Highlights from Estonia

The small Baltic country of Estonia sits to the north of Latvia and across the water from Finland, which can be reached via a ferry journey to Helsinki, taking around two hours. It is one of the least densely populated countries in Europe and has a relatively flat landscape, interspersed by bogs and large areas which are still covered by forest. In September, Operations Manager, Alison Steel, paid Estonia visited, and here she tells us more about it as a destination and what wildlife it has to offer.

‘I began my visit with an overnight stay in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital city. The central part of the city is the Old Town, which was originally a walled settlement and is one the best-preserved examples of a medieval city still found within Europe. Cobbled streets wind around church spires, old towers, city walls and gateways, with plenty of out-of-the way corners to discover on foot.

Just north of the city is a large spit of land that juts into the Baltic and is a migration hotspot during the peak times, as well as being a resting site for cormorants and gulls. Lots of swallows were congregating on the wires, preparing for their journey south, occasionally being sent scattering by a Sparrowhawk or cuckoo flying through. From here, I travelled around Tallinn Bay to board a specially designed vessel for wildlife-watching, which has one-way glass windows around the sides that also open up, top hatches and both a regular and electric motor. The main aim of the trip was to observe Grey Seals out on a rocky island, but before arriving there, an Otter was spotted, perched up on a rock. Using the electric motor allowed for a quieter approach and it was unphased by being watched for some time before it slipped into the water. Once out at the seal colony, some of the seals were basking on the rocks, resembling banana-shaped stones until they moved position. Some were inquisitive and swam close to the boat, while others preferred to remain at a distance. At a couple of points, the seabirds on the islands rose in a noisy swirl as an approaching White-tailed Eagle disturbed the roost.

Nearby Aegna Island was where I spent the night in a glamping tent by a cabin in the woods, taking the chance to enjoy an ocean swim and beach sauna in a quiet location. The island was once the site of air defence bunkers, of which the ruins remain, but much of the island is now forested, with the call of Treecreeper, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrest and tits echoing around the woodland.

Estonia is known for its outdoor lifestyle and locally sourced foods, both of which I experienced the following day while visiting its highest waterfall (at all of 7 metres tall), taking a wild swim in a bog lake and enjoying lunch made primarily from foraged local ingredients, particularly mushrooms, and a dessert made from chestnut flour and birch sap syrup.

In the afternoon, I headed to a bear hide set on the edge of a forest clearing and settled in for the night. There were plenty of Jays foraging around the area, but the first mammal sighting was a Red Fox. Shortly after this, movement under a coniferous tree turned out to be a family of Racoon Dogs, which provided plenty of entertainment for much of the rest of the evening. Just as everyone was starting to relax, our guide said ‘Bear!’ and sure enough, there was a young female bear ambling into the clearing. It seemed very cautious and on edge, initially only staying in view for a short period of time. Over the course of the evening, there were three different bears that came to the clearing. Eventually it was time to head to bed in one of the bunks in the hide. On emerging the next morning, we discovered a fruit tree that had been scavenged by a bear, and likely a very large bear given the damage done to the tree, which made everyone very thankful to have been safely in the hide overnight!

The rest of the morning was spent at one of the many bogs, taking a bog walk to find out more about this habitat, which includes lakes and pools. Along with a number of dragonflies and mushrooms, there was some late sundew still showing.

An exploration of Lahemaa National Park with a local guide took us along the forest tracks that our group tours visit in search of Lynx. During a walk through the woods, we had glimpses of Hazel Grouse, with calls sounding from within the vegetation, with Treecreeper and Crested Tit also being heard. Flocks of cranes were starting to gather in the fields and a Lesser Spotted Eagle was seen soaring on the thermals.

The remainder of my time was spent on the west coast, around Haapsalu, Matsalu, Põõsaspea and Saaremaa Island. Autumn migration had already started and, although the wind direction was affecting the number of birds coming through and the route they were taking, there were still plenty of species to be seen, including Red- and Black-throated Divers, scoters, swans, Common Crane, Wigeon and Teal. On an evening excursion two Eurasian Elk were seen, along with a Red Fox and several Roe Deer.

Overall, I found it to be a very picturesque country, with large areas of wild land, plentiful wildlife and some fascinating history.’

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