Siberian Stonechat
On the 16th of July we went to Lappeenranta mainly for shopping and then to movies, but on the way we of course did some birding. We checked Joutseno Kotasaari pools which were a big disappointment as the bormally better pool was completely dry. On the first pool we saw 34 Wood Sandpipers, 5 Ruffs, a Little Ringed Plover and a Greenshank but no Stints or other calidris that we had hoped to find.
Next we drove to Lappeenranta Heimosilta where a Siberian Stonechat had been present already for several days. We met our old friend Ilkka Jarva on the way and once we found the right place we met also Jarmo Pirhonen there. And “jamppa” had a stonechat there already in front of him and soon we were all photographing this nice moulting male bird only from some 15 metres.
With Ilkka we still checked Askola pools while Hanna and her sister Elissa already went shopping, but only a Little Ringed Plover and a Common Sandpiper were found. So soon I also went shopping. The rest of the evening went in the movies.
On the 19th of July I visited Lappeenranta again, I had to go to a meeting there. On the way I visited the same places than a couple of days earlier, but Kotasaari was even emptier and Siberian Stonechat wasn’t found but in Askola there were a Common Sandpiper again but it had now different company – a Dunlin and my 250th year-tick a Little Stint.
Here is a video where you can see the same Siberian Stonechat in the 4th of August – the bird has been moulting actively.
J.A.