Last weekend was Estonian open bird race in Saarenmaa Estonia.
I put together a good team with Jarkko Santaharju, Roni Väisänen and Petteri Mäkelä.
At Friday night we jumped to Tallink Silja ship and it left at 7:30pm towards Tallin. We landed to Tallin at 9:30pm and after rush and waiting in the ship we started our drive to Virtsu where is harbor and ferry to the Saarenmaa. Ferry started at Midnight and it takes 25min to get to the island.
After ferry, we drove to place called haeska or valjala, can´t remember and we had nice 1hour 20minute time to sleep in the car before the race witch starts at 3am..
I couldn´t sleep even a minute... In the car was four guys and there was super hot and everybody was just sweating. Race time in Estonian Open is 03am to 5pm so 14 hours.
We "woke up" at 2:40am and after boys had their smokes, we moved a little bit and when Race started at 3am we were outside and just listening. It was super dark and great fog came from somewhere... No birds in sound. Actually we even didn´t know where we were... Was it fields of forest? Nice start.
At 3:15am we got our first specie, Tawny Owl. After that was Lapwing and more Tawny Owls. We heard atleast 4 different!
After these and few Robin sounds, we planed to drive Southern side of he area.
We stopped few times before we started our first sea watch and we got some good species like Wood Lark, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Redwing, Fieldfare, and Hawfinch.
After poor night time we thought that game is over but it was not. Our sea watch started well and we got many good species from the sea, like Red-throughted Diver, Bar-tailed Godvit, Red-breasted Merganser, Rock Pipit and so on. Rock Pipit was actually ace for us, witch means that we were only team who saw that specie!
Next few hour we drove around the southern side of are and we got species almost every stop, so we were in full swing!
At mid-days, we decided to get coffee and little snack in Kuressaare witch is capital city of Saarenmaa. There was also big park but no good birds..
After Kuressaari we drove to the Orissaare witch is eastern side of the island. There was many waders and ducks and we got Black tern from there and Little Stints and so on.
After nice watch, we drove to most northern part of the island but there was nothing... place was behind of the dogs and fences, so no chance... On our wa back, we found little open place and first bird what Roni saw flying on the sea was Arctic Skua!
There was only 20minutes time left and we decided to stop on the open field are, watching some raptors and others. 4.50pm Petteri saw White Stork walking in the field and that was our last specie. Total count was 129! We were happy but there was few easy species what we missed... Magpie! Reed Bunting!
We drove to the shop and then to hotel at Kuressaare where the evening event was.
And here is the final results:
XVIII Estonian Open 18.08.2012 Saare
maakond (v.a. Torgu vald)
I put together a good team with Jarkko Santaharju, Roni Väisänen and Petteri Mäkelä.
At Friday night we jumped to Tallink Silja ship and it left at 7:30pm towards Tallin. We landed to Tallin at 9:30pm and after rush and waiting in the ship we started our drive to Virtsu where is harbor and ferry to the Saarenmaa. Ferry started at Midnight and it takes 25min to get to the island.
 |
| Also other Finnish team was in the ferry. From left, Petteri, Jarkko, Heikki, Roni and Markus. |
After ferry, we drove to place called haeska or valjala, can´t remember and we had nice 1hour 20minute time to sleep in the car before the race witch starts at 3am..
I couldn´t sleep even a minute... In the car was four guys and there was super hot and everybody was just sweating. Race time in Estonian Open is 03am to 5pm so 14 hours.
We "woke up" at 2:40am and after boys had their smokes, we moved a little bit and when Race started at 3am we were outside and just listening. It was super dark and great fog came from somewhere... No birds in sound. Actually we even didn´t know where we were... Was it fields of forest? Nice start.
At 3:15am we got our first specie, Tawny Owl. After that was Lapwing and more Tawny Owls. We heard atleast 4 different!
After these and few Robin sounds, we planed to drive Southern side of he area.
 |
| Beautiful morning in Lôulahti. |
We stopped few times before we started our first sea watch and we got some good species like Wood Lark, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Redwing, Fieldfare, and Hawfinch.
After poor night time we thought that game is over but it was not. Our sea watch started well and we got many good species from the sea, like Red-throughted Diver, Bar-tailed Godvit, Red-breasted Merganser, Rock Pipit and so on. Rock Pipit was actually ace for us, witch means that we were only team who saw that specie!
Next few hour we drove around the southern side of are and we got species almost every stop, so we were in full swing!
 |
| Starlings. |
 |
| Jarkko, Petteri and Roni checking the sea. |
 |
| Yellowhammer. |
At mid-days, we decided to get coffee and little snack in Kuressaare witch is capital city of Saarenmaa. There was also big park but no good birds..
After Kuressaari we drove to the Orissaare witch is eastern side of the island. There was many waders and ducks and we got Black tern from there and Little Stints and so on.
After nice watch, we drove to most northern part of the island but there was nothing... place was behind of the dogs and fences, so no chance... On our wa back, we found little open place and first bird what Roni saw flying on the sea was Arctic Skua!
There was only 20minutes time left and we decided to stop on the open field are, watching some raptors and others. 4.50pm Petteri saw White Stork walking in the field and that was our last specie. Total count was 129! We were happy but there was few easy species what we missed... Magpie! Reed Bunting!
 |
| Here was Sanderling, Red Knot and some others. |
We drove to the shop and then to hotel at Kuressaare where the evening event was.
And here is the final results:
XVIII Estonian Open 18.08.2012 Saare
maakond (v.a. Torgu vald)
Kell 3:00-17:00
1. 141
RC & Co Andrus
Jair, Mihkel Metslaid, Margus Ots, Uku Paal, Peeter Raudsepp
2. 138
Takaveto Margus
Ellermaa, Vesa Jouhki, Jukka Salokangas, Andreas Uppstu
3. 135
Team Sylvia Mika
Bruun, Stefan Knopman, Asko Rokala, Roland Sundström, Ari Veijalainen
4. 134
Team Ristisaari Timo
Böhme, Petri Ripatti, Pekka Rusanen, Ari Vuorio
5. 131
Jlo & the boys Heikki
Eriksson, Juho Könönen, Jari Laitasalo, Markus Lampinen, Peter Uppstu
6. 130
FcFallos Jukka
Hatva, Hannu Huhtinen, Tuomas Seimola, Toni Uusimäki
7. 129
Muovilapajengi Petteri
Mäkelä, Tom, Nordblad, Jarkko Santaharju, Roni Väisänen
8. 128
Nahkhiirmees Tuukka
Kupiainen, Lauri Mäenpää, Jan Nordblad, Juha Saari, Juha Sjöholm
9. 125
“148” Ilpo
Hanski, Lasse Lindström, Martti Vattulainen, Erkki Virolainen
10. 124
Buteo Mihkel
Jürgens, Madis Karu, Eedi Lelov, Heikki Luhamaa, Tiit Vohta
11. 123
Unioni Aki
Arkiomaa, Risto Lammin-Soila, Gustaf Nordenswan, Pertti Uusivuori
12. 122
Tuhlis ja Nott Leho
Luigujõe, Riho Marja, Tarmo Teppe
13.-14. 117
Bilia Christer
Casagrande, Seppo Grönlund, Jari Markkula, Jyrki Tolvanen
13.-14. 117
Saaremaa Linnuklubi Andres Kalamees,
Andrus Kuus, Rein Nellis, Hannes Pehlak, Veljo Volke
15. 115
Odet Biti
Ojala, Markku Ojala
16. 114
Himantopus himantopus Ilze
Bojare, Ivars Brediks, Andris Klepers, Marcis Tirums
17. 113
Eesti Naised Marju
Erit, Mariliis Märtson, Kadri Paomees
18. 94 Hakit Kalevi
Hietaniemi, Matti Koljonen, Eero Vainio
19. 89 KV²+2 Peep
Lassmann, Thea Perm, Kris Voog, Kaarel Võhandu
TOTAL Specie count: 191
ACES:
RC & Co TRISTA, LIMLIM, PHALOB, ASIOTU
Buteo AQUPOM,
AQUCHR, LOCLUS, LANEXC
Takaveto TACRUF,
CIRPYG, CEPGRY
Muovilapajengi PORANA,
ANTPET, SERSER
Nahkhiirmees FALPER,
RECAVO
Eesti Naised CIRCYA,
FALCOL
Jlo & the boys PANHAL
Unioni LUSSVE
Tuhlis ja Nott CLAHYE
Himantopus himantopus CRECRE
Sorry for messy copy from EstBirdings internet site. SO, we were at seventh place.. I think it´s good position when you watch these names above us. Old "racers" from Finland and some beginners luck guys also.
An i must mention that we beat my uncles team first time.
Thank you Roni, Jarkko and Petteri! This was grat fun and next year again of course. Thanks also Uku Paal, Margus Ots, Tuomas Seimola, Jukka Hatva, Lauri Mäenpää, Jände, Juha Sjöholm, Jari Laitasalo, Markus Lampinen, Juho Könönen, Heikki Erikson, Timo Böhme, Ari Vuorio, Petri Ripatti and Aki Arkiomaa. If your name is missing on this list, sorry and thanks.
Tomorrow we start our trip to Ireland with Jände and Tuukka and Esko.
I hope i can update from there but who knows...
Best
Tom Nordblad
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