Friday 28 May 2010

Homeward Bound - Simon & Garfunkle 1966

A farewell drink to Tallinn, next stop Weymouth.

We fly EasyJet to Stansted this evening, so just time to get this 'post' published before leaving for the airport.

Have we featured Chaffinch on the Blog yet?

Another one of many breeding Pied Flycatchers.

Close-up of Hooded Crow.

The following 3 photographs were take during our 'Blue Period' when we had the camera setting at 'White Fluorescent Light' due to gross incompetence.

The 'Tallink Ferry' that plies between this capital and Helsinki, Finland.

'Second Summer' Herring Gull of the nominate race Larus argentatus argentartus

an adult herring Gull of the same race.

An omission from yesterday's post, as we took the bus back to Tallinn, in addition to the now all too familiar numbers of White Stork, there was a second Black Kite for the trip and an addition to my Estonia List of a fine adult male Marsh Harrier, quartering fields just outside the capital.

Some Statistics

89 species have been seen in Estonia this trip, with Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Goosander, Black Kite, Marsh Harrier, Corncrake, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Common Tern, Arctic tern, Little Tern, Wood Pigeon, Nightjar, Wryneck, Tree Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Red-backed Shrike, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Goldcrest, Pied Flycatcher, Whinchat, Wheatear, Common Redstart, Robin, Thrush Nightingale, Song Thrush, Greenfinch, Hawfinch, Scarlet Rosefinch and Rook.

What still remain elusive, given the season and sites visited, includes Great Crested Grebe, Shoveler, Stock Dove, Turtle Dove, a number of Owls & Woodpeckers, Sand Martin, Great Grey Shrike, Dunnock, Long-tailed Tit, Wren, Treecreeper, Reed Bunting, any of the Redpoll, Brambling and Bullfinch.

and what wasn't seen this time but has been previously:- Grey Heron, Teal, Tufted Duck, White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Sparrowhawk, Goshawk, Honey Buzzard, Peregrine, Hobby, Merlin, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Meadow Pipit plus Marsh & Willow Tit.

The Stat Counter has now recorded well over 2,000 individual readers of the Blog, from 65 countries. The latest of these are:- Poland, Trinidad & Tobago, Finland, Philippines and South Africa.

I find it fascinating to look at the 'counter' daily to see just who, and from where, the readership come. This is a copy of today's findings and readers:-


Num Perc. Country Name

drill   down127963.95%United KingdomUnited Kingdom
drill   down30315.15%EstoniaEstonia
drill   down773.85%United StatesUnited States
drill   down402.00%SlovakiaSlovakia
drill   down341.70%AustraliaAustralia
drill   down281.40%AustriaAustria
drill   down231.15%CanadaCanada
drill   down231.15%UkraineUkraine
drill   down201.00%Czech RepublicCzech Republic
drill   down180.90%NetherlandsNetherlands
drill   down170.85%HungaryHungary
drill   down160.80%GermanyGermany
drill   down150.75%RomaniaRomania
drill   down150.75%ArgentinaArgentina
drill   down100.50%IndiaIndia
drill   down100.50%JapanJapan
drill   down90.45%Bosnia And HerzegovinaBosnia And   Herzegovina
drill   down70.35%ColombiaColombia
drill   down60.30%MacedoniaMacedonia
drill   down50.25%VietnamVietnam
drill   down50.25%SpainSpain
drill   down40.20%EuropeEurope
drill   down30.15%MexicoMexico
drill   down30.15%TaiwanTaiwan
drill   down30.15%ItalyItaly
drill   down30.15%SerbiaSerbia
drill   down20.10%VenezuelaVenezuela
drill   down20.10%EcuadorEcuador
drill   down20.10%FranceFrance
drill   down20.10%IrelandIreland
drill   down20.10%ThailandThailand
drill   down20.10%ChileChile
drill   down20.10%FinlandFinland
drill   down10.05%PhilippinesPhilippines
drill   down10.05%IndonesiaIndonesia
drill   down10.05%BulgariaBulgaria
drill   down10.05%Costa RicaCosta Rica
drill   down10.05%


drill   down10.05%BoliviaBolivia
drill   down10.05%South AfricaSouth Africa
drill   down10.05%SwedenSweden
drill   down10.05%SloveniaSlovenia
drill   down10.05%Trinidad And TobagoTrinidad And   Tobago

FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC!

It's great to know so many of you are enjoying the read, please send the link on to your friends, increasing both the readership and countries involved - THANK YOU ALL!