March 2009
March
On the 1st of March we were still in Åland with my brother Pirkka, “potu” Suojarinne and Mikko Ala-Kojola. After an early breakfast we went together with several other rally-teams to Styrsingsudden. There was almost no migration at all, a couple of Eiders and 25 Black Guillemots were swimming on the open sea and better migrants were a couple of Scaups and a Razorbill. On the forest-road we heard a flock of Parrot Crossbills, Goldcrests and a singing Treecreeper. In Västerfjärdeni we saw a Wren and in Storby another one. In a harbour we saw a female Eider and also a Common Scoter. We were already on our way to Hammarudda when we got a message that there was a Moorhen found in Storby Postbryggan. While we turned around we saw a Jay but soon we were twitching a Moorhen. One day earlier it’d been a really good winter-tick. In Jomala Djurvik we saw a couple of Common Crossbill – a male was singing. In Hammarudda we saw some Black Guillemots and Re-breasted Mergansers and a Black-throated Diver.
We still went to Lemland Nåtö where we saw 15 Grey Herons, in Maarianhamina we saw an Arctic Redpoll in a flock of Redpolls and while we were waiting to get to the ferry we saw a migrating Common Buzzard. From the ferry we saw in harbour a couple of Grey Herons and a Black-headed Gull. We still were scanning the sea for a couple of hours from the ferry and saw 2 Common Scoters, 3 more Black-headed Gulls and a flock of 8 Velvet Scoters and 8 male and 7 female Steller’s Eiders!
During the next days I wasn’t very motivated to do any birding because of it was really still a winter in Parikkala. On the 3rd of March I saw 2 Herring Gulls and on the 6th some Mallards and a Goldeneye in Tyrjä. A White-backed Woodpecker was seen In Siikalahti and a Tawny Owl was heard in Melkoniemi at night. On the 8th day I saw a Goshawk migrating and a Great Grey Shrike again in Siikalahti. On the next day in Saari the best observation was a flock of 27 Waxwings. On the 13th I we heard an Eagle Owl in Simpele and during the next day I was playing the last ice-hockey tournament of the season and a couple of Whooper Swans were seen. In the evening I went to twitch an amazing flock of 8 Red-throated Divers to Imatra Vuoksi. Also 500 Herring Gulls and a Great Black-backed Gull was seen.
On the 15th of March I tried to see eagles in Tyrjä, but only better birds were a Common Crossbill and a Herring Gull. But in Siikalahti I managed to see an adult White-tailed Eagle migrating. In the evening we went to Vuoksi and saw the divers again and altogether 1250 Herring Gulls, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls and a probably intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gull. On the way back we managed to hear a couple of calls of a Great Grey Owl in old breeding place and also a couple of Tengmalm’s Owls. On the 16th I saw an eagle that was too far to identify in Siikalahti. It was probably a Golden Eagle. A Grey-headed Woodpecker was calling and a Black Woodpecker was seen. On the 18th day I saw an adult Golden Eagle migrating even though the weather was awful. Also a Goldfinch was migrating and in Tyrjä I saw a Dipper and some Whooper Swans here and there.
On the 21st day we drove to Kiljava to BirdLife weekend. On the way we stopped in Vuoksi and on the way we saw 2 Great Black-backed Gulls and common Buzzards. On the next day we stopped in Lahti Asemantaus where a Crested Lark was wintering still and in Vuoksi we saw 2 Great Black-backed Gulls and an early Pochard and so on.
On the 24th day I saw a beautiful “borringe” Common Buzzard. Also a Snow Bunting was seen and a Grey-headed Woodpecker was calling and White-backed Woodpecker was seen again in Siikalahti. On the next day I saw again a Golden Eagle but the weather was again really bad. On the 26th day only a Common Buzzard and some Whooper Swans were seen. In the afternoon I did a long bicycle trip, but saw almost nothing.
On the 28th day we had a traditional wilderness rally. We got a familiar area, but somehow all woodpeckers were missing! We couldn’t find any better woodpeckers. All our better observations were made in very early morning in dark: an Eagle Owl, a Tengmalm’s Owl, a Pygmy Owl and amazing 13 Hazel Hens were heard and 1 seen. 6 Black Grouses were lecking and later during the day only 2 Goshawks, 2 Common Buzzards and a Great Grey Shrike
On the 29th day I saw the first flock of 5 Lapwings, a Woodpigeon, a Skylark, a Fieldfare and an adult White-tailed Eagle migrating. A Grey-headed Woodpecker was calling and 3 Black Woodpeckers were fighting – of course now, not the day earlier.
On the 30th day I saw again an adult White-tailed Eagle, a Starling, a couple of Common Buzzards and on the last day of March I saw 20 Lapwings, 13 Common Buzzards, some Woodpigeons, a Skylark, a Starling, 3 Snow Buntings and a big surprise a young White-fronted Goose. The weather was still very cold, it was snowing but when the sun was shining it was really warming!