Cranes are leaving and Swans are coming

Nice Crane/sookurg Grus grus migration in the morning between 9.00-11.30. In total 1 019 Cranes has been counted today flying over the Kihnu island. Most of the flocks passed our observatory along western side of the island, about 3km off the shoreline. Considering migration times those should be Cranes making stopover in Estonia and now continue their journey to the wintering areas (mostly in France and Spain). This is possible that this will be the best day of Crane migration on Kihnu island because flocks flying over the water are spreading on the sea and not concentrating around Kihnu island. Together with migrating Cranes, 16 Bewick Swans/ väikeluik Cygnus columbianus has encountered on migration.

Also other bigger landbirds showed nice movement today - Wood Pigeon/ kaelustuvi Columba palumbus 1 160m (best for the autumn season), Sparrowhawk/ raudkull Accipiter nisus 86m, Hen Harrier/välja-loorkull Circus cyaneus 5m (best for the autumn season), Merlin/ väikepistrik Falco columbarius 5m, Peregrine Falcon/ rabapistrik Falco peregrinus 2 adult migrating (+2 local birds - adult and juvenile) and Hobby/ lõopistrik Falco subbuteo 1 migrating and 1 local individual flying around.

Passerine migration in the morning has been very quiet, but due to weather change during the late morning (wind slightly turned from west to south) passerines had nice migration from mid-day until darkness. So it has been another day (fourth for the autumn season) with over 100 000 passing passerines! Among passerines today - Chaffinches/metsvint Fringilla coelebs 71 000m, Brambling/põhjavint Fringilla montifringilla 1 125m (best for the autumn season), Siskin/siisike Carduelis spinus 12 350m, Meadow Pipit/sookiur Anthus pratensis 1 615m (best for the autumn season), Reed Bunting/ rootsiitsitaja Emberiza schoeniclus 55m (best for the autumn season), Parrot Crossbill/männi-käbilind Loxia pytyopsittacus 3m (first for the autumn season) and Passeriformes/ määramata värvuline 18 750 m. No doubt - the bird of the day has been migrating Short-toed Lark/välja-väikelõoke Calandrella brachydactyla. Unfortunately I had to make some tehnical work at the same time inside so I missed the bird myself and chance to get photos of the bird. But Timo saw bird flying rather low and calling two times before going to the sea trip.  But hopefully already tommorrow will be even better day! :)

/T.V./

Wood Pigeons formed today several bigger migration flocks. Photo by Tarvo Valker

My favourite autumn birds. Photo by Tarvo Valker

Smallest in the Europe - among Kihnu people called as "idi" but on the mainland known as "pöialpoiss". Photo by Tarvo Valker

Nature calendar is ticking - Cranes are leaving! Today 1 000+ Cranes migrating at Kihnu island. Photo by Tarvo Valker

Migrating geese

Third day of arctic geese migration. Today altogether 2 275 geese were counted on migration. The majority (around 80%) among indentified ones has been Great White-fronted Geese/ suur-laukhani Anser albifrons 1 100 (best of the autumn season). Beside that 295 Bean Geese/ Anser fabalis has been counted and 880 Anser sp/ määramata hani. Barnacle Geese/ valgepõsk-lagle Branta leucopsis migration does not reach as far south as Kihnu island - the majority of Barnacles migration passes northwestern Estonia. Therefore only 6 migrating Barnacles has been counted today.

Beside arctic geese, after several weeks small movement of Velvet Scoters/ tõmmuvaeras Melanitta fusca - 380m and Red-throated Divers/ punakurk-kaur Gavia stellata 16m. There has been also 1 juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull/tõmmukajaks Larus fuscus and 1 migrating adult Heuglin`s Gull/ kirde-tõmmukajakas Larus fuscus heuglini. Best of the autumn season for Peregrine Falcon/ rabapistrik Falco peregrinus 3m(+ 1 local bird chasing the gulls).

T.V.

Misty conditions hold back the migration. Small Geese movement in the morning - Greater Whitefronts/ suur-laukhani Anser albifrons 385m (best of the autumn season) and Bean Goose/ rabahani Anser fabalis 64m (+Anser/Branta - määramata hani/lagle 340m ). There has been also night time Geese migration - our sound recorder has several proofs of passing Great White-fronted Geese flocks.

Together with Geese, the very first 5 Bewick Swans/ väikeluik Cygnus columbanius arrived today at the southern tip of the Kihnu island. Afternoon I did small walk at the western beach and found quite early Snow Bunting/ hangelind Plectrophenax nivalis. 

/T.V./

First Snow Buntings are already on the move. Photo by Tarvo Valker. 

The first Bewick Swans arriving. Photo by Tarvo Valker

The Sunflowers with the bird protection...

... and without protection, but with the happy Great Tits :)

Nice autumn day

Today morning wind slightly increased up to 6 m/s and turned to the east. That offered for me, Mati and Timo another nice migration day. The majority of passing migrants were Finches again - Chaffinches/ metsvint Fringilla coelebs 59 500m, Bramblings/ põhjavint Fringilla montifringilla 100m and Siskins/ siisike Carduelis spinus 5 900m (+Passeriformes 68 200m). That means that in total approximately 135, 000 passerines has been counted today at southern tip of Kihnu island. Among passerines, best of the autumn season for Hawfinches/ suurnokk-vint Coccothraustes coccothraustes 28m and Woodlarks/ nõmmelõoke Lullula arborea 23m.

Today also Pigeons started their autumn migration which should reach to its peak in first decade of October. Today 1 060 Wood Pigeons/ kaelustuv Columba palumbus were counted, but more interesting has been numbers of Stock Doves/ õõnetuvi Columba oenas - already 95 ind. passing the island today. The best daily count for this species from one place at autumn migration in Estonia is only 225 individuals, so it will be interesting if Kihnu will beat the standing autumn migration record for this species from Sõrve peninsula.

Beside Pigeons, also Geese had first migration day - Bean Goose/ rabahani Anser fabalis 257m, White-fronted Goose/ suur-laukhani Anser albifrons 20m (+Anser/Branta species 1 140m). Probably more passing the island during the night - last migrating flock has been observed at 19:40 p.m.

Other species today on migration - 1 adult Peregrine Falcon/ rabapistrik Falco peregrinus, 4 Merlins/ väikepistrik Falco columbarius, 3 Honey Buzzards/ herilaseviu Pernis apivorus and Golden Plover/ rüüt Pluvialis apricaria 63 (best for the autumn season). Local birds nearby our field station - 1 Rock Pipit/ randkiur Anthus petrosus, 1 Great Grey Shrike/ hallõgija Lanius excubitor (first of the autumn season) and from late migrants - 1 Whitethroat/ pruunselg-põõsalind Sylvia communis and 1 Willow Warbler/ salu-lehelind Phylloscopus throchilus.

Weather forecast for the tommorrow is very suitable to get even bigger passerine counts - a bit stronger southeastern wind what should force small birds to fly lower altitudes and this makes more easier to pick them up from the sky.

/T.V./

This young Lesser-spotted Woodpecker was posing nicely just next to our observation place

Two Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers at the very last tree in the spit. The male has already took off and female has joined moment later and they headed to the sea

Some Jay's have visited our station area, but no one went to the sea

Flock of Wood Pigeons passing our bird radar :)

             The adult and juvenile White-tailed Eagles has been fighting in near the SE spit called

              Ristinä. Unfortunately, I was prepared enough to get sharpness to these birds, but I would

             still like to share this powerful moment.

Second later, the juvenile was already in the lower position and loosing his chances

The things made clear and order restored

This is not dust on the camera sensor - those are Wood Pigeons and Stock Doves passing the Kihnu island. Photo by Tarvo Valker

A group of Stock Doves heading towards Ruhnu island.  Photo by Tarvo Valker

Silent sea

Today has been the calmest day of September at Kihnu island. First 4 hours without any wind at all, afternoon small northwestern wind. Too calm weather for real migration, but Tits showed the best movement of the autumn season - Blue Tit/ sinitihane Parus caeruleus 48m, Great Tit/ rasvatihane Parus major 106m, Coal Tit/ musttihane Parus ater 75m and first for the autumn season: Long-tailed Tit/ sabatihane Aegithalos caudatus 8m. This year seems to be good Woodpecker invasion - yesterday Timo spotted even new species for the Kihnu island - White-backed Woodpecker/ valgeselg-kirjurähn Dendrocopos leucotos. Today we counted 3 migrating Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers/ väike-kirjurähn Dendrocopos minor (+at least 5 local ones) and also 1 Black Woodpecker/ musträhn Dryocopos martius went to the sea.

Best count of the autumn season also for Wood Pigeon/ kaelustuvi Columba palumbus 170m. Kihnu seems to be good spot for Stock Dove/ õõnetuvi Columba oenas migration - today again 15 individuals passed the cape - the main migration of Doves should presumably take place in early October. Other interesting birds today - Penduline Tit/ kukkurtihane Remiz pendulinus 1m and Grey Wagtail/ jõgivästrik Motacilla cinerea 1m (first of the autumn season).

Local birds at southern tip included today at least 4 White-tailed Eagles/ merikotkas Haliaeetus albicilla, 1 Hobby/ lõopistrik Falco subbuteo, 10 Great White Egrets/ hõbehaigur Egretta alba.

Late evening we went with Mati to the small boat trip to get closer views of local hunting techniques. Methods to get birds off from the islets and closer to the hunting hides looked like modern art. Birding highlight of the boat trip has been 2 juvenile Common Terns/ jõgitiir Sterna hirundo.

/T.V./

Yesterday I have witnessed how hunter just hit the Wigeon, falling down from the air. The bird was injured and still live, then hunter took him and finished off /Photo M. Kose/

Flightless Cormorant near the Aasalaid islet, probably injured by hunters /Photo M. Kose/

Bizarre bird hunting - the scare-off system with the lines with various stuff attached to the long lines between the poles.  Because the hunting hides was close to the coast, probably this "art project" was meant to disturb birds away from their
resting place and toward the lethal guns! /Photo M. Kose/

Tarvo is wondering this bizarre hunting installation on the Aasalaid islet /Photo M. Kose/

The last rocks of the Aasalaid iselt /Photo M. Kose/

Juvenile Common Terns about to start sleeping /Photo M. Kose/

Stretching the wings /Photo M. Kose/

Calm and gloomy evening on the sea /Photo M. Kose/

Home, sweet home, back to the base in the evening darkness /Photo M. Kose/

The day off

The change of weather. The wind turned north during the night and with it came cold air and showers of drizzle. This brought with it three flocks of Geese but little else. Real day-off-Sunday with low bird activity! Chaffinches and other Passerines were flying in circles around the southern end of the island with just a few daring the sea-crossing. A group of 26 Jays / pasknäär Garrulus glandarius visited the south-western tip. The winds has turned to the west for the day and there were rainshowers all the time. But in the evening the sky cleared and the wind is now in the north again.

/Timo Pettai/

Another shower arriving over sea from the west

The long shutter speed resulted gloomy ghost looking image of Cormorants, flying to their northern roosting places in the background of the dark sky

At the beginning of the night the sky was clearing from the clouds and rising moon is peeking behind the clouds

Few minutes later, the sky above us was clear, revealing the zillions of stars. The lighthouse and navigation buoy, shining on the sea in the right, guiding seaman's in their journeys. And the stars showing the way for the migrating birds. And indeed, our radars showed fairly good migration to the south and south-west. Vertical radar has picked up some birds exceeding even 1000m altitude border

This is going to crazy!

The south-easterly wind and beginning of the astronomical autumn have caused the songbird migration reaching the new level even in comparison with the very good yesterday’s activity. The numbers of birds participating in this mass movement has tripled just with one day!

The estimated number of migrating Chaffinches / metsvint  Fringilla colebs  for the day was just slightly under 300 thousands -  290 420 individuals! This is just slightly less, than top number for Kihnu and Pärnu county, which is 331 745 birds, counted at 23.09.1960. But even greater performer was Siskin / siisike Carduelis spinus. As many as 44 570 birds have been counted! This is the new mark for the country and exceeding by half the best numbers in Sõrve observatory! Due to fairly strong southerly wind, the south was the dominating migration direction for all landbirds instead of usual south-west.

It was also the best raptor day up to date. The Sparrowhawk /raudkull Accipiter nisus with 151 individuals has exceeded the mark from the previous day just with few birds. 23 Honey Buzzards / herialseviu Pernis apivorus was 4-5 times more than best days before!

After the dusk, some clearings between the clouds appeared and the night time migrants started to appear on the radar screen in great numbers. Now we can hear the night calls of the Song Thrushes / laulurästas Turdus philomelos pretty frequently in the sky. So this is one of the busiest times of a migration and both days and nights are filled with winged travellers. Timo has made small walk in the woodland north from our location and heard the Long-eared Owl / kõrvukräts Asio otus calling!

Timo Pettai has plotted the chart with the observed hourly  intensity for Chaffinch/metsvint (Fcoe/grey) and Siskin/siisike (Cspi/yellow). During the best hour at 9:01-10:00, nearly 100 thousand finches passed!

The Siskin - heroes of the day

Flock of Siskins fly toward our radars

The curious Goldcrest / pöialpoiss

Aerial acrobatics by the juvenile Herring (below) and Common Gulls

100 000 + !!!

The pheonological clock of songbirds is ticking quicker and quicker as autumn approaching. During the last days every new day has doubled the numbers of migrating finches. Today it was happened again and already up to very remarkable level.

About hour after sunrise this happened – the mass movement of finches. Despite fairly strong (8-10 m/s) wind, it south-westerly direction was right and instincts of wild birds has been triggered. Due to strong wind, birds flew very low over the ground and have been very well observable. It was unforgettable experience to witness the almost constant flow of songbirds flying toward sea. Big part of the flocks has flew in the shelter of the last trees till the end of the southern tip and then turned to the south-west and taking some altitude. Most of the departing flocks were not able to rise higher than 200 m, but our vertical radar has revealed some small groups returning in high altitude of some 300-400m and with huge speed due to tailwind.

The biggest numbers of migrants had Chaffinch / metsvint Fringilla colelebs – 86 170. Unidentified small songbirds has been counted 15 090 and 9160 individuals of Siskin / siiskike Carduelis spinus recorded. Also the White Wagtail / linavästrik Motacilla alba had very good migration – 597 birds has been counted. In sum, over 106 000 passerines has been counted today, which is one of the best numbers for the Pärnu county and confirm the migration hotspot status of the Kihnu. Among raptors, 147 Sparrowhawks / raudkull Accipiter nisus passed today and also 8 Kestrels / tuuletallaja Falco tinnunculus, 6 Merlins / väikepistrik Falco columbarius.  

In the late afternoon the wind was calming down and the last day of summer has showed off his mild side. We have installed first time in Estonia the dedicated equipment for monitoring and recording night migrators vocalizations by Wildlife Acoustics. And now, our radar screen shows again the south westerly massive migration of songbirds, which remains otherwise invisible for the human eye. Hopefully the sound recordings can give us data on the species composition of the night migration. 

There are the finches flying? (Blue Tit)

Landscape with myriads of migrating songbirds

The Siskins migrate in dense groups and are the best flyers among finches

The juvenile Merlin 

The song meter recording device (right) and special night flight call recording microphone set, mounted on the plastic plate for improving a distant flight calls pickup.

The finches on the move

The migration of the landbirds is gradually moving toward a peak. Today our FINNO-ESTONIAN team consisting of Timo Pettai and Andrus Kuus has counted the top number finches in the migration. There was alamost 50 thousand of songbirds in total, 43 000 Chaffinches / metsvint Fringilla colelebs, 2145 Siskins / siisike Carduelis spinus and 2800 unidentified small songbirds counted. The raptors had also the best migration day so far – 146 Sparrowhawks / raudkull Accipiter nisus, 6 Kestrels / tuuletallaja Falco tinnunculus and Honey Buzzard / herilaseviu Pernis apivorus, 4 Merlins / väikepistrik Falco columbarius,  3 Marsh Harriesrs /roo-loorkull Circus aeruginosus, 2 Hobby / lõopistrik Falco subbuteo, and 1 Montagu’s Harrier / soo-loorkull Circus pygargus and Hen Harrier / välja-loorkull Circus cyaneus has been counted.

Timo is counting finches and Andrus will writing the data. We have new wind screen installed in order to be prepared for the cold and windy autumn

Migrating Sparrowhawk

Migrating Merlin

The weird-looking cloud formations in the sky

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.