Day one in Estonia. 17.10.2022

 After arriving on 16th in Estonia and more specific Western part of the country, we started our morning in Cape Pösaspea at 8 am. Annika Forsten was already there and we joined her to watch the sea. After all we spend whole day there and just over eight hours later we left. Wind was strong and it pushed some migrant birds closer to the shore and Divers went nicely pretty close by. Matti Rekilä and Ira Teräspuro joined us pretty soon after we came and they had nice half day with us. 

Highlight of the day was Adult breeding plumage White-billed Diver. My fourth in Estonia if I remember correctly. Bird was migrating relatively close in a flock with Black-throated- and Red-throated Divers. It was so much bigger and heavier when compare to the other birds in that flock! Still not easy to see details even from a close bird without a scope. 

Here is some migration numbers (only notable numbers) from the day and of course some photos. 

Brent Goose 239

Greater Scaup 832

Velvet Scoter 212

Common Scoter 111

Long-tailed Duck 931

Smew 4

Red-throated Diver 83

Black-throated Diver 128

Yellow-billed Diver 1 (rarity in Estonia)

Diver Sp. 71

Red-necked Grebe 4

Great-crested Grebe 19

Hen Harrier 1 adult male

Grey Plover 1 winter plumage

Dunlin 28

Purple Sandpiper  27

Caspian Gull (1st calendar year bird, Scarce in Estonia)

Razorbill 1 winter plumage. 

Because day are so short at the moment we had dinner, some driving around Haapsalu city and couple of drinks at the cottage. Pretty early to sleep. 

Barnacle flock near Tallin when we arrived. 

White-billed Diver

Rarely these birds are even possible to photo, so we were a bit lucky here! 

Largest of the Diver family. What a bird! 

Juvenile Caspian Gull

Juvenile Caspian Gull

Purple Sandpipers, aka shore rats. 

I had about zero photos of this bird before these pics.

Wind was hard, so birds struggled a bit to stay on the rocks.

I guess all the birds there were juveniles.

Posing.

"What?"

Green surrounding was nice with the Purple Sand.

Passport photo.

Long-tailed Ducks.

Brent Goose flock. Last one is juvenile. 

Red-throated Diver.

Greater Scaups.

More later.

-Tom