The deadly disco

Considering the bird migration - it has been really quiet day. Only few flocks of Hooded Crows/ hallvares Corvus cornix and Jackdaws/ kaelushakk Corvus monedula moving south. But in quiet mornings, sometime something more special can show up. A very late 1cy Hobby/ lõopistrik Falco subbuteo has been encountered on migration. It is probably latest autumn record of this species in Estonia. 

In the garden it is now very few birds left compared few days ago. But still, one Serin/ koldvint Serinus serinus showed up again and Black Redstart/ must-lepalind Phoenicurus ochruros has been also presented now for several days.

Today we got also some media coverage for our project, then the TV3 broadcast the news story on our bird radar: (http://www.tv3play.ee/play/283831/) the time section 4:32 - 6:29 in the video file. Sorry, no English subtitles!

But considering other life, it has been day full of action. First, we hear constant calls of Teals/ piilpart Anas crecca and Wigeon/ viupart Anas penelope. It is clear, that it must be playback for the hunting. So our bird team went to check it and manage to find Italian hunter and loudspeakers playing duck sounds. This  is prohibited way of hunting in whole EU and we manage to get pictures and videos
of this illegal action on the island. Hopefully environmental inspectors make some pressure on local hunters society for stopping the use of waterfowl playback. 

/T.V & M.K./

Portrait of the male Sparrowhawk

The Deadly bird disco - Italian hunter has using illegal waterfowl vocalization playback next to the hunting hide, set up by local hunting managers, for attracting ducks into shooting range. The powerful loudspeakers has been erected in "stereo" to the two poles on the both sides of the hide. The poles of the bird deterring setup on the islets, we have covered in our blog in ..... could b seen as well. All this is happening in the Natura 2000 bird protection area, which is specially designated for waterbird conservation. 

The powerful loudspeakers and decoy ducks (use of these as well as lead ammunition is unfortunately still legal). The duck-disco was so loud and out of the local bird context, that we heard this from more than 1 km distance!