Meliphaga lewinii, Lewin's Honeyeater

See eestikeelse nimeta meelind on Austraalia endeemne liik ning idaranniku metsade tavapärane ja söakas tegelane. Ta on eriti laialt levinud nektaririkastes elupaikades, ehk siis vihmametsades ja niisketes eukalüptimetsades, mängides seal olulist rolli tolmeldajana. See foto sai tehtud Lamingtoni rahvuspargis, Austraalias.

The Lewin's Honeyeater is an endemic species of Australia and a common, assertive feeder along its forested east coast, often dominating nectar-rich habitats. It is especially widespread in eastern rainforests and wet eucalyptus forests, where it plays an important role in pollination. This photo was taken in Lamington National Park.

Mudatilder, Tringa glareola

Mudatilder jalgupidi vees. Pärnumaa.

Wood Sandpiper in the shallows. Pärnumaa, Estonia.

Aksumi kangurlind, Ploceus galbula

Aksumi kangurlind on tuntud oma meisterliku koduehituse poolest – ta punub heintaimedest ja taimekiududest keerukaid rippuvaid pesi. Tegemist on liigiga, kes pesitseb sageli kolooniatena, kus ühe puu otsas võib näha tervet kobarat pesi. See foto sai tehtud Omaanis Dhofari piirkonnas Ain Razati allika lähedal ning siin on näha emaslindu (tumeda silmaga) ja noort isaslindu (punaka silmaga). Täiskasvanud isaslind näeb välja selline.

Rüppell's Weaver is known for its intricate nest-building behavior, often weaving elaborate hanging structures from grass and plant fibers. It is a social species that frequently forms colonies, where multiple nests can be seen clustered together in a single tree.  The photo was taken near the Ain Razat spring in the Dhofar region of Oman and here you can see a female (with a dark eye) and a young male (with a reddish iris). The adult male looks like this.

Ida-rohevint, Chloris sinica minor

Rohevintide vidistamist on hetkel õues palju kuulda. Fotol meie rohevindi Aasia sugulane ida-rohevint, kes elutseb Kaug-Idas, peamiselt Hiinas ning Jaapanis. Foto sai tehtud Kyushu saarel, Jaapanis.

Greenfinches are very vocal outside right now here in Estonia. In the photo is the Asian relative of our European greenfinch—the Oriental greenfinch—which lives in the Far East, mainly in China and Japan. The photo was taken on Kyushu Island, Japan.

Hallhani, Anser anser

Hallhani Läänemaa rannaniidul. 

Grey goose on a coastal meadow in Läänemaa, Estonia.

Roherähn, Picus viridis

Kui Eestis on roherähn väga haruldane tegelane, keda näiteks minul polegi õnnestunud looduses kohata, siis Ühendkuningriigis on olukord teine. Londoni Kuninglikus Kew Gardensi botaanikaaias ringi jalutades jäi neid kaamera ette päris mitu tükki.

If the European green woodpecker is very rare in Estonia—so much so that I haven’t managed to spot one in the wild—then the situation is quite different in the United Kingdom. While walking around the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in London, I managed to capture several of them on camera.

Kaelus-turteltuvi, Streptopelia decaocto

Kaelus-turteltuvi Valencias, Hispaania.

Eurasian Collared Dove in Valencia, Spain.

Väiketüll, Charadrius dubius curonicus

Väiketüll Pirita rannas.

A little ringed plover at Pirita Beach in Estonia.

Näsakarakaara, Phalcoboenus carunculatus

Näsakarakaara elutseb Andide mäestikus, Colombiast Boliiviani. Lindu võib leida peamiselt kõrgmäestiku rohumaadelt ja páramo (nn kõrgmäestiku tundra) ökosüsteemidest. Foto sai tehtud Antisana vulkaani kaitsealal, Ecuadoris.

The Carunculated Caracara lives in the Andes, ranging from Colombia to Bolivia. It is mainly found in high-altitude grasslands and páramo (high-mountain tundra) ecosystems. The photo was taken at the Antisana Ecological Reserve in Ecuador.

Paradiisipart, Tadorna variegata, Putangitangi

Paradiisipart on üks vähestest linnuliikidest, kus emaslinnud näevad efektsemad välja kui isased. Vähemalt minu arvates. Kui emased on pruuni sulestiku, rohekate sabasulgede ja lumivalge peaga, siis isased on praktiliselt üleni mustad. Šikid, aga igavad. Foto sai üles võetud ühel varahommikul Te Anau järve kaldal, Fiordlandis, Uus-Meremaal.

The paradise shelduck is one of the few bird species where the females actually look more striking than the males — at least in my opinion. While the females have brown plumage, greenish tail feathers, and a bright white head, the males are almost entirely black. Stylish, sure, but a bit boring. This photo was taken early one morning on the shores of Lake Te Anau in Fiordland, New Zealand.

Kühmnokk-luik, Cygnus olor

Majesteetlik kühmnokk-luik. Harjumaa.

A majestic mute swan. Harjumaa, Estonia.

Siidhaigur, Egretta garzetta

Siidhaigur Sicao märgalal, Taijiangi rahvuspargis, Taiwanis. 

Little Egret in Sicao wetland, Taijiang National Park, Taiwan.

Koaala, Phascolarctos cinereus

Kui kängurusid näeb Austraalias ilma suurema vaevata - tuleb vaid linnast välja sõita ja seal nad juba ootavad. Kuukabarrasid ja kakaduusid kohtad samuti tihti ning isegi sipelgasiili õnnestus meil kohata mitmes erinevas paigas. Aga koaalad? Nende puhul oli ühel hetkel tunne, et neid maskott-loomi ei eksisteerigi vabas looduses. Käisime karvapalle otsimas nii Queenslandi kui ka Australian Capital Territory matkaradadel, kuid ei midagi. Mitte ühtki karvast kõrvatutti. Kuniks päris reisi lõpus jõudsime Great Otway rahvusparki Victoria osariigi lõunaservas. Sealsete eukalüptide võradest leidsime lõpuks kolm erinevat koaalat, kellest kaks tegid seda, mida koaalad kõige paremini oskavad (magasid), aga üks (kes ka pildil) oli veidi aktiivsem vennike.

Kangaroos are ridiculously easy to spot in Australia — honestly, you just have to leave the city and they’re basically waiting for you. Kookaburras and cockatoos show up all the time too, and we even managed to run into echidnas in a few different places. But koalas? At one point it really started to feel like this “national mascot” just doesn’t exist in the wild. We searched for them on hiking trails in both Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory… nothing. Not a single fluffy ear in sight. Then, right at the very end of our trip, we ended up in Great Otway National Park down in southern Victoria — and finally, jackpot. Up in the eucalyptus trees we spotted three different koalas. Two were doing what koalas do best (sleeping, obviously), but one — the one in the photo — was actually awake and moving around a bit. A true overachiever.

Musträstas, Turdus merula

Musträsta portree. Harjumaa.

Portrait of a Common Blackbird. Harjumaa, Estonia.

Sini-nektarilind, Cinnyris asiaticus

Pilti vaadates võib jääda tunne, et sini-nektarilinnule nime panijatel on värvide tundmise osas veel mitmed edusammud tegemata. Tegelikult on asjalood siiski sellised, et pildil on liigi emaslind, isaslind on rohkem oma nime vääriline. Foto sai tehtud Al Batinahi regioonis, Omaanis.

Looking at the picture, one might get the impression that those who named the purple sunbird still have some way to go when it comes to recognizing colors. In reality, however, the bird in the image is a female; the male shows off that “purple” part of the name much more vividly. The photo was taken in the Al Batinah region of Oman.

Fuji mägi, Mount Fuji

Fuji mägi ja kirsiõied Fuji-Hakone-Izu Rahvuspargis, Jaapanis.

Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Japan.

Urvalind, Acanthis flammea

Kevadine punamütsike. Harjumaa.

Little Red Riding Hood of the spring. Harjumaa, Estonia.

Galápagose tormilind, Puffinus subalaris

Galápagose tormilind on Galápagose endeemne liik, kes pesitseb kolooniatena mitmel sealsel saarel. Suurema osa elust veedab ta avamerel toitu otsides ning liigub ringi sõltuvalt ookeanioludest ja saagi kättesaadavusest. Foto sai tehtud Põhja Seymouri saare lähistel, Galápagose arhipelaagis, Ecuadoris.

Puffinus subalaris is a seabird endemic to the Galápagos Islands, where it breeds colonially on several islands. It spends most of its life at sea, foraging over open waters and moving in response to ocean conditions and food availability. The photo was taken off North Seymour Island in the Galápagos Archipelago, Ecuador.

Tekapo järv, Lake Tekapo

Maastik nagu maalitud. Tekapo järv Uus-Meremaa Lõunasaarel.

Lake Tekapo, South Island, New Zealand — a landscape as if painted.

Tutt-tihane, Lophophanes cristatus

Kevadine tutiga tihane. Harjumaa.

Springtime crested tit in Harjumaa, Estonia.