End of March and Eastern
Around mid-March the weather had turned warm and snow had been melting faster than ever. Even ice was melting while sun was shining and warm southern winds were blowing.
I had hopes high for many early migrants but migration stayed surprisingly quiet. Most of the birds seemed to come according to calendar but some extraordinary early birds were also seen. Auroras were visible during several nights.
On the 23rd of March I saw 2 Canada and 3 Greater White-fronted Geese, 12 Mallards, 28 Woodpigeons, 5 Stock Doves and 2 White-tailed Eagles. In Särkisalmi I saw 2 Goldeneyes and a Common Merganser and in Kannas a Nuthatch. On the 24th day an early Crane, 3 White-tailed Eagles, a Black Woodpecker and a Fieldfare were in Siikalahti and an early White Wagtail in Kannas. On the 25th day I saw a flock of 30 Tundra Bean Geese in Kangaskylä and a Chaffinch and a couple of Teals in Siikalahti. In the afternoon we finally got a new family-member – a Skoda Karoq. In the evening we went to check a couple of fields but saw only plenty of Lapwings and a couple of Woodcocks. On the 26th day White-fronted and Tundra Bean Geese and Mallards and Teals were seen more. Other arrivals were a Water Rail, 7 Black-headed Gulls, a female Hen Harrier, a Mistle Thrush, a Redwing, 2 Linnets, a Snow Bunting and so on. And on the 27th day there were 2 Water Rails, a Crane and so on.
At weekend we were staying both mornings at Siikalahti dam-road. On the 28th day we saw a Canada Goose, 80 Greater White-fronted, 120 Tundra and 2 Taiga Bean Geese, 4 Wigeons, 2 Pintails, 6 Stock Doves, 8 Cranes, 4 Water Rails, a Common Snipe, 15 Black-headed Gulls, a Common Gull, a Goshawk, a Hen Harrier, a Kestrel, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, a Meadow Pipit, 2 Mistle Thrushes, already 70 Chaffinches, 2 Linnets, 2 Red Crossbills and 7 Goldfinches and so on.
On Sunday the weather was still amazing but we didn’t see as much as we had hoped. We saw 4 Smews, 8 Wigeons, 4 Pintails, 8 Cranes, 3 Common Snipes, amazing early Ruff, a female Marsh Harrier, a Redwing, a Snow Bunting and so on. We also twitched an early Green Sandpiper in Kannas. We also made a visit to Saari but saw only a Hen Harrier couple in Suurenjärvenliete, some Kestrels here and there, 4 Pintails in Kanavalampi and a couple of Great Grey Shrikes.
On the 30th day all floods had already dried but a White Wagtail was still at Kannas. Nothing else was seen until late evening when I saw a couple of Woodcocks and a Long-eared Owl.
On the last day of March the weather had turned rainy and wind was northern. I still tried to find some March-ticks before work, on lunch-hour and after work but only new arrivals were a Brambling and a Robin which I both twitched. I found only Smews, a White-backed and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Redwings and a Goldcrest and so on. Late in the evening I still saw a Pochard flying over me and then found some Woodcocks and heard a Long-eared Owl.
After all I had got one new March-tick (Ruff) and 3 more species (Short-eared Owl, Green Sandpiper, Brambling) I saw first time ever in Parikkala in March. Some more birds (Pintail, Woodcock, Robin) I saw the first time ever in Siikalahti in March and altogether 15 species I had seen earlier than ever in Parikkala.
One the 1st of April only bird to mention was a Greylag Goose in a flock of Taiga Bean Geese in Särkisalmi. On the 2nd day we saw even 7 (4+3) Greylag Geese in Siikalahti and also the same female Marsh Harrier but nothing else really. In the evening we went to check some fields and also put up a couple of mist-nets for owls and saw several Woodcocks but it was too bright to catch them but one Long-eared Owl was caught and ringed.
On Good Friday the 3rd of April we visited Saari but there wasn’t big surprises. We saw only 2 Capercaillies on their lekking place but there had been some forest-cuts. We also heard a Parrot Crossbill there. Otherwise we saw just some Tundra and Taiga Bean and Greater White-fronted Geese, a couple of Smews, a Pintail, a Hen Harrier and after all the best observation of the trip were a couple of House Sparrows in Pohjasuo.
When we were just about to head home, I got a message that the second ever Middle Spotted Woodpecker for Finland had been found in Kitee by Kimmo Järvinen. Young birder was with us and he had no possibility to go twitching so after all Hanna decided to drive home and I waited along the main-road 6 for Hanna’s sister Elissa and brother Miika who picked me up and we continued towards Kitee.
Once we got to the right place there were twitchers watching up to one tree. And there the woodpecker was sleeping on a branch. It soon woke up and was active and visited a feeder but then flew behind one building. For some reason I was the only one following the bird and I found it feeding on an apple-tree. I managed to get some pretty good pictures of the bird. Soon other birders joined me but then the bird decided to fly to a forest nearby. Then it was time for us to head back to Parikkala. The bird was still seen in the evening and very early on the next morning but never since.
In the afternoon we visited in Tiviä and saw a Hen Harrier and then in one forest we found a Pygmy Owl. On the way back home we still stopped at dam-road and heard a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.
On the 4th of April it was raining in the morning but I did some birding anyway. Only better bird was a Nuthatch in Siikalahti. Then we headed to Rautjärvi Simpele Kokkolanjoki where we saw a Grey Wagtail couple and a couple of Dippers in Kangaskoski and a couple of Dippers in Lahnanen. On the way back we still found a couple of Rooks in Kangas fields
In the afternoon I saw nothing special so I decided to twitch a Tundra Swan in Savikumpu Alava. It was in a flock of Whooper Swans, Tundra and Taiga Bean and Greater White-fronted Geese. Then I still went to see the same Pygmy Owl again.
On the 5th day we visited Saari again. Elissa came with us. Year-ticks were 2 Barnacle Geese in Lahdenpohja and 3 Coots and a Great Bittern in Akonpohja. In Tarassiinlahti we saw a Marsh Harrier couple but other observations were just some White-tailed Eagles, Great Grey Shrikes and Linnets and so on. On the way back we twitched a Hawfinch that was visiting one feeder in Särkisalmi.
In the afternoon we went to ring a Ural Owl mother which was again very early this year. Then we still visited Siikalahti and a couple of other places with young birder and saw a Greylag Goose, 7 Tufted Ducks and a Beaver which has made a big nest next to Siikalahti bird-tower. It was already getting dark when we still ticked a Pygmy Owl.
On the second Eastern Day the weather was pretty bad but we did some birding anyway. Common and Black-headed Gulls had arrived in numbers and a Lesser Black-backed Gull was also seen in Härskiinmutka. Otherwise we saw just a Pochard couple in Siikalahti and then we went to see a mother Boreal Owl which was already in its nest.
J.A.