April 2008
Amazing April
On the 1st of April I was still in Parikkala so the traditional places Siikalahti, Lemmikonsalmi and Särkisalmi were checked. A couple of Canada Geese, Buzzards, a Rough-legged Buzzard, 50 Lapwings, a Linnet, 37 Snow Finches and so on were migrating and the open water places had Goldeneyes, Goosanders, Mallards and Herring Gulls. Also a Grey-headed Woodpecker was heard and a small flock of Long-tailed Tits were seen.
On the 2nd day I headed south where Hanna already was. On the way to Helsinki I stopped in Lappeenranta where a Lesser Black-backed Gull and a Mistle Thrush were seen and in Sipoo I saw a Hen Harrier migrating. Before I picked up Hanna from Zoological Museum I visited in Viikki where nothing special was found – the back-winter had pushed all the better species more south.
On the 3rd day we finally started our bird trip to Kuwait! Together with Tero Linjama, Janne Kilpimaa, Petri Kuhno and Tero Toivanen we birded there for 9 days and thanks to Pekka Fågel a Finnish birder living in Kuwait, everything went perfect! The whole Kuwait trip story: Kuwait 4th to 12th of April (for example Socotra Cormorant, Dunn’s Larks, Shikra, Oriental Skylarks, Mynahs, Bridled and White-cheeked Terns – altogether 20 WP-ticks!)
On the 13th of April we were again driving back to Parikkala. We twitched a Pallid Harrier in Joutseno Konnunsuo where we had also a Peregrine Falcon, 2 Bewick’s Swans and several other year-ticks. Anyway the spring had came slowlier than we had thought and there was still snow on the ground and not many migrants around.
During the next couple of days I saw the first Marsh Harriers, Great Crested Grebes and Green Sandpipers. Also an early Red-throated Diver seen. I started to check the owl nestboxes and surprisingly I found a couple of Ural Owls.
On the 19th day we were in Siikalahti bird tower with Johannes Hänninen and in 8 hours we didn’t see many migrants but a Bewick’s Swan, a couple of Garganeys, a Heuglin’s Gull, 369 migrating Wood Pigeons, more than 300 thrushes, 2000 Chaffinches and so on. In the afternoon I saw some hundreds of geese in Saari where I also twitched a Gadwall and an early Scaup.
On the next day we were again at the tower with Hanna and Pekka Punnonen. And now we were lucky – we saw a Kingfisher! We also went to ring a female Ural Owl and after we had eaten we went back to Siikalahti with Pekka and saw a migrating 2nd c-y Pallid Harrier – already the second Siikalahti tick of the day!
On the next days I saw some Barnacle Geese and a Pink-footed Goose in a big flock of Bean and White-fronted Geese in Siikalahti. Also Shovelers, Slavonian Grebes, Red-necked Grebes, Wrens, Wheatears and the first Wood Sandpiper arrived. On the night of 24th and 25th we heard 5 Water Rails and a Spotted Crake.
And on the next days we birded with Pekka around Saari and Rautjärvi but nothing special was found. We also checked many empty owl nest boxes. Only year ticks were a Tree Pipit, a Common Sandpiper, a Chiffchaff, Common Scoters, a Common Tern, 2 Ruffs and 2 Black-tailed Godwits that we twitched.
On the 27th day we were again in the tower with Hanna and Pekka and again we were lucky. 50 Little Gulls had arrived; we counted 14 Slavonian Grebes, 2 Swallows and so on. 2 White-tailed Eagles were migrating and then a Lesser Spotted Eagle!
On the 28th day Miika Suojarinne came to do birding with us. We went to twitch a Pectoral Sandpiper to Liperi. Surprisingly Ahonkylä fields had also 150 Greenshanks, 8 Wood Sandpipers, 2 Ruffs, a Spotted Redshank, a Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Pink-footed Goose, a Bewick’s Swan and a Short-eared Owl. In the evening we still drove to Kontiolahti Pitkäranta where we twitched a Great White Egret. Also 106 Great Crested Grebes, 22 Common Scoters, 2 Long-tailed ducks, 22 Black-throated divers and 14 Whimbrels were counted.
On the next day I got another Siikalahti tick when Esko Veijalainen and Jari Kontiokorpi found a migrating Black Stork! Luckily I managed to drive to Siikalahti so fast that the bird was still soaring above Siikalahti. In the evening 3 Sand Martins, a Jack Snipe and a couple of Yellow Wagtails were seen.
On the last day of April the only year-ticks were a Willow Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher. At night 10 Bitterns, 10 Water Rails and 2 Spotted Crakes were heard.