I met Jarmo Koistinen in Peltola and we started searching for the Hoopoe. After some time Jarmo called he had found the bird. I was quite far but luckily the bird stayed on a tree until I got there. We took some pictures and left the bird so it could land somewhere to feed.

I did some shopping in Lappeenranta and then tried to twitch a Shore Lark in Luukkaansalmi without luck. Then I still did shopping in Imatra, checked River Vuoksi on a couple of places and twitched a Blackcap in Kymälahti.

During the week the weather was bad so I saw only a flock of 32 Rock Doves, some Whooper Swans, Mallards, Herring Gulls and Blackbirds.

On the 6th of December we were once again participating Independence Day bird-race in Kouvola. This time we had a team with Hanna and her sister Elissa. We started at 6:30 by searching for a Tawny Owl and then went to search for Wrens on something like that to one wet area. The first species we got were a Blackbird, a Whooper Swan and a Mallard. But then surprisingly a Tawny Owl started calling and we managed to see it briefly.

In Saksanaho we had a White-backed Woodpecker, a Nuthatch and a couple of Long-tailed Tits with some other common species. Then after getting a Dipper we continued to check River Kymi. We had a good start as we found 3 Scaups, 2 Smews, a Goshawk, several Wrens and a Great Grey Shrike but then it went difficult. After some time we got a White-tailed Eagle but once we had started to search for feeder-birds it started snowing. The weather was so bad that we decided to drive to twitch a Greylag Goose but a White-tailed Eagle had scared it away. Luckily on the same place there were a Great Crested Grebe and a Common Scoter.

It seemed that there were good numbers of birds on the river as all the lakes were freezing. So we decided to change our plans and checked the river from a couple of more places and visited one big lake too. But then all the places were completely empty! Only a couple of more White-tailed Eagles were seen – and for sure they were one of the reasons that there were no birds on these places.

So we headed to one village where we had usually seen lots of passerines on feeders but this place was also empty! After all we spent almost a couple of hours without any new species!
Finally in a small forest we had a couple of new tit-species and then on a field nearby saw some Black Grouses. We had then planned to check some bigger fields, but we thought that if there were no birds anywhere else then for sure not on the fields.

So we decided to drive back to the same area where we had been in the morning. In Lappalanjärvi we saw a few Common and a single Herring Gull and then also a Velvet Scoter in small open water are in the middle of the lake.

But it was already getting late. So we went back to Saksanaho and soon heard a Grey-headed Woodpecker calling. Then we decided to try to find Rock Doves under a bridge in Kuusankoski and luckily they were there. When it was dark we tried to find a couple of Hawk Owls without luck. And finally after 10 hours we had found 42 species (and no House Sparrow, Waxwing, Sparrowhawk, Goldfinch, Redpoll and so on)

The other teams had been suffering too and after all the best teams had been on the coastal area of Kymenlaakso. They had got 47, 44 and 43 species. Then Kouvola-competition was tight and our friends Teo and Veikka had found 43 species and with other team we had got 42. Luckily we had more ace-species (species that no other teams had seen) and so we weren’t last. But it wasn’t a bad result as all the other teams were locals and they had been preparing for the race quite a lot. We had decided to participate only a couple of days ago.

On the 7th of December we still visited Saksanaho and Lake Kymi and saw some same species than on the race. Then we drove to Luumäki Huopainen to an old forest where people had been photographing Three-toed Woodpeckers. After some searching we found one male but in dark forest and weather we couldn’t get very good pictures. Then we continued to Lappeenranta and Imatra to do some shopping.

On the 8th day we went to put food to our feeders. Fieldfares were still everywhere and also a couple of Waxbills, a few Blackbirds and then a single Redwing were seen.

On the 9th day on my lunch-hour I saw a White-tailed Eagle while driving to Siikalahti. I went to check our feeders again but saw nothing special. But while driving back to work I saw the same Hawk Owl that hadn’t been seen for a while and then in Huhmarinen I noticed a small raptor on the top of a spruce. It looked promising and when I drove a little bit closer I could identify it as a Merlin. It was my first ever Merlin in winter in Parikkala.

On the 10th day I saw once again a dark-looking shrike in Siikalahti. I hadn’t got my scope or camera with me, but the bird looked similar than a bird that I had seen on last 2 winters too. 2 years ago we had managed to find some pellets and sent then to Rarity committee and Natural Museum so maybe one day someone can tell what these birds are – just aberrant Great Grey Shrikes or Northern Shrikes…

During the week I saw the same Hawk Owl, woodpeckers, nuthatches, a Dipper, Long-tailed Tits and so on. At Saturday the weather was still OK for birding and we saw the same birds again and also a Sparrowhawk and a Great Grey Shrike and a nice Pine Marten. But then it started snowing a lot.

And during the week I still saw White-backed Woodpeckers, a White-tailed Eagle, a Great Grey Shrike, a Hazel Hen, a Coal Tot and still Fieldfares. But finally it was Christmas-holiday and we headed to warmth of Costa Rica again!

J.A.

After work I went to check some bays on the southern parts of Lake Simpele but I found less than I had expected. Anyway a Bean Goose, some Smews and Great Crested Grebes, Cormorants, a few Greater Scaups and Common Scoters, a Velvet Scoter and some hundreds of Mallard and Wigeons were found. I also saw a Grey-headed Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tits and so on.

In the evening I still headed to check some freezing fields with my thermal camera and managed to find one Woodcock and then I saw briefly some owl in flight. So after all I managed to see 42 species on the first day.

On the 2nd day we did winter-bird count with Hanna’s brother Miika. It had been even 7 minus degrees at night so all the visible areas in Siikalahti had frozen. Altogether we found 28 Whooper Swans, a Long-tailed Duck, 37 Goosanders, 2 Hazel Hens, 6 Black Grouses, 8 Great Crested Grebes, 35 Cormorants, 4 White-tailed Eagles, a Goshawk, the same Common Buzzard which was a new species to my count, 6 Common and 2 Herring Gulls, 12 Rock Doves, a Pygmy Owl, 7 Great Spotted, 2 White-backed and a single Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Waxwings, 4 Blackbirds, 358 Fieldfares, a Redwing, 27 Goldcrests, 87 Blue, 170 Great, 3 Coal, 4 Crested Tits and 18 Willow Tits, even 5 Nuthatches, 14 Treecreepers, 9 Jays, 16 Magpies, 120 Jackdaws, 10 Hooded Crows, 5 Ravens, 2 Starlings, 22 Tree Sparrows, 35 Greenfinches, 3 Gold Finches, 15 Redpolls, 39 Bullfinches, heard a migrating Snow Bunting and 20 Yellowhammers. It was already getting dark when I visited Särkisalmi and saw a Black-headed Gull.

On the 3rd of November we had our old friend Kristjan Niitepöld visiting us and we decided to visit old forests. After some searching we managed to find 3 Siberian Jays. We also heard a Black Woodpecker. Then we checked some bays too and managed to see a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers and Nuthatches in Särkisalmi. Then we of course visited Siikalahti as Kristjan had also been a guide there in the past. Siikalahti was almost completely frozen but in a small open water area there were some Mallards and Wigeons and a single Teal. Then a Goshawk attacked one of the Mallalrds, drowned it and first swam with it and then dragged it to the ice and went to eat it behind some reeds.

In the evening we still went to try to catch owls to Tetrisuo with Hanna but we only heard a Short-eared Owl from the sky a couple of times.

On the 4th day the only tick was a family of Barnacle Geese in Järvenpää and on the 5th day I found a funny flock of a Velvet Scoter, a Common Scoter, a Long-tailed Duck and a Greater Scaup in Rautalahti. I sent a message to our WhatsApp group and at least some birders got some November-ticks.

On the 7th of November a Hawk Owl was found in Siikalahti and I also found a Dipper in Tyrjä and a Great Grey Shrike in Tetrisuo. On the 8th day there were a couple of Starlings in Kangaskylä.

On the 9th day we headed to Saari and managed to see a couple of Capercaillies on the way in their traditional place. In Kangas we surprisingly saw a flock of 3 Stock Doves in flings but otherwise we didn’t find much. 12 Canada Geese were seen in Kanavalampi and in Kirjavala we stopped to check a flock of Yellowhammers and Tree Sparrows and managed to find a single House Sparrow and a Brambling.

On the 10th day we were checking Lake Simpele again but found only a flock of 10 Greater Scaups and a Common Scoter. In Joukio we found a Pygmy Owl, in Koitsanlahdenkangas a Goshawk, in Lahdenkylä a couple of Redwings and in Lahdensuo a Sparrowhawk. In Siikalahti both a Hawk Owl and a Common Buzzard were still around and in Kangaskylä again a couple of Starlings. In the evening we had mist-nets in Lahdensuo and a Long-eared Owl came to fly around but unfortunately it didn’t hit the net.

On the 11th day a single Barnacle Goose was found in our backyard and a Sparrowhawk caught a Redpoll there. On the 12th day both a Hawk Owl and a Common Buzzard were again seen. On the 13th day there were only 6 Cormorants in Härskiinmutka.

On the 15th day I checked most places in Saari and found out that many places were frozen. In Akonpohja there were 54 Whooper Swans and 11 Canada Geese standing on the ice. On the 16th day a Tufted Duck was still in Särkisalmi and in Tarvaspohja a couple of Tufted Ducks, a Greater Scaup and 3 Smews. Then I managed to twitch a Wren that Miika had found in Tarvaslampi. In Rautalahti I still saw a couple of Scaups and a Wigeon and in Siikalahti the same Buzzard for the last time.

On the 17th day I saw a Dipper and a Common Scoter in Tyrjä, a Great Grey Shrike in Siikalahti and in Tiviä there was a Nuthatch. In the afternoon we had to put up our feeders to a couple of places.

On the 19th day a Tufted Duck was still in Särkisalmi, a couple of Tufted Ducks and a Greater Scaup in Tarvaspohja, on the 20th day a Cormorant and on the 23rd day a Whooper Swan and a White-tailed Eagle in Härskiinmutka but it really started to feel like winter.

After cold nights on the 23rd day I decided to try to see something better in Savonlinna Punkaharju Punkasalmi and I was lucky as right away I found a couple of birds migrating. I got my scope up and identified another one as a Black-throated Diver but the closer bird was much bigger – it was a young White-billed Diver! In a bit more than 4 hours I saw 2 more Black-throated and 3 Red-throated Divers, a couple of Black-headed Gulls, of course Common and Herring Gulls and some hundreds of Fieldfares. In the afternoon I still twitched a Chaffinch on Minna Terävä’s feeder – it was my 75th November-species in Parikkala.

On the 24th we drove again to Punkasalmi with Hanna but the weather was much windier. In a bit more than 2 hours we saw 4 Red-throated and a single Black-throated Diver, a Black-headed Gull and 1300 Fieldfares. The best observation was a Saimaa Seal. Maybe I should have tried to see some migration in Parikkala too as I hadn’t seen any divers there? During the day we visited Tarvaslampi and surprisingly found 3 Dippers there. So we drove to home to get a couple of mist-nets and hurried back and after all we managed to catch one of the Dippers. In the evening we visited our feeders and saw the same Hawk Owl and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

In the end of November the weather warmed up again and it was raining and foggy. So I didn’t really do much birding. The only better observation was a flock of 25 Rock Doves in Kangaskylä. On the 28th day there were still a family of Whooper Swans and a Common Scoter in Rautalahti, on the 29th day a Sparrowhawk in Siikalahti and again the same Wren, a Dipper and a Hazel Hen in Tarvaslampi and on the last day of November we still birded for some hours and saw a flock of Siskins, hundreds of Fieldfares, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and a couple of Dippers.

J.A.

On the next day I visited Siikalahti bird-tower and saw a Gadwall and a couple of Scaups and so on and on the 10th day I found a probable Cackling x Barnacle Goose hybrid in Kullinsuo. In the evening we saw lots of Woodcocks but caught only 4 of them. We also saw a Short-eared Owl.

On the 11th of October I saw a flock of 90 Long-tailed Ducks migrating in rain and on the 12th we were watching migration with Ari Aalto in Savonlinna Punkaharju Hirvikoski. We didn’t see much but during the day I headed to Saari and I saw altogether 15 White-tailed Eagles and 2 Golden Eagles. In Suurenjärvenliete I heard a Parrot Crossbill and in Pohjanranta I found 2 young Dunlins. There were still quite a lot of birds around but nothing else better. In the evening we still saw 9 Gadwalls and 3 Pochards in Siikalahti.

On the 13th of October we were ringing the last time in Kukonkanta. We caught a Wren, 5 Robins, a Goldcrest, 18 Blue and 46 Great Tits and a Tree Sparrow. During the day we headed to Uukuniemi where Hanna was telling locals about the opportunities of birding-tourism in the area. Meanwhile I visited Kumpu tower and later we headed to check some places in Saari. The best observation was a huge Lynx that crossed the road in front of us.

At night of 14th and 15th we checked several fields but on dry fields there weren’t many birds and they all were very shy. We caught 2 Woodcocks, 2 Common Snipes and a Jack Snipe. I also found a Ural Owl and a Great Grey Shrike with my thermal camera. On the 15th day there were even 13 Gadwalls and 30 Scaups in Siikalahti and on the 16th still 13 Great Egrets. On the 17th I saw a Bittern and on the 18th I heard 3 Water Rails.

On the 18th of October we started driving towards south. We tried to twitch a Mandarin Duck in Hamina and a Tawny Owls in Helsinki Vuosaari but without luck. After all we drove until Hanko where we put up a camp in the forest near Tvärminne. We heard a migrating Oystercatcher at night.

On the 19th day we birded in Hanko. In Svanvik we didn’t see much but in Vedagrundet we saw 3 migrating Hen Harriers and saw a Dunlin and a Common Ringed Plover. In Långören we saw a Merlin and an Oystercatcher, in rubbish tip 5 Wood Larks and in Tallholmarna a Little Gull. During the day we went to eat and then to shopping. Then we finally drove through toll-zone after we had shown all needed papers at the gate. We parked to the parking place and then carried our stuff to Hanko Halias bird-observatory.
Once in the station we found room to all our staff and then Hanna joined KImi Nurminen and Tatu Hokkanen and went to mist-nets and I went to say hello to long-staying occupier Aki Aintila who was still counting migration on the bunker. There I met also Alex and Benjamin Nylander which I joined to count birds in Gåsörsbukten which was another daily routine. Best birds I saw were a Heuglins Gull type of gull, 4 Jack Snipes a very late Common Cuckoo and 2 Nuthatches that were different sub-species.

In the evening we joined the log and the evening was crowned with a Long-eared Owl that Kimi carried from the mist-nets. Later at night we also caught the same Common Cuckoo!

On the 20th of October Hanna went to mist-nets with other ringers so that the nets were open 30 minutes before the sunrise. And the morning started well with a Short-eared Owl. At sunrise the migration watching started at the bunker and it was 4 hours long. All migrating birds were counted and we counted 1742 Barnacle Geese, 18 White-fronted Geese, 5 Hen Harriers, 65 Sparrowhawks, a Merlin, a Peregrine, 54 Stock Doves, 10 Wood Larks, 2 Barn Swallows, 124 Meadow Pipits, 950 Starlings, 2824 Chaffinches, 1589 Bramblings, 105+15 local Goldfinches, 129 Linnets, 155 Bullfinches and so on. So the migration was quite different that I had used to at home!

From the mist-nets mostly tits were caught but also a few Sparrowhawks, a couple of Woodpigeons and a Goshawk. The best bird was a Firecrest that Tatu ringed right after Pekka Peura and Tomas Lövdahl had also arrived. Later Tatu and Nylander-brothers left the station and while checking “Gåu” we saw something new.

The 21st was a bad birding day. Nothing new was seen really even all the routines were made.

On the 22st day better observations were a Black Grouse, 8 Goshawks, 56 Sparrowhawks, a Rough-legged Buzzard, 2 Little Gulls, 9 Wood Larks, a Rock Pipit, 54 Common, 79 Parrot and a single Two-barred Crossbill. On windy mist-nets there were lots of tits ringed and the most tragic thing happened when a Hume’s Warbler was caught but it died to hands of the ringer. It had probably been flying too long time against the wind with stronger tits and got too exhausted? Again there were the same birds on Gou and later Kimi left and Dolf Assmann arrived.

On the 23rd of October the wind was too strong to open the mist-nets and the migration was counted on the shelter of southern forest. 7 Hen Harriers, 9 Goshawks, 57+4 Sparrowhawks, a Common Buzzard, 2 Merlins, 2 Peregrines, 2 Greenshanks, 1238 Jackdaws, 12 Wood Larks and 53 Parrot Crossbills and so on were counted before the migration stopped. At Gou there were still no surprises.

On the 24th day we saw more migration and a local birder Vepe Pikkarainen was also counting birds with us. We saw 35 Bean Geese, a Shoveler, a Great Egret, 8 Goshawks, 85 Sparrowhawks, a Common Buzzard, a very distant Golden Eagle, 2 Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, 38 Wood Larks, 4072 Great Tits, 928 Bramblings, 226 Greenfinches, 70 Common and even 176 Parrot Crossbills, 349 Bullfinches, the first 2 Snow Buntings of the season and 80 Yellowhammers and so on. We almost had rarities too, but only almost. Aki heard a possible Grey Wagtail and probably a Firecrest too and in the evening with Tomas I found a bunting that was probably a Little Bunting but it was already quite dark and we saw the bird a couple of times only briefly in flight.

On the 25th day 6 Goshawks, a Little Gull, 101 Mistle Thrushes, 2 Chiffchaffs, 81 Tree Sparrows, 84 Common and 85 Parrot Crossbills were counted. At Gåu we found a Skylark. Veera Partanen arrived and Pekka and Tomas left already during the day and in the evening I went to do some shopping to Hanko and picked up Ahti Ihonen and Hilja Kurkinen from the railway-station.

On the 26th of October we had a competition against Säppi. Already at early morning we got a Tengmalm’s and a Long-eared Owl from the mist-net. But the competition started only at the sunrise but even then we had an owl when there was a Hawk Owl on the net. On migration we saw more species than numbers which was good for the competition. A couple of White Wagtails were seen migrating and a Black Grouse was found perched on one rocky island, a Razorbill was swimming on a calm sea and a Brent Goose was found standing on a very distant rock. After the migration-watch a Slavonian Grebe was found at Kotilahti.

We went to count Gåu with a bigger group and the biggest surprise was an Eagle Owl that flushed from the ground. Otherwise we saw the same species as every day. After all we had found 79 species which 77 were seen during the competition. We never heard the number from Säppi – we had probably crushed them totally.

On the 27th the owl-streak continued as Hanna caught a Pygmy Owl and a Short-eared Owl. On migration we saw 45 White-fronted, 775 Barnacle and 24 Brent Geese and also ducks were migrating. We also saw a Great Egret, a Lapwing and even 76 Little Gulls. A couple of Gadwalls were again in Kotilahti.

“Aksu” Lehikoinen & co. arrived and in the afternoon it was our turn to leave. Veera left by train but we managed to fill our car well and dropped Hilja to Espoo and Ahti to Helsinki. Then we still had a long way to drive to Parikkala.

It had been good finally visit Halias. We hadn’t seen as many birds as we had expected but at least we hav ea good reason to go back one day.

Once we were back in Parikkala Siikalahti was still open and there were lots of ducks which Gadwalls, Pintails and Shovelers I hoped to stay until my winter-bird count. Still on the last day of October I saw 8 Gadwalls, 7 Shovelers and 7 Pintails and 8 Starlings and in the evening on the fields a Woodcock, 3 Common Snipes and a Long-eared Owl but at night it was already 5 minus degrees and the ground was frozen.

J.A.

On the 2nd of October Merja Laari and Oskari Saunisto came to pick me up at 7:30 a.m. and soon we were driving towards Lappeenranta. There Merja and Oskari did some last shopping while I had to visit hospital for a couple of hours. When I was ready we continued driving towards west coast.

We curved to Riihimäki where we picked up Ahti Ihonen from the railway station. Merja’s car was absolutely full when we continued towards Pori.

We didn’t see many birds on the way – just Pheasants in a couple of places and a Grey Heron in the middle of the field in Huittinen. Finally we were in Kuuminainen Salokankaanranta 5 minutes late at 5:05 p.m. Soon Kala-Tommi’s boat was packed and we started heading towards Eurajoki Luvia Säppi. Paul Boijer was also with us as Petteri Mäkelä had dropped him to the harbor as there hadn’t been room in our car anymore.

A half an hour later we were in Säppi where we carried our stuff to the station. It was already late so we just made ourselves as home. We of course met Jani Vastamäki, Petri Saari and Sebastian Andrejeff too.

On the 3rd of October a ringer left early to the mist-nets and the rest of us cathered to Prakala to do 2 hours sea-watching.

It was quiet at the sea like almost always but at least a couple of Gadwalls, some Razobills, a couple of Black Guillemots, a small flock of Purple Sandpipers, a young Lesser Black-backed Gull, a Rook, a couple of flocks of Parrot Crossbills and so on were seen.

After the breakfast we headed to walk around the island and it was hot as the weather was still warm. We did check all places carefully as we had an island-competition against some other islands. But all we found were a Great Egret that was far on the coast, a couple of Hen Harriers, a Merlin, a young Common Tern, a Greenshank, 3 Jack Snipes, a Blackcap and so on.

After all we found 81 species during the day and were 3rd in the competition. Uto had got 87 and Lågskär 82 species and so on. We hadn’t seen any rarities but I had got a few Säppi-ticks as I had never been in the island as early – it was my 10th autumn in the island but I had always been later in October.

In the evening we were watching good thrush-migration with our thermal-cameras and saw also a couple of Woodcocks and a short- or long-eared owl.

On the 4th day it was even warmer and calmer weather. The visibility was really good but still there wasn’t much migration. So the morning went without surprises but after the sea-watch we found a Lapland Bunting in Prakala.

We walked around the island again but saw almost nothing really. A Little Bunting was caught on the mist-net but we were as far as possible on the other side of the island so we didn’t go to twitch it. Luckily we saw it later in Hanhisto, but only a couple of times in flight. There were lots of Goldcrests (543 were booked) so it was strange that nothing rare was found. The only Säppi-tick I got was a Jay that was seen flying over the coast.

In the evening we had sauna and again had mist-nets up for owls but no owls were observed.

On the 5th of October it was even warmer and calmer – and quieter. Early in the morning we missed a Bewick’s Swan that had probably flight over us but was seen only from the garden.

The best birds of the morning were a Greater Scaup and an Arctic Skua. Then we walked only a bit more than a half of the island as there hadn’t been birds in Kräveli at all. We spent time watching towards the coast and Ahti managed to see a Magpie which was a good Säppi-tick. But the rest of us saw only Jays and other birds. But with Petri we managed to hear a Red-breasted Flycatcher calling shortly and other birds we saw were a Lapland Bunting, a Goshawk and other daily birds.

On the 6th day the weather was windy but it was still quiet on the sea. But a Little Gull was seen migrating and an Oystercatcher landed to Prakala. Paul and Ahti headed to walk around the island earlier and they managed to see a Sanderling. We tried to twitch it with Oskari but without luck. And after all we saw nothing else either.

Finally at 2 p.m. Tommi came to pick us 5 back to Kuuminainen. Somehow we managed to get all our stuff and ourselves into Merja’s car and soon we were driving toward Yyteri.

There we walked to Sannannokka bird-towere where we found a big flock of Mallards and soon saw a long-staying American Black Duck too! We also found a male hybrid between a Mallard and a Northern Pintail. Ahti and Paul had seen a similar in Säppi in the morning. Maybe it was the same bird? Maybe black duck will visit Säppi too?

After we had seen some Dunlins, 3 Grey Plovers and a Ruff, we walked back to the parking place, dropped Paul to the railway station and started driving towards Helsinki. After a long drive we dropped Ahti to a service-station where his father was already waiting. Then we ate well in Sipoo and after a long drive we were finally in Parikkala before midnight.

Even though we hadn’t seen anything rare, it had been a good trip in nice weather and good company!

J.A.

We visited fields on the couple of evenings but fields were completely dry so there weren’t many birds. Nights were also very light because of the moon and some auroras so birds saw us too well. So we didn’t ring many birds. On one trip we saw a one year ole Brown Bear that was running in front of our car for almost a minute before it disappeared into the forest.

On the 13th of September I saw a couple of Nutcrackers in Kangaskylä and then a Franklin’s Gull was found in Säkylä. It was too long way for me but Veikka Kosonen sent me a message that he was planning to go and his schedule was perfect for me too, so after work I started driving to Kouvola. After 3 p.m. Veikka picked me up in Kouvola and we continued driving towards Säkylä.

The gull had been missing all the time after I had left from work. But I was hoping that it was still around and would come back to the Lake Pyhäjärvi before evening to roost. A couple of times we discussed about if it was clever to keep on driving or not but we decided to give a try.

We had only 20 kilometers to go when we got a message that the gull had been re-found. Luckily it stayed on the lake until we got there and I went to look at it through one friendly twitcher’s scope. Then I put up my own scope and started to look at the gull better.

Soon a Black-headed Gull started chasing the Franklin’s Gull but landed next to it and for some minutes they were swimming together in peace. Then Black-headed Gull flushed and Franklin’s Gull followed it and they flow a long way to the northern side of the lake and disappeared behind some island. With a couple of other birders we tried to follow it and managed to choose the right spot and I found the Franklin’s Gull swimming a little bit closer now with many other gulls. And here it stayed until the darkness when we were already driving back towards east. And on the next morning a few birders were there early enough to see it still but then it flushed towards the fields but was never found again.

I was back at home at 2 a.m. but after a couple of hours sleeping we were in Kukonkanta putting up the mist-nets. We caught 3 Wrens, 2 Dunnocks, 14 Robins, a Bluethroat, 2 Sedge Warblers, 3 Blackcaps, 15 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, 12 Goldcrests, 14 Blue Tits, 4 Great Tits, 2 Chaffinches and 5 Reed Buntings. In the afternoon we went to Pohjansuo where we found the Corn Bunting again. We put up a couple of mist-nets but we weren’t even close to catch it. A Bluethroat and a Whinchat and so on were ringed. Otherwise we saw nothing interesting.

On the 15th day we were again in Kukonkanta and caught 3 Wrens, 2 Dunnocks, 8 Robins, 2 Blackcaps, 9 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers, 4 Goldcrests, a Long-tailed Tit, 3 Blue Tits, 13 Great Tits a male European Nuthatch, a young Lesser Redpoll and 6 Reed Buntings. After ringing we headed again to Pohjasuo where the Corn Bunting was still avoiding our mist-nets. In the evening we still went to Siikalahti where we saw nothing special. Altogether we had seen 25 Red-throated Pipits during the day.

During the week the weather stayed very warm but the best observations were butterflies: I saw plenty of Cotton Bollworm Moths, quite a few Pale Clouded Yellow and also two Short-tailed Blues.

We did again a couple of netting trips to fields but Great Snipes were missing. Finally on the 18th of September we found 3 of them in one field and I managed to catch them all. The funniest bird during the week was a young Marsh Harrier that had some snow-white feathers on its wings and body. First I saw the harrier in Siikalahti on the 5th day but then on the 14th it was in Saari Pohjanranta – and again on the next day and later in Siikalahti. Cranes left very quickly and in the end of the week there were only 260 of them and then on the next day they left too. First Rough-legged Buzzards were seen migrating too.

At weekend the weather really changed and it was even minus degrees at night! We expected there would be lots of migrants everywhere but no. We were keeping mist-nets in Kukonkanta on both mornings but caught altogether only 62 birds – 7 Dunnocks, 4 Bluethroats, 5 Robins, 15 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers, a Goldcrest, 16 Blue and 13 Great Tits, 2 Yellowhammers and 8 Reed Buntings. We also saw only same 2 Nutcrackers, 2 Merlins, a late Tree Pipit and a Rustic Bunting and so on. Only bird we saw migrating more was Meadow Pipit.

On Sunday evening we saw the first migrant Barnacle and White-fronted Geese and some flocks of Bean Geese. Also 2 couples of Gadwalls, 22 Great Egrets, a Bittern and a late Curlew were seen.

During the weed after a couple of cold days the summer was back again. It was 20 degrees again and even 15 at late evening. The best observations were a migrating Golden Eagle on the 24th and then on the 25th evening I managed to catch a Short-eared Owl with some other ordinary birds with net. On the 26th I saw a couple of young Pallid Harriers migrating together in Siikalahti. There were already some hundreds of geese too. On the 27th we caught 11 Woodcocks which one was a control, 2 Golden Plovers and 2 Skylarks which one was a control.

On the 28th we went to Saari. On the way we had 3 Bewick’s Swans in Särkisalmi and flocks of Brent Goose and Long-tailed Duck in Rautalahti. Altogether we saw 1 8 Great Egrets, the same white-marked Marsh Harrier was now in Akonpohja and other birds we saw were 12 Cranes, a Northern Wheatear and a flock of 10 Two-barred Crossbills in Jyrkilä. After checking all places in Saari we hurried to Koitsanlahti to twitch a Yellow-browed Warbler that Jarmo Pirhonen had found. After some searching we managed to see the bird with other twitchers. In the evening we went to fields again but caught only a couple of Woodcocks and Skylarks which another one was a control. We also saw a Long-eared Owl.

On the 29th of September we were ringing in Kukonkanta and caught 4 Wrens, a Dunnock, 9 Robins, a control Bluethroat, 2 late Garden Warblers, a Blackcap, amazing 50 Chiffchaffs (and at least 20 more were seen), 4 Goldcrests, 11+1c Blue and 31 Great Tits, a Yellowhammer and a Reed Bunting. We also saw 3 Barn Swallows, a flock of Brent Geese and a Northern Wheatear. In the evening in Siikalahti the best observation were 10 Gadwalls.

J.A.

On the 21st we did the first netting trip to the fields and caught 3 Woodcocks and a Skylark. We didn’t see any Great Snipes yet. And on the 23rd day I saw the young Oystercatcher for the last time.

On the 24th we were ringing in Kukonkanta and caught 8 Sedge, 3 Blyth’s Reed and 1 Common Reed Warbler, a Garden Warbler, 9 Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff and a Tree Sparrow. We also heard a possible Red-flanked Bluetail but unfortunately we didn’t catch or even see it. Also a Cuckoo and a flock of 8 Golden Plovers were migrating and a White-tailed Eagle flew over us. In the evening I counted 329 Cranes and amazing 48 Great Egrets!

On the 25th of August we had our last SSP-ringing and we caught 2 Dunnocks, 4 Robins, 2 Blyth’s Reed Warblers, 2 Lesser and 2 Common Whitethroats, a Garden Warbler, 9 Willow Warblers, a Goldcrest, a Chaffinch, 3 Common Rosefinches and 7+1c Reed Buntings. In the evening we counted 370 Cranes and 38 Great Egrets and saw 2 Gadwalls, a Merlin, a Short-eared Owl and a Great Bittern and so on. We also ringed a Blackbird, 7 Garden Warblers, a Blackcap and 5 Great Tits.

On the 27th we were netting again and caught 3 Woodcocks, a Great Snipe and 3 Skylarks. On the 28th I saw a female House Sparrow and in Siikalahti a Bittern, 20 Great Egrets and 324 Cranes. On the 29th there was a White-backed Woodpecker in Härskiinmutka and in Siikalahti 34 Great Egrets, 2 Nightjars and a Bluethroat. And from the fields we caught 3 Woodcocks and 2 Great Snipes and saw a Long-eared Owl.

On the 30th day I headed to Saari with Harri Hölttä. In Akanvaara Tetrisuo we saw only a Stock Dove but in Pohjasuo we got lucky! We were walking along a small field-track when we flushed a big passerine. It landed quite far to the field but visible. I ran to get my scope and in a second I realized it was the bird that I had already though it was when it had been flying – a Corn Bunting!

Then I ran to get my camera on tried to get closer to get some pictures. The light was horrible and the bird was shy but I managed to get some pictures. Then I put the news out about the second ever Corn Bunting in Parikkala.

Finally the bird flew towards the farm and after some searching and first found a couple of Red-throated Pipit but then we found the Corn Bunting again and then it was perched on the top of a tree and I managed to get some better pictures. As there were no twitchers yet, we decided to keep on birding.

In Pohjanranta we found 2 Gadwalls, a Cormorant, a Great Egret, 2 Grey Herons, a Common Ringed Plover and a young Little Stint. Then we had to drive back to home as we still had to prepare our ringing place for the next morning.

On the 31st of August we were ringing in Kukonkanta and caught a Tree Pipit, a Bluethroat, 9 Sedge and 4 Blyth’s Reed Warblers, 4 Lesser and 3 Common Whitethroats, 5 Garden Warblers, a Blackcap, 9 Chiffchaffs, 18 Willow Warblers, one nice Red-breasted Flycatcher, 8 Blue and 2 Great Tits, a Red-backed Shrike, 3 Chaffinches, 2 Siskins, a Common Rosefinch, a Yellowhammer, a year-tick Rustic Bunting and 2 Reed Buntings. We also saw 500 migrating Siskins and 50 Tree Pipits and a Spotted Flycatcher and heard a bird that probably was a late Thrush Nightingale.

In the afternoon we still had 39 Barnacle Geese in the village and then we headed to Saari where we first twitched the Little Stint in Pohjanranta and then continued to Pohjasuo. After some searching we found the Corn Bunting which was a lifer for Elissa and a good month tick to my friend Mika I. Koskinen. This was after all the first Corn Bunting in Finland in August for 40 years. This time I managed to get a couple of little bit better pictures of this rarity. We saw also 5 Red-throated Pipits and a Bluethroat and so on.

In the evening we still went to put mist-nets ready to Papinlahti and saw a Nightjar there. This bird had been roosting on our ringing platform. Unfortunately I saw it only when it flushed.

On the 1st of September the same Nightjar was flying around and at 5:30 we had mist-nets up. We had decided to try how our SSP-ringing site is working outside the season as a ringing place. Now we could use bird-songs there. Almost immediately we heard a River Warbler singing weakly but once again we had no luck to catch it. Otherwise the morning was very quiet, but after all we managed to catch a Sparrowhawk, 1+1c Dunnocks, 3+1c Robins, a Bluethroat, a Sedge and 3 Blyth’s Reed Warblers, 2 Lesser and 3 Common Whitethroats, 3 Garden Warblers, 3 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, 13 Willow Warblers, 3+2c Bluethroats, 2 Siskins, a Common Rosefinch and 2 Reed Buntings.

After the ringing I headed again to Pohjasuo where I met Veikka Kosonen who was in his army-suit. Soon also Harri Hölttä arrived and together we first managed to see a Wryneck and then the Corn Bunting so I got 2 new September-ticks.

With Harri we still checked Pohjanranta but there were only 2 Common Ringed Plovers and the same Little Stint. While I was driving back to home I saw a Black Kite in Kinnarsalmi.

On the 3rd day I found a young Red-footed Falcon in Siikalahti and in the evening we had mist-nets up there for a couple of hours but we caught only a Blackcap and 3 Robins. But we counted 628 Cranes and 30 Great Egrets and saw also 2 Bitterns, 2 Gadwalls, 33 Bean Geese and a Nightjar again.

Then we still went to fields where we caught 4 Woodcocks, a Skylark and a Tree Pipit. The only Great Snipe we saw was too shy to catch. We also heard a Red-throated Diver calling.
On the 4th day there were a Red-breasted Flycather and a Rustic Bunting calling in Siikalahti and in the evening I counted 32 Great Egrets and saw a Tengmalm’s Owl in flight a couple of times. On the 5th the weather was still very hot but you could tell that autumn was coming as there was a flock of 7 Common Scoters in Härskiinmutka and in Siikalahti there was a flock of 68 Brent Geese migrating.

At weekend my parents came to visit so we did easy birding in Saari, Siikalahti and Rautjärvi Kokkolanjoki. At mornings we ringed in Kukonkanta but in warm and calm weather there weren’t many birds. We ringed altogether a Tree Pipit, 6 Dunnocks, 7 Robins, a Bluethroat, 2 Sedge Warblers, 2 Lesser and 3 Common Whitethroats, 2 Garden Warblers, 5 Blackcaps, 15 Chiffchaffs, 10 Willow Warblers, a Goldcrest, 6 Blue and 2 Great Tits, a Tree Sparrow, 3 Chaffinches, 4 Rustic and 3 Reed Buntings. While watching Cranes and Great Egrets in the evening we ringed a Wren, 2 Robins. 2 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Willwo Warbler and 2 Great Tits. Otherwise we saw a couple of Red-throated Pipits, a Red-backed Shrike, a couple of Smews and so on. In Kokkolanjoki we saw 4 Grey Wagtails, 11 Great Egrets, a Grey Heron and a Cormorant. On Sunday evening we still visited one field with Hanna and ringed a Woodcock and a Great Snipe. On the way back home we still saw a Long-eared Owl.

J.A.

On the parking place in Viikki we met Kai Hilditch who told he was going to continue to Parainen Utö island which was also my plan. He still went to try to twitch an American Wigeon first. So I went to see many friends that were still building their tents and making everything ready for the fair. When the fair was about to begin I had to start driving towards Parainen.

Olave Kemppainen sent an update that Cretzschmar’s Bunting was still in Utö so I called to him and asked if he was going to be there also in the evening. Then Olavi told me that he also had an accommodation for 3 by only himself there. So I asked if “Kaitsu” could also stay there, but of course Olavi had to first ask if it was OK for the house-owner. But anyway I called to Kaitsu and we planned to continue driving with one car. So I stopped to Lohja ABC to eat and soon we were continuing with Kaitsu’s Mercedes.

Soon we got a message that the price for the night in the apartment was extremely high so we decided to stay in our ordinary plan. Kaitsu had a tent I had planned to sleep under the sky. We were talking all the time and time went fast. So we were already on the ferry to Nauvo when we realized that we were in a really bad hurry! So we drove fast the last 20 kilometers and were in the harbor 4 minutes before the ferry was about to leave! And sometimes the ferry leaves early…

Anyway we managed to get all our stuff into the ferry and Kaitsu managed to park his car and run to the ferry in time.

We climbed up to the deck and seawatched all the way but there really weren’t many birds. Just one Black Guillemot, some Arctic Skuas and a family of Velvet Scoters and so on were seen.

Finally we were in Utö at 5:45 p.m. and we carried our stuff next to the chapel and soon found Olavi and a big group of twitchers that had been searching the bunting whole day. After Olavi had seen the bird in early morning they had only heard it calling and a couple of other people had seen it breafly. The last observation was already 4 hours ago.

So we spread to a couple places where the bunting had been seen most, next to the chapel and next to the lighthouse. I once saw a good-looking candidate in flight and landing almost to a top of one tree bit it just vanished. We were searching and searching and also Ville Wallinmaa, who had found the bird again after it had been missing for 5 days, came to help us but the bird wasn’t found.
The twitcher-group had to leave with their rental-boat but we kept on searching until the evening. Then I got a call from Olavi that the price of the accommodation had been a mistake (or then the owner just wanted to get some money) and it was now 50€ per person. So soon we were carrying our stuff there.

We still made a late evening walk with Kaitsu but found nothing really. But it was good to get familiar with the island. Then we went to sleep early.

On Sunday the 18th of August we woke up at 5:30 and at 6 we were already out and searching for the bunting. At 6:30 we met with the rest of birders, Toni Kukkola and 3 twitchers from Savo who had been sleeping in their tents. First we tried to play some call in the place where Olavi had seen the bird on the previous morning but we had no luck.

So soon we spread again to those two main-areas where the most observations had been made. We went to the lighthouse and while we were walking there I saw a good-looking bird flying over us but it disappeared behind the buildings. After some waiting and playbacking we met Jorma Tenovuo who is the only resident birder on the island. He told that most observations had been made right in front of us but the best way to find the bird wasn’t waiting or playbacking but walking through the vegetation.

So when all the birders were there we started to walk through the area very carefully. We walked through the best looking area but found no bunting. Anyway we decided to walk back through the same area and then suddenly Kaitsu saw a good-looking bird landing to bushes close to us. We walked around the bush and then started to walk towards the bush so the rest of us could surely see it coming out from the bush in good light. And soon the bird flushed in front of me and landed to the rock – there it was! It was just behind a bush for me but I took a couple of steps and saw the Cretzschmar’s Bunting extremely well and managed to get some pictures too before the bird flew to the next bushes.

We still carefully pushed the bird visible once and then it stayed on the rock for a couple of minutes. So we managed to get some more pictures before it finally flew a little bit longer distance and landed close to some buildings. So we decided to let it be as there were more twitchers coming in the afternoon.

We decided to go birding to other parts of the island and saw a Common Shelduck, a Gadwall, a couple of Slavonian Grebes and a young Red Knot flew over us and so on. We also tried to find a family of Barred Warblers that probably were still around but didn’t find them.

The day started to get hot and birds were really difficult to find so at noon we walked back to the lighthouse with Toni and soon the next group of twitchers arrived. We told them what we thought was the best way to find the bunting and soon they started walking through the same area. But then I saw a bird landing to a top of a tree in opposite direction and there it was again! Soon it landed to a bush next to one building but luckily the whole group managed to find it from there. There was at least one birder who had already his third try to see this bird!

We were already in hurry so we couldn’t go to get more pictures of the bird but we had to start walking towards the harbor. I picked up my stuff from the apartment and soon climbed to the deck of the ferry again.

The ferry left at 1 p.m. and we were again seawatching most of the way back to Pärnäs. But we saw only a Long-tailed Duck and a Caspian Tern, nothing else really.

Finally we were in Pärnäs and soon we had packed Kaitsu’s car and started driving again. In Salo we stopped to eat and then we tried to twitch a Ferruginous Duck without luck. It was already too late and even though we found a promising-looking bird it was already too dark to identify it as it was only sleeping. Soon we were in Lohja ABC and it was time to say thanks and goodbye to Kaitsu.

I continued to Vantaa Jumbo where I picked up Hanna and we still had a long drive to Parikkala. On the way in Simpele Kokkolanjoki we saw an Eagle Owl in flight and right after we had arrived at Parikkala we saw a Ural Owl. We were at home at 2 a.m. It had been a long twitching trip but it had been really fun!

J.A.

On the 18th of July I saw a Grey Heron and a Black Kite on my lunch-hour and on the 19th day a Great Bitters, a few Great Egrets, at least 7 Honey Buzzards and the first young Marsh Harriers. In the evening I visited Saari Pohjanranta and saw a Black-tailed Godwit, a Spotted Redshank and 65 Lapwings and so on.

At night I decided to go twitching and drove a long way to Valkeakoski. A Dusky Warbler had been singing in Tykölänjärvi for a couple of days but I tried to find it for 5 hours without luck. It was gone. A Blackcap was only active singer and I also saw many other warblers, a White-backed Woodpecker, 4 Pochards and heard a Black and a Grey-headed Woodpecker.

On Sunday the 21st we woke up early and headed to Kukonkanta to do ringing. With 5 nets and different kind of bird-songs playing we caught 11+1c Sedge, 13 Blyth’s Reed, 3+1c Marsh and 3 Reed Warblers, 10 Common Whitethroats, a Garden Warbler, 8 Willoe Warblers, a Pied Flycatcher, a Common Rosefinch and 4+1c Reed Buntings. We also saw a Red-throated Diver, the same Oystercatcher adults and so on. In the evening we visited Saari and in Pohjanranta we saw 3 Grey Herons and a Spotted Redshank and in Pohjasuo a Short-eared Owl.

During the week I saw a White-tailed Eagle, a Black Kite and finally a Dunlin as a Parikkala year-tick in Siikalahti. On the 24th we did the SSP-ringing again and caught a Tree Pipit, 3 Whinchats, 2 Icterine Warblers, 3 Sedge and 13 Blyth’s Reed Warblers, 2 Lesser and 14 Common Whitethroats, 2 Garden Warblers, 7+1c Willow Warblers, 2+1c Great Tits, 3 Common Rosefinches, 2 Yellowhammers and 13+2c Reed Buntings. We also heard a Grey-headed Woodpecker. And in the evening the whole Oystercatcher family was seen the last time.

In the end of the week I had taken a couple of days holiday and on Thursday the 25th of July we had a Aalto family-meeting in Mikkeli. It was good to see relatives after a long time! In the evening we continued driving west and finally put up hammocks to Hämeenkoski Ahvenainen.

After we had awaken we heard some forest-tits and a Black Woodpecker and soon continued driving towards Tampere. We had plenty of time so we visited a museum and bought new summer-tires before drove to Lempäälä Ahtialanjärvi where we still managed to sleep an hour in the car. At 6 p.m. we met Jani Vastamäki and soon we were all wearing pairs of waders and were rowing to gull-island. There Jani showed us the routines of the ringing station and left us to put up the wader-traps.

Soon we had about 40 traps ready and we hid inside the ringing-cottage to wait for catches. In the evening we caught only White Wagtails (13) but at night we finally got some waders too – 2 Common Ringed Plovers, 7+1c Dunlins, 6+1c Wood Sandpipers, 3 Common Snipes. We also saw a couple of Great Bitterns, a Great Black-backed Gull, a Little Ringed Plover and listened to a Spotted Crake calling all the time.

In the morning we rowed back and found a place to sleep in Mutastenmaa. When we finally woke up we heard again some forest-tits and then went to shopping an eat to Idea-park before headed back to Ahtialanjärvi.

On the shore we met the gull-island’s maker Rainer Mäkelä and Niklas Paulaniemi who also rowed to gull-island to cut hay. It is really tough work to keep the island good for breeding gulls and ducks and migrating waders!

We saw an adult and a young Caspian Tern flying over the island and there was a Little Stint with a flock of Dunlins. Niklas and Rainer saw 3 Curlew Sandpipers too but they never came to the ringing area. We put all the traps up again and then I rowed to pick up Lassi Toivakka to accompany us.

Rainer and Niklas were working until late evening. Maybe it helped us too as many birds were now on our side of the island. So we caught again 21 White Wagtails but also waders much earlier. During the night we caught 25+2c Dunlins, a Common Sandpiper, 8+1c Wood Sandpipers, 3 Common Snipes, 3 Sedge Warblers and then we managed to catch the Spotted Crake too!

In the morning we saw a couple of White-tailed Eagles and soon all the waders had moved to the other side of the island and we unloaded the traps and rowed back to our car. From the bird-tower I still saw a Gadwall and 9 Pochards before we started a long drive towards east.

We slept again in Ahvenainen and then continued to Parikkala in the evening.

On the last day of July we visied Saari once again and in Pohjanranta we saw a Tundra Bean Goose, a Cormorant, a Grey Herin and a Little Ringed Plover and so on and in Pohjasuo we saw 2 Linnets.

At weekend we were ringing again and on the 3rd of August we had SSP and we caught 1c Sedge, 10 Blyth’s Reed, a Reed Warbler, a Lesser and 2+2c Common Whitethroats, 4 Garden Warblers, a Red-backed Shrike, 7 Common Rosefinches and 2+1c Reed Buntings. We saw 400 Barn Swallows getting up from their roost, a Black Woodpecker was calling and a Crested Tit was moving through the bushes but it didn’t hit the nets.

On the 4th day we were in Kukonkanta and caught 11 Sedge, 17 Blyth’s Reed, 4 Marsh and a Reed Warbler, a Lesser and 11+2c Common Whitethroats, 6 Garden Warblers, a Blackcap, 22 Willow Warblers, a Spotted Flycather, 6 Red-backed Shrikes and 8 Common Rosefinches. We also saw 22 Canada Geese, a Cuckoo, 2 Nutcrackers, Goldfinches and a Linnet.

On the 5th of August I saw a Red-backed Shrike and on the 6th day a Black Kite in Siikalahti. In the evening we went to cut some trees and bushes on out SSP-site in Papinlahti and saw 2 Great Egrets there. On the 8th day I saw a Black Kite in Kullinsuo and still an adult and 2 young Oystercatchers were in our yard.

On the 10th of August we were in Kukonkanta again and caught a Grasshopper Warbler, 11 Sedge, 3 Blyth’s Reed and 3+1c Marsh Warblers, 4 Lesser and 5 Common Whitethroats, 6 Garden Warblers, a Chiffchaff, 17 Willow Warblers, 2 Red-backed Shrikes, 3 Common Rosefinches and 2+1c Reed Buntings. We saw again 2 Nutcrackers, a Nightjar and a Temminck’s Stint. Then we still visited Pohjanranta where we saw 5 Great Egrets, a Tundra Bean Goose, a Cormorant and a Temminck’s Stint.

And on the 11th day we had SSP: 4 Robins, 4 Icterine Warblers, 5 Lesser and 6+1c Common Whitethroats, a Garden Warbler, a Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warblers, 4 Red-backed Shrikes, 5 Common Rosefinches and 4+1c Reed Buntings. Now we saw even 1000 Barn Swallows and we also heard a Golden Plover and a Thrush Nightingale.

On the next day the 3 Oystercatchers were still feeding on the grasses in Kangaskylä – often on our yard. During the week I saw again a White-tailed Eagle, a couple of Black Kites and a flock of 18 Cormorants in Siikalahti but nothing else really.

But I think it is crazy how well we had caught warblers on our ringings – we had ringed 59 Blyth’s Reed Warblers and bunch of other warblers too.

On the 12th of August Aurora-season started very beautifully and Hanna was photographing the, for hours.

During the week I saw a couple of Black Kites again, there were already 11 Great Egrets and more than 100 Cranes and raptors, mostly Honey Buzzards were moving. In Härskiinmutka I counted even 63 Cormorants.

J.A.

There weren’t many birds to see. On the 1st of July in Siikalahti I saw a Gadwall and a Common Redshank and then we found a nest of a Lesser Spotted woodpecker. In Kangaskylä I saw an Oystercatcher with the youngsters so they were still alive.

On the 5th of July I saw 3 adult Oystercatchers and in Siikalahti I saw the first Great Egret of the year. In the afternoon we visited Saari Pohjanranta where we saw a Grey Heron, 2 Whimbrels, 6 Ruffs, 2 Temminck’s Stints, a Common Redshank and a Stock Dove. On the way back home we saw 12 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a couple of Stock Doves in Särkisalmi.

On the 6th day we had SSP-ringing again and we were expecting to get more birds but it was one more disappointment again. We caught a Robin, 2+2c Sedge Warblers, 3+1c Common Whitethroats, 2+1c Willoe Warblers, 3 Pied Flycatchers, a Yellowhammer and 1+1 Reed Buntings. Meanwhile our friend Kalle Hiekkanen had a bit better SSP-ringing session in Siikajoki where he caught the first ever Yellow-browed Bunting for Finland and the second ever Pallas’s Reed Bunting in an hour! So our weekend-plans were clear. Hanna stayed the last rounds on empty mist-nets while went pack everything ready. When I came back we did the last round and of course then we caught most of our birds. But after all we managed to get mist-nets off in time and still went to pack last things, ate a little and soon started a long drive towards Siikajoki.

It was a long and tiresome drive as I had been watching football at too many nights. We stopped only to fill up the tank and in the afternoon we finally parked to Tauvo. Then we had a couple of kilometers walk to Kalle’s SSP-site. There we found plenty of twitchers who had arrived all around the country, but they hadn’t seen anything yet.

In the evening we saw a flock of 3 Dunlins migrating and from the bushes we found just a Crested Tit, a couple of Blackcaps and one extremely skulky bunting which was giving a couple of “tic” calls but was seen only too briefly and mostly in flight. But it could have been a Yellow-browed Bunting. All reed buntings we found were just Common Reed Buntings.

We slept on hammocks next to the bunting place and continued the search early in the morning. We couldn’t find the ticking bird at all but both male and female and also young Common Reed Buntings were found – and they were all extremely skulky. While searching we saw a flock of 4 migrating Common Shelducks, a Northern Pintail, a Whimbrel, a Caspian Tern, 122 Common Crossbills and some passerines that were hiding on the bushes which 2 Blackcaps were mostly making false alerts.

Some twitchers had brief views to one promising-looking reed bunting a couple of times and finally with a couple of friends we also managed to see it flying a couple of times on the reeds. It was seen only briefly flying towards the spit and we managed to see that it looked quite contrastic and small. We followed it and checked all the bushes until the last ones but it had disappeared. I was the only one to continue until the rocky spit and of course I flushed it from there! I saw it quite well and it really looked small too! But of course I couldn’t see grey small-coverts and it didn’t call. So I shouted to other birders who were next to the bushes that the bird was flying towards them but when they heard me shouting they started to run! So they didn’t see the bird passing them flying over the reeds very close by.

Of course we went after the bird but found again only Common Reed Buntings. I thought that my bird had flew a little bit more along the shore but people started to be too tired and the weather was also getting much worse. So soon everyone else left before the rain was coming. We went to sleep to our hammocks and slept for several hours while it was heavily raining.

When we woke up it was very bad wind and the next rain was soon approaching. So we decided to give up too and walked to our car.

As we had been sleeping well we decided to drive to Luoto where the Bonelli’s Warbler had still been singing and calling in Eugmo Fränsviken. We were finally there about at 5 p.m. and a couple of hours earlier our friend had still heard it singing shortly. The bird had been some hundreds of meters in different place than where I had got it in the change of May and June. We were searching for it for some time until Hanna finally heard it singing once quite far inside the forest. We walked about 100 meters into the woods and soon found it singing again. Then we also managed to see it briefly moving on the trees with a couple of Willow Warblers. It had been ringed since my last visit. But at least Hanna had got a Finnish-tick.

On the way we still stopped in Evijärvi Särkijärvi again where we saw 8 Black Terns but they were all the time very far so we couldn’t get any pictures. We also saw a Grey Heron, a Hobby and a Marsh Harrier there before we started a long drive back home.

In Juva we still saw a Ural Owl, in Savonlinna Kerimäki a big owl that probably was an Eagle Owl and then in Särkisalmi a Short-eared Owl, We were finally at home at 2 a.m. and I was having a normal week.

On the 8th of July I visited Siikalahti where I saw again a Common Redshank and in the evening we visited the main tower and we saw 5 Gadwalls, a Smew, 3 Great Egrets and a couple of Stock Doves. On the 9th day I saw at least 2 Black Kites and a White-tailed Eagle and quite a few other raptors and on the 11th day again a Black Kite and a White-tailed Eagle. During the week Hanna was having our car as she was making atlas and photographing trips.

On the 12th of July I had managed to sleep enough to do some birding so we headed to Saari at 2 .m. to search Lanceolated Warblers or something else better. We checked all the best places but all the fields had been cut and we found only some Corn Crakes, 2 Blyth’s Reed Warblers and a Grasshopper Warbler. We also saw a Short-eared Owl, a Grey Heron and a couple of Whimbrels. In Pohjanranta we saw a young Common Redshank. We ended the trip in Siikalahti where we saw an adult and a young Great Grey Shrike and I saw a Grey-headed Woodpecker.

I had to go to work at 7:30 a.m. but I was back in Siikalahti on my lunch-hour and I managed to see a migrating flock of about 30 Bar-tailed Godwits and one Knot. I also saw 3 Gadwalls, a Pintail and 3 Great Egrets before I had to go to finish my work-day.

In the morning there were again news from Siikajoki where Teo Ylätalo and Antti Vänskä had been birding together with Kalle Hiekkanien on Kalle’s SSP-site. After a long search they had managed to see and hear the Pallas’s Reed Bunting and there were some rumours about a ticking bunting too. So after my work we packed our car again and were soon driving to Siikajoki again.

We were in Siikajoki at 9 p.m. and I had probably got speeding-ticket on the way. There had been no sightings of any rare buntings so the place had been no protected as Kalle was going to have his SSP-ringing next morning.

We weren’t too tired yet so we waited for Hanna’s sister Elissa for an hour and then headed to Tauvo Ulkonokka. There we walked quite a lot before we found any birds, but for us inlanders it was good to see Common Shelducks, an Arctic Skua, Caspian Terns, even 10 Little Terns, 40 Dunlins, 4 Curlew Sandpipers and 2 Little Stints. Then we put up a camp close to Tauvo-road and started sleeping.

On the 13th of July we met with other twitchers at 3 a.m. and soon walked to a place to the shore where we had visibility to the bunting-bushes but we were far enough from the ringing site so we wouldn’t disturb the ringing-session. If Kalle was going to catch anything rare he was of course coming to show it to us.

While discussing with many friends I was mainly seawatching and I saw a Long-tailed Duck, 3 Black and 4 Red-throated Divers, a Honey Buzzards that came from the sea, 9 Razorbills, an Arctic Skua, Whimbrels, Dunlins, a Temminck’s Stint, a Ruddy Turnstone, a couple of Caspian Terns and so on. After a long waiting some birders that were standing on the shore closest to the bushes first heard some promising calls and then saw a reed bunting species on the top of one willow and it looked promising. I was behind them and I couldn’t see the bird until it was flying on the sky and disappeared again. Unfortunately nobody had managed to get any pictures and it seemed that it hadn’t been seen well enough for ticks.

The shore was fully crowded so I walked to the sea where I got good visibility to all the willow-tops. Then we again just waited something to happen. Kalle’s 4-hours ringing session was soon over but we soon heard that some promising ticking calls had been heard on the ringing site. So we were still hopeful and decided to stay still on the same place.

I felt that my wellington was leaking but after a long wait Jani Vastamäki saw a bunting with his scope just accidently walking on the ground. He started to tell the identification marks and it was soon clear that he was watching the Pallas’s Reed Bunting. I was very close to him but there must have been some plant or rock between me and the bird so I couldn’t find it. I moved one meter and then saw the bird with my binoculars but of course it then flushed and flew behind the bushes again. And still most of the twitchers hadn’t seen the bird at all.

So we kept on waiting but luckily pretty soon a reed bunting was seen flying to the bush closest to the tip. So everyone took good positions and a small group led by Sami Tuomela with his thermal camera started approaching the bush. Sami was about 3 meters from the bush when the bunting flushed and flew quite a long way to the bushes but this time at least a couple of photographers managed to get pictures of it and it was clearly a Pallas’s Reed Bunting! And I must say that I had seen the bird as well as on the previous Sunday – expect then nobody got pictures.

So it was time to start searching for the ticking bunting. This bird had proved to be even more difficult to see so we just went in the middle of the bushes to wait for it to show up.

We were waiting and waiting and a couple of some birders with good hearing and good positioning managed to hear some tick-calls and a couple of times some saw a bunting very briefly. I also managed to see it once on the top of pine and once in flight. All identification-marks that were seen were good for a Yellow-browed Bunting but still nobody saw it well – for example nobody saw the yellow eyebrowe.

During the day we slept a couple of hours and then came back to search. But the evening was very quiet until quite late we heard some tick-calls again but again we saw nothing.
When twitchers decided to give up I went to get my recording-stuff from our car while Hanna put up a camp close to the site again.

On the 14th of July we slept until 4 a.m. and then soon found other twitchers who had already managed to see the Pallas’s Reed Bunting. But then it had flight at least 500 meters to the other side of Kaasa-lighthouse.

So we could start searching the ticking bird again. And we didn’t have to wait for too long before we heard ticking. I started to sound-record it but of course some impatient twitchers started to move. I even managed to see the bird with my thermal camera and I was just about to get my camera and take pictures from the bush where I knew the bird was when someone walked right in front of me! I leaned a little to see the bush but then I saw the bird flying towards the sky and soon it disappeared behind the trees.

But at least now we had managed to get some recordings of this bird and the calls were analyzed very soon and the sonograph looked very promising for Yellow-browed Bunting – they were clearly different than Rustic or Little Bunting calls.

We stayed on the place until mid-day but no buntings were seen or heard. Other birds we had observed had been Bramblings and Common Redpolls and so on. We still decided to visit Ulkonokka again. Water was very low now so there were lots of sand-beaches now. But there were almost no birds at all. We saw only the same Common Shelducks, Caspian Terns and one young Little Tern and a Bar-tailed Godwit. Finally we walked back to our car and started a long drive back to home. We stopped to eat with Elissa on Pulkkila ABC but then we continued driving. In Iisalmi we saw a Pheasant and then we still visited Savonlinna Kerimäki Tänkky as a possible Black-winged Pratincole had seen flying over a field nearby. But we saw only a couple of Ruffs and Wood Sandpipers.

We were finally at home at 8 p.m. and I managed to sleep for 2 hours before I had to wake up to watch the football Euro final. Luckily the best team, Spain, won.

In the beginning of the week there weren’t any interesting bird in Siikalahti or Saari Pohjanranta. We still saw quite a few butterflies and now Silver-washed Fritillaries, Map Butterflies, Wood Whites and some other species were flying. We still saw one Lesser Purple Emperor too and some friends had still seen several White Admirals.

J.A.

We continued to Saari where in Akonpohja we saw a Brent Goose and a Black-tailed Godwit. In the evening I saw a Short-eared Owl in Siikalahti and a female Hen Harrier in Tetrisuo. At night we visited the best places nearby and heard 4 Spotted Crakes, 4 Marsh Warblers, a couple of Great Snipes, lots of Corn Crakes and so on.

On the 5th of June Hanna found a Great Reed Warbler in Särkisalmi and of course I had to twitch it. In the afternoon we visited Saari again and saw a couple of Common Ringed Plovers and a Temminck’s Stint. In Kangaskylä we saw an Oystercatcher and in the evening I twitcher a Grasshopper Warbler in Siikalahti. Then I found another Grasshopper Warbler, heard a Great Snipe, lots of Nightjars and Blyth’s Reed Warblers and a new Spotted Crake. Next day only better bird was a Black Kite in Siikalahti.

An Oystercatcher was seen in the village pretty often and then on the 8th day we saw 3 Oystercatchers flying over Papinlahti where we were having SSP-ringing. We caught only 5 Sedge Warblers, 1+1c Common Whitethroats, 3 Garden Warblers, a Willow Warbler, a Great Tit, 2 Common Rosefinches and a Reed Bunting. A River Warbler was singing nearby and a Grey Heron was heard from the sky. In the afternoon we visited Saari again but saw only a Gadwall couple and a Garganey in Akonpohja and a Little Ringed Plover in Pohjanranta.

On the 9th day we woke up a little bit late but then drove to Lappeenranta Joutseno Kotasaari where a Terek Sandpiper had been seen for quite some time already. We searched for it for several hours in windy weather but without luck. We heard a Marsh Sandpiper a couple of times and saw a couple of Garganeys, a Slavonian Grebe couple, 7 Common and 6 Little Ringed Plovers, 5 Spotted and 4 Common Redshanks, a Yellow Wagtail and heard a Great Reed Warbler. Then we went to Konnunsuo where we found easily 5 Ortolan Buntings, saw a Hen Harrier and heard a Quail. Then we headed back to Kotasaari where we had to keep rain for some time before we had to give up. We were just about to leave when a friendly birder stopped us and told that he had just seen the Terek Sandpiper exactly on the same place where we had just minutes before been. We drove back and there it finally was. It was good to see this personally-looking wader and ever better to hear it calling too.

On the 10th of June I went by bike to check that a couple of Little Ringed Plovers had bred successfully – but they had only 2 youngsters. In village there were again several Barnacle Geese families and on Canada Goose family. I also heard a couple of Marsh Warblers.

On the 11th day at least 12 Hobbies were hunting dragonflies in Siikalahti. In the evening I went to a night-trip with Teijo and Miila Saari. We started with Savi’s Warbler in Siikalahti and then we soon saw a Long-eared Owl and heard plenty of Nightjars and a Corn Crakes before we went to listen to Great Snipes. We found one Great Snipe in a different place too.

Next evening we headed to Saari where we saw a couple of Little Tinged Plovers in Pohjanranta, a Golden Plover in Kuussaari, a Grey-headed Woodpecker in Honkakylä and then in Karinmäki we managed to read a ring of a Curlew that we had seen a couple of years earlier last time with Hanna. It had been ringed 27 years ago in Lincolnshire England! It was already getting dark so we checked a couple of fields but found only the same species. But when we stopped in Jyrkilä I immediately heard a promising song. We walked a little bit closer and then we heard it clearly – a Booted Warbler! Soon we also saw this bird and it was only my second ever self-found Booted Warbler in Parikkala – and a lifer for Teijo and Miila. A Short-eared Owl was hunting over the field too so we were pretty happy!

On the 13th day we met with our old friend Danield Burgas and his two Catalan friends in Jyrkilä. They had driven straight from Helsinki-Vantaa airport and at 8 p.m. they started birding and the first bird was a Booted Warbler which was lifer even for Dani who had lived in Finland for 15 years. We had planned to do birding together at weekend but I had been sleeping so well after work that we decided to do some birding right away. After some watching and listening to Booted Warbler we decided to ring it too. The same Short-eared Owl and Quail were still around and of course several Corn Crakes.

We visited some good places and heard a Spotted Crake, a Water Rail, Great Bitterns, Blyth’s and Marsh Warblers and saw a Long-eared owl.

After my work I slept as long as I could and at 11 p.m. we met Catalans in Siikalahti. Savi’s Warbler was still singing. Then we headed to field where I had heard a distant Great Snipe a couple of nights earlier and there were 3 birds displaying right next to the road!

We continued to Papinlahti where an active River Warbler was also seen quite well. A couple of young Long-eared Owls were heard there too. Then we ringed another Marsh Warbler, found several Reed Warblers and managed to see a Thrush Nightingale well in Kukonkanta. The biggest surprise for us were a couple of Hawfinches that flew over us. Then we decided to ring the young Little Ringed Plovers while a Golden Oriole was already starting to sing.

We still spent some time with Blyth’s Reed Warblers before we headed to Melkoniemi forests. On the way I heard a familiar song through open window and there was finally a Greenigh Warbler! We managed to see this warbler surprisingly well before we continued to try other forest-birds. But the forest was surprisingly quiet. After some waiting we saw a Three-toed Woodpecker visiting the nest that Hanna had found earlier and some of us managed to see a Siberian Jay briefly. Then we ended the trip to neighbor to Savo side of the border where a Red-throated Diver was swimming on the pond with a young.

On the 16th of June we had SSP again and we caught a Marsh Warbler, 2+1c Common Whitethroats, 1k Garden Warbler, a Willow Warbler, 2 Great Tits and a Reed Bunting. Long-eared Owl youngsters, a Spotted Crake and a Water Rail were calling and a White-tailed Eagle flew over.

On the 18th day an Oystercatcher youngsters were seen in an island close to Kangaskylä. On th 19th day I saw a Gadwall in Siikalahti but otherwise I didn’t see much during the week. Hanna was birding every night or morning but mostly she concentrated photographing or atlas-birding.

On the 21st, mid-summer day we slept long but then headed to Saari where in Akonpohja we saw a White-tailed Eagle and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. The Booted Warbler and the Quail were still in Jyrkilä but almost nothing else was found. After we had eaten well, we headed to check that everything was OK with Three-toed Woodpeckers. The nestlings were still very small as a male was inside the nest. Then it started to rain and it was a relief as I really needed some sleep.

But on the next night we were birding again. We checked some new nightsinger areas but found only Corn Crakes, Blyth’s Reed Warblers, a couple of Marsh Warblers and so on. During the day there wasn’t much in Siikalahti either, just a Golden Oriole, 10 Hobbies and the same Savi’s Warbler still. It really seemed that the best birding time was over.

So during the weekend only other things to mention were ringing 2 Oystercatcher chicks that were now on the shore in Kangaskylä – actually they were ringed almost in our back-yard where we also saw a strange flock of 6 other Oystercatchers. Then on the 23rd day we had SSP again and caught a Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2c Sedge Warblers, 2c Common Whitethroats, 2c Garden Warblers, a Willow Warbler, 2 Blue and 7 Great Tits and 2 Reed Buntings. In the afternoon while running with Hanna’s brother Miika we saw a female Capercaillie. And at night I twitched a River Warbler as a Siikalahti year-tick.

On the last week of June it was getting very quiet. A short night-trip at 26th showed that even Savi’s Warbler had gone quiet or moved somewhere and only a single Great Snipe was calling only once. Booted Warbler had also disappeared after our last observation. There is still time to find some singers until bush-crickets start their noise. After all the highlight of the week was a House Sparrow family in Kangaskylä – the last pair is still alive.

On Friday the 28th of June we drove to Loviisa with Hanna and Hanna’s sister Elissa. In Pernaja Särklax there was a flooded field where were some waders and we had to really work hard in bad light and haze before we managed to find a Lesser Yellowlegs. A couple of other twitchers were happy to tick a sleeping Greenshank…

On the 29th day we were in Siikalahti for a few hours but saw only a Black Kite. And on the last day of June we did a long boat-trip to Lake Simpele with Arttu Valonen. We surveyed gulls and other birds and found out that there aren’t many pairs of Lesser Black-backed Gulls left. We also made sure that Cormorants aren’t breeding yet. Then we still visited Rautjärvi Simpele Kokkolanjoki where we checked that 2 pairs of Grey Wagtails were still around and breeding. The rest of the day we took easy.

J.A.