Geese!

7 o`clock we open door of our field station. Calls of migrating geese everywhere. It`s getting a bit lighter after half a hour, but unfortunately fog everywhere. It is even hard to see Geese which are passing our head. But it is getting better after a hour and it is clear that despite of the hard conditions it`s going to be a nice Geese migration day!

Today we counted altogether 31 000 migrating Anser species/ määramata hani and 21 500 Anser/Branta - määramata hani/ lagle. At least 90% of those also belong to the Anser family because Barnacle Goose migration does not pass Kihnu so much. So, that means that at least 52 500 migrating Geese passed our study area today, but as I mentioned before, foggy conditions forced underestimation during first hour. Together with Geese, best migration day for Bewick`s Swan/ väikeluik Cygnus columbianus - 60m. 

Just when I was counting a flock of 2,500 Geese, Margus spottes a bird on the wire. It is a Hawk Owl/ vöötkakk Surnia ulula - firs for the Kihnu island of this uncommon winter visitor. 

Chilly weather and calm morning has forced to migrate also many other birds. Kihnu is not good place for Arctic migration, but today we managed to see some movement of Divers/ kaurid Gavia species - 290m. All of indentified ones has been Black-throated Divers/ järvekaur Gavia arctica - 180m. 

Afternoon, Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers/ väike-kirjurähn Dendrocopos minor showed best movement of the autumn season - 26 has been counted today on migration. In one point we hear a very soft tick. It is clear that it must be either White-backed Woodpecker/ valgeselg-kirjurähn Dendrocopos leucotos or Three-toed Woodpecker/ laanerähn Picoides tridactyla. Both species would be exceptional on such a small island, so we try to find the bird. Finally I manage to find a female White-backed Woodpecker settled on a rowan tree. It is already second sightning of this bird during this autumn season. For me it has been 176th species in my Kihnu year list :). 

Clear sky and calm weather enabled movement of broadwinged raptors - Common Buzzard/ hiireviu Buteo buteo -66m and Rough-legged Buzzard/ karvasjalg-viu Buteo lagopus 5m.
Among late migrants - Greenshank/ heletilder Tringa nebularia - 1m, Lapland Longspur/ keltsalind Calcarius lapponicus - 1m and Lesser Whitethroat/ Sylvia curruca - 1 ind. in the garden.
In the evening another Owl has registred. Just before midnight we caught Tengmalm`s Owl/ karvasjalg-kakk Aegolius funereus (second for the autumn season). So today has been great day of species - around our field station, altogether 91 bird species has been registred today. 

/T.V./

Good invasion of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers has reached to Kihnu. 

Bird of the day and another new species for the Kihnu island - Hawk Owl. Photo by Tarvo Valker

Common Buzzards are taking hight before next sea trip. Photo by Tarvo Valker

Brambling. Photo by Tarvo Valker

Less birds, more species

After the very stormy days, the morning was completely windless and sea was calm. Glimpses of sun  have made the weather pleasantly warm and even some flying insects appeared. We are just in the middle of the center of low pressure so called eye, surrounded by the dark rain clouds all around.  Although it has been failry quiet day for the migration, it has offered nice birding. We are sitewatching and it is very quiet for the migration. Only few flocks of Tits are going for the migration. I try to take some photos of feeding Brent Geese/ mustlagle Branta bernicla when Margus spottes something. He tell me that something Coldcrest size bird with pale rump, flew into bushes at front of us. Already half a hour ago he thought that Pallas`s Leaf Warbler/ kuld-lehelind Phylloscopus proregulus called in the garden but when the birr disappeared. Is it the same bird here? After few seconds the bird is out, nice Pallas`s Leaf Warbler staring at us in nice morning sun. I take my camera and get few record shots with shaking hands. It is lifer bird for me and my species number 300 for Estonian list! Big day for the Estonian twitcher. It has been first Pallas`s Leaf Warbler in Estonia during this autumn season.

But the day is not over yet! I continue sitewatching and Margus goes to count local birds on the next spit. He get another good bird for the day - 1cy Montagu`s Harrier/ soo-loorkull Circus pygargus which is probably the latest one for the country.  

Among late migrants - one Spotted Flycatcher/ hall-kärbsenäpp Muscicapa striata feeding in our garden. It seems that calm day has been good for insectivorous passerines - today at least 7 Chiffchaffs/ väike-lehelind Phylloscopus collybita has been encountered nearby field station. 

Among migrants - Wood Pigeon/ kaelustuvi Columba palumbus - 4 160m, Blue Tit/ sinitihane Parus caeruleus -  340m.

/T.V./

Receiving congratulations calls - Tarvo was very happy guy due to achieving his 300 species mark and have received  calls from many fellow birders

Bird of the day, lucky number 300 for me - Pallas`s Leaf Warbler. Photo by Tarvo Valker

Juvenile Montagu`s Harrier. Photo by Margus Ellermaa.

Spotted Flycatcher - clear sign of the warm autumn season. Photo by Tarvo Valker

Even the tiniest birds can fly high. In the calm morning, I have had long awaited opportunity to make flight shots of a Coldcrest. Few birs even started their trip over the sea.

Autumn weather and light can do a tricks

One bird in the hand, 100 000 birds on the sea

Yesterday evening was more calm and we put up bird nets again. Early morning we discoverd nice suprise - a Tengmalm`s Owl/ karvasjalg-kakk Aegolius funereus has been succesfully captured and ringed. 

But the day has offered again spectacular visible migration as well. It is suprising that even so late in October, more than 100 000 migrating passerines has been counted. Especially good day for the passing Bramblings/ põhjavint Fringilla montifringilla 20 850m (best for the autumn season). There has been very few daily counts of this species, exceeding over 20 000 indviduals, so Kihnu island has shown again its importance for the passerines on migration. The most common passerine has been Chaffinches/ metsvint Fringilla coelebs again with 74 650 migrating individuals (+ passeriformes 10 000). Finally - first Waxwings/ siidisaba Bombycilla garrulus - a flock of 40 individuals has been encountered on migration. 

/T.V./

Our first Tengmalm's / Boreal Owl (karvasjalg-kakk)

Tarvo is holding first time in hand the Boreal Owl

Crazy Bramblings and Chaffinches flying en masses very low over the sea waves against the strong wind and rain spells

Few flocks of Cranes passed and had serious trouble to fly against wind

Dramatic autumn colors with the yellow Ash tree leaves and rain cloud background

It has been very rainy day and it continues to rain in the evening and ...

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.