It was a long walk to start the day but eventually we got to our car and headed off to our breakfast spot, the same filling station as the previous day. Coffee, pastries, and free internet to catch up on the World Cup soccer scores.
Today we'd head directly north, check out a couple of spots near the coast. We were still looking for that Rosefinch!
Alas, today wasn't to be the day and we had to settle for some other sights instead.
A pair of Red-backed Shrikes appeared to have a nest nearby and were busy collecting food.
but that was about all we could find although Mike was delighted he'd seen a brief glimpse of his first ever Barred Warbler. I was elsewhere at the time!
We decided to head south to an area of wetland nearer to the Russian border. Sadly we never found the wetland, a huge area of what was once probably peat bog has been stripped bare which huge hills of peat being ready to be taken away and what remains a totally sterile environment. Very sad indeed so think twice before buying these products for your garden.
The surrounding forest brought better luck though. I had a brief view of a Hazel Grouse we flushed as we drove past but it was the movement of several small birds that caused us to stop. A mixed feeding flock of Great Tits and better still, Crested Tits.
I'd never seen one before so I was delighted!
This seemed to be the end of our lucky streak there and we decided we'd head back to bear hide to get there nice and early, around 4.00pm. So far the action had been early evening so the sooner everything was settled maybe the sooner the animals would come out to play?
We also needed to get some supplies for the evening meal too so it ended up another stop at a previously visited supermarket. One we had previously dubbed the worst in Estonia and it was now upgraded to possibly the worst in Europe! The choice of food was truly awful but they did at least have the one product we really wanted but more of that later!
We drove on, continuing along a minor road before leaving on a gravel track which was a short cut to where we wanted to be.
Along the way we heard a Corncrake calling from what we thought was the edge of the road. We stopped and reversed back a short distance. It was loud and clear, perhaps in the grassy ditch along the roadside that separated us from an orchard which the owner was mowing with his tractor.
It was then we realised the sound was actually coming from a very small square of long grass, maybe a metre square at most. The Corncrake had taken refuge in here as it was the last remains of long grass as the grass cutter couldn't take this part as there was a telegraph pole in the middle of it.
Mike suggested I go and take a closer look, I knew his tactic was to get the flight shot when I flushed it! I suggested he went and fair do's he did!
I have no excuses for what happened next!
I should have nailed the shot but I didn't. Far from it in fact.
Too many mistakes. As he approached the patch i realised I had my 1.4 TC connected to my 500mm f4 lens. Quick take it off! I managed that before the bird flew but I was using far too slow a shutter speed, I was using all the focus points and I had the image stabilisation set on the wrong settings.
I should have told Mike to wait but for some reason I didn't. Perhaps it was because the tractor was heading back towards him and it was private land he was standing in! Whatever, I made a total cock up of the situation , and that is something that will irritate for some time to come. Will probably irritate Mike too as he had no chance of getting a shot from his position and he probably regrets the fact that it was me who got the chance that he would have taken better!
Ah well, at least we saw this elusive bird. Many people have heard one but never seen one.
Driving on we also spotted a pair of Common Cranes. We'd been hoping for better views than we'd had last time in Estonia but this was as good as it was to get.
The heat haze, the vegetation and the fact that they immediately turn their backs and walk away from you all contributed to another unsatisfactory outcome!
Onwards to the bear hide and despite having taken the identical route before, I managed to direct Mike down the wrong track! Still we got to the hide by around 16.15pm.
We were getting ourselves ready when another car turned up. One lady driver, a young student from Belarus who said she spoke little English but we later found out her English was a lot better than our non existent Russian. Someone had gifted her the hide experience so she was there to meet the guide at 5.00pm. We could have offered to walk her to the hide but thought better to let her meet the guide in case he thought she hadn't turned up( although of course a car would be there) We set off alone and wondered what the poor girl was thinking. Would she be sharing a hide with two strange men?
Today we'd head directly north, check out a couple of spots near the coast. We were still looking for that Rosefinch!
Alas, today wasn't to be the day and we had to settle for some other sights instead.
A pair of Red-backed Shrikes appeared to have a nest nearby and were busy collecting food.
but that was about all we could find although Mike was delighted he'd seen a brief glimpse of his first ever Barred Warbler. I was elsewhere at the time!
We decided to head south to an area of wetland nearer to the Russian border. Sadly we never found the wetland, a huge area of what was once probably peat bog has been stripped bare which huge hills of peat being ready to be taken away and what remains a totally sterile environment. Very sad indeed so think twice before buying these products for your garden.
The surrounding forest brought better luck though. I had a brief view of a Hazel Grouse we flushed as we drove past but it was the movement of several small birds that caused us to stop. A mixed feeding flock of Great Tits and better still, Crested Tits.
I'd never seen one before so I was delighted!
This seemed to be the end of our lucky streak there and we decided we'd head back to bear hide to get there nice and early, around 4.00pm. So far the action had been early evening so the sooner everything was settled maybe the sooner the animals would come out to play?
We also needed to get some supplies for the evening meal too so it ended up another stop at a previously visited supermarket. One we had previously dubbed the worst in Estonia and it was now upgraded to possibly the worst in Europe! The choice of food was truly awful but they did at least have the one product we really wanted but more of that later!
We drove on, continuing along a minor road before leaving on a gravel track which was a short cut to where we wanted to be.
Along the way we heard a Corncrake calling from what we thought was the edge of the road. We stopped and reversed back a short distance. It was loud and clear, perhaps in the grassy ditch along the roadside that separated us from an orchard which the owner was mowing with his tractor.
It was then we realised the sound was actually coming from a very small square of long grass, maybe a metre square at most. The Corncrake had taken refuge in here as it was the last remains of long grass as the grass cutter couldn't take this part as there was a telegraph pole in the middle of it.
Mike suggested I go and take a closer look, I knew his tactic was to get the flight shot when I flushed it! I suggested he went and fair do's he did!
I have no excuses for what happened next!
I should have nailed the shot but I didn't. Far from it in fact.
Too many mistakes. As he approached the patch i realised I had my 1.4 TC connected to my 500mm f4 lens. Quick take it off! I managed that before the bird flew but I was using far too slow a shutter speed, I was using all the focus points and I had the image stabilisation set on the wrong settings.
I should have told Mike to wait but for some reason I didn't. Perhaps it was because the tractor was heading back towards him and it was private land he was standing in! Whatever, I made a total cock up of the situation , and that is something that will irritate for some time to come. Will probably irritate Mike too as he had no chance of getting a shot from his position and he probably regrets the fact that it was me who got the chance that he would have taken better!
Ah well, at least we saw this elusive bird. Many people have heard one but never seen one.
Driving on we also spotted a pair of Common Cranes. We'd been hoping for better views than we'd had last time in Estonia but this was as good as it was to get.
The heat haze, the vegetation and the fact that they immediately turn their backs and walk away from you all contributed to another unsatisfactory outcome!
Onwards to the bear hide and despite having taken the identical route before, I managed to direct Mike down the wrong track! Still we got to the hide by around 16.15pm.
We were getting ourselves ready when another car turned up. One lady driver, a young student from Belarus who said she spoke little English but we later found out her English was a lot better than our non existent Russian. Someone had gifted her the hide experience so she was there to meet the guide at 5.00pm. We could have offered to walk her to the hide but thought better to let her meet the guide in case he thought she hadn't turned up( although of course a car would be there) We set off alone and wondered what the poor girl was thinking. Would she be sharing a hide with two strange men?
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