No doubts - Kihnu is the best place for Sparrowhawk/ raudkull Accipiter nisus autumn migration in Estonia. It has been again day with over 500 migrating Sparrowhawks - 513 individuals were counted today. Hen Harrier/ välja-loorkull Circus cyaneus had best movement of the autumn season - 11m.

It has been again small movement of arctic geese - 4 050m today. At the southern spit also 9 local Brent Geese/ mustlagle Branta bernicla - quite uncommon species in southwestern part of the country. Last days of Crane/ sookurg Grus grus migration - 870 ind. migrating today.

Yesterday has been nice Pigeon migration - Wood Pigeon/ kaelustuvi Columba palumbus 15 100m (best for the autumn season.

/T.V./

Stretching the wings

Brent Goose with the favored food - sea-grass flushed floating by the storm

The smooth-surfing goose

The big splash if the surfing went wrong

Male Bramblings - on is flying another is diving

Autumn colored Aspen trees in the background of sunset colored cloud 

Cranes and Pigeons

Northwestern wind in the morning about 7 m/s which slightly turned to southwest and increased up to 11 m/s during the day. After some quiet days, it has been again superb migration day. Cranes/ sookurg (Grus grus) flocks passed the island until afternoon - daily total 9 615 m! First flocks arrived around 8:30 a.m, which is showing that the birds have started from roosting areas in West-Estonia in first daylight.

Wood Pigeons/ kaelustuvi (Columba palumbus) also showed best migration of the autumn season - 13 680m. In late morning, passerines started more intensive migration again - Chaffinches/ metsvint (Fringilla coelebs) 31 100m (+ passeriformes 11 900m). 

Among late migrants - one Curlew/ suurkoovitaja (Numenius arquata) has been encountered on migration.

/T.V./

It was Eurobirdwatch day and we had nice opportunity to demonstrate the bird migration to the visitors of the island

Despite of the good numbers of migrating Cranes, only few flocks flew over the island

While in the morning the Wood Pigeons has been migrating in the higher altitudes (few flocks has been measured flying at in the 400 m altitude), the strong westerly wind in the afternoon, caused them to fly low over the sea   

The Goldcrests have visited the spit in good numbers. Many of them flew to the last trees and then discovered, that they are surrounded by stormy sea from free sides. And wind is so strong for these tiny creatures, that all the energy goes to sit tight on the tree branch

The Goldrest sitting buffed in the last tree at the end of the spit

Even flight back is risky affair, because wind can blow away!

Landmarks of the Southern tp of Kihnu with the migratory flocks of geese in the sky

It has been stormy day at Kihnu island. Wind turned from southeast to west reaching up to 20 m/s. So it has been very quiet birdmorning with only few passing seabirds. Small groups of Long-tailed Ducks/ aul Clangula hyemalis occured and one 1 Parasitic Skua/ söödikänn Stercorarius parasiticus has been encounterd on migration. 

Mariliis observed in the morning Grey Wagtail/ jõgivästrik Motacilla cinerea at the northwestern tip of the island. And she managed to find also uncommon migrant - Yellow-browed Warbler/ vööt-lehelind Phylloscopus inornatus among the Coldcrests/ pöialpoiss Regulus regulus. Although I was less than 100 meters away scanning another flock, I still managed to miss the bird. This is typical behaviour for this species - they just disappear at front of your eyes. 

/T.V./

In the mid-morning the wind has turned very quickly from the south-east to west. Because of this, waves still came from one direction but wind up to 20 m/s  from opposite side was blowing the white spray off from the wave crests. One Goldeneye is trying to flay away from this violent environment.

Group of Great Cormorants in their regular evening flight to their roosting sites on islets north from Kihnu

At the second part of storm the wind is breaking the cloud cover loose and exiting and dynamic light appears

Fast-running evening clouds above the lighthouse and radars

Third day with Sparrowhawks

Calm and partly cloudy morning, but wind has been increased rapidly during the day. First hours of daylight again with nice Sparrowhawk/ raudkull Accipiter nisus movement with 498 migrating individuals  During last 3 days altogether our team has counted now 2,000 passing Sparrowhawks! In the morning we managed to ring again 3 Sparrowhawks, but due to wind increase we had to take off the nets during the day. In addition, we also catched and ringed 4 Blackbirds/ musträstas Turdus merula.

Chaffinches/ metsvint Fringilla coelebs is slightly ending the migration. Today has been best daily counts of autum season for Greenfinch/ rohevint Carduelis chloris 350m and Linnet/ kanepilind Carduelis cannabina 330m. 

/T.V./

6:25 in the morning. Birdwatchers have to wake early and lights are on in our house - counting starts after half an hour

Another Sparrowhawk is passing the Moon

The rare species - female top birdwatcher: Mariliis aka rarity-Mary is spotting the birds 

We have witnessed how 4-year old White-tailed eagle was hunting for the Wigeon in the morning

At the several attempts, this dive was successful, eagle itself is almost under the water

Eagle is leaving with the unlucky duck  firmly  grasped in his talons. At the same time the Sparrowhawk (left)  is migrating low over the sea. Business as usual, some have a breakfast, some are travelling. 

Active morning, slow day

Morning with nice Sparrowhawk/ raudkull Accipiter nisus movement again. Already before sunrise about 100 Sparrowhawks went off to the sea. But unfortunately clouds and fog ruined migration on the afternoon. So "only" 560 individuals has been counted today on migration. Our nets turned to be also successful, today we managed to catch and ring 5 Sparrowhawks.

Other migration has been rather quiet today, but several local birds - Whinchat/ kadakatäks Saxicola rubertra 1, Whetear/ kivitäks Oenanthe oenanhte 1 and Greenshank/ heletilder Tringa nebularia 1.

/Tarvo Valker/

The predator's portrait (male Sparrowhawk)

Incredible body size difference between female (left) and male (right) Sparrowhawks

1,000 raptors!

First big raptor day for Kihnu island with 1 000 migrating raptors!. This kind of raptor migration can be seen in very few places in Estonia and for our observation team it has been best raptor day ever in this country. Fabolous day for Sparrowhawk/ raudkull Accipiter nisus with 954 migrating individuals. It is the second biggest daily count for this species, being only 50 individuals less than best day in Sõrve bird observatory! The importance of Kihnu island for Sparrowhawk migration shows also bird counts done today at Lao (mainland spit straight up north-east from Kihnu) there "only" 300 migrating Sparrowhawk has been counted. Also very good day for Merlin/ väikepistrik Falco columbarius - 17m, which is exactly the same number as current best daily count done in Estonia. Best day of the autumn season for Hen Harrier/ välja-loorkull Circus cyaneus - 10m. Signs of the late autumn has been 1 migrating Honey Buzzard/ herilaseviu Pernis apivorus and 3 Hobbies/ lõopistrik Falco subbuteo. Today also first Rough-legged Buzzard/ karvasjalg-viu Buteo lagopus has been encountered.

Passerine migration has been rather quiet today - seems that Chaffinches/ metsvint Fringilla coelebs migration is slightly ending for this autumn. The most interesting observation among passerines has been very late Sand Martin/ kaldapääsuke Riparia riparia - the second latest record for the country. Also first Serin/ koldvint Serinus serinus were observed today. Local birds today nearby field station - Willow Warbler/ salu-lehelind Phylloscopus trochilus and Redstart/ lepalind Phoenicurus phoenicurus. 

In the late evening Mati put up raptor nets. Today is very calm night and hopefully we manage to catch for the ringing purposes some Owls and of course tommorrow some Sparrowhawks. Radar also detecting big movement of nocturnal migration today - most probably passing Robins/ punarind Erithacus rubecula and Song Thrushes / lauluräsyas Turdus philomelos. 

/T.V/

The raptors migration started already before the sunrise in the first morning light

Sparrowhawk - the hero of the day

Sometimes the air was too crowded of hawks

The mighty and bulky juvenile Goshawk going off to the migration

Huge flock of Wood Pigeons taking some circling flight for reaching ti the higher altitude before the sea crossing

100, 000 birds in 3 hours!

Another intensive morning of visible passerine migration. Unfortunately rainshowers started already around 10:30 a.m, and this took the chance to get very high numbers. Despite the rainy conditions since late morning, it has been another day with over 100, 000 migrants.

Most of the migrants has been passerines - daily total: 127, 000. Among indentified passerines - Chaffinches/ metsvint (Fringilla coelebs) 49 800m and today already remarkable numbers of Bramblings/ põhjavint (Fringilla montifringilla) - 12 900m while numbers of Siskins/ siisike (Carduelis spinus) has been decreased down to 4 450.

Pigeons are about to reach culmination of main migration - Wood Pigeon/ kaelustuvi (Columba palumbus) - 4 630m (new record for the autumn season) and also good day for Stock Dove/ õõnetuvi (Columba oenas) - 76m. Raptors had due to bad weather movement only for first two hours in the morning, but still one of the best days for Sparrowhawk/ raudkull (Accipiter nisus) - 172m and Merlin/ väikepistrik (Falco columbarius) - 6m.

Local birds included today 2 Honey Buzzards/ herilaseviu (Pernis apivorus) and 1 Greenshank/ heletilder (Tringa nebularia) at the harbour.  

/T.V./

Mixed flock of passerines consisting mostly Chaffinches and Bramblings. Photo by Tarvo Valker

"Cloud" of migrating Wood Pigeons. Photo by Tarvo Valker