Edula, E.
Breeding of the Redwing and the Song Trush in the surroundings of Viljandi, 1969-1993

Rootsmäe, L.
Autumn migration of geese in 1994

Rootsmäe, L.
Spring migration of geese in 1995

Lepisk, A. & Leito, A.
Spring migration of geese at Räpina polder in 1997

Edula, E.
Breeding birds at sample plots in the surroundings of Viljandi in 1994

Pärnamets, H. & Lepisk, A.
Number of breeding raptors and owls in Räpina parish and Laheda plot

Aua, J.
Birds of quarries in Jõgeva county

Aua, J.
Why is the Little Ringed Plover most bound to man among Estonian Charadriiformes?

Lilleleht, V. & Lõhmus, A.
List of birds of Europe

EOS chonicle and news

Special issue on raptors and owls

Lõhmus, A.
Population changes of raptors and owls in north-western Tartumaa
Summary: The paper analyses the occurrence of raptors and owls during the last 100 years by publications, archive materials and author’s own data. The study area (900 km²) is situated in east-central Estonia (ca 58°25’N, 26°20’E). Forests covered ca 20% of the area in the beginning of the century and 40% in 1990s.
In 100 years 14 Accipitriformes, 5 Falconiformes and 8 Strigiformes species have been recorded as breeders. Their present population sizes are presented in Table 1. Additionally, 4 raptor or owl species have occurred as transit migrants, winter visitors or vagrants. Both in 1894-1904 and 1987-1996, 26 species were recorded. The Peregrine disappeared and Montagu’s Harrier appeared as regular breeders in 100 years. Among breeders another 7 species have decreased and 8 species increased in number, while all winter visitors have become more rare.
The present frequency compared to the situation 100 years ago is probably:
a) similar in Pernis apivorus, Milvus migrans, M.milvus (very rare vagrant), Circus cyaneus, Accipiter gentilis, Bubo bubo, Asio flammeus, Aegolius funereus;
b) lower in Circaetus gallicus, Accipiter nisus (ca 5 times), Buteo lagopus, Pandion haliaetus, Falco tinnunculus (ca 3-4 times), F.columbarius (10-20 times), F.peregrinus (extinct), Nyctea scandiaca, Surnia ulula (ca. 10 times), Glaucidium passerinum (at least 3-5 times), Strix aluco (at least 3 times);
c) higher in Haliaeetus albicilla, Circus aeruginosus (doubled), C.pygargus (newcomer), Buteo buteo (3 times), Aquila pomarina, A.chrysaetos, Falco subbuteo, Strix uralensis (5-10 times), Asio otus (5-10 times).
However, because of persecution the numbers of P.apivorus (?), Circus aeruginosus, A.gentilis, A.nisus and B.buteo decreased significantly to the 1920-1950s and have recovered since then. Compared to the present situation the frequency of Milvus migrans was higher in the middle of the century, and of Bubo bubo and Asio flammeus in 1950s-1970s.
The trends are unknown for Circus macrourus, Aquila clanga and Falco vespertinus.

Evestus, T.
Raptors in the surroundings of Otepää
Summary: The author has studied numbers and breeding success of raptors near Otepää (Valga district). Up to 1991, 150 sq. km-s were investigated, instead of 190 sq. km-s since 1992. Forests cover 50% of the area, nemoral forests and boreal pine forests dominate.
Nine raptor species were detected in 1988-1996, two of them (Montagu’s Harrier and the Osprey) as non-breeders. The number of occupied breeding territories of other species is shown in Table 1. The dominating species is the Common Buzzard (on average 17.3 territories per 100 sq. km-s).
The brood size was almost stable in the Common Buzzard contrasting to the declining trend in the Goshawk (Fig. 1).

Ojaste, I.
Observations at Palivere raptor plot
Summary: The plot (100 km²) is situated at the territory of Taebla and Oru parishes (Lääne district), ca 59°02’N, 23°52’E. Regular observations are carried out since 1992, some occasional data has been gathered earlier. Main attention is paid to numbers of breeding raptors and owls.
A total of 14 species of Accipitriformes (including 9 breeders), 4 (3) of Falconiformes and 5 (5) of owls have been recorded. Number of occupied territories has fluctuated between 32 and 41 (Table 2). From vagrants the Pallid Harrier was observed.
In 1987-96 arrival or departure of raptors has been recorded in 33 cases (Table 1). In autumn 1993 raptors were regularly counted by a 25 km road. 329 observations of 13 species were made (Fig.1).

Väli, Ü.
Raptors and owls in southern Hiiumaa
Summary: The raptors and owls of Hiiumaa Island have been only scarcely studied earlier. The author counted breeding birds of prey at a 35 sq. km study area in southern Hiiumaa in 1995-96, by mapping the breeding territories and searching for nests. The results are presented in Table 1.
The earlier published data showed Accipiter nisus and Strix aluco as verified breeders of the area, but during this study the breeding of Pernis apivorus, Accipiter gentilis, Buteo buteo and Falco subbuteo was also detected. Circus cyaneus and Haliaeetus albicilla used the area in the breeding season only for feeding. Buteo lagopus, Circus aeruginosus, C. cyaneus, Falco tinnunculus and Strix uralensis have been observed as transit migrants, Haliaeetus albicilla, Buteo lagopus and Aquila chrysaetos as winter visitors.

Klein, A.
Raptors observed by Finnish birders in Pärnu district, 1996

Randla, T.
Eagle Owls at Nõva

Lõhmus, A.
How to study reproductive success in birds of prey?

Lõhmus, A., Evestus, T., Lauk, K. & Väli, Ü.
‘Reproductive success of raptors and owls in eastern and south-eastern Estonia*
Summary: We present data on eleven species of birds prey in four Estonian districts (Tartu, Valga, Võru and Põlva). The data were mainly gathered in 1986-1996 with standard methods (according to Lõhmus 1997, see this volume). The parameters were defined as follows. Breeding frequency – percentage of nesting territories where breeding started (eggs were layed). Successful breeding produced at least one fledging. Breeding success – number of succesful breedings / total number of breeding attempts. Productivity – mean number of fledgings per territory per year. Young birds were regarded fledgings if their age exceeded 80% of normal fledging age.
The main results are presented in Table 1. Compared with other European data, at least two species (Pernis apivorus and Bubo bubo, presumably also Strix uralensis) showed lower reproductive rate.
In three species (Buteo buteo, Circus aeruginosus, Asio otus) the reproductive success was normal. Falco tinnunculus showed normal reproductive output (2,62) in the 1970s – a time of population crash, which suggests that population decline was related to other reasons.
The results about Accipiter nisus, Falco subbuteo and especially Accipiter gentilis exceeded the average rates reported in Europe. All three last-mentioned species depend largely on avian prey. In A.nisus and A.gentilis the average productivity was much higher in highly fragmented south-eastern districts compared to less mosaic Tartu district.
Some other species (Pernis apivorus, Buteo buteo) were less productive in areas of wilderness (Alam-Pedja) compared to mosaic mineral land. However, the differences could not be seen in the mean number of fledgings per succesful nest. In Buteo buteo the average brood size differed between years (Fig. 1).
In Strix aluco and Asio otus the clutches and broods were smaller in 1986-1996 compared to earlier data (Table 3).

Lelov, E.
Notes on raptors and owls
Summary: The author presents some interesting observations on birds of prey in south-western Estonia.
Circus cyaneus. Three observations have been made in winter (Jan. 1967, 09.12.1984, 10.12.1996).
Circus pygargus. The flight speed of a foraging adult male was 30-35 km per hour. Two nests of the species have been found within 200 m distance from human settlement, but both broods failed.
Accipiter gentilis. An adult male brought prey to nestlings from a distance of 4.5 km. In winter, corvids feeding on carcasses are afraid and desert their feeding place when goshawk appears.
Buteo buteo has started to winter more often: of 33 winter observations in 1976-1996 even 29 have been made in 1990s. The nest-building of a Buzzard lasted five days. Pseudo-attacks (without physical contact) to the ringers and feeding on carcass are described. The distance between two occupied nests has been 550 m.
Aquila chrysaetos. Two pairs nested 9 km from each other.
Falco subbuteo. A nest was situated 60 m from the nest of Haliaeetus albicilla and twice brood has contained 4 nestlings. Wintering was observed in 1976 and 1992.
Strix uralensis. One nest is situated in a farmyard, the other in village oak alley (1.2 km away from the nest of Strix aluco).
Asio otus. Six times since 1976, young that have just left the nest have been observed late in summer (between 10 July and 27 Aug).

Project “Raptors and owls at permanent study areas”

Chronicle

Edula, E.
Nesting of the Fieldfare and Blackbird in the vicinity of Viljandi in 1969-1993

Laur, T.
European Serin (Serinus serinus) and Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) in Pärnu in 1994

Lepisk, A.
Birds of the Räpina polder

Rootsmäe, L.
Ornitho-phenological observations

Aua, J.
Breeding Success of the Starling in Urban and Rural Conditions

Laur, T.
Lesser Black-backed Gull as a Winter Bird in Pärnu

EOS news

Leito, A.
Monitoring of birds in 1995

Laur, T.
Woodpeckers of Tammiste forest district

Rootsmäe, L.
Birds of the Tartu Puiestee cemetry

Enok, L.
Notes on the Woodcock

Laur, T.
Snowy owl in Kastna

Elts, J.
Birds of the island Kessulaid in 1991

Edula, E.
*Birds of the Pombre sand quarry in 1994’

Laur, T.
Twite in Pärnu

Rootsmäe, L. & Veroman, L.
Arrival of Bohemian Waxwing and weather: Is the forecasting possible?

Padari, A.
Birds of the Käina Bay in 1993

Anvelt, V.
Song Trush also breeds in bogs

Lõhmus, A.
Notes on phenology and behaviour of Black Redstart

Rootsmäe, L.
Spring migration of geese in 1992

Rootsmäe, L.
Birds of the Tartu Vana-Jaani cemetery

Edula, E.
Notes on Eurasian Treecreeper

Elts, J.
Estonian land bird winter census in 1987-1994

Randla, T.
National bird monitoring scheme

Leito, A.
Estonian national monitoring scheme: set-up and first results

Ader, A. & Keskpaik, J.
Possibilities of utilising ornitophenological data in monitoring

Mägi, E.
On the bird nesting in Kasari alluvial meadow

Lõhmus, A.
Monitoring of raptors and owls in Estonia

Leito, A.
Survey of Greylag Geese staging during autumn migration in Estonia

Kose, M.
On the monitoring of the swallows in Estonia

Viht, E.
On the monitoring of the tetraonids in Estonia

Elts, J.
Recording frequency of birds in winter counts

Lõhmus, A.
Data on the casulties of birds on roads

Edula, E.
Some notes about the breeding birds in the vicinity of the town of Viljandi

Rootsmäe, L. (koost.)
Interesting observations

Peterson, K.
An extraordinary density of Mute Swan

Mikk, R.
Mistake of the Sparrow Hawk

Rootsmäe, L.
Autumn migration of geese in 1991

Mikk, R.
Birds of the lakes of Tõrva and Koorküla

Mitt, H.
Breeding of Tawny Owls at Sindi

Anvelt, V.
Data on the breeding of Ficedula hypoleuca in the county of Järvamaa

Rootsmäe, L.
Albinism and melanism in Estonian birds

Jaama, K.
Peculiar nest site of a Pied Wagtail

Elts, J.
Sand Martins in a salt sand heap

Põdra, T.
Early song of Aegolius funereus

Anvelt, V.
Exeptional diet of the nestlings of the Garden Warbler

Lõhmus, A.
Feeding habits of Accipiter gentilis in Estonia in 1987-1992

Mikk, R.
Conflict between a Goshawk and Jackdaws

Lõhmus, A, Rander, R. & Rander, A.
Raptor plot at Laeva in 1992

Soom, E.
Bearded tits in the town of Kuressaare

Mikk, R. & Merivee, O.
Species list of birds around the town of Tõrva

Elts, J.
Locustella luscionoides also present at Lake Peipsi

Aua, J.
Birds of the quarries

Sügav, P.
Birds of the gravel quarries in the Tori district

Elts, J. & Aua, J.
Results of trapping birds in the food plain of he River Navesti

Padari, A.
Breeding birds of the Käina Bay

Rootsmäe, L.
Carduelis flammea is an alder-philous bird species in Estonia

Anvelt, V.
Breeding of Picoides tridactylus in the county of Järvamaa

Lilleleht, V. & Leibak, E.
List, status and numbers of Estonian birds