Leaders	Tarvo Valker and Luke Massey
Flights	EasyJet, Scheduled Outbound: Morning, Gatwick-Tallinn Inbound: Afternoon, Tallinn-Gatwick

Day 1	Arrive in Tallinn and transfer to Haapsalu
Day 2	Matsalu National Park
Day 3	Mammal tracking
Day 4	To central Estonia; Elk and Wild Boar safari
Day 5	Toosikannu and Mordama
Day 6	Transfer to Rakvere; Bear hide
Day 7	Wolf and Lynx tracking
Day 8	Tour of Tallinn and departure home

Weather	Can be variable at this time of year but should be fairly pleasant temperatures. Good chance of rain and may be chilly early in the morning (0°- 16°C).
Walking	Mainly on good level paths but we may also enter the forest in search of tracks and signs and this terrain can be a little more difficult
Meals	All included from dinner on Day 1 to lunch on Day 8, taken at local restaurants and farms.
Insects	Mosquitoes and other biting insects can be a nuisance if the weather is warm so do bring repellent if you are at all susceptible.
Accom	Comfortable hotel and/or guesthouses with private facilities. Twin and Single rooms
Group	10

Day 1	After our flight from Gatwick to Tallinn, we shall meet our guide and drive to Western Estonia, making some birding stops at Taebla and Oru fields before checking-in at our guesthouse. After a short break we shall drive to the northern shore of Matsalu Bay where we shall visit Haeska watching tower. The record for the highest day list of bird species in Northern Europe was achieved in this region in May 2012 by Finnish birdwatchers – 128 species by nightfall. If time allows we shall also explore a variety of Põgari-Sassi coastal habitats, before we return to the guesthouse and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant (Baltic Hotel Promenaadi).
Day 2	Following our coastal pursuit for migratory and staging waterbirds we reach Matsalu National Park. This is the most famous bird area in Estonia, known as one of the most important breeding and stop-over areas for waterfowl and shorebirds in the whole of Northern Europe. Over 40 sq km, this reserve consists of large open floodplains and coastal meadows, riparian and coastal woodlands, river delta and marshlands and the shallow Matsalu Bay itself with 3 thousand hectares of reedbeds, numerous islands and 7 birdwatching towers around it. This makes this reserve wonderful as a migratory staging place for vast numbers of coastal and waterbirds. Matsalu Bay is typically covered with white spots of about 20 thousand Whooper and Bewick Swans, plus tens of thousands of Goldeneye, Pochard, Wigeon, Teal and waders. Several thousand Barnacle, Bean, Greylag and White-fronted Geese harvest the grass of local meadows and fields and the very rare Lesser White-fronted Goose can be found amongst them. Matsalu area is also well known for its concentration of Common Cranes in the autumn. As many as 20 thousand birds gather around the bay and feed in adjacent fields. Following the masses of Cranes flying in on a golden evening or out on a misty morning from their roosting places is an unforgettable experience. We shall watch from viewing platforms and while enjoying the cranes we’ll look out for other wildlife such as Elk or White-tailed Eagles, Harriers and other birds. In the evening we shall again have dinner at a local restaurant (Baltic Hotel Promenaadi).
Day 3	In the early morning we shall enjoy a mammal safari searching for Elk, Wild Boar, Roe Deer and hopefully Lynx. The area is a mixture of heathland forests, wetlands, open clearings and fields. We also hope to be entertained by the autumn calls of lekking Black Grouse, whilst other attractions in this area include Capercaillie, Hazel Grouse, Wryneck and some interesting woodpeckers. We shall continue our birding at Põõsaspea peninsula. This small north-stretching spit is situated at the migratory crossroads, where masses of waterbirds coming from the Bothnian and the Finnish Bays meet. It is one of the best places to observe Arctic waterbird migration. Tens of thousands of Long-tailed Ducks, Common Scoters and goose species can be seen during the peak of migration. This place is famous for its diver migration: up to two thousand Black-throated and Red-throated Divers can be seen daily and Yellow-billed Diver is frequently seen. After lunch we shall reach the Matsalu National Park once again and climb observation towers to scan over the marshes and also - if possible - take a boat ride through the vast reedbeds, the largest expanse on the Baltic coast. Dusk is the time that Beavers leave their lodges to spend an industrious night felling riverside trees and saplings. A little quiet patience is required here, but with luck you are likely to see several individuals going about their nightly construction work and swimming about, with background sounds of thousands of Bewick and Whooper Swans. We shall eat dinner on the boat or at a local restaurant (Baltic Hotel Promenaadi).
Day 4	Today we shall move to central Estonia in the late morning. After a break our next guesthouse and lunch we shall drive around a more agricultural landscape, where we hope to see flocks of migratory birds - including hundreds of Bramblings, Chaffinches and Waxwings. Beside passerine migration, we hope to improve our bird list with several raptors, such as Rough-legged Buzzard and maybe even Hawk Owl! When it gets darker, we shall enjoy a mammal safari searching for Elk, Wild Boar, Roe Deer and hopefully Lynx. An open vehicle will help us get good views of the different mammal species. The area is a mixture of old forest, open clearings and fields. Our safari passes several feeding stations for Elk and Wild Boar, where both mammals can be seen regularly. We shall also try to get sightings of another nocturnal mammal - Raccoon Dog. Woodlands near our guesthouse hold habitat for little, angry looking, Pygmy Owl and stunning Ural Owl (Toosikannu Holiday Village).
Day 5	As woodlands around Toosikannu hold a nice mixture of deciduous as well as coniferous trees, a morning birding could result in interesting forest birds. Grey-headed, White-backed and Black Woodpeckers, Hazel Hen and Nutcracker are all frequently encountered here. Afterwards we shall head to a more agricultural landscape where several interesting birds can be found, such as Great Grey Shrike or Rough-legged Buzzard and, if we are very lucky, even Hawk Owl may turn up (although we are a little early for these). After a refreshing lunch in a local tourism farm (or restaurant), we shall head to a polder area at nearby Pärnu town. Audru is a well known stop-over site for thousands of geese. Bean Geese are regular migrants and even Red-breasted Goose are found annually in this area. Just nearby is a breeding site for another highlight woodpecker - Middle Spotted Woodpecker. We shall return to the guesthouse in the late afternoon (Toosikannu Holiday Village).
Day 6	After an early breakfast, we shall move to one of the most densely forested corners of Estonia - it is similar in appearance to taiga and is called Alutaguse. A large storm in 2001and forest cuttings after that, have changed the look of this landscape a lot. New forest is the best place to find Roe Deer and Elk, who in turn are targets for large carnivores. Alutaguse is situated near the Russian border and forms a solid natural landscape through to St.Peterburg Oblast´s forests and bogs. That's why Alutaguse is an area with a huge number of Brown Bears and now – after hundreds of years – is also the heart of Estonian "bear culture". There are numerous real-life stories of young bears in human villages, but local people still manage to take it with humour and live side by side with bears. We shall spend the rest of day exploring on foot and by vehicle in one of Estonia’s best known Brown Bear regions looking for signs, droppings and scratching on trees, as well as tracks of Wolf packs with our local specialist guide. As we walk, we shall need to be as quiet as we can, to have a slim chance of seeing one of the more elusive residents such as Wolf, Lynx and Wild Boar! Even if we don’t see any of these animals, we shall have plenty of fun deciphering the many mammal tracks we find along the way! After lunch we shall rest at the hotel, then later in the afternoon the local specialist guide will take us through the forest (1 km) to the Bear Hide. The wooden hide is cosy, with comfortable seats and viewing slots at the front and beds at the back, so you can sleep in the very darkest part of the night or catch a nap. At the far end is a separate dry toilet. Brown Bear can appear at any time during the night (sometimes even before). Racoon Dogs and sometimes even Wolves occasionally visit the feeding place. Last autumn 6 - 10 Brown Bears appeared regularly at this site plus 6 - 8 Racoon Dogs making for some thrilling viewing. The delicious ‘hide-dinner’ will be prepared for us by local ladies (Bear Hide/Art Hotel).
Day 7	We shall remain in the hide during the early morning then enjoy some birdwatching on our way back to the hotel. Later we shall visit Western Taiga type forest in order to experience the autumn calling season of resident Black, Grey-headed, Three-toed and White-backed Woodpeckers, as well as listen for the calls of Hazel Grouse. We may see Capercaillie and Black Grouse, as well as forest tits, Crossbills and other passerines. Sometimes single Golden Eagles and Buzzards also appear. After breakfast at the guesthouse we’ll catch up on sleep and enjoy lunch. In the afternoon, a local specialist will share with us his knowledge tracking of Wolves, Lynx and Elk and demonstrate the various ways of communicating with them, some of which have been used by the region’s hunters for hundred of years. In 2002-2003 the population of both for wolf and bear was at its lowest, but now the species have recovered. Last autumn 32 wolf families and 128 lynx families were recorded in Estonia. The Elk population has also stabilized and the population is estimated at 11,000 animals. In the late afternoon, we shall have an owling session before we return to the hotel or, if possible, we could have another overnight at the bear hide (Art Hotel and/or Bear Hide).
Day 8	We shall return to Tallinn by late morning and have a pleasant guided tour of the Old Town. Tallinn was made a UNESCO World heritage Site in 1997 due to the medieval city centre, the finest in northern Europe, with cobble-stone streets and buildings that date back to the 15th century. We may have some free time before driving to the airport to catch our homeward flight.

Just some of what we hope to see..

Racoon Dog	White-tailed Eagle	Three-toed Woodpecker
Elk	Common Cranes	Black Woodpecker
Wild Boar	Ural Owl	Yellow-browed Warbler
Brown Bear	Pygmy Owl	Nutcracker
European Beaver	Goshawk	Crested Tit
Golden Eagle	Peregrine	Lapland Bunting