. . Lintuharrastajan päiväkirja Birders diary . .

It has become a tradition that I travel along eastern border with Dutch group during Arctic Migration. This year group was mostly women from one birding club. As in Finland, nowadays majority of new bird club members are women. During my train journey to Helsinki airport I heard from Janne (who was already in Virolahti) that major migration was going on. That was a pity because usually there is more quiet after a good migration day.

In the airport we had to change one of our minibuses because it had darkened windows. Luckily it was fast and easy and we got new one with clear windows. Drive to Harju oppimiskeskus where we stayed first 3 days took tree hours with a couple of stops. After dinner we stayed few hours in shore seeing good numbers of arctic ducks. On the way we twitched a Steppe Eagle that was jumping in ground near Lintulahti.

Saturday morning was clear and windless. Breakfast was early and quick when we heard that King Eider that has been around Hurppu for several years, was visible. After we walked to our migration watching point Verkkokallio we heard that the bird had flew behind an island again. I have tried to see this bird several years and again I did not see it.

There were very few migrating birds compared to previous morning we looked “rapakivi” granite stones and Ladybugs that had just arrived from Estonia and now resting on the stones. We decided to go to eastern side or Hurppu peak to search for the King Eider. We did not find it but a couple of Arctic Terns were nice.

Vilkkiläntura is a wetland that can be visited from southern and northern side. During our walk to southern bird tower we heard a Red-breasted Flycatcher and a Greenish Warbler among more common forest birds. Steppe Eagle had been visible close by a half an hour earlier, so we decided to stay some time but the eagle did not come up to sky again. Visit to Kurkela raptor watching tower produced Hobbies, Buzzards and Honey Buzzards.

After a lunch we visited Lupinlahti bird tower and Hamina Kirkkojärvi wetland. Hot weather was not very good for birding, but we managed to get lots of species to our trip list. After 2 hours sleep and dinner we went back to Hurppu Verkkokallio. And again birders told that the King Eider had just flown invisible. Soon there was a small boat going to that direction and I thought that it might flush the eider. After 15 minutes the King Eider flew nicely in front of us! It was swimming near small islet trying to pair with Eider females.

Our Sunday morning was similar than the previous one. We had a breakfast around four and we left again to Hurppu. King Eider was still there but now it had a female eider with it. Young White-tailed Eagle caused panic in waterfowl, gulls and Caspian terns.

There was a nice pair of Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers in the garden of Lintulahti. Blyth´s Reed Warblers were singing and waders were on the new mudflat made for them. We also visited quickly bird painter’s exhibition in Virojoki.

After a good lunch we slept a couple or hours. After refreshing sleep we started our drive towards Parikkala. On the way we made few birding stops. Birders in south coast saw many rare raptor species so we wanted to see something too. From time to time we were very close to Russian border.

We arrived to Oronmylly, our next accomodation for dinner at 18.30. After a meal and small walks around this new location, everyone was ready to go to sleep again.

Monday mornings main destination was Siikalahti and it’s surroundings. We also checked two owl nest boxes one for Tengmalm’s and one for Pygmy Owl. Both females had still eggs (so they are late this year). After a breakfast we headed to forests near Oronmylly. We got Red-breasted Flycatcher, Greenish Warbler, Hazel Grouse and Grey-headed Woodpecker.

Then we had to drive up to North Karelia. Before leaving everyone, especially, drivers could sleep for an hour. On the way we stopped many times on good birding spots. We managed to see a Short-eared Owl and Black and Hazel Grouses eating stones from road sides.

When we finally arrived the feeling was like arriving to your grandmother’s home. Good dinner was ready and the owners of Loma-Kitsi were happy to see us. Yard is always good for birding. This time there were few Golden Plovers, Waxwings and Swallows were flying around houses. Unfortunately a Dotterel flock had left a couple of days earlier.

Loma-Kitsi has several cottages and an old school building, were most of us slept. Nobody had any difficulties to fall asleep!

Tuesday morning started with an early breakfast. Night had been clear and ground was in frost. We drove to my favourite hill (vaara in finnish) in North Karelia. On the road we saw Hazel Grouses and one Capercaillie. Unfortunately not all managed to see these shy birds. One singing bird confused all of us. Song had familiar parts from many species but nothing was clear. Finally we saw a Lesser Whitethroat jumping in the bushes. This bird could imitate Red-flanked Bluetail song very well!

Our first target species was heard already to roadside where we parked our cars. Bluetail was singing high on the slopes of hill. We walked slowly on hill slopes at least four hours. Weather was very nice and birding was great. We found 2 Bluetails, 5 Red Throated Flycatchers, Wrens, Tree-toed Woodpeckers, Hazel Grouses and migrating Crossbills.

After a lunch and rest we drove to Erä-Eero Wolverine hide. After very detailed instructions (how to behave, what to do and what not…) we went to 2 hide huts. Eero put lots of salmon and meat around visible feeding area. Some of the salmon he placed to trees in front of our hide and one piece even under it. When all arrangements were ready he said good luck to us all. Silence started.

After less than an hour wait first Wolverine visited the feeding grounds. It walked around the area and looked what kind of food there was left for it. For second mammal we had to wait longer. Ravens and other birds were alerted, but we could not see anything. Maybe one of the eagles was flying around. Finally all birds relaxed and we had great close views of several species.

A very beautiful Red Fox arrived just after sunset. During midnight’s darkest hours it arrived a couple of times again and at least two different Wolverines visited too. One of them climbed to the trees and it came and took the salmon piece that was placed under our hide hut. It was very difficult not to comment or laugh.

Morning hours were more quiet. Birds started to wake up around at three and Wolverines did not visit again. All the birds were busy so we had things to watch. Eero arrived at seven and we packed our things. Near the hide was soft sand and on sand clear paw prints of young Wolverine.

On the way back to Kitsi we saw again some Grouses. Those of us who had been up whole night went to sleep and those who did not feel tired made small walks. Some of us visited very special museum arranged to sheds around house. There was all kinds of tools and machines from the past, hundreds of motor saws and old vehicles all in excellent condition.

Kitsi fields are like an island in sea of forest. Thus they attract migrants. Now there were Thrush Nightingales, Rose Finches and Spotted Flycatchers. Usually there are also Bluethroats but this year they were all gone already.

Our main birding spot for the day was Patvinsuo National Park. We walked in the middle of this great bog area, where you get feeling of Lapland. On the way we managed to see a Tree-toed Woodpecker, a Willow Grouse, Yellow Wagtails and waders breeding in the area. Weather was great and bog plants were flowering. Adder and thousands of insects were seen too.

Everyone was ready for a small walk during the evening, so we walked down to a shore of the lake. Black Grouse lecking was heard from distance. Lake had Bean Geese, a Brent Goose and some ducks. Waxwings and Crosbills migrated to north. After sunset at 22.30 everyone was ready to sleep.

Thursday morning was again cold. Car windows had thick layer of frost and fog covered lakes around Kitsi. We spend morning searching for Grouses and Rustic Buntings. We could not find any singing Rustic Buntings, only birds that made “tick” sounds. Most of the group did not see these birds. We managed to see a female Capercaillie and Black Grouses again. Near one stream we had superb views of Waxwing pair.

After a breakfast was time to leave and we said good byes to Kitsi folk. Our first birding destination was a Rustic bunting area, but still there weren’t any singing birds. Autiovaara trail in Patvinsuo National Park is a 2.5 km long trail in old growth forest. We spend almost tree hours in this unique place. Along the trail there were four Red-Breasted Flycatchers, two Greenish Warblers and many more common forest species.

This time we drove to Parikkala by bigger roads. On the way we saw a beautiful female Great Grey Owl. After a couple of more birding stops we headed back to Oronmylly where dinner was again waiting. In the evening we had interesting tasks to do. Ural Owl chicks were ringable size and one more Pygmy Owl’s nest had to be checked.

One of our Ural Owls is very aggressive and it is constantly attacking if someone tries to climb to its tree. Nowadays we ring youngs in the car and we carry youngs there so that the mother owl doesn’t know where they are. If juveniles can make clicking sound with their bill female can follow where they are going. But if the young can bite finger on the way it won’t make this sound. After several attacks and Janne almost falling from ladder, we managed to ring all chicks and return them safely back to their nest box. The Pygmy Owl was still incubating what was a surprise for us. It had seven eggs and hatching must be close.

Next morning we spend in the forests around Oronmylly. On the way we saw a family of Siberian Jays and a Hazel Grouse.
After a breakfast we went birding in Ladoga-Karelinian deciduous forests. Thrush Nightingales were singing, a White-Backed Woodpecker drumming and Golden Orioles singing. Sounds and species in the forests were very different than in forests in North Karelia.

Oronmylly is located in the middle of forested area. So we had good views of Parrot Crossbill pair. We didn’t have Ortolan bunting in our list yet, and visiting good fields for this species did not give us this bird. It seems that they are late and still on migration. In Siikalahti we had Slavonian Grebes displaying and fighting in front of the bird tower. Ospreys and Hobbies were numerous.

Most of the group members had not visited proper Finnish sauna before. Dutch version of “Finnish sauna” is not genuine sauna. Swimming and being in pleasant hot sauna was so nice that it was hard to get people out to dinner! After eating everyone went to bed.

Everyone had their alarm clocks on before midnight. Our trip started right away when there was three Nightjars singing around us. In Särkisalmi we had Thrush Nightingales and Blyth’s Reed Warblers. Around Parikkala we had three Grashopper Warblers, one River Warbler, 20 Blyth’s Reed Warblers, couple of Corn Crakes, Water Rails and Bitterns. There was also good geese and arctic duck migration going on the dark sky.

Usually it is quite cold during nights but this time clouds kept temperature well over 10 degrees. Unfortunately clouds were part of narrow rain front that partly spoiled the end of our trip.

We had our first late breakfast during last morning in Saturday. After this we had still time for short walking tour around ponds and lakes of Oronmylly. Young Arctic hare was cute when it was hiding behind flowers.

Midday it was time to say goodbyes! Group left tired but happy back to home. Many were already thinking to come back or even to move here to Finland. We had 5 species of Owls, 7 species of Woodpeckers (Wryneck included), 8 species of Raptors, 27 species of Geese and duck, a Wolverine… Great tour for a tour-leader too!

H.A.