From the gray to the glorious day

This was another good day of songbird migration. Although the morning movement started later than usual and flocks often did not went straight out to the sea, some 7000 Chaffinches / metsvint Fringilla coelebs and 2300 Siskins / siisike Carduelis spinus and first 6 Bramblings / põhjavint Fringilla montfringilla, has been recorded.

The first flock of Coal Tits / musttihane Parus ater with 12 individuals appeared today’s morning and to our surprise, wasted no much time and started the flight over the sea. So far we have not yet seen any flocks of more common tits starting to the sea crossing. Could it be indicating strong influx of these blackish tits?

During the last night, our radar system, especially vertical radar has recorded intensive night time migration of probably insectivorous songbirds. As proof of the existence of the songbirds night shift, we have observed quite some late long distant insectivorous songbirds around our field station: Common Redstart / aed-lepalind P. Phoenicuros 2 -3, Willow Warbler / salu-lehelind Phylloscopus trochilus 2, Whitethroat / pruunselg-põõsalind Sylvia communis 1, Lesser Whitethroat / väike-põõsalind Sylvia curucca 1, Spotted Flycatcher / hall-kärbsenäpp  Muscicapa striata 2 and even 2 Whinchats / kadakatäks Saxicola ruberta.

At the sea there was the best activity of Arctic waterfowl during the last week – we have counted 172 Velvet Scoters/ tõmmuvaeras Melanitta fusca , 52 Common Scoters / mustvaeras Melanitta nigra and 35 unidentified Scoters/ vaeras  Melanitta sp. in migration.

Sudden light burst from the strip of clear sky during the sunset forced me to grab a gear and run out to catch the on of the best best light I have seen in Kihnu 

The low angle sun has not created just the rainbow, but it reflected back from the some surface (probably the sea) and created surreal upward rays of light (in the left side of the background). It is very rare phenomena, I have photographed this just second time in my life!

The flock of Dunlins hase set to roost at the very top of he cape. I have managed to sneak in and took some photos of the resting birds with the dark blue sky in the background. My new Canon D 1X has proven to be valuable tool with spot focusing option and high ISO quality. This image has been taken with ISO 6400

There was quite some insectivorous songbirds dropped down around our station in the morning. Spotted  Flyctacher sitting in the branch of the rowan tree.

The Dutch travel and lifestyle journalist dr. J. Splunter collecting material on the Kihnu culture and lifestyle

and meet at the moment with the Mare Mätas form the Kihnu cultural heritage foundation

Autumn is in the air

Despite of the occasional rainfall and short thunder in the morning, me and Mati had busy morning. It has been the best migration day of the autumn season so far, with 15 000 passing birds. The majority of migrants has been finches again - Chaffinches/ metsvint Fringilla coelebs 10 390m and Siskin/ siisike Carduelis spinus 3 153m. Also ongoing main migration of Barn Swallows/ suitsupääsuke Hirundo rustica - 490m (the second biggest daily sum of the autumn season). Today also 4 House Martins/ räästapääsuke Delichon urbicum and 1 Sand Martin/ kaldapääsuke Riparia riparia has been picked up from the flocks of Swallows. And today again 2 Red-throated Pipits/ tundrakiur Anthus cervinus passing our field station.

Beside passerines - migration flock of 62 Bean Geese/ rabahani Anser fabalis flew over the island - clear sign that autumn is in the air. It has been a bit rainy day for the raptors but today Lesser Spotted Eagle/ väike-konnakotkas Aquila pomarina showed up again. This time I got better look of the bird and it turned to be 1cy individual. Also the pale morph of the juvenile Honey Buzzard/ herilaseviu Pernis apivorus has been circuling around again while two darker companions tried to cross the sea today. Other migrating raptors today - Merlin/ väikepistrik Falco columbarius 1m and Hobby/ lõopistrik Falco subbuteo 1m.

/T.V./

Flock of Chaffinches climbing up to to join with a other flocks and head to the sea

Hooded Crow is not happy on the passing juvenile Honey Buzzard (dark morph)

The chase continues 

Our favored bird - quite rare pale morph of the Honey Buzzard

The Kihnu  meteorological station was visited by the new head of the national weather service mr. Jalmar Mandel (right) and technical staff in order to get overview on the station and to maintain the weather measuring equipment (the calibration of the automatic rain gauge in the picture)

The head of the national weather service Jalmar Mandel (center left) and director of the University of Tartu Estonian Marine Institute, Toomas Saat (right in the center) discuss with their colleagues the future collaboration.

Finches are starting

Today morning, wind turned to the south and weather change also affected migration. Chaffinches /metsvint Fringilla coelebs has been showing first migration signs of the autumn season - 6100 on the migration. Best daily count of the autumn season also for Siskin/ siisike Carduelis spinus - 1250m. Third most numerous passerine has been today Barn Swallow/ suitsupääsuke Hirundo rustica - 220 m (only 1 House Martin/ räästapääsuke Delichon urbicum among them). Tree Pipit/ metskiur Anthus trivialis is already ending migration now - daily total only 32m. Passerines in the garden included 1 Lesser Whitethroat/ väike-põõsalind Sylvia curruca and 1 Spotted Flycatcher/ hall-kärbsenäpp Muscicapa striata.

Raptor migration in southern wind has been very quiet, but still 1 Peregrine Falcon/ rabapistrik Falco peregrinus and 2 Hen Harriers / välja-loorkull  Circus cyaneus has been encounterd on migration. Also one Honey Buzzard/ herilaseviu Pernis apivorus (pale morph juvenile) fly to cross the sea, but returned back to Kihnu island after 20 minutes.

Mati have used the opportunity to join with the hydrobiology research team of the Marine institute and visit the offshore area south from Kihnu - our bird research target area. Contrary to the landbirds on island, the sea was almost empty from arctic seabirds. Altogether some 50 Velvet and Common Scoters /tõmmu- ja mustvaeras Melanitta fusca, M. nigra) has been recorded.

The pale morph of the Honey Buzzard. /Photo T. Valker/

On board of the research vessel Vilma, some 8 km south from Kihnu

Test of the new survey equipment. Timo Arula and his team is prepare to use the new type
of zooplancton sampling net.   

Movement of large landbirds

Morning of clear sky and slight northwestern wind - ideal migration conditions for larger terrestrial birds (raptors, cranes, doves). Especially broadwinged raptors, who has been migrating in very small numbers so far, showed bigger movement over the sea. Best daily count of the season for Common Buzzard/ hiireviu Buteo buteo - 17 migrating today and several also feeding on the fields at the island and also last Honey Buzzards/ herilaseviu Pernis apivorus on the move - 3m (+at least 2 local). The best raptor of the day has been certainly Lesser Spotted Eagle/ väike-konnakotkas Aquila pomarina - first and most likely last one of the season. Spotted Eagles are not keen to cross water at all. Other migrating raptors today - Sparrowhawk/ raudkull Accipiter nisus 74m, Goshhawk/ kanakull Accipiter gentilis 1m (first for the season), Harrier /määramata loorkull Circus sp 1, Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 2m. Including other local raptors (Osprey/ kalakotkas Pandion haliaetus, White-tailed Eagle/merikotkas Haliaeetus albicilla,  Marsh Harrier/roo-loorkull Circus aeruginosus, Hobby/ lõopistrik Falco subbuteo and Merlin/ väikepistrik Falco columbarius) - altogether 12 species of raptors has been recorded today at Kihnu island. 

Beside raptors - first Crane/ sookurg Grus grus migration day of the season - 152 ind. has been counted during 8 hours sitewatch. Best daily sum also for Stock Doves/ õõnetuvi Columba oenas - 29. 

Also some movement on the sea has been detected - Common Scoter/ mustvaeras Melanitta nigra 286m, Wigeon/ viupart Anas penelope 67m, Teal/ piilpart Anas crecca 35m and Parasitic Skua/söödikänn Stercorarius parasiticus 1m.

/T.V./

The first flock of Common Cranes (sookurg) have used thermal above the Kihnu island, then climbed up to 550 m, started their journey to south over the Livonian bay.

Migration of majestic cranes is always remarkable sign of autumn 

Four Common buzzards (hiireviu) in migration

Our night-time guests in the house of the field station are the sign of autumn - Both traps have got the Yellow-necked Mouse (kaelushiir, Apodemus flavicollis)

The yellowish neck as ID of this species is visible across the throat

We have released these mice at the other end of the island. This guy is checking the situation before run to the freedom

The flock of Stock Doves (õõnetuvi) - uniformly grayish small pigeons - in the migration

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/