Geese, a cage-bird and a steppe bird
The autumn started to come quickly and so the birds that really make autumn here in Eastern Finland, geese started to arrive. On the 17th of September I saw 3 Taiga Bean Geese in Siikalahti and on the next day 2 Canada Geese in Sammallampi fields and a flock of 200 Brent Geese migrating over Lahdensuo fields. From the fields I found only 5 Snipes and a Red-throated Pipit. On the 19th day I saw already 400 Barnacle Geese in Siikalahti and on Lake Simpele I saw another small flock and also 157 Great Crested Grebes with a Red-necked and a Slavonian Grebe.
On the 20th of September I was a little bit sick but in the afternoon I made a trip to Saari where I saw a couple of thousands of Barnacle Geese, 57 Tundra Bean Geese, 6 White-fronted Geese and a Greylag Goose. Other observations were a Black Grouse, a Hazel Hen, 3 Hen Harriers, a Honey Buzzard, 3 Rough-legged Buzzards, an Osprey, 13 Golden Plovers, a Jack Snipe and a Dunlin.
On the 21st day I counted 186 Great Crested Grebes and Red-backed and Slavonian Grebes were still there. During the day I participated to Joutseno half-marathon. I was still a little bit sick so I took it pretty easy. I heard a Two-barred Crossbill while running. It took an hour and 53 minutes. After that I went to Konnunsuo where I saw altogether more than 10000 Barnacle Geese. Other geese were 70 Tundra Bean, 30 White-fronted, 2 Greylag and a Brent Goose. I also twitched a Red-breasted Goose that unfortunately had a tiny ring on it’s right leg. It was really difficult to see the ring but unfortunately it seemed to be an escape. Other birds there were 3 Hen Harriers and a Marsh Harrier, 2 Rough-legged buzzards, a Merlin, a Goshawk and a Grey Plover.
On the 22nd day I saw 3000 Barnacle Geese, a White-tailed Eagle, 5 Rough-legged Buzzards, 6 Common Buzzards, a Goshawk and a Honey Buzzard in Siikalahti but then the migration stopped. Other birds there were a White-backed Woodpecker, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and a Great Grey Shrike. In the evening I got a message that Karri Kuitunen had found an Isabelline Wheatear in Ruokolahti. I left to twitch it as it was only 75 kilometers away. Once I got there the bird was on the scopes. The bird ran closer and closer and after all I managed to get some pretty good pictures of it. This bird was my year-tick number 268 which is equal with my record ever. Let’s see when I can break my record and what will be the species?
J.A.