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