looduskalender.ee

 Translation: Liis

 

The weather forecast promised south-easterly winds on the south-western coast which should mean that many birds get into the nets of the Kabli bird station. A firm plan to go there for a few days to help with the ringing came about. But for today this favourable wind should start blowing only in the afternoon, and so I decided to spend the best observation period in the morning scoping again at the Lämmijärve in Mehikoorma. Teh weather was cloudy and visibility somewhat poor but I still succeeded to count 125 000 migrants (mainly chaffinches). This autumn nearly 3,5 million migrating birds have been counted at Mehikoorma. The Mehikoorma observations are shown in the e-Biodiversity data base.

 

Common or Eurasian firecrest ringed at Kabli 25.09.2012, 13th observation in Estonia (Photo: Jaak Tammekänd)

 

The assumptions about Kabli held good, that is, the weather conditions were not the best and particularly many birds did not get into the nets. But as a surprise a firecrest was caught at Kabli. This is a quite hot rarity, that according to data at the Bird rarities committee only has been seen in Estonia 12 times. In Kabli a firecrest was last ringed in 1974. Although I have seen this species in Estonia twice (2004. in Pärnumaa in the Timmkanal forests and in 2006 in Virumaa at the Jõuga lakes), I would with pleasure  have the species  in my year list. If I had gone straight to Kabli in the morning instead of to Mehikoorma ... But, well, vagrant visitors’ moves cannot be guessed in advance. In the evening I reached the Kabli bird station, tomorrow we will catch a new rarity.