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Looking over yesterday’s photos I remembered that in the evening I had photographed a skua passing in flight near Metsküla in Läänemaa. It was an Arctic skua, which means that yesterday I got one more species for my year list after all.

 

Collared flycatcher in the Kuressaare castle park (04.05.2012 Tambet Allik)

 

Since today was to be the only calm morning in the next few days I headed already in the morning at about six o’clock to the Kuressaare Castle park where in some years past the rare collared flycatcher has been nesting. The pied flycatchers have already arrived, maybe its collared relative too would be in its old spot. I did not have much hope because last year the species was not seen at all in Estonia but you can but try. In the park I met local bird watcher Veljo Volke, who was out with a group of teachers listening to birdsong. So we started to look for the collared flycatcher together. It did not take long before Veljo reported that one collared flycatcher had arrived straight under his nose. I rushed there myself and after some searching the rarity was seen. During the day several other birdwatchers managed to see the bird and to make photos as evidence for the Bird rarities committee.

In the day I headed for the Sõrve peninsula to check the juniper stands along the shore, maybe some new arrivals had landed from migration. I did not find anyone particularly exciting but at Loode I saw as new species for the year list the  common whitethroat, red-breasted flycatcher and  Northern hobby. My 2012 species list now has 214 bird species.

In the evening I reached Karala on the Saaremaa western coast, because according to the weather forecast there would be a westerly wind in the morning and I hoped to see a good waterfowl migration. But just as I had uncorked the wine bottle to celebrate the collared flycatcher information came by  Rariliin  that a Kentish plover was in place on Kihnu island. It was the 4th observation of this bird in Estonia and although I myself had seen it twice already in Estonia it would be a very tough species for my year list. Tired from the constant driving, however, I decided to postpone the twitching and rather enjoy the fine wine.