Further into the park we notice some gray dots on a field, we look more closely and the dots are actually common cranes! It is the first time we see them, they are quite cute but because we are forced to park on the side of the road to see them we cannot stay too long. Not a long distance afterwards we have to stop again to watch a common buzzard resting on a wire, lots of birds on this short stretch of road.
As we get deeper in the park the roads become narrower with the last one being a one lane road leading us to Sagadi Manor, the most famous manor in the park described separately.
During the visit to the manor it is raining outside however as we exit the rain has mostly subsided so we decide to hike a short trail in Lahemaa. First we park at a trailhead that we assume is the right one for the Beaver Trail we plan to take. It isn’t but there is a free museum nearby that we decide to visit before searching for the actual trailhead.
It is a three room museum of forestry in Estonian only, which makes it difficult to translate, but still we have fun walking through the rooms and looking at the exhibits including one about the beavers that we want to see.
We find the actual trailhead just a couple kilometers further up the road with a nice sign Koprarada (Beaver Trail) making it clear that we found the right trailhead. Funnily on the post there is an advertising for a bear watching company that we are going to use in the evening to hopefully see our first bears from up close.
The trail is quite nice and besides us there is only one other car in the parking lot so we know that the walk will be quite secluded. What we don’t know is whether we will be rained on or not so we put on the rain ponchos and continue on the trail as it descends close to the river to hopefully see the beavers.
There are no beavers but at least we see a beautiful Eurasian Wren that is quite busy near the boardwalk and couldn’t be less bothered by us as it searches for bugs.
The only sign of beaver that we see is a dam that seems to have been built quite some time ago. Otherwise we are happy that the sun is out for a few minutes and we can take our rain ponchos off even though it starts again to get iffy as we return to the car.
Back at the parking lot we have a decision to make, to continue or to return to Rakvere. We are cold and wet and our relative is still quite sick and cannot even exit the car to hike so we decide to return to regroup and recuperate.
