The End

The autumn has finally coming to an end here at the cape, and I will go back to Sweden. Last morning was slow, but a pale-bellied brent was a real surprise! 

This last post I will give the totals for my two months here in Estonia. I hope you will enjoyed them. Most of the species were having a normal-good year. Though some species (e.g. divers, grebes & long-tailed ducks) was way under what was expected (e.g. l-t ducks were expected too be seen in 2-300.000 at least!).

Miscellaneous:

178 species were recorded at the cape (with suroundings)

500+ hours were spent at the cape

900 km on bike

Totals:

red-throated diver 10848

black-throated diver 3098

diver sp. 710

red-necked grebe 582

great crested grebe 367

slavonian grebe 4!

mute swan 243

whooper swan 219

bewick's swan 104 (vaste majority follows the russian border)

greater white-fronted 1918 (see bewick's swan)

tundra bean goose 484 (see bewick's swan)

brent 51258

barnacle goose 214443

wigeon 91753

teal 11480

pintail 11072

gadwall 64

mallard 927

garganey 7

shoveler 2239

porchard 63

tufted duck 8339

scaup 37684

eider 8265

long-tailed duck 132668 (All-time-low?)

comon scoter 163168 (vaste majority flies in july/august)

velvet scoter 42576

goldeneye 5627

smew 345

merganser 7111

cormorant 5349

crane 6550

dunlin 2445

pomarine skua 4

arctic skua 93

little gull 2990

Among more rare birds recorded on migration: great white egret (18), white-billed diver (2), hrota (4), nigricans (2), black scoter, gannet, caspian gull (16), kittiwake, white-winged black tern, hawk owl, richard's pipit.

Thank you for reading, and I hope it has been inspiring!

More Little Gulls

More gulls are passing, a bit closer today due to the more southwetern wind. Some caspians were also found among all herring gulls.

Notes from the cape:

red-throated diver 76

red-necked grebe 8

great crested grebe 16

bewick's swan 5

long-tailed duck 557

little gull 546 (526 2cy.+ & 20 1cy.)

black-headed gull 71

common gull 842

lesser black-backed gull 1 1st. cy.

herring gull 786

caspian gull 4 1st cy.

Little gulls

Little gulls, among other gulls, were moving today. The vaste majority were unfortunately very far out in the haze.

Notes from the cape:

long-tailed duck 1100

velvet scoter 297

smew 10

little gulls 447

common gull 665

herring gull 1050

Cold

Nice flocks of Smew cheered me up this cold day.

Notes from the cape:

red-throated diver 51

whooper swan 50

tundra bean goose 1

brent 3

barnacle 1442

mallard 92

long-tailed duck 636

common scoter 59

velvet scoter 223

goldeneye 109

smew 102!

merganser 107

goosander 30

lesser black-backed gull 2 1st. cy.

A beginning of an ending

The autumn has now started to fade into winter here in the Gulf of Finland. Most birds has now fly south even if there are still long-tailed ducks, scoters and divers still flying by. And of course the Steller's eider has not come yet. The last of all. The peak isn't untill november/december but hopefully will see one or two before I go home on Sunday.

Notes from the cape:

divers 288 (282 red-throated)

whooper swan 5

bewick's swan 4

barnacle 324

porchard 10

long-tailed duck 3771

common scoter 50

velvet scoter 1113

merganser 78

lesser black-backed gull 1 1st. cy.

Gull-fest!

The gull-fest at the cape continues. Today over 2000 gulls. As usually, mostly herrings. But a couple of caspian were picked out from the rest.

The long-tailed duck migration was a disapointment. Has the peak passed and most of them far from land or has they not come yet? We will see...

Notes from the cape:

divers 27

barnacle 145

long-tailed duck 867

smew 1

grey plover 2

purple sandpiper 2

black-headed gull 120

common gull 331

lesser black-backed gull 1 1st cy.

herring gull 1778

caspian gull 6 (2 1st cy. & 4 2nd. cy.)

Storm!

Today was a very windy day! Up to 15 m/s north-easterly. Sometimes I thought the wind shelter I was standing in should blow away.

Good number og gulls today, over 3000. Mainly herring. The long-tailed ducks didn't start migratng until 1300, when the rain stopped.

Notes from the cape:

wigeon 352

shoveler 14

tufted duck 65

scaup 108

long-tailed duck 10628

velvet scoter 220

smew 6

black-headed gull 178

common gull 387

lesser black-backed gull 5 1st cy.

herring gull 2442

caspian gull 2 (at least 1 1st cy. and 1 2nd cy.)

The first night with frost

Today was really cold...

But some late-autumn species cheered me up.

Notes from the cape:

divers 114 (105 red-throated)

mute swan 12

whooper swan 41

barnacle 1658

mallard 326

long-tailed duck 1900 (one albino/leucistic)

common scoter 131

velvet scoter 401

smew 91

merganser 190

herring gull 2000

Notes from the cape:

divers 283 (218 red-throated)
whooper swan 7
brent 888
barnacle 7197
wigeon 655
shoveler 142
long-tailed duck 2591
common scoter 200
velvet scoter 1528
smew 35
merganser 242

No ending

The barnacle will not stop migrating. 

The day was pretty dull until 1600 when barnacles started migrating in large flocks. Over 20.000 was counted until it was too dark. Barnacles was still heard in the dark.

Notes from the cape:

divers 134 (79 red-throated, 47 black-throated)

brent 837

barnacle 25338

long-tailed duck 1397

smew 10

merganser 156

purple sandpiper 1

little gull 126

The day after..

As expected, there was no enormous numbers of birds today, but still a nice autumn day. Weak wind, good light and small flocks passing by, almost all day.

Notes from the cape:

divers 576 (295 red-throated, 275 black-throated)

red-necked grebe 24

brent 1846

barnacle 7830

wigeon 526

tufted duck 201

scaup 230

long-tailed duck 10694

common scoter 514

velvet scoter 122

goldeneye 211

smew 6

merganser 471

little gull 49

lesser black-backed gull 2

grey wagtail 1

Mass migration

Fantastic day! Good weather and lots of birds. The day started with lots of long-tailed ducks and divers. In one hour over 5000 long-tailed and 500 divers was counted. At nine o'clock the geese were starting to move, and in three hours, between ten and one, 50 000 barnacles had passed!

Over 100.000 waterfowls was counted today!

Notes from the cape:

divers 1593 (745 black-throated, 591 red-throated and 257 divers sp.)

red-necked grebe 19

great crested grebe 40

bewick's swan 2

greater white-fronted 30

brent 754

barnacle 70906!

wigeon 816

pintail 205

tufted duck 1347

scaup 883

long-tailed duck 20994

common scoter 407

velvet scoter 294

goldeneye 451

smew 7

merganser 670

pomarine skua 1 3cy?

lesser black-backed gull 2

Now hoping for more tomorrow...

Teasing

A discharge is upcoming. Best day in a week. 

A siberian chiffchaff is resting in the village of Spithami and yesterday I had an adult yellow-billed diver 200-300 meters from the shore.

Notes from the cape:

divers 368 (272 red-throated, 85 black-throated)

barnacle 565

wigeon 142

pintail 137

tufted duck 145

scaup 221

eider 660

long-tailed duck 6272

common scoter 265

velvet scoter 1547

goldeneye 145

smew 8

merganser 114

caspian gull 1 2cy.

serin 2

In anticipation of something good...

Still same f'***ing shit weather!! Warm southwestern all the way up to the white sea. No wonder no birds want to migrate south.

Though, I find a siberian chiffchaff in the village of Spithami.

Notes from the cape:

8/10

divers 459 (245 red-throated, 212 black-throated)

red-necked grebe 19

tufted duck 47

scaup 113

eider 455

long-tailed duck 3427

common scoter 656

velvet scoter 424

golden plover 4

grey plover 13

curlew sandpiper 3

dunlin 7

bar-tailed godwit 1

little gull 25

7/10

divers 270 (red-throated 177, black-throated 93)

red-necked grebe 10

great crested grebe 13

eider 1170

long-tailed duck 887

common scoter 144

goldeneye 138

little gull 63

lesser black-backed gull 2

A new start?

After three days of very slow movement over the sea, a nice push of l-t ducks and eiders as well as divers were passing by today. Maybe a start of a new peak?

Notes from the cape:

divers 615 (403 r-t, 188 b-t)

red-necked grebe 17

great crested grebe 18

eider 2330

long-tailed duck 6544

goldeneye 522

lesser backed gull 1 2cy.

common tern 1 1cy.

Calm...

With south-south western winds all way up to the White sea, you really can't excpect any migration at all. And that is what it has been the last three days. It has been a struggle only to count 1000 birds per day. It still quit warm up in the tundra, but hopefully this will change next week and I will get some good migration.

Jacob has now left me and I have three more weeks to spend here at the cape.

The first push of Long-tailed ducks

There has now been a couple of days of good migration of long.tailed ducks. Over 40 000 has been counted the last week. Among other observations, I can mention yellow-billed diver and a hawkowl that came from the woods and fly straight out over the sea, probably migrating towards Sweden?  Another hawkowl was seen at Tuksi on wednesday.

Over a half millions waterfowls has now been counted since the last week of august. There is a long way to the expected million birds, but hopefully there are plenty of divers, ducks and gees left up in Russia.

Notes from the cape:

2/10

divers 459 (384 red-throated)

yellow-billed diver 1 summer

bewick's swan 81

brent 3231

barnacle 1241

long-tailed duck 3388

velvet scoter 1320

1/10

divers 615 (438 red-throated)

great crested grebe 38

brent 2701

barnacle 4860

long-tailed duck 16547

velvet scoter 702

merganser 243

hawk owl

Velvet bonanza and gesses on the move

There has been some really good days now. Velvet scoters and gesses passes by in thousands. Nice flocks of velvet scoters passed just over our heads, mostly around 40 in each flock but some flocks were as large as up to 350! A really good migration for velvet scoter, and one of the best days in recent years. Me and Jacob (happy as always) are now heading for the sauna after a wonderful day at work.

Notes from the field:

29/9

divers 613 (346 red-throated, 113 black-throated)

lesser w-f goose 2

greater w-f goose 944

tundra bean goose 217

brent goose 9056

barnacle goose 26931

wigeon 5038

scaup 3026

long-tailed duck 8823

common scoter 3910

velvet scoter 8310!!!

merganser 505

28/9

divers 283 (256 red-throated)

lesser w-f goose 2

greater w-f goose 737

tundra bean goose 75

brent 366

barnacle 6730

wigeon 4939

scaup 491

long-tailed duck 5545

common scoter 578

velvet scoter 3175!

Now they come...

Long time since the last update. Heavy migration has went pass the cape the last days, e.g. 65 000 waterfowls were counted in tuesday. Unfortunately most birds had passed during the night since they counted 109 000 barnacles at Ottenby. During all night I could hear barnacles flying over...

My friend Jacob has arrived to help me with the counting. Hopefully he will get some really nice days at the cape.

Notes from the cape:

25/9

divers 359 (still not any really high numbers)

brent 2035

barnacle 12655

wigeon 5610

teal 181

pintail 315

shoveler 67

scaup 348

common scoter 900

velvet scoter 992

arctic skua 1 adult pale

24/9

GANNET 1 (sick view, 50-100 meters from the shore, 1st c.y.!)

divers 313

brent 5080

barnacle 15850

wigeon 8620

teal 271

pintail 760

shoveler 81

scaup 1685

long-tailed duck 4080

common scoter 4570

velvet scoter 1662

merganser 446

crane 2260

arctic skua 1 pale

skua sp.

kittiwake 1

23/9

divers 745

brent 17151

pale-bellied brent 1

black brant 1

barnacle 12235

wigeon 10706

teal 1238

pintail 1928

shoveler 273

scaup 1645

long-tailed duck 2195

common scoter 13293

velvet scoter 1375

crane 1465

dunlin 1402

arctic skua 15

Scaups and barnacles

Well, the life goes on on the cape. Scaups dominate the migration. But good numbers of velvet scoters and wigeons are also passing. Divers are increasing but still no really high numbers. Today the first day with more than hundred gesses were noted. Several flocks were seen, most barnacles but also some Anser-geese. No brents, yet.

In the woods, yellow-browed warbler are calling, and I have seen at least four in the same time. The last five days there has been a total of around 4-7 ind. 

Weather:

Cloudy, 5 m/s North-East.

Notes from the cape:

19/9

divers 293 (244 red-throated)

greater white-fronted goose 5

tundra bean goose 45

barnacle goose 201

wigeon 4042

teal 492

pintail 142

shoveler 79

porchard 4

tufted duck 639

scaup 5002

Aythya sp. 75

common scoter 3315

velvet scoter 823

merganser 241

marsh harrier 1

hobby 1

red-throated pipit 1

18/9

divers 203 (166 red-throated)

wigeon 1892

teal 175

tufted duck 380

scaup 2573

long-tailed duck 76

common scoter 4717

velvet scoter 2083

merganser 249

arctic skua 4 pale adults

little gull 91

hobby 1

red-throated pipit 1

And there's more!!!

It never end! I didn't thouht of more scaups after yesterdays mass flow. I couldn't have more wrong. The migration behaved mush like yesterday. Fantastic movement until one o'clock, then almost completely silent until the last hiur when 1000 wigeons passed close in large flocks.

The count stopped at 7633 Aythya-ducks and 12539 in 36 h! This must be one of the higher counts in the baltic sea, or? If any one knows about any higher numbers I would love to hear about it!

I had some nice species also. A Richard's pipit for example, that came migrating from the sea in the morning. Called and fly right over my head, maybe three metres from me.

A y-b warbler was found today also at the same place as yesterday so probably the same. But the chiffchaffs the bird was hanging with yesterday was gone, and there was som good movement on goldcrests today, so a new bird is not an impossibillity.

Weather:

Mush same as yesterday, cloudy all day though, and even harder wind. In the evening from southeast.

Notes from the cape:

diver 177 (147 red-throated)

wigeon 7523

pintail 179

teal 349

shoveler 81

porchard 9

tufted duck 956

scaup 6553!!!

aythya sp. 115

common scoter 2781

velvet scoter 1525

peregrine 2

richard's pipit 1

Aythya-bonanza!!

The last week has the weather been the same; weak or sometimes no wind, high-pressure dominated and warm. But yesterday some change in the weather resulted in some nice flocks of Aythya-ducks, mainly scaups. Today, mostly felt right when I got to the cape. Flocks of scaups went by before I even got my scope ready, so I knew that this would be a great day. But maybe not SO great...

Flocks, often 40-60 ind., were passing by until one o'clock. Often mixed with velvet scoters and flocks of 80-100 scaups with 50 velvet scoters were not uncommon. 

At one o'clock the migration started to slow down (c. 3800 scaups had been counted then) and I got some time for search for eastern vagrants. The round resulted in one yellow-browed warbler and a siberian chiffchaff, not so bad.

The evening was not given anything new but some nice flocks of scaups in warm evening light.

Weather:

Cloudy in the morning. At noon partly cloudy and clear in the evening. Wind from northeast, 5-7 m/s in the morning, weaker in the evening.

Notes from the cape:

15/9

divers 169 (152 red-throated)

wigeon 690

pintail 109

shoveler 72

porchard 2

tufted duck 619

scaup 4185!

aythya sp. 100

common scoter 3689

velvet scoter 1782

hobby 2

merlin 1

peregrine 1

great-spotted woodpecker 4

red-throated pipit 1

Note that scaup was the most numerous species today, even more numerous than scoter.

14/9

wigeon 985

shoveler 31

porchard 3

tufted duck 87

scaup 649

aythya sp. 152

common scoter 2523

velvet scoter 886

kestrel 1

hobby 1

merlin 1

red-throated pipit

coal tit 280

When there's no migration...

... you have to find other places for birding. The morning was maybe the worst since I arrive in a seabird-migration point of view. But even if there was no seabird migration, the cape has always something nice to offer. An otter was seen well when it was hunting eiders! I don't think it's very common to see otters hunting eiders.

After the seawatch I went to find some eastern vagrants, primarily Yellow-browed warbler since it has turned up good numbers in Finland the last week. Unfortunately, no Yellow-browed was found, but a warbler even better for a Swedish birder like me. A Booted warbler, that was seen twice in an hour, skulking in a raspberry stock. The bird was seen well enough to exclude Syke's warbler and other similarly species.

Good numbers of Chiffchaff was seen this morning, as well as three Two-barred crossbills. A Red-breasted flycatcher was seen in the noon and a Corncrake was seen in the field off Spithami.

The serenity before the storm

Just another calm day at the cape today. Today's observation of the day will probably be the tit migration that continues, today even more than yesterday. Of the seabirds, there were very quiet, even if over hundred divers and some thousand scoters were passing by.

They now start to tear down the wind shelter. But I think they taking the very slow, because they only take the door today. Hopefully they will keep taking it slow so the shelter will stand some couple of weeks more.

Weather:

Same as yesterday...

Notes from the cape:

divers 118 (110 red-throated)

common scoter 2910

velvet scoter 294

merganser 77

honney buzzard 1

sparrowhawk 2

kestrel 1

hobby 4

arctic skua 1 pale

red-throated pipit 1

coal tit 1350

longspur 2

/Jon "Jona" Jörpeland

Pom, tits and another hawk owl

During my ride to the cape this morning a hawk owl were sitting in a tree right to the road just north of the village Tuksi where I live. This is the second record for me and five or so for Estonia this autumn.

At the cape, the seabirds were starting moving again and an early first year Pomarine skua were seen pretty distant.

Coal tits where migrating today too. Often in large flocks of about 100 or so. This is nothing compared to the 10000 counted at Kabli last weekend, but still nice.

Weather:

Cloudy, showers in the afternoon. Wind mainly from north, about 5 m/s. Weaker wind in the afternoon.

Notes from the cape:

divers 129 (117 red-throated)

wigeon 235

garganey 1

porchard 6

tufted duck 56

scaup 44

common scoter 4016

velvet scoter 574

merganser 82

osprey 2

marsh harrier 2

hobby 1

pomarine skua 1 1st c.y.

arctic skua 2 pale

coal tit 1045

Rest and the first brents

The seabird migration has been pretty dull the last couple of days. But even if there has not been any migration there has been some good bird anyway. White-winged black tern has been seen passing by the point and a little bunting was discovered by a british birder called John McLoughlin. And today during the foggy morning I found two corncrakes in the field off Spithami.

Yesterday a flock of seven, of the autumn's first brent geese was seen, so now the real autumn starting to arrive!

I post some picture that was taken by Jände Nordblad during the weekend.

Dabbling ducks on the move!

The dabbling ducks are moving! Ten thousand yesterday and six thousand today. Some really nice flocks coming right over my head in perfect light. Also, the Aythya maffia are starting to migrate now, over thousand the last two days. The first hen harrier for the season has passed as well.

The road to the cape is small road, that's goes through farmlands and forests. The trip by bike takes around 20-25 min. and it is very interesting every time. You never now what you can se in the twilight. For example have I seen racoon dog and hawk owl in morning.

Weather:

Nothing has changed really. Weak wind, warm and sunny.

Notes from the cape:

6/9 06:00-13:00 16:30-20:00

divers 169 (151 red-throated)

wigeon 4856

teal 1063

pintail 198

shoveler 48

tufted duck 414

scaup 170

common scoter 5019

velvet scoter 1021

5/9 06:00-14:00 16:00-20:00

divers 130

wigeon 8529

teal 451

pintail 1001

shoveler 171

tufted duck 523

scaup 62

common scoter 9316

velvet scoter 611

hen harrier 1 female

Another good day at the cape

Well, where to begin. Eh, just see the notes, will you!

Some small info though:

Scoters and teals went pass during the morning. Wigeons and pintails all day, in the evening high up and on broad front.

One flock of 18! great white egrets were soaring over land in the evening. Sweet!

Where are the juvenile skuas?

Some tit-invasion maybe?

Weather:

Weak wind today, mainly from NW. Sunny and warm.

Notes from the cape:

divers 143 (102 red-throated, 35 black-throated and 6 diver sp.)

great white egret 18! (one flock soaring over land!)

taiga bean goose 1

tundra bean goose 4

wigeon 3744

teal 897

pintail 1611

shoveler 106

long-tailed duck 2

common scoter 15587

velvet scoter 704

honney-buzzard 2

hobby 1

arctic skua 19 (9 pale, 7 dark, 3 1st cy)

coal tit 810! (early)

great tit 5

willow tit 4 was given the sea a try but turned back into the woods

two-barred crossbill 1

over 100,000 birds have been counted in the last eight days I've been here, and more to come...

Scoter, scoter... oh wait!

Wow! Just wow. What a day. Today was a fantastic day at the cape. Already at the first sunlight, scoters were passing by with an intense speed. Ten thousand were counted the first two hours, fifteen thousand the next 1,5 h! In all this a distant long-tailed skua was seen and many many teals.

At 10:30, the migration was slowing down drastically and continued till one o'clock when it all died out. But just before it all stopped, I got a flock with hundred or so scoters. Immedately I started counting, but just when I got to scoter number three... Amerikansk sjöorre!!!! (Black scoter!!!!) I shouted even if I were the only man standing. What a beauty! The bird went passed just 300 m off the cape in perfect light. Joy and dance at the cape for nearly an hour and then off to seawatching again.

After some two three hours sleep, I was ready for some seawatch again. Skuas, grebes and little gulls went pass in beautiful light and some drunk estonians who did not stopped asking questions of why I was here birding. 

Now some deserved dinner and sleep.

Weather:

Strong wind (up till 10 m/s) N turning N-Nv in the afternoon. Sunny and warm.

Notes from the cape:

divers 66

red-necked grebe 55

teal 526

pintail 107
garganey 1

common scoter 32411 (one leucitic)

black scoter 1 male showing off well together with 100 common

velvet scoter 377

ruff 15

arctic skua 24 (11 pale, 8 dark, 1 2nd cy, 4 1st cy)

long-tailed skua 1 1st cy

skua sp. 1 1st cy (pom or an arctic)

little gull 91

common tern 50

Ten thousand scoters and more

Every day is worth mention at Põõsaspea. Today was no exception. One cold front passed during the night, and gave a wonderful day at the cape. Flocks of scoters and dabbling ducks went on with no interruption until 2 o'clock. Some really large flocks of scoters went by, e.g. 550 common scoter in nice light or 140 velvet scoters right above my head. 

Met a finnish birder, Jäncle Nordblad, yesterday. He gave me some tips of good wader locations and helped me count some flocks during the most busy time.

I managed to find a 1st c.y. caspian gull as well that showed off perfectly when it flew by the cape among the other gulls. Jäncle did get some pretty nice photos of it too.

Weather:

Light rain during the morning, thereafter cloudy until noon. Strong W-Sw wind all day.

Notes from the cape:

1/9 06:00-18:30

divers 59

wigeon 1108

teal 380

pintail 553

shoveler 87

scaup 35

long-tailed duck 1

common scoter 10205

velvet scoter 1808

goldeneye 206

osprey 1

hobby 4

arctic skua 1

caspian gull 1 1st c.y.

common tern 343

black tern 2

/Jon

An introduction..

My first days here at Põõsaspea has now ended. Even if the weather has been the same for the past days, there have been a lot of seabirds passing by. Pintail ducks, teals and divers passes by in there hundreds and scoters in there thousands each day, often close and in wonderful light. What more can you whish?

The cape Põõsaspea points in a northwestern direction, meaning good light all day long.

At the cape, swallows and wagtails stops to feed in there hundreds. And both kingfisher and Nutcracker had made a short visit as well.

Weather:
Sunny and very warm days. Little clouds and some small showers in the evening. Weak wind mainly from south-east

Notes from the cape:

30/8 05:45-19:30

divers 162
Red-necked grebe 53
teal 769
pintail duck 349
shoveler 32
common scoter 7597
velvet scoter 421
arctic skua 4
"comic" terns 655 (99 % common)
black tern 1
cuckoo 1
red-throated pipit 1

29/8 05:30-18:30

divers 104
Red-necked grebe 20
teal 767
common scoter 1629
honey buzzard 18
kestrel 6
hobby 2
merlin 1
knot 98
arctic skua 4

28/8 05:30-13:00 & 17:00-19:30

teal 1080
pintail duck 246
shoveler 48
common scoter 1365
velvet scoter 140
montagu's harrier 1
ruddy turnstone 2
arctic skua 2
little tern 1
cuckoo 1
black tern 1

this was a very sort introduction, more coming soon.

/Jon