. . Lintuharrastajan päiväkirja Birders diary . .

I had been birding a lot in Parikkala without finding anything special so it was time to do something else. We decided to go once again to Siikajoki Tauvo for the weekend. On the way we tried to twitch a Mandarine Duck in Savonlinna bit it was raining pretty hard so we didn’t find it. In Iisalmi we saw a flock of Barnacle Geese and in Pyhäntä a Great Grey Shrike.

We were finally in Tauvo before 10 p.m. and met Pirkka who had just arrived too. Antti Peuna had arrived earlier and also Matti and Annikki Tynjälä had came to help us to put up the mist-nets. Soon we were all putting up the nets while Tengmalm’s Owl was calling from the speakers. Soon we had 2 owls to ring but then it started to rain and Matti and Annikki left to Oulu and the rest of us wet to sleep.

On the 19th of September we woke up before 7 a.m. and soon we were making the first net-round. The weather was luckily better than the forecasts had told so there were some birds moving and already on the second round we heard a Yellow-browed Warbler calling. We had hoped to get this species from the nets as it was the best autumn ever for this species.

But we caught only Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs, tits with a flock of Long-tailed Tits, Robins, Reed Buntings, Redpolls, 2 Meadow Pipits, Goldcrests, Bullfinches and Chaffinches and a Brambling, a Song Thrush and a Bluethroat. We heard and saw altogether at least 4 Yellow-browed Warblers, but caught none. Between the net-rounds we were of course spending time in the bird-tower and saw a Lapwing, 8 White-tailed Eagles, 11 Bean Geese, 10 Long-tailed Ducks, 7 Common Scoters, a Velvet Scoter, a Red-throated Diver and a Cormorant. On one of the rounds we saw a Peregrine Falcon.

In the afternoon it started to blow very hard and there were no birds in mist-nets at all, so we headed to Ulkonokka. The walk was long and hard but there were quite a few waders! 200 Dunlins, 35 Golden Plovers, 9 Grey Plovers, 3 Sanderlings, 3 Ringed plovers, 2 Knots, 2 Spotted Redshanks, 3 Snipes and a Jack Snipe were seen. We also saw 6 Willow Grouses, a Merlin, a Yellow Wagtail and 4 Lapland Buntings. In the evening we played owls from the speakers again and caught one Pygmy Owl.

On the 20th of September the weather was much better but it was even quieter on the mist-nets. New species were a Lesser Redpoll, a Coal Tit, 2 Yellowhammers, a Lesser Spotted and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker, a Fieldfare and a big and dark adult male Northern Wheatear – leucorhoa? While walking the mist-net rounds, we had at least 2 Yellow-browed Warblers again and a Hazel Hen was calling. From the tower we saw some flocks of Mute Swans, 8 White-tailed Eagles, 270 Barnacle Geese that are not usually seen this west, but the wind had pushed lots of them to Lapland and Western coast too, 6 Bean Geese, 11 Cormorants, 50 Golden Plovers, 5 Black Woodpeckers, 2 Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, a House Martin, 200 Redpolls, 20 Common Crossbills and the best ones were 2 late Caspian Terns.

At 4 p.m. we had packed, cleaned and closed the mist-nets. Matti and Annikki were again helping us as they had arrived in the morning and walked around Ulkonokka. Soon we were ready start a long drive back to Parikkala. On the way we saw a Hen Harrier in Vihanti and a flock of Barnacle Geese in Vieremä. We were finally at home about at 11 p.m.

J.A.

On the 27th of August there was a bird-race in Rantasalmi that I participated together with “Potu” suojarinne and Miska Loippo. We started in Vaahersalo and managed to get a Woodcock and a Song Thrush and some other species before there was light and then in a couple of hours some of the better species we got were a Red-necked Grebe, a Wren, a Snipe, a Black Woodpecker, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler.

In Kosulanlampi we saw a migrating Honey Buzzard and heard a Red-throated Pipit. In the village we saw House Sparrows and after a short stop in Putkilahti we continued to Putkisalo which was really good, so we stayed there for more than a couple of hours. We saw 2 Ruffs, 5 Ringed Plover, 39 Canada Geese, a San Martin, 10 Starlings, quite a few migrating Honey Buzzards with a White-tailed Eagle and the best surprise 3 Bar-tailed Godwits.

We didn’t know any other good places to visit so we decided to visit all places for the second time. In Putkilahti we had a Goshawk and in Vaahersalo we found 2 Common Whitethroats, a Red-backed Shrike, Blackbirds and the last species which was one of our best, a migrating Arctic Skua.

with our 74 species we were 3rd best team and altogether teams had found 106 species. So South Savo is not that bad place for birding at all!

In the evening my brother Pirkka came to Parikkala so the next morning we started early. In Siikalahti we saw a Hen Harrier, a White-backed and a Grey-headed Woodpecker, an early Lapland Bunting, a Little Stint, a Grey Heron and a White-tailed Eagle. Water Rails were calling, some Dunnocks migrating and from the bushes we still found a couple of Garden Warblers and 3 Long-tailed Tits.

Later we did a short trip to Saari but only a Great Grey Shrike and a Hen Harrier were seen in Akanavaara Tetrisuo and another Hen Harrier and a Merlin in Pohjasuo. After Pirkka had started his long way to north I still saw a Nutcracker in Kangaskylä.

On the last day of August I still saw a Blyth’s Reed Warbler in Siikalahti and also a migrating harrier that probably was a Pallid, but it was too far.

During September I visited Siikalahti every day and several times on most days. On the first day I saw a Dunlin and heard a calling Red-breasted Flycatcher. In Kullinsuo I saw 2 Golden Plovers, 3 Red-throated Pipits and a Cuckoo and another Cuckoo in Kaukola. In Lahdensuo I saw still a couple of Whinchats and in Kirkkoranta I heard an early Redpoll. A couple of next mornings I saw 350 Cranes, a Black Woodpecker, a White-backed Woodpecker, a Wren, a couple of Grey Herons and a Chiffchaff.

During the weekend I counted 57 Barnacle Geese in Joukio so some of the local breeders had already left. While visiting Lappeenranta I checked Askola a couple of times but saw only 3 Golden Plovers, 2 Ringed Plovers and 21 Lapwings. On Sunday I walked around Siikalahti once again and saw a Hen Harrier, a Black Woodpecker, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, a Red-throated Pipit, 3 Wrens, 8 Sedge Warblers, a Blackcap, a Chiffchaff, a Nutcracker and 27 Reed Buntings.

On the 7th day there were 6 Red-throated Pipits, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Red-backed Shrike and a big surprise a young Moorhen in Kullinsuo!

On the 8th day on my lunch-hour I saw the first migrating flock of 70 Barnacle Geese and in the evening there were already 1550 birds migrating over our house in an hour. I also saw 2 Cormorants. On the 9th of September a Mistle Thrush was singing in Siikalahti and 450 Barnacle Geese migrating. The best bird was a migrating Nutcracker. With Harri Partanen we found a Bluethroat, 60 Meadow Pipits, a Red-throated Pipit, 8 Skylarks and 15 Lapland Buntings in Kullinsuo and in the evening 412 Cranes came to Siikalahti and while counting we saw an early Bewick’s Swan and heard at least 4 Water Rails.

On the 10th day I saw 3 Coal Tits, a Pintail, a White-backed Woodpecker, 3 or 4 White-tailed Eagles and 70 Barnacle Geese. In the evening we tried to catch owls but only a Tengmalm’s Owl was heard calling a couple of times around the mist-net in Tarvaslampi. On the 11th day I visited Kullinsuo again and saw 211 Barnacle Geese, 10 Lapland Buntings and a Bluethroat, in Vartialahti I saw a flock of 20 Common Scoters. Late in the evening aurora borealis arc was visible on northern sky.

On Saturday the 12th of September we drove to Saari again but only 2 Hen Harriers, a Grey Heron, a few Lapland Buntings and a Grey-headed Woodpecker were seen. But there were already at least 5000 Barnacle Geese. In Kullinsuo we saw a Red-throated Pipit, Lapland Buntings and the same Bluethroat again. 186 Cranes came to Siikalahti and even 7 Water Rails were heard. On Sunday I visited the forests but saw only some Crested Tits and a Grey-headed Woodpecker. It was very quiet in Siikalahti too but the weather was so good that I spend there some time just relaxing and enjoying the sun. In the evening I still visited Saari but saw only a Feral Pigeon in Pohjasuo.

On the 14th I saw 9 Feral Pigeons in Kangaskylä and a late Honey Buzzard and a Bluethroat in Siikalahti. The Bluethroat even sang for a while! On the 15th I saw a Bittern and another late bird was a Swift that was flying around the bay with some Swallows. In the evening I was counting the Cranes again and saw 275 of them. A funny Pygmy Owl was singing and calling there and another Bittern flew over me.

On next days I counted more than 500 Mallards and more than 500 Wigeons in Siikalahti, but nothing else interesting was seen.

J.A.

In the end of July it was very boring times for a birder. So all I saw in many days were some Nutcrackers and a family of Gold Finches in the village, some Grey Herons and quite a few Red-backed Shrikes. Only better birds were 2 Cormorants in Härskiinmutka and a Redshank and a Reed Warbler in Kirkkoranta on the 23rd day.

On the 25th of July we were in Siikalahti for the whole morning but saw almost nothing. Of course a Great White Egret arrived o the next morning when I was still sleeping. I managed to twitch it but I still need the species to my self-found list.

On the last days of July there were still some Blyth’s Reed Warblers, Thrush Nightingales and so on on the bushes but even though I saw managed to twitch a Great White Egret that I again didn’t find and saw a very early young Hen Harrier I was so bored birding in Parikkala that I decided to go to Southern Finland for a weekend again. On the way I stopped in Lappeenranta Askola where I saw 11 Dunlins, 2 Curlew Sands, 2 Little Stints, 2 Temminck Stints, 2 Redshanks, 2 Little Ringed Plovers, a Ringed Plover and a Caspian Tern. Then I continued straight to Hanko where I was again in Vedagrundet in the evening. But the sea was very empty comparing what it was 2 weeks earlier.

On the 1st of August I seawatched for 10 hours but saw only 1 Black Guillemot, 2 Arctic Skuas, 4 Caspian Terns and not many other terns either so no Sandwich Terns either. 5 Sparrowhawks were migrating, 2 Golden Plovers, 10 Dunlins and a Broad-billed Sandpiper were only other goodies.

On the 2nd day I seawatched for 5 hours and saw 2 Pintails, a Velvet Scoter, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 35 Dunlins and a Whimbrel. On the way back I stopped again in Suomenoja and saw all the regular birds plus a Marsh Warbler.

The Great White Egret stayed in Siikalahti for the next week but showed only in flight in the northern end of the bay. A White-tailed Eagle, a Thrush Nightingale, a couple of Blyth’s Reed Warblers, White-backed Woodpeckers, Bitterns, Grey Herons, a Cuckoo and Red-backed Shrikes were other species I saw there. In Moskuunniemi I still saw an Icterine Warbler and in the village I still saw one Nutcracker.

On the 8th day I walked around Siikalahti again with Hanna’s brother Miika but the rainy weather wasn’t good and we saw nothing special. On the next day I saw a Merlin there and a Nuthatch near Lahdenkylä. during the next days I saw the first Yellow Wagtails for the autumn, twitched a Moorhen in Imatra while I was visiting Russia for gasoline once again and on the 12th day I saw the Great White Egret for the last time.

On the 13th day I found a Wryneck in Siikalahti and it stayed there for several days. On the 15th day we saw 3 Siberian Jays, a Capercaillie and heard a Goshawk, a Hazel Hen and a Two-barred Crossbill in the forests. In the afternoon we continued to Saari with Miika and saw a Merlin, a flock of 140 House Martins and a Wryneck but nothing else really. The next days produced a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and a Spotted Redshank in Siikalahti, a one more Wryneck in Lahdensuo, a Temminck Stint and a Great Grey Shrike in Akanvaara Tetrisuo and still on the 23rd day I saw a Blyth’s Reed Warbler in Siikalahti and on the 25th I saw a flock of 25 Common Scoters in Härskiinmutka.

On the 27th day I saw a Black Grouse in Kontiolampi and 8 Canada Geese in Härskiinmutka. On the 28th day I twitched a Turnstone in Imatra Immalanjärvi.

J.A.

On Friday the 17th of July I started driving south and stopped in Lappeenranta Askola where I saw a Little Ringed Plover, 5 Dunlins, 2 Temminck Stints and a Caspian Tern that had been there already on the previous day. I picked up Pekka Punnonen and soon we continued towards Hanko. We had planned to go to seawatch for the weekend and hoped to see a Sandwich Tern as a Finnish-tick as there had been a couple of them on last 2 days and 1 also in this day.

But it was a long drive and we were in Hanko after 7 p.m. and first we drove to Tallholmarna but saw nothing special, just Cormorants, Mute Swans and Eiders which of course were special birds for us inland-birders.

Then we drove to Vedagrundet and started seawatching. We checked every tern and also scanned the sea and all the islands, islets and rocks. 3 Caspian Terns were fishing nearby and a Little Ringed Plover and a couple of Dunlins were found before I noticed a reddish wafer 1 kilometer away on a small rock. It had pale head and strange white streak on its side. I immediately thought it was a Red Phalarope but I needed to check the book as I didn’t remember any streak on its plumage. But it had exactly similar stripe on the book so I sent the news out. Pretty soon there were the first twitchers and even though the bird was pretty mobile and times to times went to the other side of the rocks we managed to keep it visible until 11 p.m. when the last twitchers arrived from Helsinki!

On the 18th of July we tried to sleep in my car but we woke up a couple of times as there were new twitchers coming and we heard a Spotted Crake and saw a Nightjar in a parking place. At 4 a.m. we walked to the shore and soon the Red Phalarope was found again but this time it was much closer, about 250 meters from us. It soon flew to another small island and stayed pretty much on the other side of the island but anyway every twitcher managed to see it even though it took even 4 hours for a couple of them as they were moving to Högholmen when someone saw it from there and again back when we saw it and they were always in wrong place.

We of course tried to seawatch and checked all the terns and every single place that was visible and saw 2 Broad-billed Sandpipers, 6 Arctic Skuas, 6 Caspian Terns, 2 Whimbrels, 8 Dunlins, 15 Black Guillemots, heard 4 young Wrynecks and a singing Greenish Warbler and saw a Parrot Crossbill. I also saw a flock of 5 Razorbills. But we didn’t see any Sandwich Terns even though one group of birders told later that they had seen one! And we were only 30 meters from them!

In the afternoon it started to rain and we went to eat to the city. We managed to get the last room from Silverstrand camping and went to sleep soon.

On the 19th we were out again at 4 a.m. and after visiting Långören, we were soon in Vedagrundet again. There were no other birders as the last twitchers of the previous evening hadn’t seen the Red Phalarope anymore. But after an hour we found the bird again from the ordinary rock 1 kilometer away. It was windier and the bird stayed long times behind the rock, but soon there were more and more twitchers again and everyone saw the bird.

Other birds we saw until 1:30 p.m. were 4 Pintails, 2 Long-tailed Ducks, 2 Velvet Scoters, a Red-throated and a Black-throated Diver, 6 Grey Plovers, 1+26 Bar-tailed Godwits, 8 Whimbrels, 8 Arctic Skuas, 4 Caspian Terns, 10 Black Guillemots and 4 young Wrynecks were still calling around us. I also saw a Turnstone and a Razorbill and there was a Knot and a Little Stint on the beach. But we didn’t see any Sandwich Terns. Together with Andreas Lindén we still stopped in Svanvik and then in Kirkkonummi Saltfjärden where we saw 600 Swifts and 2 Spotted Redshanks. Then with Pekka we still stopped in Espoo Finno where we saw 6 Moorhens and 80 Gadwalls. On the way towards Lappeenranta, we still stopped in Pyhtää Lökören, where we twitched 2 male and a female Red-crested Pochards. We still stopped in Lappeenranta Askola where we saw 4 Curlew Sandpipers, a Grey Heron and so on. After I had dropped Pekka, I still had a tired drive to Parikkala where I still saw the 25th wader-species of the trip – a Woodcock.

J.A.

After coming back from Urals I had to go twitching even though the bird was one I had seen and heard many during the last 10 days – the first real Oriental Cuckoo for Finland had been found in Sotkamo! I slept a couple of hours at home after a long travelling from Ekaterinburg and Helsinki and then started a long drive to Sotkamo. I was there in Teerijärvi at 7 p.m. and there were already some twitchers but they hadn’t heard anything in a couple of hours.

At 8:15 I heard a on series of Oriental Cuckoo calling but it stopped immediately. After 5 minutes it started to cal and called for 2 minutes and I even managed to get some recording. But then the next series was heard at 9:50 and right then one car was leaving the place and nobody else heard it and there were quite a few who had arrived after the first calls. And after that I didn’t hear anything even though I stayed there until 4:15 a.m.

On the way back home I stopped in Saari Pohjanranta and saw a Marsh Sandpiper with Greenshanks and Wood Sandpipers. Then I still went by bike to listen to a Reed Warbler in Kirkkoranta. Then I was ready for a long sleep.

In the evening we went to twitch a Great Snipe but it was calling very badly. We counted 188 Curlews and 1 Whimbrel from the field.

On Friday I was in Lappeenranta and Pyhtää celebrating my friend’s bachelor parties. On the way back I went to twitch a Quail in Lappeenranta Hanhijärvi Rantala. On Sunday I participated to Parikkala bike competition and biked 90 kilometers. I was extremely tired and hardly managed to finish. On the way I heard a Great Reed Warbler in Siikalahti and some Chiffchaffs, Icterine Warblers and Wrens. Next a couple of nights I heard a couple of Nightjars and 2 Great Snipes.

On the 1st of July I went early to Soininmäki where the Red-flanked Bluetail was still singing. I also drove to Saari and in Akanvaara Tetrisuo I saw a Black Grouse and in Pohjanranta I heard a Marsh and an Icterine Warbler. During the day I saw a White-tailed Eagle and a Bittern and heard the Great Reed Warbler in Siikalahti. In the evening we saw 5 Great Snipes in, but they weren’t really calling, just flying around. On the next day I saw 12 Hobbies, 2 Gadwalls and heard an Icterine Warbler in Siikalahti.

During the 3rd to 5th day I was biking around Lake Saimaa again with my friends. We drove altogether 250 kilometers as one had to drive a car while 4 were biking. We really were lucky as the weather was better than in whole summer. On the way back home I twitched a Kingfisher in Lappeenranta Haapajärvi and counted 84 Barnacle Geese in Parikkala Joukionsalmi.

On the 6th and 7th day I saw a Nutcracker in Kangaskylä and on the 8th day we visited Saari with Harri Partanen but saw only an Ortolan Bunting in Tetrisuo and a Short-eared Owl in Pohjasuo.

On the 10th of July Jari Kontiokorpi found a Curlew Sandpiper in Kirkkoranta which I of course twitches. There were also 2 Dunlins and 56 Lapwings.

On the 11th day we counted July count around Siikalahti with Hanna and saw a flock of 240 Common Scoters, a Spotted Redshank and a Red-backed Shrike and heard a Corn Crake, 6 Wrens, 2 River Warblers, 6 Blyth’s Reed Warblers, a Great Reed Warbler and 3 Golden Orioles and so on.

On the 12th day we visited Soinimäki and heard 2 Hazel Hens but the Red-flanked Bluetail was already quiet. We also went to see a breeding pair of Red-throated Divers to Savo side of the border and found them with 2 youngsters.

Next day I saw a Green Sandpiper in Kirkkoranta and on the 15th day saw 2 Gold Finches in Kangaskylä and a Garganey in Siikalahti. On the 16th day I saw 5 Long-tailed tits in a short forest-trip and in Joukiosalmi I counted amazing 147 Barnacle Geese which about half of them were youngsters!

J.A.

On the 1st of June we started early with Hanna, her brother Miika and mother Helka. We went to twitch a Red-flanked Bluetail that I had found on the previous morning. We found it right away when we got out and this time we managed to see and photograph this young male bird much easier. A Greenish Warbler was singing shortly and we also heard a Three-toed Woodpecker calling and I also heard a Parrot Crossbill.

We continued soon to another forest place where we soon found a family of Siberian Jays. Old couple had still managed to get one young which was very good news! A Black Woodpecker also came to make noise close to us.

Then we continued to see the Great Grey Owl again and we found it easily. It was very tired so we took just some pictures and let it enjoy the morning sun. We also flushed a female Capercaillie that flew very beautifully in front of us.

In the evening we did a short trip to Saari with Hanna. In Akanvaara Tetrisuo it was very windy, but after some waiting we saw the 2nd year Montagu’s Harrier again. 10 Black Grouses were lekking even though it was quite stormy.

In Pohjanrata we saw a Marsh Sandpiper, 4 Greenshanks, a Redshank, a Dunlin and a Ringed Plover. 13 Barnacle Geese were sleeping on the field.

On the 2nd of June we did the bird count with Miika. We walked 17 kilometers around Siikalahti starting from our home. It was good to Miika to practice all the common song-birds, but of course we had some better birds too like a Canada Goose, 2 Garganeys, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Black Grouse, 6 Slavonian Grebes, 2 Honey Buzzards, 3 Hobbies, 3 Water Rails, a Little Crake, a family of 4 Cranes that were swimming cross Siikalahti, a Green Sandpiper, 55 Little Gulls, a Long-eared Owl, a Grey-headed and a White-backed Woodpecker, a Wryneck, 3 Wrens, 7 Blackcaps, a Grasshopper Warbler, 2 Marsh and 9 Blyth’s Reed Warblers, 2 Wood Warblers, a Long-tailed Tit, a Treecreeper, 3 Golden Orioles, a House Sparrow and a strange Brambling that was singing close to the village.

On the 3rd of June I had to go to work to Imatra. I left so early that I could try to twitch Great Snipes in Rautjärvi but they were already silent. It was raining pretty hard when I got to Joutseno Konnunsuo but luckily it stopped soon and I managed to hear a Booted Warbler singing.

In the afternoon I visited Pohjanranta again and saw a couple of Marsh Sandpipers, a Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Broad-billed Sandpipers and a Temminck Stint. Now there were only 7 Barnacle Geese but also a Brent Goose.

On the 4th of June I woke up very early as I felt asleep too early in the previous evening. So I was birding again before 6 a.m. and soon I was listening to the Red-flanked Bluetail again. It really had chosen a territory in a forest in Parikkala! I continued driving around Lake Simpele and soon saw a small Brown Bear on the road! It rose to stand on two feet but soon continued to he forest but stopped there and started to watch what I was doing. I talked and whistled to it and it always looked at me. Unfortunately I had no other camera than my mobile. After some minutes it started to climb to the hill inside the forest and I continued birding. All I found were a couple of River Warblers, so pretty soon I was back at home.

During the day we went to check all the owls we had and two Pygmy Owls had 7 chicks that were big enough to ring. Tengmalm’s Owl chicks and one Pygmy owl chicks were still too small. The last Pygmy Owl had even 2 dead chicks in the nest so there wasn’t enough food in the forest.

In the afternoon we did a short trip to Saari with Harri. In Tetrisuo we found a Short-eared Owl and in Pohjanranta we saw 11 Barnacle Geese, a Brent Goose, a Garganey, 2 Little Ringed and 1 Ringed Plover and still 2 Marsh Sandpipers and a River Warbler was singing.

On the night of 5th of June I still went to listen that Little Crake was sill in Siikalahti. In the afternoon we left to a longer trip to Urals!

J.A.