ducks, Velvet Scoters, Common Scoters, Goosanders, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Eiders, Greater Scaup, and Tufted Ducks. White-tailed Eagles are often seen patrolling the coastline and Waxwings look for food in the Juniper stands. Saaremaa is also a great place to spot Common and Parrot Crossbills. In the evening, we can look again for the Pygmy Owl, and after the sunset look for the Tengmalm’s Owl. Night in Saaremaa

In the morning, we start driving back to the mainland. After the ferry ride, we go to Puhtu-Laelatu wooded meadows, to look for various woodpeckers. Our main target here will be the White-backed Woodpecker, who is an annual breeder in these deciduous forests. There we can also spot Black Woodpeckers, Middle-Spotted Woodpeckers, and Grey-Headed Woodpeckers. From there we take the course to Marimetsa forests, where we will target Three-Toed Woodpeckers and Hazel Grouse. Before the evening, we’ll settle in our new accommodation in the northeastern part of Estonia. The forests around the accommodation are home to Ural Owl, whom we hope to spot around the sunset. Night in NW Estonia

On meadows and fields located between two vast peat bogs, it’s possible to observe a Black Grouse lek, and that will be today’s main event. These fields and meadows are loved by many birds. Rough-Legged bussards are often seen hovering and Golden Eagles come to look for their most loved prey – Black Grouse and Common Hare. We’ll drive there quite early and have good chances of spotting also Western Capercaillie on the way to the spot. If the time is not too late, we still have time to look for Capercaille on another road, where they often come after visiting a lek in the early morning. We’ll also make a stop at Veskijärve area, which is a good place for the Northern Hawk Owl. The latter owl is a day-active owl and usually does not breed in Estonia. In winter they are still annual visitors, especially in the areas along the coast. Unlike the Ural and Pygmy Owl, they prefer open landscapes. Afterward, our trip takes us to one of the best migration observation points in northern Europe – Cape Põõsaspea. In the evening, we’ll again look for owls – Ural Owl and Tengmalm’s Owl. Night in NW Estonia

In the morning, we will look for Western Capercaillie along a road close to our accommodation, before arriving at Cape Põõsaspea to observe waterfowl. There will be Long-tailed Ducks, Goldeneyes, and maybe even divers and Black and Velvet Scoters. The other part of the day we will concentrate on forest species. Leidissoo is a huge forest area situated right next to a bog. All of our target woodpeckers feel at home in this area – Grey-headed Woodpecker, White-Backed Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, and  Three-Toed Woodpecker. Similarly, it’s home to other forest species, such as the Hazel Grouse, who we hope to hear and see. Other species that were often seen there are Nutcracker, and Goshawk.  In the evening, we will look for the Ural Owl. Night in NW Estonia

Today we still have time to make at least one more excursion to look for species that we haven’t seen yet, or to look for waterbirds in Cape Põõsaspea. If there is time, we can also still make a few stops on the way to Tallinn.