March 2003
March – Trip to Lappeenranta
First weekend of March I was birding and digiscoping in Lappeenranta area with Harry Nyström. I got pictures for example of Hawk Owl at Lappeenranta Askola and White-backed Woodpecker at Imatra Salo-Issakka. But the funniest thing that happened was in Lappeenranta Vainikkala. We were searching for Owls that other birders had seen in the area when I noticed a Duck (or something) starting to land to a snowy field. And it happened, a male Goosander landed to snow and smashed deep in it. Perhaps it had too cold or it was too tired to fly anymore. And there was no open water in about 20 kilometres. We tried to catch the bird but it wasn’t that tired.
Before arriving back at Parikkala I had another try to scope the Black-throated Thrush. Now I managed to get better pictures. I got also wonderful pictures of a Waxwing which was trying to swallow a big frozen berry about 15 metres from me.
Beginning of March went mostly in work. When I had time I was photographing somewhere in Parikkala. The biggest work I made trying to get Grey-headed Woodpecker pictures. Finally I got them from backyard of Hannu Siitonen.
On the 14th of March I left to a weekend trip to Oulu where my wife Hanna was still making her studies. I was on a trip with Hanna’s aunt and almost the whole weekend I was a driver for her, Hanna and Hanna’s sister Elissa. But while they were shopping I managed to have some twitching. From Äimärautio I managed to get wonderful pictures of Crested Lark (which is very rare in Finland), from Oulu-river (Laanila) I got Little Grebe and from Rusko rubbish tip Shore Lark pictures. I was trying to find a Lark for about an hour and finally when I found it a worker came to shout me that the rubbish tip was closed already! I managed to get two photos before I had to rush. It’s possible to get left behind the locks with your car. At Sunday I had time to digiscope a Great Grey Owl in Hietasaari and Nutcrackers in Välivainio before leaving back to Parikkala which is 500km from Oulu.
On late March I visited my parents in Kirkkonummi (Southern Finland) but it was still so cold and so snowy that I didn’t manage to get good pictures. Last trips of the month I made by bike to Siikalahti. Not many pictures were taken but if you try hard enough, some days you are lucky! Once I was leaving Siikalahti after a poor trip and I decided to bike around Siikalahti bay. I took even my scope on my shoulder, so I would be ready if something founds. After scoping a Yellowhammer I continued biking. Suddenly I saw some animal walking on a snowy field. I jumped of my bike (bike was still moving and went to ditch) and in 10 seconds I had my scope and camera ready. I focused and I got some pictures of a LYNX! It was already dark and snow was steaming but at least I got something!
J.A.