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.