The first Blood Moon hunt of a lifetime

That was the time when a number of nature photographers gathered in the middle of the forests of Pärnu County to test themselves at this year's Vereta Jaht (Bloodless Hunt). The hunting grounds included river bends, mature stands of trees, forest rides, fields, meadows and clear-cuttings, and virtually everything was hunted. However, the main quarry was the otter.

The 27th Vereta Jaht was my first, and metaphorically speaking, this competition took place right in my back yard. Although one might think I had a home-field advantage, in my eyes it rather started working against me. At first, I went through places where I thought someone would be and didn't spend all that much time waiting around. Roes, which still moved here and there before the hunt and even in broad daylight, were suddenly hidden from my sight. I bumped into quadrupeds rather rarely overall and don't even know what to count as the reason. The warmth, perhaps.

On the evening of the first day, I shared some thoughts with my fellow hunters on where to look for water-dwellers. After sunset, when dusk was already veiling the woods and even the meadows, and the first catches had been logged on the map, I decided to call it a day. As one of the suggested spots lay right along my return route, I decided to take a look. The water was rippling, but not in the way caused by the movement of a beaver, water vole or fish. Suddenly, an otter surfaced, evidently out on its evening hunt.

For a moment it decided to head towards the shore and cast a glance at me too, before continuing its hunt once more. At that moment it presumably did not consider me a threat and went about its business undisturbed. However, since it was already quite dusk, not to say pitch dark, I decided simply to observe the otter for a little while. In the end, it was left by me continuing its business in that very same river stretch. Word has it that this was the hunt's only otter photo. The capture won the Tallinn Zoo award.

I am posting some captures from that May weekend for you to view. One of the red-breasted flycatchers, a wood warbler, a mountain hare, and an otter even made it into the exhibition.