. . Lintuharrastajan päiväkirja Birders diary . .

After spring-holiday I had a rough return back to work as I had lots of work and new devices to learn. I was almost too tired to do birding. Anyway on the 18th of May I visited Härskiinmutka in the morning and saw some Common Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks and even Greater Scaups. On my lunch-hour I visited Siikalahti and saw a couple of Black Kites and some Honey Buzzards and heard a couple of Icterine Warblers and a Thrush Nightingale. After all this at work there were still some installation work going on, so in the afternoon I decided to go twitching. I drove to Tohmajärvi where an Eastern Imperial Eagle had been quite easily twitched for some days, but after all I found out that on this day observations weren’t really good. Anyway I stayed in Valkeasuo and Holmansuo area for a couple of hours and saw a couple of Black Kites, Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls and also a 2nd year Pallid Harrier.

On the 19th day I heard a Blyth’s Reed Warbler near home and on lunch-hour I heard a Common Rosefinch and saw a Long-eared Owl in nest. In the afternoon we visited Saari where we saw a couple of Gadwalls in Akonpohja and about 13000 Barnacle Geese and a stunning Greater Spotted Eagle in Pohjanranta.

On the 20th of May I visited Siikalahti a couple of times and saw 2 different Black-tailed Godwits, a couple of Garganeys and in the evening we saw good Long-tailed Duck (2400) and Barnacle Goose (3000) migration. We also heard a Great Reed Warbler and a Citrine Wagtail.

On the 21st day we did duck-counts in Siikalahti and only birds to mention were 5 Gadwalls. On my lunch-hour I saw a Grey Heron. On the 22nd day we did night-counts and heard a Spotted Crake, 25 Water Rails, 6 Greater Bitterns, a Corn Crake and a River Warbler. After the count we visited Kukonkanta where a Common Reed Warbler was again singing. During the day I visited dam-road and heard Savi’s Warbler and a Marsh Warbler shortly.

On the 23rd day we saw a Temminck’s Stint in Siikalahti but nothing else really, so we decided to go to Saari again. There we saw birds almost only in Jyrkilä where we saw about 1000 Barnacle Geese with some Great White-fronted and Tundra Bean Geese and a single Brent Goose, a Whimbrel and 11 Common Ringed Plovers.

On the 24th day we had SSP-ringing again and caught 2 Great Tits, 2+2c Willow and a Garden Warblers, 5+1c Common Whitethroats, a Pied Flycatcher, a Common Rosefinch and 2 Siskins. We also heard a Whimbrel migrating. After ringing we visited cemetery where we found 2 Golden Orioles and in Siikalahti where in small muddy area we saw a Little Ringed Plover. In the evening we drove to Rautjärvi Kaljusenlampi where a Spotted Crake was still actively calling and we also saw a Eurasian Nightjar.

On the 25th of May I saw just some Stock Doves and Gadwalls in Siikalahti but on the 26th day we visited Saari again. Most birds were in Jyrkilä where we saw still more than 500 Barnacle Geese and a couple of grey geese. In Pohjanranta we saw 9 Great Cormorants but nothing else really. So after all we hurried to Siikalahti to twitch a Broad-billed Sandpiper.

On the 27th we made duck-counts again but saw just the same Gadwalls, a Little Ringed Plover and heard a Golden Oriole. But in the evening it was time to go twitching as in Polvijärvi a Scops Owl had been found. With Tahvo Repo and Minna Terävä we drove to Ruvaslahti where we were right after sunset. The weather was changing radically so I immediately took my microphone and started to listen with it. And right away I heard the owl calling quite for in the forest. There had been plenty of twitchers already for some hours but they hadn’t got any reliable observations yet so once I shouted that I can hear the bird there was some action. Most of the people managed to hear the bird but not all. And then it started to rain and the wind was also very strong so even though we stayed there for a couple of hours, we couldn’t hear the owl again – at least not well enough.

On the 28th day only better bird I saw was a Eurasian Golden Plover in Kullinsuo and on the 29th day I after work I started a long drive to Oulu. On the way I saw a Black Kite in border of Vieremä and Pyhäntä and in Oulu I decided to visit an old place for a Terek Sandpiper and luckily there was one bird actively calling and also visible but quite far.

On the 30th day we did a morning trip to Virkkula with my brother Pirkka but saw only some Black-tailed Godwits, a Garganey, a couple of Short-eared Owls and 5 migrating Tundra Bean Geese. We also tried to twitch a Montagu’s Harrier in Oulunsalo without luck but heard a Blyth’s Reed Warbler. In the afternoon we were celebrating our goddaughter Elle as she had graduated from high school.

On the 31st day we went to Oulunlahti where we saw a couple of Common Shelducks, a Common Pochard, 5 migrating Red-necked Phalaropes and Caspian Terns and heard a couple of Blyth’s Reed Warblers and a long-staying White-spotted Bluethroat. We also continued to Vihiluoto where we saw a Ring-necked Pheasant and a couple of Black-tailed Godwits. In Nallikari we still saw 41 Velvet Scoters and a couple of Common Scoters. On the way back to home I still visited Virkkula again where I saw a migrating Rough-legged Buzzard and a few Temminck’s Stints.

Even though I was extremely tired I still stopped in Joroinen where I twitched a Red-flanked Bluetail and also heard a Red-breasted Flycatcher in Ahvenisenmäki and then continued also to the deserted airport where I immediately managed to see a male Montagu’s Harrier. I still visited Vuotsinsuo pools but saw nothing there.

On the 1st of June I saw a Black Kite on my lunch-break and on the 2nd day I found a family of Eurasian Oystercatchers with one baby. Only birding I did at night as I went to twitch a Common Quail to Kirjavalan kanava where I also heard a Common Grasshopper Warbler and a Eurasian Nightjar. On the way back to home I still heard a Great Reed Warbler in Särkisalmi.

On the 3rd day I twitched a Greenish Warbler in Tarvaslampi and in Härskiinmutka I saw a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers. During the day I saw a female Hen Harrier in Tetrisuo and in Siikalahti a Spotted Flycatcher that has been missing totally. On the 4th day there was a family of Canada Geese in Kangaskylä and in Siikalahti I saw a couple of Black Kites and 4 Gadwalls.

On the 6th of June we had SSP again: 2 Blue Tits and a Great Tit, 4 Willow and 4 Garden Warblers, 4+3c Common and a Lesser Whitethroat, a Song Thrush, a Pied Flycatcher, a Chaffinch, 1+1c Common Rosefinches and a Reed Bunting. We also saw a Black Kite and heard a Golden Oriole and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

On the 7th of June we had planned to do a night-trip but it was raining so we left at 5 a.m. towards Saari with Hanna and Elissa. We started with a Great Rees Warbler in Särkisalmi and then continued to Kirjavalan kanava where we heard just Blyth’s Reed Warblers and the same Grasshopper Warbler and saw a Hen Harrier. But then in Kirjavala village we found a Eurasian Collared Dove which is a really good bird here! In Akonpohja we heard a Grasshopper and a River Warbler and the next stop was in Pohjasuo where we heard shortly a familiar song – a Booted Warbler! The bird was moving quickly towards north and disappeared soon. We tried to relocate it but after all gave up but when we were driving we saw it again flying in front of us. We stopped and heard it singing again and finally managed to get a couple of pictures too before it disappeared again – and was never seen or heard again.

Next we continued to Pohjanranta and then to Suurenjärvenliete where we saw a Red-backed Shrike and then to Jyrkilä where we saw a Yellow Wagtail and a Hen Harrier. Next stop was in Tarassiinlahti where we were lucky again as we found 2 Black Terns flying with a flock of Little Gulls. It was already the 3rd really good find for this trip. A Collared Dove had been only my 4th and a Booted Warbler the 5th ever in Parikkala and the last Black Tern had been 7 years ago. In Tarassii we also heard a River Warbler and a Golden Oriole and in Kanavalampi a couple of Golden Orioles and saw a Eurasian Goshawk.

On rest of the trip we still heard young Long-eared Owls and saw a couple of Hazel Hens. And once we were back in Parikkala we still went to listen to the Greenish Warbler and found out that there was now a couple.

In the evening we still did duck-counts and surprisingly found a Red-necked Phalarope. The last local bird in Parikkala I had seen in 10 years ago and the only migrating birds in this time I had seen last year. Then I also saw a family of Greylag Geese finally as some other birders had already seen this new breeding species for Parikkala. I also found out that autumn was coming as a Spotted Redshank and altogether 80 Northern Lapwings were heading towards south.

And as the day had been so good, we still did a short trip to fields and heard Great Snipes in a couple of places and also saw a Long-eared Owl and heard a new Common Quail. It had been quite a day!

During the week I saw just the same Black Kites, Stock Doves and Hen Harriers, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and the first Ruffs of the season. On the 10th of June there was also the first and quite early Great Egret. I also saw the family of Greylag Geese again completely other side of the bay than last time and on the 12th day a Common Reed Warbler was singing next to dam-road tower.

On Saturday the 13th of June we had SSP again and caught 1+3c Willow and 2 Garden Warblers, 5+6c Common Whitethroats, a Chaffinch and a new SSP-species for us a Eurasian Treecreeper. In the evening we went to Saari and saw the same Collared Dove in Kirjavala, heard a Quail in Akonpohja and saw a Long-eared Owl and heard a White-backe Woodpecker in Jyrkilä but nothing else really.

On Sunday we slept longer but then headed to Saari again and visited Siikalahti also a couple of times. In Siikalahti we saw the same Great Egret but in Saari we saw just a Grey Heron, a Whimbrel, a Grey-headed Woodpecker, a Golden Oriole and a Common Crossbill.

J.A.