It's autumn for Tõnn
Text and photos: Urmas Sellis
Map: Google Earth
Translation: Liis
Greater spotted eagle Tõnn, hatched last year in Estonia, spent nearly the whole summer in Finland on the west coast between Pori and Vaasa.
Tõnn Tõnn spent nearly a month at this rather wet meadow, far from human settlements. Quite often he perched on the rocks in the foreground and on old hayrolls. The year was wetter than usual in that area too and some fields couldn’t take haymaking – but all this suited Tõnn very well. Merikarvia, or Sastmola area.He became restless already around July 20, and made some longer flights towards north. On July 26 he left the bog near Närpio where he had been staying for some time ...
The overgrown lake where Tõnn spent several weeks. Particularly he liked the small islet in the middle of the bog, and the tall spruce, from which this photo was taken. The place is far from human settlements but at one end a newly built grilling pavillion shone proudly, and caused some conflicting emotions in Tõnn’s followers ... Tõnn had moved northwards already two days earlier, but whooper swans and the short-eared owl could be encountered in this almost impenetrable terrain, and there were delicious cloudberries too.
... and set off on a tour of the area between Kokkola, Kajaani and Jyväskylä. Because the days were now quickly growing shorter, instinct made him move somewhere – and a southerly direction seemed most attractive, particularly when the sea could be used for orientation.
It seems that for a greater spotted eagle the sea is an uncrossable obstacle, and so yesterday, August 5, Tõnn was already moving eastwards across Helsinki.
The most recent transmission data from Tõnn plotted on the map. He has finally also been seen, yesterday at least three times around Helsinki, for instance in Espoo (interesting - are there no birdwatchers elsewhere in Finland ...).
Whether he also will visit his homeland on the second autumn migration of his life we will know in three days – this is when we have the next transmission session with Tõnn.
News History
- Birder's diary - 05.02
07.02.2012. - White-tailed eagle camera caught a flashing star
07.02.2012. - Otters know how to enjoy winter
06.02.2012. - Bird feeder guest – grey-headed woodpecker
06.02.2012. - Bird feeder guest - great spotted woodpecker
06.02.2012. - Students’ tit camera
04.02.2012. - Bird feeder guest - redpoll
04.02.2012. - Birder’s diary - 2.02
03.02.2012. - Nature Year Photo 2012
03.02.2012. - ABC of winter garden birds for smart phones
03.02.2012. - Birder’s diary – summary of January
02.02.2012. - Trees of the year - the apple trees
02.02.2012. - Birder's diary - 31.01
02.02.2012. - Burbot - the only winter spawner in fresh waters
02.02.2012. - Boar at feeding ground
01.02.2012. - Ice flower time
01.02.2012. - First results of Winter Garden Bird Watch
31.01.2012. - Birder's diary - 29.01
31.01.2012. - Winter bird feeder camera guests – jay
29.01.2012. - Birder’s diary - 28.01
29.01.2012. - Ice cover on river in the morning
29.01.2012. - Birder’s diary - 27.01
29.01.2012. - Ravens flirting
28.01.2012. - Birder’s diary - 26.01
27.01.2012. - Winter bird feeder camera guest – bullfinch
27.01.2012. - Garden Bird Watch this weekend
26.01.2012. - Birder's diary - 25.01
26.01.2012. - Capercaillie - a bird of pine trees
25.01.2012. - Ice forming on rivers
25.01.2012. - Backyard Potterer’s journal: January
25.01.2012. - Where have the boars gone?
24.01.2012. - Home page of Bird of the Year open
24.01.2012. - Birder's diary - 100 species passed!
24.01.2012. - Birder's diary - 22.01
23.01.2012. - Brisk action at eagle feeding ground
23.01.2012. - Roe deer herds still seen in places
22.01.2012. - Loads of eagles ...
21.01.2012. - Visitor
21.01.2012. - "Märka mind“ – “See me"
21.01.2012. - Elk tracks in snow
20.01.2012. - Birder's diary - 18.01
20.01.2012. - Birder's diary - 17.01
19.01.2012. - Drinker moth’s caterpillars like snow
17.01.2012. - Birder's diary - 16.01
17.01.2012. - Birds of the Year: the plovers
16.01.2012. - Birder's diary - 15.01
16.01.2012. - White-tailed eagles here
16.01.2012. - The year in nature 2011: Rich and poor
15.01.2012. - Birder's diary - 14.01
15.01.2012. - Birder's diary - 13.01
15.01.2012.









