Namibia and Botswana December 2015

Namibia and Botswana December 2015.

Manchester via Frankfurt and then onto Windhoek Namibia with Lufthansa was a long flight. Though grabbing a few hours sleep was a blessing thankfully.

Windhoek airport is small and neat and in the middle of what looked like a desert. The heat was obvious as we walked from the plane across the tarmac towards passport control even at 7.30 am.One small hitch on arrival was a 90 minute wait for our luggage but that was the only hitch throughout the whole trip.Everything else went rather smoothly and I arrived in Walvis Bay around 2pm in my hired Chevrolet Cruze motor.

The Oysterbox guesthouse was a cracking start, clean, comfy, and with a stunning view of  the lagoon from my room. Positioned within walking distance of the boat tour companies and the well known Rafts bar and restaurant i was pleased with this choice of hotel. The famous salt pans are less than 2 miles from here as well. Walvis bay is a nice town,with nice clean streets and easy shopping areas. Swakomund further along the coast road is larger and a little tatty in places, the Blackpool of Namibia i believe.

Lesser Flamingo.

A quick look around the lagoon gave views of Greater and Lesser Flamingo in massive numbers. Waders dotted the tideline, Curlew sandpiper being the most numerous. Though Turnstones, Sand plover,White fronted plover and Little stints were not scarce. Terns and gulls seemed abundant and Herons and Egrets also.My journey had been long that day so i visited Rafts restaurant and grabbed a early night.

Bright and early i was scoping from the balcony before breakfast, with flamingos flying over from a nearby roost and Cape fur seals breaking the lagoon water in the distance. Bottlenosed dolphins could also be seen but only in the deeper water. Avocets stood in groups along the foreshore preening,some still sleeping.Joggers ran along the prom and occasionally a car passed by ....but not many and not often. Walvis bay is a quiet town without much traffic.
After breakfast i walked over to Mola Mola harbour cruises and set off to see the Cape fur seal colony. White pelicans were plentiful and a Black egret stood out amongst the large numbers of Blacksmith plovers and Bank cormorants. Black oystercatcher, Whimbrel and Little egrets now became common.Hartlaub's, Kelp and Sabine's gull added to the growing numbers list and Greyheaded gull seemed to be everywhere. The cruise was aimed at tourists and not a specific birdwatching cruise, though it was fun throughout. The seals chased the boats and Pelicans landed on board. The colony was huge with masses of Cape fur seals everywhere, fighting and bickering between themselves. Dolphins where less numerous though Heavyside and Bottlenosed made apperances. A single Pomerine skua chased a Tern around a oil platform that was anchored offshore. A look at the local oyster farm was educating and interesting and a free oyster buffet with drinks was a nice touch. The whole trip was 3 hours and worth every dollar.

Seal colony Walvis bay.

The afternoon was spent around the salt pans with something around every corner. A Black backed jackal was out and about in the afternoon heat and a group of about 20 Blacknecked grebes gave great views and made my day. The jackal appeared again closer this time but vanished behind a banking on the side of the road, whilst in pursuit of the Jackal i noticed 5 small birds spinning around on a pond behind it. Rednecked phalaropes feeding, the day was getting better.The salt pans are a tremendous birding hot spot and worth visiting. Later on i drove to Walvis bay bird paradise just out of town. I had read that this was a good spot for birding but unfortunately the gates were closed and padlocked. Driving back towards the lagoon and salt pans i decided to call in at a supermarket for a few bits as i was looking for a parking space a Black harrier drifted towards my hotel and the lagoon area.

Black backed Jackal

The next morning i headed towards Rooibank the Dune lark site. It is about 8 mile from the main road and a very isolated spot. A good look around gave views of Dideric cuckoo and Stonechat. Willow warbler and Blackheaded canary also. The Dune lark was difficult and evasive and i had several glimpses of the bird but no clear or lasting views. On my way back i decided to call in at the bird paradise site again but it was still closed and padlocked. I walked the perimeter fence for awhile spotting Hottentot teal through the wires and as i walked back to the car i noticed another Black harrier drifting towards Walvis bay town. Another drive around the salt pans produced more of the same but by now the tide was pushing the flamingos closer. with a huge flock in excess of 20 000 birds.

Black necked Grebes

Next day was a quick run along the coast and into Swakopmund with the sea looking choppy and the wind picking up i saw nothing new of note. Around the lagoon and salt pans the wind was keeping the birds down and by lunchtime the wind had become so strong it was hard to even walk anywhere.
The wind surfers had packed up and gone home, and the sea started to look rough. I made a brief visit to the pans again but the whole place seemed deserted with the weather taking a turn for the worse. One animal did catch my eye on the way back, a Brown hyena heading over one of the dunes.
The next day was one that i dreaded, the long drive north to Etosha National Park. I had read that it was a 7.5 hour drive and i did not fancy being in the car that long, but it was a price i needed to pay for visiting Walvis bay. I rushed breakfast and was on the road before 7am. My plan was to reach Otjiwarongo for about 12 and stop for a rest and a decent lunch break. I drove hard and reached Outjo further north by 12. The roads allowed me to average 120km per hour and  even with a few Police road checks and toilet breaks i was in Etosha by sometime around 2pm. Not  much was sighted on the road to my surprise except Kori bustard near Etosha and a distant Secretary bird . A group of  vultures soared high near the camp also.
Okaukuejo was the first camp and a good place. The camp was clean tidy and well set out. The waterhole was easy to view with a covered platform and benches with more benches near the perimeter wall.  One guy i met from Holland called George was a keen birder and  a good help. We picked out African cuckoo,Red eyed bulbul, and Shaft tailed whydah. Springbok, Southern Oryx and Blue wildebest hung around the waterhole. We had good sightings of Rhino, lions and a Gennet here.

Black Rhino ( note the hooked lip ).

The animal numbers are good. The camp holds good numbers of Swallows, Starlings, Weavers and Babblers. We picked up African Hoopoe and Rock Kestrel and Groundscraper Thrush. On the road from camp to camp there are detour roads that will bring you back out onto the same road, some are short and some longer. I like these roads because they are quieter and the wildlife seems more relaxed and closer. The first detour i took gave great views of  2 Blue Cranes that i expected to see further east and Secretary bird.

Blue Crane

Red breasted Swallows and Pale chanting Goshawk also. At the waterhole later we had Double breasted Sandgrouse fly in at last light and we could hear Lions close by. Rhino appeared and as the floodlights came on Fiery necked and Mozambique nightjars gathered insects from around the lights. A Gennet sneaked past the rocks and stones in front of us and Jackals came out in numbers. The next morning a single Little grebe sat on the water and Sandgrouse came in again before the light dawned. Zebra .Ostrich and Wildebeest hung around . Pied Barbet and Whitecrowned shrike were spotted in the camp trees. Outside camp i found Kori bustard, European bee eaters, Purple and Lilac breasted rollers, and Crowned Lapwing. 
Halali camp was ok. This camp offers nothing new but is a better place for spotting Leopards. The weather stopped us doing a evening safari but the waterholes here gave good views of Rhino, Lions and Red Hartebeest. Tawny eagle was spotted and a possible Steppe eagle.I think there is not a huge differance between Halali and Okaukeujo camp though Halali has a lot more tree cover.
Numatoni is slightly tired but the staff are good and the service and food are good. I enjoyed this camp more because the landscape was now changing from that further west. Though the heat was still a problem this camp was busier with wildlife.

The waterhole was small but had some cover nearby and within 5 minutes of being in the camp i had Black Crake, along with Red billed Teal and Common Moorhen. Outside the camp was a busy and i found a detour road that held Caspian Plover, Greenshank, and Wood Sandpiper. Nearby i found a small lake that had both Lesser and Greater Flamingo. Back at the waterhole later i met some Dutch birders who i stayed with for awhile. 4pm saw a thunderstorm that was violent but only lasted a hour. The evening brought lots of Sandgrouse in and 5 lions that halted anything else coming close.Though we did notice that turtles lived in this waterhole.Early morning was good with the first bird of note being a Marabou Stork that walked through the masses of Cattle Egrets and Blacksmith Plovers. Afer a few minutes it flew 300m to join another 4 Marabou Storks. The only Battleur eagle of the trip was seen here and after breakfast i was lucky to stumble on a African Crake that was alongside a small scrape in camp.

African Crake

Outside was great with several lions seen resting along the road and Red crested and Northern black Korhaans photographed.

Northern black Korhaan male

I spent awhile chasing a Temminck's courser around and saw 2 more Kori Bustards. Swallows, Bee eaters and Rollers seemed more evident and the animal numbers were high.The next day i found a Giraffe carcass that was decayed but Red billed Spurfowl picked ants from around it. A huge Martial eagle perched in a tree gave good views and for some reason the same area held huge numbers of Namaqua, Cape turtle and Laughing doves. A single Blue spotted wood dove was a bonus.Distant elephants and Ground squirrel kept me busy and Jackals seemed plentiful.The highlight of the day though was a Greater Kestrel shading at the side of road giving me superb views and photographs.

Greater Kestrel.

Roy's rest camp is quirky and should only be used as a stopover if you are travelling towards Caprivi or Botswana. I was not taken by the camp the staff seemed unhelpful and didn't even tell us that they had waterholes and a hide. Everything we found here was by our own doing. I met a family from London who now lived in Durban and they made the stay better with good chat and fun chasing a Lesser bush baby around. A German couple who i had some birding time with and a Man from Henley on Thames who i tried to avoid. Walking around the camp i noticed that it was surrounded by a electric fence and had a waterhole just on the other side with a screen on the camp side. I stayed awhile and had Red billed Quelia, Shaft tailed and Paradise Whydah and several Golden breasted Buntings.  A superb warthog came for a quick bath before noticing me. Around the camp i picked up Scimitarbill,Crimson breasted shrike and Red billed  Buffalo weavers. Brubru Shrikes and Hornbills also. At the bar area i chatted with the family from Durban when one of the young girls shouted out bush baby pointing to the main roof of bar and restaurant area. The hand sized creature lept from the ridge of the roof into the nearby trees with ease a distance of about 5 metre.We stood amazed at this acrobatic stunt.Grabbing the camera we chased it around but it was far too quick and only poor shots were taken. The next day i walked towards the outside waterhole and spotted a huge Elland but it also saw me and ran away quickly. Impala were in the camp and at breakfast i noticed a Tree Squirrel playing nearby. Grey go away birds seemed everywhere and a small group of Whydah, Buntings, and Weavers had come to a puddle made by a dripping outside tap. Whilst watching them i heard a obvious parrot like call and after some searching a Rosy faced Lovebird came onto the dripping tap.

Rosy faced Lovebird.

Chasing it around i eventually caught up with 7 of these birds. The day was spent around the camp and resting and trying to regain some energy from the previous few days. Black kites and Yellow billed kites seemed to be the only birds flying between 11am and 4pm everything else was shading i imagine.I had a good idea that Bush babies had a habit of using the same path each night-evening and i decided to stalk this one. It appeared at last light leaping from the roof again and giving decent photos though not award winning ones, these are fast and very mobile little beggers.
I drove to Rundu to buy some Pula for Botswana and can only describe Rundu as colourful, right on the border with Angola it is quite large and busy and it has a reputation for trouble. I wasted a couple of hours looking for exchange bureaus and came away with a handful of Pula and a tank full of petrol. Crossing the border into Botswana took about 20 minutes without fuss.

Botswana.

This must be the best place i have visited, unlike Namibia, Botswana seems more laid back and relaxed. Namibia is good but Botswana just seems easier and slower. The first thing i noticed was the number of Kites and Swallows as i drove towards Shakawe. Magpie shrikes and Rollers also. I stayed at Drotsky's cabins on the Okovango river and it was perfect. The main building is superb, the chalets are immaculate and the guy Steve who runs the place is a knowledgeable birder. The lawns attract a variety  of birds and Vervet monkeys are cheeky and bold. One of the first birds i saw as i unpacked was a Woodland Kingfisher from my balcony and Francolins were scattered around the place. The edge of the river was a stones throw from my balcony. A quick walk around  in the afternoon produced Wire tailed Swallows and Little bee eaters. Giant Kingfishers and White faced Whistling ducks flew by. Chatting with Steve i asked about the local bird population and he mentioned that several good birds could be seen at dusk and dawn from the riverbank. At dusk i was set up with scope and camera the river in front of me was horseshoe shaped so i had views to the left and right. This area is known for the Pel's fishing owl and at last light i noticed a large owl shaped bird standing on a branch over some slow flowing water at the edge. Not a great view but evidence was that it probably was one.i Had a couple of sightings that said owl but the light faded quickly and i packed up.

Dawn breaks over the Okovango river.

The next morning i was on the riverbank early and was amazed when i saw 3 White backed night herons fly past, also Pied Kingfisher and African Hobby. One raptor caught me out as it flew to my far right and i didn't chase it up until the next day. I was in a boat going up river straight after breakfast and my guide Ray was very keen and sharp eyed. We had Black crowned night Herons, Squacco and Green backed herons quickly. A little bittern was seen and Goliath heron along with Purple Heron and African fish eagles. He wanted to head to a large sand bank in search of Skimmer but also to stop at a military camp were he said we would have the best chance of Pel's fishing owl. We had good numbers of birds along the way as well as pods of Hippo and several crocodiles.
We reached the military camp and Ray had to do some negotiating with 4 soldiers before we were allowed to climb from the boat. I was told that i was not allowed to photograph anything that was below head height and   that we only had a short time to visit this patch of riverbank. Ray started searching and ages later i started to worry that our time would soon be at a end. The soldiers watched us as we searched and then Ray found one high in the canopy. Impossible to photograph being so high and well hidden i was gutted but we kept moving around and searching. A few minutes later he shouted my name and pointed he had found one that was close. Giving perfect views i shot away and thanked Ray endlessly.

Pel's fishing owl

Moving back towards the boat i glanced up and saw another owl partly hidden but still giving reasonable views. I clicked away again. The soldiers walked towards us and it was obvious we had had our time. We moved on and passed a large banking full of Carmine bee eater nests that had moved on the week before. Further down the river Ray stopped again looking for Pel's and we saw another 2 birds again but high in the canopy. Heading towards the large sand bank and the hope of Skimmer we had 3 Wattled cranes fly over and a Slaty egret that we caught better views of later.The Skimmer numbers had dropped and Ray told me that they must of started moving on, we did see several but not many of them. Still i was pleased with what we saw.

African Skimmer

Openbill storks are superb birds and we saw quite a lot of them, some flying over and some feeding at the edge. We turned  the boat around and found another Skimmer but with it was a small group of Collared Pratincoles. Heading back we picked up Long toed Plover and White fronted bee eaters along with the Slaty egret again. Black winged stilt, Pied Kingfisher and Hammerkop showed and  Great white egrets and even a couple of Ruff as well. Ray pulled up onto a sandbank and we walked towards a scrape where he knew Slaty egret maybe we got close but the bird was shy and mobile and didn't give us any better views than we had before. Pushing the boat into the water we had just set  set off  when a huge Hippo appeared just behind the boat intent on attacking us, the beast moved quickly and with purpose towards us and luckily Ray noticed it and sped the boat forwards. We had seen Hippo close by when we pushed the boat into the water but we had no idea that one had closed up on so quickly. The few moments when the Hippo came close to the back of the  boat, ears pinned back, eyes wide open and Nostrils flared was terrifying. If we had been 2 or 3 seconds slower it would of been in the boat with us. The most amazing thing about this incident was the speed this huge animal could move, twice as fast as a man easily, I have thought about this over and over and i think it was a stern warning from the Hippo i now believe that if it had wanted to harm us it could of quite easily and quickly. These animals kill more people in Africa then any other animal and i now understand why people probably underestimate how big, fast and quietly they move before it is probably too late.

One very angry Hippo.

After the shock we picked up more Pratincoles and Black crowned herons and Blue cheeked bee eaters.
After lunch i sat on the balcony avoiding the heat but later in the afternoon i went searching for a Narina Trogon that was heard near the campsite just outside of Drotsky's. It was now late afternoon and i heard a  owl type call. A Barred Owlett was also around the area, struggling to get onto it i had the shortest of views of the bird flying deeper into cover.The Narina Trogon was even more elusive.
At dusk  i stayed on the riverbank with Bennett and Wesley two men from South Africa who were soaking in the views and photographing the sunset, i was scoping for any Pel's activity.Wesley pointed to something in the water a dark shape that was moving in the distance, at first we thought it maybe a otter but when it became clear it was the top of a leopards head that we had seen. The large cat had swam across the Okovango and walked into the long grasses, now you don't see that  everyday ! Evening was spent dining with Wesley, Bennett and their wives.
Before first light i was stood on the banking again with Bennett. Openbills passed over and Kingfishers perched nearby. The raptor i had seen the day before flew past giving slightly better views. It perched to my far right before circling around the area again and heading towards the camp site. When i asked Steve at breakfast he confirmed that it was a African Cuckoo hawk, They had 2 pairs in the area and one pair successfully bred the previous year . The rest of the day was spent on a shorter boat ride looking for more birds we had  Pel's fishing owls again but at distance, Little bittern, Slaty egret and Dwarf bittern. After a quick chat with Steve he informed me that most of the Carmine bee eaters had only moved from the nest sites the week before and had not migrated yet. He told me to look around the bush as they would be around. Outside Shakawe i noticed a few upon a telegraph wire and chased them for awhile. They are as fast as Swallows in flight and i struggled with capturing them flying.

Carmine bee eater.

Whilst chasing these beauties around there was also lots of Yellow billed kites around that i had more success with. At the same time i had a huge flock of large birds fly high and over me,200 plus Openbills after studying the photos.Magpie shrikes seemed plentiful and  I had another look for the Barred Owlett later in the afternoon but with no luck. Drotsky's is a fantastic place, not just beautiful but also a fascinating place full of wildlife. If i had known i would of stayed longer.

Nunda river lodge back over the border into Namibia about 30km was the next stop. I was not expecting anything special after Drotsky's but this place matched it on many fronts. The whole place is well set out and the view from the main balcony was stunning.The chalets are comfy and clean. The staff friendly and the host a man named Cameron was a gem. He was more than  helpful with ideas and tips for me. He invited me onto his family table for the evening meal and was talkative and friendly with all his guests. 

Steenbok

Within minutes of arriving i had a fly past Osprey, Hippos at distance and several Plovers and Darters on the far side of the river. After unpacking i sat on the balcony waiting to meet the bird guide Bassi that i was going to spend some time with.Looking around i noted something swimming between the moared boats just below the balcony. A African spotted otter weaving about under my feet. When i mentioned this to a French fisherman close by he said that they had seen 2 of them fairly regularly around the edges of the river. Around the camp i noted African paradise flycatcher, Pied Kingfisher and Coppery tailed coucal. The weather broke violently again late afternoon but i was quite excited about looking around this new area.

Goliath Heron

The next day we set off early in a small aluminium boat and head off to find Rock Pratincole for starters . A couple of adults and one Juvenile gave good views on some nearby rocks. Moving up river we spotted more of the same again , White backed night herons, Water thicknees, Egrets and more. We stoppped at a place where we could walk away from the river but the wet areas known for good wader sightings had dried up. We tried a area know as Buffalo park with some luck getting good views of Slaty egret and a distant Rufous bellied heron and lots of Jacanas. Lesser grey shrike and Greenshank also. At one point we had 30 plus kites circling overhead and Bassi pointed out a Black chested snake eagle in the midst of them but at the critical moment my camera decided to freeze messing up what would of been superb photos. We made our way further up river to a place where Lesser Jacana were known to show but Bassi seemed to be getting confused with Juvenile Jacanas and i am not convinced that we saw the lesser Jacana. We did get more Skimmers and Pratincoles and better views of the Rufous bellied heron and Dwarf bittern.Getting the boat stuck on one sand bank and trying for 90 minutes with Bassi to free it proved costly the next day. The rear of the boat had sunk into the mud and sand whilst we had  walked around . Freeing it was near impossible between us. We tried and tried in the midday heat and only when a French couple passed did we get the helping hand we needed to lift the back of the boat and push it backwards.The whole episode left us without water and baking in near 40 degree heat. The next day i had peeling skin a cracking headache and  felt very lethargic. It was one step to far for me and no amount of water, fruit juice and staying in the shade would help me cool down.

Rock Praticoles

The next day we headed into Mahango game park though it was hot we went looking for the Souza's  shrikes known to be seen but we kept seeing Red backed shrikes and no clear views of any shrikes with the clear white wingbars that seperate the birds. The park is good and we headed towards the famous Boabab trees one of these huge monsters has now fallen over and the sheer size of this fantastic specimen can be appreciated as it lays on the ground. The other tree is healthy and splendid and stands like a mountain as you approach it. The girth of the trunk is enormous and the whole structure of this tree must be viewed with some awe. Verraux eagle owls are known to roost in the area but a good look around failed to produce anything. Animal sighting are good here with Impala, Kudu,Giraffe and many Hartebeest.  A  family of  Savanna Baboons picked at the ground with the new born youngster clinging to it's mothers underside. Warthog showed and a large Montior lizard scratched at the ground furiously for a minute before noticing our car and moving into bushes quickly. This area is worthy of further investigation it is one place that i would visit again and again.
Moving south towards Groofontein the weather became cooler and duller.By the end of the day the rain was in command and a whole day was lost.This was a blessing for me and a good meal and a early night helped after the endless heat. The next day i moved towards Waterberg plateau driving through some good mountain areas around Groofontein and Otjiwarongo . Several high peaks and lots of fresh green fields produced Steppe buzzards, Tawny eagles and a possible Steppe eagle.

Steppe Buzzard

Staying just outside Otjiwarongo the mist and rain started to descend and the afternoon was washed out. The next morning was similar and at Waterberg plateau my vision was awful. A short break and coffee and the mist started to lift giving views of European roller,Paradise flycatcher and a small group of what i will say where Cape vulture at distance. One hour later the rain came back and i moved closer to the capital Windhoek. I had 2 sites to visit here and i chose a good hotel for my last night. Daan Viljoen was the first of these and although not huge it was easy to drive around and quite high in the hills overlooking part of Windhoek. It was quiet for birds but a Red crested korhaan at the side of a path was a great find. Lesser grey shrike , distant buzzards and a variety of animals made this place worthy of visiting, though nothing exceptional was seen i am quite sure that this area would hold some species. The last place i visited en route to the airport was Avis dam.The dam wall was as dry as dust, the area that should of held water was also dry and very barren. I tried to imagine the place with water and with its location being so close to the airport i thought this would be a superb starting point along with Daan Viljoen game park if i was to revisit Namibia. I walked around watching White browed sparrow weavers nest building and several Red bishops in the bush. A Ovambo sparrowhawk circled overhead sending everything into cover for awhile. Rock martins fed young on the dam wall and obviously nested in the craggy sides of the small hillocks. The small puddles between the rocks on the river bed brought in Whydahs, waxbills and Weavers in good numbers. Crimson breasted shrikes and a cracking Black chested Prinia gave good photographs.

Black chested Prinia

Making my way towards the airport i noted a Tawny eagle perched high in a tree,a big bird  to end a big trip and a fantastic adventure.

Estonia 16th-26th May 2015

Birds, Bears...... and Pine Marten.          

Click any Image for Larger View.

Estonia was a place that i would probably of glanced over as a birding destination before Gary Waddington thought it would be a good place to visit.

Estonia  has Sweden to its west  across the Baltic sea, Finland to the north and its eastern border neighbors Russia.  Estonia is the same size as Wales roughly. Flat as a pancake throughout the highest peak is as high as a double decker bus.

Thrush Nightingale.

Prices are generally half of what they are here in rip off Britain. The hotels, restaurants, supermarkets are good and run with efficiency. The folks that we met were more than helpful  and some very helpful like one girl who rang and booked a hotel for us and pointed us in the right direction when we became a little lost.

Outside Tallinn the capital, it is very rural with large arable farms and vast forests, the place is beautiful, clean, and quiet. Traffic is virtually non existent in a lot of places but the roads are good everywhere.

The areas we visited for wildlife became better and better, the variety was superb and what we considered rare became possible with effort.
We landed and collected the hire car in the early evening spotting Common and Artic terns, Hooded crows, Swallows and both Herring and Black headed gulls. We made our way to the Hotell Tehetorni  on the edge of Tallinn. Unpacking in a flash we had a couple of hours at a local park/ woodland area . The area was easy to amble around and peaceful. The birds we noted surprised me, we had 4-5 Wood warblers, Spotted flycatcher, Goldcrest, Great spotted woodpecker and a skeen of 400 Barnacle geese overhead. Fieldfare seemed plentiful around us and quite busy feeding.  The star of the show though was one particular Thrush nightingale singing like a champion, we chased the little songbird along the paths trying to capture its song on our mobile phones.
17th May  started well we had several songbirds singing around the hotel including Thrush nightingale again, Lesser whitethroat, and Yellowhammer. Today we headed towards Spithami point a couple of hours away.  The drive was easy and we picked up Marsh harrier, several Common buzzards, Kestrel, White storks nesting upon purpose made nesting poles.

but the best surprise was a huge female Capercaillie at the side of a forest track. The car was feet away when we noticed the well camouflaged bird, maybe if we had spotted it a few moments earlier we would of had a chance of photos but the huge female was obviously spooked by the car and flew past and around the back of us vanishing into the forest..what a treat and what a cracker. 
                                                                       

                                                                           White Stork on nest.

Spithami point is a peninsula with good arable land nearby, we did some sea watching picking up .Sandwich tern,Redshank and Spottted redshank, Velvet and Common scoter, Goldeneye, Common sandpiper,  Little gull, Ringed plover, Whimbrel, Gadwall , Pochard and Scaup. The whole place is worth spending time there with plenty of habitat and areas to investigate. We walked along the paths and onto the farmland picking up Red backed shrike, Whinchat, Wheatear, Linnet and Gary spotted a Ortalan bunting that gave us the run around. Yellowhammer now started to become common and White and Blue headed wagtail also.
We headed towards the Sutlepa Meri birding area and its 3 bird watching towers that we read viewed over the vast reedbeds. Unfortunately 2 of the towers had been pulled down and the 3rd closed for obvious safety reasons. We did pick up on Little gulls and Black terns and a single Red necked grebe along with Sedge and Great reed warbler. A lone Caspian tern flew over and we spotted a female Roe deer. The area looked good and we did return  the next day. We headed to our hotel for the next two nights The Baltic Hotel Promenaadi. Haapsalu

18th May we had breakfast and noted 3 Sea eagles on the bay that the hotel is situated upon along with Common, Caspian and Artic terns. We headed towards the local sewage works.Obviously being one of the more glamorous places on the itinerary. On the way we stopped at a decent size lake that is part of Haapsalu town. We picked up Slavonian grebes and Gargney and decided to call back later after the Grebes drifted away and into poor light for us.. At the glamorous sewage works we chased a Thrush nightingale through a large pile of brush and cut down trees  before doing a bit of bush bashing along a quiet track. Garden warbler, Lesser whitethroat, Bearded , great and blue tits showed. We spotted Hawfinch but failed at snapping them. Along the way we saw a female Montagu's harrier but she drifted away from our lenses. We bumped into a lad that found our scopes and tripods amusing and fascinating  the poor lad was hard to communicate with and obviously had learning difficulties. We tried to encourage him to look through the scope but i think it scared him slightly. We set off back to the car and picked up a displaying Honey buzzard . Whilst we watched the bird a pair of Montagu's harriers came into view to our left hand side tumbling and rolling sometimes talons touching. The Honey buzzard drifted away but the harriers gave us good views. When they had drifted away another harrier appeared over the trees to our right hand side and we think that we had a possible total of 5 Montagu's harriers that morning in this area. I walked back to the pile of brush and dead trees for the Thrush nightingale but with little chance of a photo . Whilst searching a Hobby soared past.
We headed back towards Sutlepa Meri picking up Marsh harrier and Great white egret on the way.
Whilst at Sutlepa meri we added Raven, Long tailed tit, and our 2nd Honey Buzzard of the day. Later we moved to Haeska tower one of  my favorite places. Along the edges we had views of  Little stints, 15 Temmincks stints 50 Ring plover 7Grey plover 50 Dunlin 400 ruff and 3 Marsh sandpipers that gave good photography views.

Marsh Sandpiper

We added 10 Shovelers 2 Smew 6 Gargney Black tailed godwit Sea eagles Lapwing and about 4-5000 Barnacle geese as well. Walking around the reception block and gardens we picked up  Hawfinch Chaffinch and Wood sandpiper near the car parking area before leaving.
19th May we had a hour before breakfast on the headland near our hotel spotting Sea eagles again and Little ring plover along the way. After breakfast we headed back towards the Slavonian grebes that we had seen not far from the hotel. We pulled over looking to our far left but noticed that a pair of Grebes were just ahead  of us and better still somebody walked past them and the birds did not drift away like they had the day before. We had crippling views of these birds at close quarters and produced some stunning photos between us.

 Summer plumage Slavonian Grebe 

We moved towards the areas around the north part of Mattsalu bay, another good area.On our way Gary heard a noise that he had not heard in years so pulling over we looked around and caught a few brief views of our first Wryneck..and a Green woodpecker also..a good spot . We stopped on our way at the side of the road looking over the foreshore and marshland pools picking up Snipe and Ring plover with young and also Lapwing. Thousands of Barnacles geese could be seen along the foreshore and we had several Wood sandpipers  at the edge of the marshy pools. Another good bird was a female Bluethroat on the lawn of a house just as we were parking up. We had another elusive Male Bluethroat a hour or so later. The area were we stopped is called Puise and it was a lovely spot for birding. One of the first things we watched was a male Red backed shrike displaying to a nearby female. White fronted geese and Turnstones added to our growing total before we moved on.
We headed towards Virtsu looking for a hotel but hit a blank, a young girl in a supermarket helped us and booked a room for us in a nearby holiday village that was comfortable and clean. We had a walk in the evening watching Common cranes display with their necks stretched and heads help high whilst making the unmistakable evocative cry. We also spotted a female fallow deer along the edge of a wooded area.
20th May Bright and Sunny. We drove to Mattsalu river park and spent sometime searching for a woodpecker that never showed itself  but we did get some good quality photos of a male Wood warbler ( below) along with Pied flycatcher , Dunnock and Wren on our woodland walkabout. In the same area we caught up with Common crane again Black grouse and a very vocal Corncrake.

We headed to the ferry that would take us over to the island of  Saaremaa. The food was rubbish in the ferry terminal the only poor meal we ate. We looked around the perimiter of the port for Barred warbler .. a tip that we had been given but nothing showed. Oystercatcher and Common terns flew over and two separate Common gulls nested on the floor on the ferry terminal car park...bizzare !
The 20 minute crossing produced Velvet and common scoter, Long tailed duck, Eider and Scaup.
Once we disembarked we headed towards Kubassaare point, the walk around was quiet but we did catch 4 Scarlet Rosefinch, Serin and Barred warbler. Along a dusty wooded track we scanned the trees from the car searching for movement or listening for something different. What we did not do was look straight ahead at a pair of Hawfinch and a Yellowhammer drinking from a puddle 20 yards or so in front of us. We did eventually photograph them though we could of seen them earlier. The male Hawfinch was a very striking bird.

Common Buzzard showed well on our way back towards the main road and away from the area. Making our way towards the capital Kuressaare and  looking for accommodation we dropped into the tourist information centre  only to find that we were about to strike gold for the night. We were advised to stay at the Ekespaar residents Hotell. A nice looking and high class hotel set in the grounds of the castle of the beautiful town of Kuressaare. We booked a twin room that was smallish but well fitted out and nicely decorated.  Outside of the bedroom window we could view Artic and Common terns on the moat that surrounded the castle. The grounds are a public park area that is well kept and very pretty. This was not the best part, we were offered a complimentary drink on arrival ( so i had two coffees) sorry Gary. The best part was the breakfast, when it was served they offered us a 7 course breakfast including champagne, we declined the champagne at such a early hour. The total price for staying at this place was a ridiculous 51 euros....and that was between us. On top of that the girl at reception did some research for birding spot around the island for us. Gary gave her a good tip when we left...what a place and what a beautiful setting and town.
21st May..The birding in the area was good we saw lots of birds but not many new ones though our walk before breakfast did give us good photos of Wryneck, Rosefinch and Lesser Redpoll even though we had drizzle we were happy.

The drive back to the ferry we watched White tailed sea eagles, Little gulls and Black terns at distance and a nice male Marsh Harrier.
Puhtulaid and Tuhu Soo were the next on the agenda for a spot of birding after we crossed back onto the mainland.
Puhtulaid is quiet and has wooded areas and a pebbled foreshore, it also boasts a tower overlooking the foreshore. We had great fun chasing 3 Ictrine warblers  and listening to these birds mimic so many other birds. , what a song and what a cracking little warbler to study. Warblers scare many birders because they are hard to identify especially if you dont get a good view but on this trip Gary made it easy to identify quite a few small birds without seeing them. In the same wooded area we had decent views of 4 Red breasted flycatchers one was probably a first year male showing no rusty orange/red throat patch. In the same wooded patch we had more Hawfinch, Pied and Spotted flycatchers.  A good place and maybe worthy of a longer stay.
On our way towards Tuhu Soo from Puhtulaid we had just turned off route 10 and onto route 60 if i recall correctly, when just in front of the car and at tree top height a cracking Honey Buzzard circled over the road.Leaping out of the car like two mad men we rattled off some shots before the beauty climbed and gained height, another cracker and probably the best view we will get of these birds.

Tuhu Soo is a mire a bog or wet moorland with a boardwalk that is purpose made to explore. Again it is quiet, we had a walk along the boards and spotted two raptors at distance and studying them for a few minutes we thought they were Golden eagles, Red backed shrikes showed as did Tree pipits and as we walked along 3 Black tailed Godwits took exception to our presence. These are known to nest here. We watched a Hobby catching insects also whilst walking back towards the car. This is another place worthy of spending more time at because it also hosts Black grouse , Cranes and Harriers.
22nd May .. We made our way towards " the magic corner " a name given by Dave Gosney in his guide to this area of forest. This area was supposed to hold a rich wealth of forest birds. We never thought that the birds would be easy, we just hoped that we would see some good birds.First of all we found several open felled areas of forest that looked promising so we walked along the tracks investigating each area. One of the first things that we spotted was a fox walking down one track towards us that Gary filmed. We heard Black woodpecker very close but failed to see any, we did pick up Mistle thrush and Ictrine warbler again along with Rosefinch, Common Buzzard and Wryneck as we walked. One area looked better than the others and we spent sometime searching here, after awhile we managed 2 sightings of White backed woodpecker and a Grey headed woodpecker, Though quite brief they were positive sightings. Nutcracker was heard but not seen.
After a few hours at this patch we moved towards Nigula Bog. Driving towards the area we picked up several Golden plover, nesting White storks and the usual Yellowhammers. As we came close to the car park we noticed two large raptors soaring over the tree tops.

Two lesser spotted eagles showed fairly well, we watched them for a few minutes and drove nearer towards them and the car park. We sat in the car park picnic area and listened to another Ictrine warbler singing around us before we walked along the boardwalk towards a vast open moorland. we walked and chatted when all of a sudden a female Capercaille lifted from the side of the boardwalk that we were walking only two feet from us. She hid at the foot of a large bush and then stepped out onto the boards behind us for a brief few seconds before flying off. The moorland was quiet but looked a very promising area maybe in the early morning or evenings. We made our way back to the car park and i went looking for the Eagles, spotting a Sparrowhawk straight away. I thought i had a buzzard perched on the edge of the forest but once i had the scope up we both decided it was another Lesser spotted Eagle. They seemed very numerous here we had 5-6 birds at this area though we could of seen the same birds twice.

In the evening we headed towards Pikla Pools.This was my favorite place of the trip. Huge coastal reedbeds, farmland, shallow pools , foreshore, two birding towers, and some scrapes. The first thing we noticed as we drove onto the site was a Great Bittern lift from one part of a reedbed and drop down several yards further along. The reeds were full of noise mostly from Great reed warblers ( right ) but also Bearded Tits. We had at least 3 booming Bitterns , several Rosefinch and Marsh Harriers (below ).

Add to that hundreds of Swifts and plenty of Terns, Little ringed plovers displaying, half a dozen Ruff, Black tailed godwits and a handful of Greylag geese flying over.  We had wagtails on the fences, and a cracking Savi's warbler singing from the reeds that we photographed ( below right ).

Lapwings, Golden plover and Red backed shrike added to the numbers. One of the funniest things we saw was a Marsh Harrier spook a Bittern out of the reeds, the Bittern flew a short distance before squawking some disapproval at the nearby Harrier.A easy place to go bird watching and we believe that Crakes can be found here as well. On the way back to the chalet we had two Moose cross the road 100 yards in front of us. Back at the chalet we had something running over our metal roof we never saw it but think it was either a Squirrel or a Cheeky Pine Marten.
23rd May. We started with a walk along a track in Nigula forest that we had heard was good for Hazel Grouse but with no luck. We arrived early spotting a Common Crane and Common Buzzard. We saw Green Sandpiper along the drainage ditches that run beside the forest tracks. They breed  in the forest here nesting in trees. Along the tracks that we walked we did manage to see Turtle doves and also Crested tits. One of the nicest thing we saw and photographed was a cheeky Red squirrel that showed some curiosity towards us.

We had plenty of other sightings but still no Black Woodpecker and no Hazel Grouse. In the evening we hit Pikla Pools again with our first main sighting being a Hobby overhead, the next good bird that we saw was a group of 5 Red necked Phalaropes about 100 yards away on a shallow pool. They shared this pool with Gargney and later 2 cracking mall Ruffs. One being quite mottled with a red neck the second male was a splendid deep purple in colour .Gary spotted a immature Goshawk being mobbed and the Marsh Harriers glided over the reeds again. Bitterns boomed and Savis's warbler sung again.We noted Stock dove.Lapwing and Whinchat before setting off for Nigula forest again to see what would be around at last light. We had a tip off for Ural owl but decided to split up and watch separate areas. Soon Gary was waving and by the time i had made my way over the owl had  moved. Minutes later it returned and flew past us hunting the only grassy area within the forest. It showed well but was hard to photograph in low light.It was a superb bird to witness  and a great bird to find. Just further down the track as the light was going a River Warbler sand and was close to the edge of the track ut very hard to pick out. Woodcock also flew over us as we searched for the River Warbler.
On our way back to the chalet we caught Nightjars in the headlights another great bird to see.
24th May 2015. The day started with Gary being unwell, so i had a little walk around the chalets whilst he slept a little longer. The chalets faced the sea and quite quickly two White tailed sea eagles passed at distance. A Marsh harrier cruised over the reeds and a new bird appeared in the trees around the chalet a Coal tit. A female Roe deer caught wind of me and ran into nearby trees.
After Gary woke we headed back towards Nigula forest, we had been given a tip off on Black woodpeckers nesting, a bird Gary had missed a few times before. We returned to a clearing that we had visited several times before, several mature trees had been left standing in the middle of the clearing and the nest hole was on the back side of one of them.Gary stayed with the car and i made my way towards the trees about 100 yards away. The light was strong and cast the nest hole into shadow.

Whilst i waited a Tree Pipit gave me a good photo opportunity posing upon a stump. A Greater spotted woodpecker gave some entertainment but then i heard the call of a Black woodpecker quite close.   A female adult, she stayed  on the edge of the felled area surveying the open clearing whilst the single chick called from the nest hole. I am quite sure she noticed me and that made her hesitant for awhile but slowly she made her way over. She tended her youngster and i took photographs, when she left she called again and i wonder if this was to let her mate know the that the youngster had been fed.About 40 minutes later another call came quite close by, this time it was the male, he seemed nervous and flew around the edge of the clearing before quickly flying to the nest for only a short time then departing quickly. He also did the same thing by letting out a loud call on his exit surely letting his mate know he had visited the youngster. Making my way back to the car a Honey Buzzard showed over the trees but drifted away. We made our way to the roadside filling station and cafe for food and coffee. We had a good feed and Gary took a nap whilst i had a wander around. I didn't see much until a White Stork flew overhead giving good views.

We had decided to head to Tartu that afternoon but stopped at Rannametsa Vaatetorn just a few miles from our cafe diner. It was a stop on the main road that we had passed a few times and proved to be a good spot that we maybe should of paid more attention too. It was midday and we picked up two Hobbies straight away, from the top of the tower we overlooked a vast area of open ground and around the tower was a vast expanse of pine forest that must of held Black grouse, Goshawk and Capercaille. The top of the tower would of given great sightings at first light and i bet some good birds and animals would of been seen at dawn. Whilst at the top of the tower a ragged immature White tailed sea eagle soared past and below on the footpaths we had several Pied flycatchers. Back at the car we drank some water and heard Golden Oriole call from the trees across the road from us. 
On the road to Tartu we had Marsh Harriers again along the road, We booked into the Riia Villa and unpacked we then decided to head to The Great snipe Lek just off the road to Karevere. We would of seen more if we had stayed staring at the wall in our rooms. The lek site was quiet, two Yorkshire men had been there way before us and scoured the area with nothing at all, the site was not there anymore.Though the men from the White rose county did give us some good tips of places to visit. We did get a red fox as the light faded and we went on to have a quick look at the llmatsalu fish ponds but we ended up on the wrong side of them as darkness fell. Though we did see Hobby and a very vocal River warbler.
25th May 2015 we started at the fish ponds and what a place it is ! A river runs down one side and the ponds are large and quite varied in vegetation. Telegraph and power lines criss cross the area and there is one huge lake that is close to the bird watching tower. The footpaths are easy and a few hours here may not quite do it justice. We had all the usual suspects and the birds of note that we did see were White spotted bluethroat singing from a telegraph wire. A marsh warbler sang from the bottom  of a bush but did give us brief views as it flitted around. Gary found a hanging domed Penduline tits nest that was active

and we spotted 3 Red necked grebes on the centre of the large lake. Whitethroats, Rosefinch and Yellowhammer became plentiful here.We did stop for awhile when Gary became curious over the song of one bird coming from the trees , it was hard to catch sight of but when we did we realised that he had found a singing Redwing something i had never witnessed. Citrine wagtails showed but not in great numbers. Also a Osprey flew across the large lake hovering like a Kestrel before moving on. Later it flew past us clutching a fish in its talons. Several Black terns gave us good views and Marsh sandpiper could be seen on the pools  We met the Yorkshire men again who told us of a possible Pine Marten den that we would later investigate.
We moved at midday towards Hollywood Hill a raptor watching point. Its not a hill really though it is the highest ground in that area. It is behind a service station and cafe along the main and is easily missed. I would say it is about 100ft high and the path to the top is loose gravel and stone making it hard to climb but worse to walk back down. Whilst climbing we had a Sea eagle fly past and another eagle to the right that we could not get onto because neither of us could secure a footing on the path.At he top it is a good place to scan for eagles. We stayed for a short time then moved along the road 100 yards past the burger bar and petrol pumps. Turning left  if you are coming from Tartu and Karevere. This was a place the Yorkshire lads had told us about and not in any guide books. A huge expanse of flooded fields with a backdrop of tall trees. Another cracking place that held lots of birds. 2oo plus Sand martins , a large number of Little gulls picking insects on the wing with a few Black terns mixed in. Wigeon, Green sandpiper and Wood sandpiper waded in the shallows. Some rarer birds showed well in the scope. 14 broad billed sandpipers 12 Ruff and 2 Terrick sandpipers shown to me by Paul one of the Yorkshire men. In addition to this we had Moorhen, Spotted redshank and 3 Citrine wagtails.

In the evening we returned back to llmatsalu fish pools. The hedges and reeds were alive with warblers but not one Hobby that we thought would be around chasing the many Dragonfly's. We spent some time waiting for the Pine Martens to appear but when they did i had my camera setting wrong. I took some pictures but they are rubbish. Gary managed a few beautiful shots through his scope and then the light fell. We went back to the motel and i kicked myself hard for making a costly stupid mistake.
26th May 2015.
We returned to the fish pools again and i headed to the Pine Martens den it was still quite early. Along the way a cracking Penduline tit was feeding and i caught some good views and good photographs. A nice Thrush Nightingale sang from the wires as i walked along. At the den i waited and waited but nothing showed, i thought my luck was out when i noticed movement and a flash of cream midway up the tree, a few moments later the cheeky begger poked its head from behind the tree checking me out.

It stayed long enough for me to grab a few decent shots before scurrying down the tree and looking in my direction again. I snapped away knowing that this beauty could be away in a flash.

These animals are quick but this one was cute it did not show itself any longer than it needed after it's curiosity of me had gone. It vanished through the undergrowth and that was that.

Walking back to the tower a Beautiful male Scarlet Rosefinch posed nicely for the camera.By the tower i met Gary and we noticed another Penduline tit close by it had a hidden nest hanging like a Christmas Decoration just beside the tower.

After some food and packing our cases away we headed north towards the Brown Bear hide at Veneoja Kula. About 90 minutes from Tallin in the north eastern part of Estonia quite close to the Russian border. We arrived at the meeting point early so did some birding along the forest tracks picking up 2 black woodpeckers flying over, drumming Snipe at 4pm and Golden Orioles. Corncrakes could be heard but not spotted and common Buzzards also.This place must be worth a couple of days here if you are thinking about visiting. A promising area for Golden Eagle, Capercaille and Black Grouse along with Woodpeckers, deer and Elk. I imagine a lot could be found here in such a remote area, this was the least populated place we visited with big expanses of forest and fields.
We met the lady who owned the Bear hides and paid our £75 each. A high price with no guarantees. The hide was a good walk from the track about 1 mile.The hide was wooden and  basic with no water or power, the loo was dry and used wood shavings. The bunk beds had flat thin foam for a mattress and no pillows. It was very warm and musty and had 2 hard chairs for sitting and viewing from. The place was full of biting insects. 
The 2 viewing  windows had clear perspex and were 15cm high by 45cm wide and at eye level.  Below and close to the floor was a shelf with a tripod head fixed and a small opening for the camera lens. A good idea but a tad awkward laying on the floor to take photographs.
We had been in the hide a hour or so and a red fox sneaked through the trees and a little later a Racoon dog showed slightly. Gary climbed onto his bunk and i watched for Bears. Around 7.30 i glanced to my far right and about 3 meters away right besides the hide a Brown bear was passing.
My heart jumped into my mouth it was huge, its bulk was massive and it was yards away.

We both observed it as it walked into a better position for photos. It was rummaging around the fallen trees and undergrowth  when all of a sudden it glanced over its shoulder and shot off running like a scolded cat. Then from the right of the forest that we could see the daddy of all bears strolled in. The first bear was a big animal but this new one was 20% bigger, he was a giant. Probably 4ft at the shoulder  6-7ft in length and weighing 550-600 lbs. The head was round with small ears but the muzzle was broad and strong.He was mature and he stayed around sniffing and foraging before moving along the same path as the first bear. Before the light faded we noted four bears in total though we could of seen the same bear twice. One bear came in and started digging at a patch of ground as i took photos and something bolted from beneath its claws startling the bear and myself. I guess it was a rabbit i only saw a flash of white for a split second.

Also in the mix that evening was several Racoon dogs, Great spotted woodpecker and Black Woodpecker. We did hear some deep owl calls from the trees above the hide but saw nothing. After a dredful sleep we woke early to see more Racoon dogs, Turtle doves,Pied flycatchers and another Black woodpecker on the stump of a tree. The sightings made the price cheap, but it was uncomfy. We moved to a cafe/petrol station fueling up with coffee and sandwiches and washing in the men's toilets.

I would not hesitate to investigate this area more without the bear hide. I imagine this forest is alive at dusk.
We had a look around some of the forest trails and spotted Golden Orioles, Cuckoo, Whinchat, Common Crane, Hobby, Wryneck, Whitethroats, and River Warbler. We noted lots of tracks along some of the muddy paths that probably belonged to Wild pigs, Racoon dogs and foxes. On our way from the forest we had 2 Green sandpipers almost attack our car. As we drove they took great excpetion to us flying around the car and us and making a right old racket. We must of been close to the nest site on this particular track.
Making our way back towards the airport we stopped at Kuhli Tarv, we could not make much progress through the trees towards the lake but we did see good signs of active Beaver, we noted 3 River warblers and had god views of Ictrine warbler along with Hobby Whinchat and Wheatear and vocal Corncrakes.We packed our scopes and bins and returned to Tallin and home !
In Total we calculated 184 species of birds. Several good mammals and a fantastic new country.

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