Discover the summer of Osmussaare
7 kilometres out to sea from Dirham harbour is a real gem – Osmussaare. Once you’ve been there, you’ll want to go back. If you haven’t already, it’s worth doing so this summer.
June is a great time to visit our northwesternmost island, as the weather is beautiful and the island is covered in a carpet of flowering plants.
Osmussaare is small enough to walk around the island in a day. The southern part of the island has lakes teeming with birds, while the northern coast has a shore and the sea is dotted with peculiar “crocodiles”. The island is surrounded by breccia rocks, more than 530 million years old, from the Neugrund meteorite. The island is also appreciated by nature photographers.
The recently restored Osmussaare Chapel, military installations and lighthouse are well worth a visit.
The island is accessible from Dirham harbour, boat transport to the island must be booked in advance. Transport to Osmussaare is provided by Osmussaare Reisid and the Osmussaare Foundation.
Best time to admire orchids
June is a time of beautiful flowers in nature. Now we’re also enchanted by the most eye-catching flowering plants in the Nordic countries – orchids.
The first of these will start to bloom in the wooded meadows and marsh meadows of Läänemaa already at the end of May.
In June, the grey coneflower, the beautiful golden poppy and the godmother bloom.
Several beauties are in bloom just at the beginning of June, such as the festive white two-leaved cranesbill, the peculiar-flowered buttercup and the eye-catching red dusty head.
Most conifers, or orchids, grow in wooded meadows, but some (such as bog orchid) prefer wetter marshy areas.
It is important to remember that all our orchids are protected and must not be harvested or trampled.
Day and night birdwatching during the whitest time of the year
By the end of May, the latest migratory birds arrive. However, the spring migration of birds is not really over by then – in early June, a wide variety of waders can be found on mud and mudflat beaches.
These include migratory birds that are few in number in Estonia, such as the waterbird, plover, stonechat and lapwing.
The best spots to see stopover waders in Läänemaa are the car park next to the Põgari-Sassi beach nest, the Haeska bird watching tower and the mouth of the Riguld river in Noaroots.
See also www.linnuriik.ee
Nesting birds should not be overlooked. In the hedgerows of Läänemaa you can find a feasting red-breasted woodpecker, small vultures can be spotted hovering over the marshes and the whistling of peacocks can be heard in the forest thickets.
The white nights of June are also a good time to go birdwatching at night. Spotted owls are now calling among the reeds, rye grouse are crying in the fields and nightjars are sorting in the pines. A keen ear can hear a loud squeak in some places – it’s the chicks, deftly hiding in a tree, waiting for a snack from their parents.