Lot of wind and some birds

Today, Kihnu has been one of the windest place in Estonia again. Southwestern wind, reaching up to 16 m/s, hold back migrants. Still, Sparrohawks / raudkull Accipiter nisus kept trying to cross the sea, but most of them kept going and returning without any success. During 4 hours standard watch only 21 migrating Sparrowhawks were counted. Other migrating raptors today - one Honey Buzzard / herilaseviu Pernis apivorus, Marsh Harrier / roo-loorkull Circus aeruginosus and Merlin / väikepistrik Falco columbarius.

Small passerines seems to be waiting better conditions - only some small flocks of White Wagtails / linavästrik Motacilla alba and Siskins / siisike Carduelis spinus departured the island. Although many migrants are waiting for right wind to fly over the sea, some nocturnal movement has taken place during last night. Today, small flocks of Coldcrests / pöialpoiss Regulus regulus has been heard and seen in several places on the island. Also 2-3 Spotted Flycatchers / hall kärbsenäpp Muscicapa striata feeding nearby.

Local birds at the spit included today two adult Oystercatchers / meriski Haematopus ostralegus and one Bar-tailed Godwit / vöötsaba-vigle Limosa lapponica. At the western side of the island, a flock of 55 Dunlins / soorüdi Calidris alpina and 5 Little Stints / väikerüdi Calidris minuta has been recorded.

/T.V./

Greenshank is looking for the breakfast in the pond of the local gravel pit

The Greenshank has got his prey - the Caddisfly larvae 

The Common Grass snake is pretending to be dead - there are many of them now crossing roads, probably mowing to the hibernation quarters. I have managed to save this individual. Then I have stopped the car and went to check him with camera, he spontaneously fold himself into rings and positioned the head like dead-looking! Then I have observed from distance, how the snake "awake" and rise the head like usual and smell the air with it's tongue.

The Mute Swans tray very hard to fly against strong wind

The wet and windy - Common Gulls and Bar-tailed Godwit (left) got splashed sprayed by the stormy waves

Circus at the sea with raptors and doves

A long waited weather change - southwestern wind finally turned slightly to the northwest and this offered good chance for bigger birds to cross the sea. Hero of the day was Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus - 172 migrating individuals which is best for the season. Notable Sparrowhawk migration took place afternoon, between 14:30-16:00 when our bird team counted 67 migrating Sparrowhawks. Main peak of Sparrowhawk migration will take place late September-early October, so we hope big numbers for this species at Kihnu island.

Other migrant raptors today - Osprey Pandion haliaeetus (1), Kestrel Falco tinnunculus (2), Merlin Falco columbarius (1), Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus (1), Common Buzzard (2), Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus (1). Another Harrier has been encountered and also photographed at the afternoon. We hope to get ID soon of this bird, is it Pallid or more common Montagu`s Harrier young male. Those birds can be very tricky sometimes, even seeing them at close range.
Beside raptors, also Doves used the good migration condition - best daily count of the season for Stock Dove Columba oenas - 27 ind.
Passerine movement has been very quiet today, but today morning another migrating Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus.

/T.V./

Juvenile male Pallid/Montagu`s Harrier. ID welcome! /Photo I. Ilomets/

The juvenile male Sparrowhawk

The strong wind is dangerous thing ! (juvenile Common Gull)

More circus - sparrowhawk is about to land into shallow water for a refreshment in the local gravel pit. /Photo I. Ilomets/

Even more circus: Juvenile Herring Gull is defending his spot from the Hooded Crows near the pool in the gravel pit. /Photo I. Ilomets/

Nordic lights and new migrants

Yesterday evening me and Mati arrived back to the Kihnu island. Mati went out just before midnight to take photos of the landscapes in moonlight. It turned out that the night wasn`t only with the moon but also with Nothern lights, shortening his sleeping time with at least two hours :).

Today morning was only partly cloudy and strong wind also dropped down after last days bad weather - so we excpected more movement again in the morning. Unfortunately dense mist has been covering mainland, which had negative affect on bird movement. Especially raptor migration was due to this fact rather quiet.

The most numerous bird on the move was Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo with nearly 2 500 individuals. Passerines migration was due to mostly clear sky very high. Vertical radar detected some birds reaching up to 700 meters before sea crossover. Tree Pipits Anthus trivialis are still showing good movement - 616 migrating today morning. Today has been also recorded 2 migrating Red-throated Pipits Anthus cervinus and 1 Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus - first for the autumn season. Best daily count of the autumn season for Siskin Carduelis spinus - 302 ind.

As mentioned above, very few raptors crossed the southern spit today but around mid-day flock of raptors circuled around high in the sky above our base, including at least 8 Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus (only 7 counted on migration today), 2 Hobbies Falco subbuteo, 1 Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus and 3 Kestrels Falco tinnunculus. Only last two of those crossed the sea. During 4 hours stardard monitoring  in the morning also 1 Osprey Pandion haliaetus has been encountered on the migration. In the afternoon, Mati photographed another Osprey on the island marked with metalic ring. 

Other interesting bird observations today - 1 migrating Great White Egret Egretta alba, 1 quite late Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus and Cuckoo Cuculus canorus. 

Surprise Aurora borealis with moonlit lighthouse and bird radars

First birding in the morning

The dark juvenile Honey Buzzard

Osprey with it's Crucian carp pray in the grasp of the right leg talons. Bird itself have been ringed with metallic ring

The acrobatic male Cuckoo flying upside down. /Photo M. Ellermaa/ 

The first day with the real migration!

It was so far the best and first good migration day in autumn season of Kihnu. The last day of August have sent to the swallows a signal for departure - Altogether over 5000 swallows has been migrating: 3341 Barn Swallows / suitsupääsuke (Hirundo rustica) and 1681 House Martins / räästapääsuke (Delichon urbica). The raptors migration is also going up. The 74 individuals of Sparrowhawk / raudkull (Accipiter nisus) is the best number counted and 14 migrating Kestrels / tuuletallaja (Falco tinnunculus) is new mark as well. The new migratory raptor is Hobby / lõopistrik (Falco subbuteo) – 3 birds have seen by Margus. Additionally small numbers of other raptors have seen: Marsh Harrier / roo-loorkull (Circus aeruginosus) 3, Honey Buzzard / herilaseviu (Pernis apivorus) 2, Osprey / kalakotkas (Pandion haliaetus) 1 and mighty Peregrine Falcon / rabapistrik (Falco peregrinus) 1 individual. From long distant migrants the 2 Golden Orioles / peoleo (Oriolus oriolus) and one Cuckoo / kägu (Cuculus canorus) has been recorded. The several new landbird species has been appeared today – 5 Fieldfares / hallrästas (Turdus pilaris), 4 Common Crossbills / kuuse-käbilind (Loxia curvirostra), 2 Bramblings / põhjavint (Fringila montfringilla) and 1 Treecreeper / porr (Certhia familiaris).

From the seabirds – first 19 individuals of Scaups / merivart (Aythya marila) has been observed. The staging Cormorants / kormoran (Phalacrocorax carbo) are still present in good numbers 2592 ind. At the same time most of the local terns are already gone. 

The adult male Honey Buzzard / herilaseviu in migration. /Photo M. Ellermaa/

The Peregrine Falcon / rabapistrik. /Photo M.Ellermaa/

Even more pipits and weird duck

Today, the migrating Tree Pipits / metskiur (Anthus trivalis) have shifted in the next gear - a whopping 3458 migrating birds has been counted by Margus and Andrea. This is new record for the species outside the Sõrve bird observatory in Saaremaa! The most of the local swallows and Martins congregations are now gone, and birds are clearly heading out to the migration over the sea.

After the hunters attack to the South-Easterly cape Risitnä and Aasalaiu islets at 20 th., about half of the pre-hunting dabbing duck gathering (1200 ducks) is regrouping. Among others, Margus have spotted weird-looking hybrid between Goldeneye and Smew /sõtka ja väikekoskla hübriid (Bucephala clangula x Mergus albellus).  

The hybrid between Goldeneye and Smew left in the center. The Goldeneye right gives good comparison. The hybrid individual shows bulky rounded head of the Goldeneye, but have white cheeks and sharp and curved bill from the Smew. /Phto M. Ellermaa/

The songbirds are starting!

Today, the mild south-westerly winds have probably initiated the songbirds migration. Although the nocturnal migrants there are very few in numbers around our base (I have heard couple of Goldcrests / pöialpoiss (Regulus regulus)), the day-time migrants have started notable migration. The most numerous migrant was Tree Pipit / metskiur (Anthus trivialis) with 1221 individuals. This is according the observations database e-elurikkus (elurikkus.ut.ee) the biggest number ever counted (except Sõrve bird observatory in Saaremaa)! The Yellow Wagtail / lambahänilane (Motacilla flava) has also surprisingly numerous in passage - 759 individuals. This is according the same database again the top number recorded for the country except Sõrve! The House Martin / räästapääsuke (Delichon urbica) has also started departure - 425 birds have recorded.

Tree Pipit - hero of the day. 1220 + this bird have been counted in migration

But not all the House Martins are lucky enough to grow up and start migrate. I have found this 5 old nestling fallen dead with the nest from atop of the 34 m lighthouse. The Martins use wet sea algae and mud for nest-building, but this seems to be not very good construction material. Although this was very late breeding pair, without this fatal incident, the nestlings still had fairly good chances to survive and able to migrate away. Now this was not the case. I have to bring some good clay for nest-building in the next year. 

We had rare guest during the bird counting - local regional police officer. She was filling the forms and questioned Margus, who has bad incident in the spring - his camera was stolen.

Nice sky above the vertical (left) and horizontal (right) radars 

The Cuckoos are coming

The sea and waterbird migration is pretty weak during the last days with easterly winds or just these birds are blown far off to the sea. Only juvenile Common Terns / jõgitiir Sterna hirundo and Sandwitch Terns / tutt-tiir Sterna sandvicensis have passed in last evening. The quite noisy juvenile Common terns 180 in total have flew in loose flocks and went to the sea at west side.

But the raptors and other land-birds migration is turning on gradually. Yesterday me and Andrea Meier had to visit Munalaiu harbor to receive our new laser rangefinder binocular. During the 10
11:00 ferry trip to the mainland over the Kihnu strait we saw some interesting daytime raptor movement. On male Sparrowhawk / raudkull Accipiter nisus has flew low over water into sw toward Kihnu just in the halfway from mainland to island. One female/juvenile Montagu's Harrier / soo-loorkull Circus pygargus have went off couple of km to the sea from the Lao peninsula, but then returned and flew back to the coast. 3 Common Buzzards /hiireviu Buteo buteo have used the thermals to climb in altitude, made a small circle over the straight and Manilaid island near the coast and then returned and gaining height and finally departed back northwards. One adult White-tailed Eagle / merikotkas Halliaetus akbicilla has sitting on the gravel spit in the middle of bay next to some 90 Cormornats / Kormoran Phalacrocorax carbo (usually there are resting appr 1500 individuals). Another eagle has sitting on the rock close to the Munalaid island and third on we discoverd flying in medium altitude over the wide sea area. Finally this bird has reached to the on of the islands in the Kihnu archipelago, north from the main island.

Today I have watched migration shortly since 10-11 in the most NE spit of the island. The fresh westerly wind with medium speed seems to encourage some migrants to cross the water. Most surprisingly, I have seen at least one Cuckoo (juvenile male)/ kägu Cuculus canorus have flew in following the spit. There was at least two staging birds in this area as well, those made time-to time occasional flight tests over the area and maneuvered smartly in the wind. There was one Hobby /lõopistrik Falco subbuteo flew in from NE as well and he become play fight with Hooded Crow / hallvares Corvus corone. Later the crow was chasing and guiding the falcon as well and I managed to get few frames from this action. At least one Sparrowhawk flew in during this period as well and two individuals circled in the air and has fight with each other.

The juvenile Male Cuckoo with yellow eye-ring and striped and bluish underpart 

The juvenile with brown upper part plumage

The swallows resting on the electric pole near the field station

The adult male Barn Swallow is about stopping in the air for sharp turn during the feeding