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In the morning I checked the beaches and bays around Haapsalu once again but didn’t find the  red-breasted pochards that were seen at the outskirts of the Haapsalu beach promenade the day before yesterday. Hopefully the species will be seen on more occasions in Estonia this year and then twitching will maybe succeed. In fact the best time for finding this species is yet to come, according to data  at the Bird Rarities Committee it has been seen here most frequently in May.

 

Canada goose (11.04.2012 Audru polder)

 

I headed for Pärnumaa and on the road near Lihula noticed a golden eagle. It was flying rather far away above a bog, ravens at its heels. This species I haven’t seen before this year. The first serious stop was at the Audru polder, where thousands of geese and ducks are staying at the moment on the flooded hayfields. The most interesting species here was maybe the Canada goose; 25 of them walked around on the golf course next to the polder.

 

Partridge (11.04.2012 Pulgoja)

 

On the Pulgoja coastal meadow near Häädemeeste 2 partridges posed at the roadside. Only some ten years ago it was a quite common bird that could be seen at roadsides everywhere. But now it has become a real rarity. This year I have seen it only in two places. Apparently small predators, growing fast in numbers, have simply devoured the partridges.

In the evening I arrived at the Kabli bird station and here I found the green sandpiper as a new species for the year list. In my 2012 list there are now 155  bird species.