Long weekend in South
On the 14th and 15th of March we were in Helsinki at Bongariliitto 30th year parties and in BirdLife Finland meetings. On Sunday I managed to do some birding after the meeting and twitched a Glauscous Gull in Kyläsaari, saw a Pochard and a Long-tailed Duck in Espoo Suomenoja and Bean, Greylag and Canada Geese and 2 Grey Herons and 4 White-tailed Eagles in Kirkkonummi Saltfjärden.
On the 16th of March we headed to Hanko together with Kari Haataja and Tim Worfolk that had given the lecture about shrikes in Bongariliitto meeting. We stopped first in Raasepori Tammisaari Ramsholmen where we walked a bit and found a Nuthatch, 2 Long-tailed Tits, a Pheasant and several Treecreepers. In Hanko we found first better birds in Vedagrundet where 6 Eiders, a Snow Bunting and a Wood Lark were seen. In Täktbukten Kobben we found a Shelduck and the first White-tailed Eagle. In Itäsatama we saw 5 more Eiders and another White-tailed Eagle. Finally in Täktom we managed to see 3 White-tailed Eagles better and also a Great Grey Shrike, 2 Wood Larks and a Chaffinch. White Tim and Kari were photographing the shrike I managed to see an early Crane migrating towards north.
In the evening I left to Helsinki-Vantaa airport and later towards Israel and Champions of the Flyway.
J.A.