December 2003
December – Winter Rally
Beginning of December was pretty busy! We lived in Hanna’s parents home in Tarvaslampi, because all our stuff was packed to different basements. Weeks we worked hard and at the evenings and weekends we prepared to our real birding trip.
We were extremely busy! I really had no time to take any photos in Finland in whole December!
But it’s nice we have a lot of bird rallies in Finland! We managed to join the Independence day rally! Our team was The Three Guides: us and Ilkka Jarva. Rally time was from six to six. We of course were out all that time even it was dark n both ends for some two hours. We slept in Tarvaslampi where we also started our rally.
Our first project was Pygmy Owl, which Hanna had seen day before in the yard – but no. The weather was already at morning awfully windy, so still after our forest owl trip we had no species found.
It was still dark when we found our first species. And it wasn’t bad at all. Black Woodpecker was sleeping in a hole where it nests in summer. Then we showed some light to next whole and surprise there was a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Unfortunately we didn’t know much more holes 
Next we continued to familiar forests. About an hour we tried to find Grouses but no. When we were already walking to our car our old friends Siberian Jays and Crested Tits came to see what we would have for them.
We continued via Melkoniemi, Särkisalmi and Siikalahti to Parikkala city. Best species were a Tufted Duck in Tarvaslahti, a Wigeon which was with Whooper Swans in Särkisalmi and a Great Grey Shrike and Black Grouses in Siikalahti.
From Parikkala we continued to Simpele. At Haikanniemi we found a Herring Gull and at Joukionsalmi a Velvet Scoter. At Simpele we visited one feeding place which had a Chaffinch and a Siskin. At Kokkolanjoki we saw Dippers.
While driving south to Imatra I saw something flying fast over the road – brakes on and out. I thought what that was, when Ilkka found it sitting on a branch above us. A Pygmy Owl was really nice surprise.
Imatra Vuoksi-river increased our list with Little Grebe, Long-tailed Ducks and Smew. But even we tried really hard we could find more new species. Some normally common winter birds were totally missing. And in Viraskorpi we couldn’t find a Hawk Owl which had been there still in the morning. I think it didn’t like much the weather which was really awful.
Anyway we were trying until the last second. But last three hours didn’t give us any more species.
Finally we got 39 species, which was pretty good in that weather. Winners got two more, but winning isn’t that important, but having fun! And we really had!
To the real birding trip!!!
Next Friday we, and our huge baggage, took the train to Kirkkonummi (Southern Finland). After some days shopping, our long-waited birding trip begun.
16.12. We flight via Amsterdam (and Paris) to Lisbon. In Portugal we birded for some days with a rented car. 19th day we continued to increase our WP-lists for three weeks to Cape Verde (The whole trip story).