On the 11th of April we were in Siikalahti for several hours and saw a Greylag Goose couple, heard at least 6 Water Rails and a Bittern, saw 7 Cormorants, Hen and Marsh Harriers, White-tailed Eagles and a Rough-legged Buzzard. In the evening I still saw an early Red-breasted Merganser and a Black Kite. We checked some nest-boxes again but again just saw a Capercaillie and found one actively calling Pygmy Owl.

On the 12th day I saw a Wren singing and also found a Nuthatch couple in Siikalahti. In Saari we found a Wood Lark in Akanvaara Tetrisuo and a Lapland Longspur in Uukuniemi Suurenjärvenliete. Then we checked some empty nest-boxes again.

On the 14th day I saw a Greylag Goose in Härskiinmutka and an Osprey in Siikalahti. There was now an Oystercatcher couple in Kangaskylä. On the 15^th day my long-awaited spring holiday started and I headed to Kirkkonummi.

I was birding in Kirkkonummi for a couple of days with my father. On the 15^th day we visited Norra Fladet where we had Song Thrushes, a Dunnock, Little and Common Ringed Plovers and on the way I saw a Grey Heron. On the 16^th day we started at Porkkala where we saw Common Eiders, Long-tailed Ducks, Mute Swans, Great Black-backed Gulls and migrating Red-throated and Black-throated Divers. In Espoo Finno we found Horned Grebes, Shovelers, Gadwalls and Moorhens and in Laajalahti Caspian and Common Terns, Common Redshanks and a Chiffchaff. So I got plenty of year-ticks but noting better was seen.

On the 17th of April we still visited Saltfjärden but saw just some common raptors. During the day I headed toward west and stopped in Salo where I found one Collared Dove after some searching. After all I was in a hurry and did the last shopping in Nauvo before drove to Pärnäinen where I got to Utö-ferry.

I stayed at the deck for whole trip to Jurmo and saw a Hen Harrier, some Velvet Scoters and a flock of Common Scoters. Finally I was on Jurmo island and together with Petri Puolakka we walked to bird-station and soon we had everything ready and went to sleep.

On the 18th of April ringers Petri and Mikko Kormilainen headed to mist-nets very early and when sun started to rise we were watching migration with Vesa Virtanen. There wasn’t much migration except hundreds of small thrushes, mostly Song Thrushes. Also a Bar-tailed Godwit, Common Shelducks and Razorbills were seen. During the day we walked both routes, in west and east. We saw a Golden Plover, a Whimbrel, a Dunlin (schinzii), 60 Purple Sandpipers, a Red-necked Grebe, a Parasitic Jaeger, a Short-eared Owl, a Rock Pipit and a Jack Snipe. We also saw 5 Horned and 6 Great Crested Grebes, a Rook and a Hawfinch and also Petri and Mikko had work to do as they caught for example 422 Robins.

On the 19th day also Teijo Saari had arrived. We saw again plenty of thrushes in the morning and later we saw the first Northern Wheatears and also a male Pallid Harrier. There were now a couple of “schinziis” and even 235 Purple Sandpipers in west. Ringers caught still 242 Robins and so on.

But then the weather turned bad with northern winds and sun was shining from blue sky. So there really wasn’t birds in mist-nets anymore and not much to see anywhere else either. With “Vesku” we were ticking day-ticks for me as I had never been anywhere on the coast on these dates. So even Mute Swans, common ”seaducks”, Common Shelduck, Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Parasitic Jaeger, Razorbill, Rock Pipit and so on were ticks every day. Of course we hoped to find some early migrants but there really weren’t many birds at all.

On the 20th day most thrushes were Fieldfares and in the afternoon the first Pied Flycatcher was caught and I finally saw the first Tree Pipit. We saw altogether 3 Lapland Longspurs and also a Ruff. Mikko left so Petri was now alone checking empty mist-nets.

On the 21st day the island was almost empty but finally the first Black Guillemot was seen and again one Lapland Longspur. On the 22^nd day we saw an Arctic Tern, a Wood Lark, a Great Grey Shrike, heard a Twite that flew right over us and the best bird was a Caspian Gull that Vesku found and the rest of us saw just poorly in flight. On the 23^rd day Santeri Hiltunen arrived and the only year-tick was a Common Greenshank and only other birds to mention were 5 Red-necked Grebes.

Because of the island had been so empty I decided to make my stay even worse and stay much longer than I had planned on the island. So on the 24^th day we had to visit mainland and go shopping with Vesku. In Parainen we visited Petteby and Mattholmsfladan bird-towers and heard a Bittern and saw a Ruff, a Caspian Tern and a Barn Swallow. We also did some birding in Nauvo forests but found only some tits and a Parrot Crossbill. In the evening Ohto Oksanen and Inga Gröndahl was in the same ferry.

On the 25th day there were more mist-nets and even some birds in them. Right away in the morning a Long-eared Owl was ringed and later also a Blackcap. It was pretty good day otherwise too as in the morning we counted even 12238 Common Scoters which was the record in Jurmo. Also a couple of Greater Scaups and a Common Guillemot and 31 Bar-tailed Godwits, 42 Razorbills, 17 Parasitic Jaegers, a Common Redstart and a couple of Great Grey Shrikes were seen during the day.

But the next days were again very poor. There were more than 500 meters of mist-nets but almost no birds. On the 26^th day we saw a 2nd calendar year Pallid Harrier but nothing else really. As ringers had nothing else to do the put up some effort to catch a Jackdaw that was visiting the feeder in the garden and finally it got ringed. Then on the next day there really was nothing new happening.

On the 28th of April we counted 54 Razorbills and 11 Rock Pipit and Petri Vainio arrived. On the 29^th day I finally saw a Common Sandpiper and a Common Buzzard was also a new Jurmo-tick for me. Also a Wood Lark was seen. Juha Honkala and Timo Kuusikko arrived and on the next morning Petri and Inga left. It really hadn’t been the best time for Inga to visit from Ivalo.

Finally all hopes for new April-ticks were left to the last possible day but it still didn’t look promising as the wind was still from north. We really tried hard again anyway. In the morning we saw more than 1300 migrating thrushes and later we saw plenty of the same day-ticks as every day. But finally in west we saw a Little Tern which was a month-tick for me. Also a Little Gull and a Turnstone were seen. And finally there were also some insect-eater like 23 Pied Flycatchers and 8 Common Redstarts and also 17 Waxwings.

On the 1st of May the wind was finally turning but still there weren’t as many birds as we had expected. But at least there were some year-ticks. In the morning we saw a Wood Sandpiper and when we were walking towards east with Vesa and Timo, we heard a Hoopoe calling! Then Timo saw the bird on the ground and then flying straight to one of the mist-nets. I hurried after it but it wasn’t stuck at all and escaped when I still was about 20 meters from it. We still saw it once in flight and then some tourist heard it in east and Juha heard it from the bog but after that it was never found again. Other year-ticks were Whinchat 4, Willow Warbler 15 and a Yellow Wagtail. Other birds to mention were a pale-backed Lesser Black-backed Gull, a Caspian Tern, 3 Little Terns, a Marsh Harrier and 77 Chiffchaffs, 20 Waxwings, 38 Pied Flycatchers, 19 Common Redstarts and again we had seen some thrush-migration in the morning.

On the 2nd of May it was my birthday and of course plenty of ticks to be found as the wind was finally good. There were indeed more birds in mist-nets too but again all the ticks were the same as every day.  Birds to mention were 115 Greater White-fronted Geese, 22 Common Shelducks, 48 Golden Plovers, 32 Whimbrels, 56 Bar-tailed Godwits, 40 Purple Sandpipers, a Spotted Redshank, 5 Turnstones, 2 “schinzii” and “alpine” Dunlins, 4 Little Terns, 8 Wrynecks, a Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 138 Chiffchaffs and when I was absolutely tired and just back in the station Santeri found a Collared Flycatchers from the eastern woods. With Teijo we decided to go twitching of course. Luckily Vesku stopped us in the garden and we first looked into his telescope to see a Ring Ouzel that he had just found. We hurried with Teijo and after some searching we managed to see a stunning adult male Collared Flycatcher briefly. But soon we had to hurry back to the station as we still had a log to do. Ohto had left in the morning but Lauri Kokkala had arrived.

On the 3rd of May new arrivals were a House Martin, a Hobby and then with Santeri we found an early Red-backed Shrike from west and later also a Sedge Warbler. We also saw a female Smew, a Long-eared Owl, 14 Common Sandpipers, 120 Purple Sandpipers, 11 “alpine” Dunlins, 4 Little Terns, 40 Whinchats, 120 Blackcaps, 147 Common Redstarts, 53 Pied Flycatchers, a Hawfinch and even 7 Ring Ouzels! Timo and Petri left so there weren’t too many birders in the station. Luckily with Santeri we had been able to stay longer than we had planned.

On the 4th day we found the first 9 Common Whitethroats and in west we saw a Great Egret flying over us. In pine-forest we heard a Cuckoo calling and while we were already walking back to the station we found a female-plumaged Black Redstart. Other birds to mention were even 883 counted Velvet Scoters, a Greater Scaup couple, 5 Little Terns, 2 Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, a Great Grey Shrike, 83 Blackcaps, 11 Lesser Whitethroats, 50 Common Redstarts, 31 Whinchats and 52 Northern Wheatears.

On the 5th day Juha caught an early Garden Warbler which we of course went to see. While we were walking back, we saw an interesting looking bird hanging on the next mist-net – a Common Reed Warbler. Altogether we saw 140 Loons in migration. In west we heard calls of a Grey Plover from the sky and in the evening there was a Thrush Nightingale hopping in the grass in the garden. Altogether we counted 45 Oied Flycatchers but still there weren’t more Collared Flycatchers. A couple of Horned Grebes, 12 Spotted Redshanks, 9 Turnstones, 21 “alpinas”, a Little Gull, a Hen Harrier, a Ring Ouzel and a Tree Sparrow were seen.

On the 6^th of May it was the last day but still we worked hard. In the morning we saw 180 migrating Loons, and 46 Whimbrels and later 150 Purple Sandpipers and a Ring Ouzel. Petri came back and right away climbed to a nest of a Raven so we got 4 nice young Ravens to ring. Then with Santeri and Juha we had to walk to harbor where we still found a Black Redstart. With Santeri we till spent time on the deck but saw nothing new. From Pärnäinen we drove to Kaarina where I dropped Santeri to wait for a bus and I still had a long drive ahead.

Finally in Lappeenranta I was so tired that I decided to drive to Joutseno Kotasaari to sleep. On the 7^th of May I woke up at 5 a.m. and heard a Moorhen right away. I spent a couple of hours by the pools and saw a Black Kite, a couple of Citrine Wagtails, Sand Martins, Garganeys, a Temminck’s Stint and heard a Black-tailed Godwit. I also saw several old friends. Then I drove the last hour or so to Parikkala where I still did some birding after good naps. In the evening I still ticked Great Snipe and Spotted Crake. And late at night my brother Pirkka arrived to spend a traditional bird-tower competition weekend.

On the 8th of May we started at Siikalahti bird-tower where we saw nothing special but of course Pirkka got plenty of year-ticks. Then we headed to Saari where still weren’t any floods so there weren’t too many birds. Anyway in Akonpohja we found 4 Horned Grebes, in Ratila we found a Red-breasted Goose and in Tarassiinlahti 2 more Red-breasted Geese and also an early Brent Goose and in Kanavalampi I saw a Black Kite. In the afternoon we went to ring 4 Ural Owl nestlings but on another nest a female was still on eggs. Later we still went to see a Long-eared Owl on its nest.

On the 9^th of May we had the Bird-tower competition “Tornien Taisto”. With 3 Aaltos there were Matti Lötjönen, Miika Soikkeli, Akseli Solasaari and surprisingly also Rami Lindroos and Mika Asikainen – so we got some good reinforcements to the team. It wasn’t the best bird-day so we really had to work hard to get species. So it took 3 instead of normal 3 hours to reach 80 species. Luckily some more pictures were got after that too until it stopped. The best birds in the morning had been a Greylag Goose couple, 4 Gadwalls, 55 Common Scoters, 52 Whimbrels, a Spotted Crake, a Red-throated Loon, a Short-eared Owl, a Black and a Grey-headed Woodpecker, 2 Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and amazingly only one Coot. Luckily we still managed to see a flock of 7 Velvet Scoters, a couple of Pink-footed Geese, a Goshawk, a 2^nd calendar year Pallid Harrier and a Hen Harrier which was our last and 92th species. This time there were a few towers inland that had got 1 species more than us and of course one of them was Tarassiinlahti.

In the afternoon we visited Saari again but saw nothing new really. In the evening we visited fields and saw some Long- and Short-eared Owls and heard a Great Snipe. On the 10^th day we started at night and counted night-birds in Siikalahti. We heard 11 Bitterns, 24 Water Rails, a Spotted Crake and a Ural Owl. In morning we still twitched a couple of year-ticks for Pirkka, including a Wryneck. We still spent a few hours in Siikalahti and saw 2 migrating Black Kites but finally Pirkka had to hit the road as he had a long way back to Kemijärvi. In the evening we still visited Rautjärvi Simpele Kokkolanjoki where we saw a male Grey Wagtail.

On the 11th of May we did water-bird counts and I also saw good migration: 2 Bewick’s Swans, 1000 Long-tailed Ducks, 2500 Common and 220 Velvet Scoters and 3 Greater Scaups. I also saw a Little Ringed Plover and heard a Common Grasshopper Warbler. In the evening we visited Siikalahti again and it was worthy as we saw a Black-tailed Godwit and a stunning Greater Spotted Eagle!

Then we still went to Papinlahti to put mist-nets ready for the next morning and there we saw a Bluethroat.

On the 12th day we had SSP-ringing and we caught 2 Great Tit controls, 5 Willow Warblers, a Blackbird, 2 Bluethroats, 2 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Chaffinches, a Reed Bunting control and a Yellowhammer. We also saw a few Northern Wheatears and heard a Black and a Grey-headed Woodpecker. During the day we visited Siikalahti and immediately saw 8 Great Egrets that had been found earlier. I still visited the tower and saw 4 Common Swifts.

In the evening I quickly packed my stuff again and hit the road. I soon stopped in Simpele Revonranta and twitched a Red-breasted Goose as a Rautjärvi-tick. Then I kept on driving until Salo where I was so tired that I turned to Omenojärvi to sleep in a car.

On the 13th of May I started scanning Omenojärvi at 5 a.m. and soon found a Garganey, a Gadwall couple, a female Smew, Tufted Ducks and Pochards and after 15 minutes waiting there was some sort of alarm and also the rest of ducks came visible from the gull-island – and a male Ferruginous Duck that is spending already fifth summer here was with them.

I continued driving along the coast north and turned to Uusikaupunki Pyhämaa and continued along small roads to Liesluoto. There I walked a half an hour almost to the shore and first heard a strangely singing Common Chiffchaff but continued 200 meters more and then heard even strangerly singing bird which was the second ever Iberian Chiffchaff for Finland. The bird stayed on the top of trees so I didn’t get good pictures but I took plenty of recordings. After some studying I walked back to my car and continued my way.

In Lieto I saw a male Pheasant as a year-tick and then in Rauma I decided to go to Unajanlahti bird-tower where I saw a Great Egret. Then I continued to Petäjäs Rientolahti where it was raining but after some searching I found a Firecrest. Then I continued to Pori where I did some shopping and visited Enälahti bird-tower where I met my friend Petteri Mäkelä but only better bird we saw was a Great Egret again. Then it was time to drive to Kuuminainen to Salokankaanranta where I still managed to sleep a little.

Tommi Salokangas came early and soon also Petri Salo, Sebastian Andrejeff and Tomas Swahn arrived and we packed up the boat and left towards Säppi island where I had been 90 days earlier but always only in October, so it was good to go to the island finally in spring too.

On the way we saw a Caspian Tern and on the pier Jan Lundgren was helping us with our stuff. Some Barn Swallows were flying in the garden of the station but soon it was late so we just arranged our things and were soon ready to go to sleep.

On the 14th of May the routines started with morning sea-watching. Then we walked around the whole island. I got plenty of new Säppi-ticks but only birds to really mention were 7 Shelducks, 9 Gadwalls, a hybrid male between a Mallard and a Pintail, a Horned Grebe, 364 Loons (194 Black- and 32 Red-throated), a Cuckoo, 81 Oystercatchers, a Little Ringed Plover, 4 Whimbrels, 38 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Spotted Redshank, 6 Turnstones, 2 Red Knots, a Temmink’s Stint, a Dunlin, 2 Little Gulls, a Hobby, 6 Bluethroats, a Thrush Nightingale, a Sedge Warbler, a Rock Pipit, 2 Yellow Wagtails and so on.

On the 15th day we kept on trying the good bird but only better birds we found were 2 Nightjars which another one came from the sea in the morning, 9 Red Knots, a Honey Buzzard, a Sand Martin, 6 Wood Warblers, 12 Bluethroats and 2 Rock Pipits. And on the 16^th day we counted 3444 Common Scoters and saw 2 Tundra Bean Geese, 2 Horned Grebes, 6 Grey Plovers, a Little Ringed Plover, 36 Temminck’s Stints, 202 Dunlins, 3 Common Murres, 4 Little Gulls, 11 Wood Warblers, an Icterine Warbler, 30 Northern Wheatears, 12 Spotted Flycatchers, 61 Yellow Wagtails, a Rook and the best birds were a Black-tailed Godwit, a Black Redstart and an Ortolan Bunting that I found through the kitchen window in the evening.

On our last day we had time until 3 p.m. In the morning we heard a Common Rosefinch and lots of scoters were moving. We counted 1818 Common and even 1495 Velvet Scoters. It seemed that the island was almost empty from birds but we still saw a Caspian Tern which was my 32nd Säppi-tick of the trip.

Finally we had to pack and clean the station and head to the harbor. Tommi came to pick up right on time and the island was left empty, the next birders would come in the end of the next week.

In Kuuminainen we still heard an Icterine Warbler and then it was time to say goodbye to everyone. I had a long drive back to Parikkala. I stopped only in Rautjärvi Simpele Kaljusenlampi where I twitched a Little Crake male. I also heard a Water Rail, a Spotted Crake and a couple of Corn Crakes.

J.A.

I had hopes high for many early migrants but migration stayed surprisingly quiet. Most of the birds seemed to come according to calendar but some extraordinary early birds were also seen. Auroras were visible during several nights.

On the 23rd of March I saw 2 Canada and 3 Greater White-fronted Geese, 12 Mallards, 28 Woodpigeons, 5 Stock Doves and 2 White-tailed Eagles. In Särkisalmi I saw 2 Goldeneyes and a Common Merganser and in Kannas a Nuthatch. On the 24th day an early Crane, 3 White-tailed Eagles, a Black Woodpecker and a Fieldfare were in Siikalahti and an early White Wagtail in Kannas. On the 25th day I saw a flock of 30 Tundra Bean Geese in Kangaskylä and a Chaffinch and a couple of Teals in Siikalahti. In the afternoon we finally got a new family-member – a Skoda Karoq. In the evening we went to check a couple of fields but saw only plenty of Lapwings and a couple of Woodcocks. On the 26th day White-fronted and Tundra Bean Geese and Mallards and Teals were seen more. Other arrivals were a Water Rail, 7 Black-headed Gulls, a female Hen Harrier, a Mistle Thrush, a Redwing, 2 Linnets, a Snow Bunting and so on. And on the 27th day there were 2 Water Rails, a Crane and so on.

At weekend we were staying both mornings at Siikalahti dam-road. On the 28th day we saw a Canada Goose, 80 Greater White-fronted, 120 Tundra and 2 Taiga Bean Geese, 4 Wigeons, 2 Pintails, 6 Stock Doves, 8 Cranes, 4 Water Rails, a Common Snipe, 15 Black-headed Gulls, a Common Gull, a Goshawk, a Hen Harrier, a Kestrel, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, a Meadow Pipit, 2 Mistle Thrushes, already 70 Chaffinches, 2 Linnets, 2 Red Crossbills and 7 Goldfinches and so on.

On Sunday the weather was still amazing but we didn’t see as much as we had hoped. We saw 4 Smews, 8 Wigeons, 4 Pintails, 8 Cranes, 3 Common Snipes, amazing early Ruff, a female Marsh Harrier, a Redwing, a Snow Bunting and so on. We also twitched an early Green Sandpiper in Kannas. We also made a visit to Saari but saw only a Hen Harrier couple in Suurenjärvenliete, some Kestrels here and there, 4 Pintails in Kanavalampi and a couple of Great Grey Shrikes.

On the 30th day all floods had already dried but a White Wagtail was still at Kannas. Nothing else was seen until late evening when I saw a couple of Woodcocks and a Long-eared Owl.

On the last day of March the weather had turned rainy and wind was northern. I still tried to find some March-ticks before work, on lunch-hour and after work but only new arrivals were a Brambling and a Robin which I both twitched. I found only Smews, a White-backed and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Redwings and a Goldcrest and so on. Late in the evening I still saw a Pochard flying over me and then found some Woodcocks and heard a Long-eared Owl.

After all I had got one new March-tick (Ruff) and 3 more species (Short-eared Owl, Green Sandpiper, Brambling) I saw first time ever in Parikkala in March. Some more birds (Pintail, Woodcock, Robin) I saw the first time ever in Siikalahti in March and altogether 15 species I had seen earlier than ever in Parikkala.

One the 1st of April only bird to mention was a Greylag Goose in a flock of Taiga Bean Geese in Särkisalmi. On the 2nd day we saw even 7 (4+3) Greylag Geese in Siikalahti and also the same female Marsh Harrier but nothing else really. In the evening we went to check some fields and also put up a couple of mist-nets for owls and saw several Woodcocks but it was too bright to catch them but one Long-eared Owl was caught and ringed.

On Good Friday the 3rd of April we visited Saari but there wasn’t big surprises. We saw only 2 Capercaillies on their lekking place but there had been some forest-cuts. We also heard a Parrot Crossbill there. Otherwise we saw just some Tundra and Taiga Bean and Greater White-fronted Geese, a couple of Smews, a Pintail, a Hen Harrier and after all the best observation of the trip were a couple of House Sparrows in Pohjasuo.

When we were just about to head home, I got a message that the second ever Middle Spotted Woodpecker for Finland had been found in Kitee by Kimmo Järvinen. Young birder was with us and he had no possibility to go twitching so after all Hanna decided to drive home and I waited along the main-road 6 for Hanna’s sister Elissa and brother Miika who picked me up and we continued towards Kitee.

Once we got to the right place there were twitchers watching up to one tree. And there the woodpecker was sleeping on a branch. It soon woke up and was active and visited a feeder but then flew behind one building. For some reason I was the only one following the bird and I found it feeding on an apple-tree. I managed to get some pretty good pictures of the bird. Soon other birders joined me but then the bird decided to fly to a forest nearby. Then it was time for us to head back to Parikkala. The bird was still seen in the evening and very early on the next morning but never since.

In the afternoon we visited in Tiviä and saw a Hen Harrier and then in one forest we found a Pygmy Owl. On the way back home we still stopped at dam-road and heard a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

On the 4th of April it was raining in the morning but I did some birding anyway. Only better bird was a Nuthatch in Siikalahti. Then we headed to Rautjärvi Simpele Kokkolanjoki where we saw a Grey Wagtail couple and a couple of Dippers in Kangaskoski and a couple of Dippers in Lahnanen. On the way back we still found a couple of Rooks in Kangas fields

In the afternoon I saw nothing special so I decided to twitch a Tundra Swan in Savikumpu Alava. It was in a flock of Whooper Swans, Tundra and Taiga Bean and Greater White-fronted Geese. Then I still went to see the same Pygmy Owl again.

On the 5th day we visited Saari again. Elissa came with us. Year-ticks were 2 Barnacle Geese in Lahdenpohja and 3 Coots and a Great Bittern in Akonpohja. In Tarassiinlahti we saw a Marsh Harrier couple but other observations were just some White-tailed Eagles, Great Grey Shrikes and Linnets and so on. On the way back we twitched a Hawfinch that was visiting one feeder in Särkisalmi.

In the afternoon we went to ring a Ural Owl mother which was again very early this year. Then we still visited Siikalahti and a couple of other places with young birder and saw a Greylag Goose, 7 Tufted Ducks and a Beaver which has made a big nest next to Siikalahti bird-tower. It was already getting dark when we still ticked a Pygmy Owl.

On the second Eastern Day the weather was pretty bad but we did some birding anyway. Common and Black-headed Gulls had arrived in numbers and a Lesser Black-backed Gull was also seen in Härskiinmutka. Otherwise we saw just a Pochard couple in Siikalahti and then we went to see a mother Boreal Owl which was already in its nest.

J.A.

We did a couple of stops on the way in Imatra and saw a Nuthatch in Neitsytniemi. On the same place we saw a lonely Great Cormorant on the ice along the extremely foggy river. And because of there really was no visibility to the river, we continued to Lappeenranta where we picked up Veikka Kosonen and continued birding.

We tried to twitch wintering Jack Snipe and Woodcock but last very cold period had been too much at least in these places as the ditches were almost completely frozen. Then we headed to Toikansuonmäki where we twitched 5 Twites and 2 Shore Larks that were wintering there. Unfortunately these birds stayed quite far so I didn’t try to get any pictures.

Next we walked along Palosuonkatu ditch but found only a Dipper. We were already driving away when I saw some movement on the ditch and there it was, a wintering Water Rail that was a new winter-species in South Karelia for me.

Next we drove south to Luumäki where we tried to twitch a Hawk Owl. We didn’t find it but saw a Three-toed Woodpecker in flight and a small flock of Waxwings.

At last we still tried to see Common Teals on Reijola but found only Mallards, which was a year-tick for me. I really hadn’t been anywhere this winter.

On the 2nd of February I tried to twitch the Robin again but saw a White-backed Woodpecker, a Blackbird, a Coal Tit and then surprisingly the first ever Merlin in Parikkala in February. Otherwise there wasn’t much to see during the week, just Black Grouses, Treecreepers and one Blackbird in Siikalahti.

On Saturday the 7th of February we finally saw this Robin which also was the first in Parikkala ever in February. In Siikalahti we saw Grey-headed Woodpeckers and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tits and again a Blackbird. I still went to Simpele to play ice-hockey and saw a couple of Dippers in Kokkolanjoki.

On Sunday we spent a couple of hours in a hide in Siikalahti and saw again Grey-headed and White-backed Woodpeckers and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tits and a Goshawk. We got some pretty good pictures. In Tetrisuo we saw a Great Grey Shrike and in Punnola a lonely Waxwing.

On the 9th day Minna Terävä called that a Pygmy Owl was staring at her feeder, so I went to see it. It wasn’t easy times for the Robin as there were also a couple of Sparrowhawks visiting the feeder and also the Merlin had been seen a couple of times.

On the 11th day there were a couple of White-tailed Eagles on ice in Härskiinmutka and in Siikalahti I heard a Three-toedWoodpecker. On the 12th day I saw a Black Woodpecker in Tiviä and a Fieldfare in Kangaskylä. Otherwise I saw just Grey-headed Woodpeckers and Black Grouses and so on during the week. At weekend the Robin wasn’t seen anymore. Either cold weather or predators had caught it.

On the 14th of February I tried to search for the last Siberian Jay but it hasn’t been seen after the first days of the year. I saw a couple of Hazel Grouses and maybe because of that I decided to drive towards Saari to check if a forest where Capercaillies have leks every year was still standing as we had seen some signs that there would be some forestry work done during winter. Luckily most of the forest was still standing but I didn’t see any Capercaillies yet but I saw one along the main-road 6 while driving back.

On the 15th day we visited our feeders with Harri Hölttä and saw 5 Grey-headed Woodpeckers and Long-tailed Tits and a Great Grey Shrike in Tetrisuo. Hanna of course had seen more woodpeckers as she had been again photographing them from hides. Hanna spent quite a lot of time in hides in February, especially during her winter-holiday week.

On the 17th day I visited Tarvaslampi and saw a Sparrowhawk and a Coal and a Crested Tit but otherwise I saw just the same feeder visitors during the week.

On the 21st day we were photographing a couple of hours in a hide in Koitsanlahti Pito & Palvelu. Hanna had helped to build a hide there for photographers who can stay in this bed&breakfast and rent the hide to photographs feeder-visitors. We got pictures of Grey-headed and White-backed Woodpeckers and Nuthatches and so on. Then we still continued to Simpele Kokkolanjoki where we saw 6 Dippers and a couple of Mallards.

On the last week of February I saw the same birds; woodpeckers, tits, treecreepers and the only surprise was that a few Goldcrests were still alive. At weekend we did the first owl-trip but didn’t hear any owl. Some other birders had heard quite a few recently.
The first bird observation of March was the same Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on our feeder on the 1st day. But on the 2nd day quickly warmed weather had brought already a Herring Gull to Härskiinmutka. It kept some distance to a White-tailed Eagle. Next day there were 2 of both species and later there were more Herring Gulls every day. On the 6th day there were a couple of Great Grey Shrikes and a Black Woodpecker calling in Siikalahti. In the evening we did an owl-trip with Harri Partanen but in windy weather we heard only a single Boreal Owl in Tyrjä.

On Saturday the 7th of March I did the last winter-bird count. I saw a Hazel and a Black Grouse, 7 Rock Doves, 9 Herring Gulls, 2 Black, a Grey-headed, a White-backed and 8 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 5 Jays, 10 Magpies, 26 Hooded Crows, 5 Ravens, 44 Blue, 62 Great, 5 Willow and 4 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Treecreepers, 2+2 Starlings, 8 Tree Sparrows, 3 Bullfinches, 7 Greenfinches and 10 Siskins.

On the 8th day we decided to put one mist-net up to one of our feeders and see how many birds were really visiting it. In 5 hours we ringed 100 birds: 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 40 Blue, 40+1 control Great, 3 Willow, 8+1 control Long-tailed Tits, a Nuthatch, a Treecreeper, a Siskin and 2 Yellowhammers.

On the 9th of March I saw the first better bird of the year when I first heard a familiar call from the sky and then a male Bearded Reedling landed just in front of me in Siikalahti. I hadn’t got my camera with me but I managed to get a short video of the bird with my phone. It was already the 3rd observation of this species in Parikkala and Siikalahti in last three years while before that it had been observed only in 1998 and 1999. Hopefully it is getting more common and comes to breed here! Unfortunately this bird wasn’t found later. We also tried to see it in the afternoon but saw only a White-backed Woodpecker. Hopefully 2 Great Grey Shrikes that were also there hadn’t seen it either.

On the 11th day I saw a Sparrowhawk, a White-tailed Eagle and 8 Starling and on the 12th day a Wood Lark was feeding on the side of the road while I was spending my lunch-hour in Siikalahti. I also saw a younger Golden Eagle flying towards east very low.

The 13th of March was the first real spring day as on my short visit I saw 3 Whooper Swans, 3 Lapwings, another younger Golden Eagle, earliest Kestrel ever, a Skylark, Siskins and Redpolls. Atfer work I had to go back and I still saw 10 Lapwings, 2 Sparrowhawks, a Common Buzzard, a Great Grey Shrike, a Skylark, 25 Starlings and a Linnet.

At Weekend we stayed on the dam-road for several hours on both days. On the 14th day we saw 8 Whooper Swans, a Woodpigeon, 4 Stock Doves, 140 Lapwings, 2 Sparrowhawks, a Goshawks, 7 White-tailed Egles, 4 Common Buzzards, 2 Grey-headed Woodpeckers, a Black Woodpecker, a Wood Lark, 28 Skylarks, 30 Starlings, 150 Redpolls, 120 Siskins and 2 Snow Buntings. A Goldfinch was singing in Aittavaara.
On Sunday the weather was still amazing warm and wind was southern. We saw 14 Whooper Swans, a Woodpigeon, 5 Stock Doves, 200 Lapwings, a Sparrowhawk, 5 White-tailed Eagles, 9 Common Buzzards, a Merlin, 20 Skylarks, 50 Starlings, a Mistle Thrush, 20 Blackbirds, 2 Goldfinches, 3 Snow and 2 Reed Buntings.

During the week wind was still southern but it wasn’t as warm but still plus degrees even during the nights. So snow and ice was melting quickly! But for some reason there wasn’t much migration to be seen. On the 16th day I checked some fields but saw only a Capercaillie in Koitsanlahdenkangas. On the 17th day I saw the earliest Common Crane ever in Siikalahti and also a Stock Dove, 21 Snow Buntings and a Reed Bunting. On the 18th day there were no other surprises, but a Kestrel couple was already on their nest-box in Kullinsuo. On the 19th the weather was a bit colder but there were the first 3 Mallard in a small open water area in Siikalahti. Only birds migrating were a flock of 5 Snow Buntings. On the 20th day there was a Canada Goose in still quite small open water area in Särkisalmi.

At weekend we were in Lahti in BirdLife meetings. We went there by train. Only birds we saw were some House Sparrows and a Rook that flew over the railway station.

J.A.

On the 8th day I still saw some Common and Herring Gulls in Härskiinmutka but on a brief visit to completely open Siikalahti I saw only a lonely Redpoll. On the 10th day we saw a Black-throated Diver in Härskiinmutka and on the 11th day a Velvet Scorer and a White-tailed Eagle in Vartialahti.

On the 12th day I saw a Great Grey Shrike in Tetrisuo and 5 Whooper Swans, a Greater Scaup and a White-tailed Eagle in Vartialahti and the biggest surprise was a Rough-legged Buzzard in Tiviä – it was another new Parikkala winter-tick.

At weekend the weather started to get much colder but on the 13th day the Rough-legged Buzzard was still on Tiviä and we saw a Velvet Scoter flying around over freezing Vartialahti as a White-tailed Eagle had scared it. We also saw several Nuthatches and a Sparrowhawk too. On Sunday we found one more Nuthatch, a Great Grey Shrike, a Grey-headed Woodpecker, a Hazel Grouse, Black Grouses and then surprisingly saw a Capercaillie in Tetrisuo.

During the week I still saw a few Great Grey Shrikes and a flock of Redpolls. In the end of the week the weather changed warm again and there were even 13 Herring Gulls and a couple of White-tailed Eagles on the wet ice in Härskiinmutka. At weekend our long-awaited winter-holiday started and we headed to Uganda.

When we were back from Uganda on the 6th of January the first year-ticks were seen in Helsinki-Vantaa airport – a Jackdaw and a Hooded Crow. But soon sun set and nothing else was seen.

The winter had really arrived to Finland and In Parikkala there had been very cold! So there weren’t many birds around. On the 7th of January I visited Siikalahti and our feeders and saw a White-backed and a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jays, Magpies, Blue, Great, Willow and Long-tailed Tits, a Nuthatch, Tree Sparrows, a Greenfinch and Yellowhammers. On the 8th day the only year-tick was a Black Grouse and on the 9th a Treecreeper.

On the 10th of January it was time to do winter-bird counting again. The weather forecast was completely wrong and it was very windy and snowing almost all the time and also -10 degrees. Anyway I walked and skied around Siikalahti and saw 4 Hazel Grouses, a Rock Dove, a Goshawk, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 4 Jays, 5 Magpies, 13 Jackdaws, 3 Hooded Crows, a Raven, 31 Blue, 40 Great, a Crested, 6 Willow and 11 Long-tailed Tits, a Nuthatch, a Blackbird, a Fieldfare, 4 Tree Sparrows, 37 Greenfinches, 10 Redpolls, 28 Siskins and 5 Yellowhammers. There were fewer birds than ever on my route but also the weather was the worst ever.

On the 11th of January we twitched a wintering Robin in Siromäki and also saw Bullfinches and a Coal Tit there. In Särkisalmi we saw a Blackbird and in Tarvaslampi a Sparrowhawk and a couple of Coal Tits.

During the week there really wasn’t anything new. The only year-tick was a Great Grey Shrike in Tetrisuo. A Fieldfare was seen a couple of timed in Kangaskylä, a White-backed Woodpecker was visiting out feeder and I saw a flock of 15 Redpolls.

On the 17th of January we did a short walk in forest in Eskola Lähdekallio and managed to find a Three-toed Woodpecker couple. We also saw one Goldcrest which seems to be rare this winter. We also went to fill our feeders in Siikalahti and saw a Grey-headed Woodpecker, a Nuthatch, Long-tailed Tits, a Bohemian Waxwing and a few Siskins.

On Sunday the 18th we saw a White-backed Woodpecker in Särkisalmi and a Dipper in Tarvaslampi. Then we continued to search fore the probably last Siberian Jay but couldn’t find it. It was very quiet in the forest but again we found one Three-toed Woodpecker and also a couple of Red Crossbills. On the way back we stopped in Tarvaslampi again and saw 2 Coal Tits. In Kangaskylä we saw 3 Fieldfares and 2 Blackbirds.

During the wee only better bird I saw was a male White-backed Woodpecker on our feeder. On the 24th day we spent a couple of days photographing bird on our feeder. We got pictures if a White-backed and a Grey-headed Woodpecker and Long-tailed and Willow Tits. We also saw a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. We also participated to Garden Twitch. On Sunday Hanna went to photograph to our another feeder but I decided to drive around in some forests. And it was worthy as I found a Ural Owl in Yrttitarha. In the afternoon we did Garden Twitch in Koitsanlahti where we saw a White-backed Woodpecker and a Nuthatch and so on.

The last week of January the weather was very cold so I didn’t really do much and saw nothing. On Saturday the 31st of January we surprisingly found a Three-toed Woodpecker in Siikalahti and then saw a Dipper again in Tarvaslampi. Then in the afternoon before a ice-hockey tournament in Rautjärvi Simpele I stopped in Kokkolanjoki and saw a male Common Goosander, 2 female Goldeneyes and a Dipper in a small open water area near the main road. In the evening we surprisingly heard a Long-eared Owl in Oronmylly.

J.A.