. . Lintuharrastajan päiväkirja Birders diary . .

On the 31st of March when I had just arrived from Israel and got to Kirkkonummi to my parents, I just ate a breakfast and went birding. I had checked some birds from Tiira and first drove to Evitskog where I found a flooded field with lots of birds. There were Bean, White-fronted and Canada Geese, Teals, a Pintail, a very early Garganey, 2 Snipes, Linnets, a Reed bunting and so on. The weather was awful but I continued next to Espoo Laajalahti Villa Elfvik where I saw Wigeons, 4 Pinatils, a couple of Shovelers, 26 Smews, 4 Great Crested Grebes, a Grey Heron and 4 Coots. In Espoo Suomenoja I saw a Crane migrating and then I drove to Kirkkonummi to sleep.

In the afternoon I still drove through Saltfjärden fields and saw 23 Cranes and 5 Redwings but then I started a long drive to Parikkala.

On the 1st of April Siikalahti looked almost the same as 2 weeks earlier – it had been a back-winter. Of course some migrants had arrived and more were migrating like Mallards, Goldeneyes, a Buzzard, 5 Wood Pigeons, 2 Mistle Thrushes, 30 Snow Buntings and 3 Reed Buntings. A White-backed Woodpecker was drumming and a Grey-headed Woodpecker calling. On the nexy morning I saw 4 Canada Geese in Särkisalmi and Goosanders in Lemmikonsalmi. In the evening the same Tawny Owl was still calling in Vierevi.

Eastern in Siikalahti

On Friday the 3rd of April it felt like spring in Siikalahti. I saw a Bean Goose, a Pochard, a Marsh Harrier, a Common Buzzard, a Rough-legged Buzzard, a Wood Pigeon, 25 Skylarks, 15 Blackbirds, 35 Fieldfares, a Mistle Thrush, 22 Starlings, 2 Chaffinches, 11 Snow Buntings and 3 Reed Buntings.

On Saturday it was a better migration day: 250 Bean Geese, 8 White-fronted Geese, 2 Teals, 2 White-tailed Eagles, a Goshawk, 3 Sparrowhawks, 20 Common Buzzards, 2 Kestrels, 5 Cranes, 20 Black-headed Gulls, 60 Herring Gulls, a Stock Dove, 10 Wood Pigeons, 20 Skylarks, a Mistle Thrush, 15 Chaffinches, a Gold Finch, at least 2000 Redpolls and 111 Snow Buntings were seen. A Grey-headed Woodpecker was heard and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker seen. In Särkisalmi we saw a Smew and in Tarvaslampi a Woodcock.

On the 5th of April new birds were a Water Rail, a Redwing, 2 Goldfinches and a Hawfinch. 5 Species of woodpeckers were seen and 100 Snow Buntings were still around. In Muttelinmäki I heard a Goldcrest singing and in a tour to Saari we found a couple of flocks of Snow Buntings, a Great Grey Shrike, 244 Lapwings in Akanvaara Tetrisuo fields and geese and swans in Pohjanranta.

On the 6th day already 520 Bean Geese and 52 White-fronted Geese were migrating and also 3 Snipes, 65 Black-headed Gulls, even 12 Stock Doves, a White Wagtail, 14 Waxwings, 6 Mistle Thrushes, a Rook and 35 Snow Buntings were seen in Siikalahti. In Muttelinmäki I saw a Robin briefly.

I saw the first Wigeon in Särkisalmi on Monday but then it started to rain. I visited Siikalahti but saw only a singing Lapland Bunting on Kaukola fields. On the next windy and rainy day I saw an Osprey in Siikalahti. On the 9th of April a Meadow Pipit and a Hen Harrier was seen in Siikalahti and a couple of Tufted Ducks in Särkisalmi. In Saari I 4 Bewick’s Swans, 26 Canada Geese and a couple of Pintails in Pohjanranta, 240 Tundra Bean Geese, 120 White-fronted Geese and 6 Canada Geese in Uukuniemi Suurenjärvenliete and a Pink-footed Goose in a flock of other grey geese in Kanavalampi.
On the 10th day a couple of Barnacle Geese were flying towadrs south, 5 Rough-legged Buzzards north and I heard a Linnet.

On the 11th of April a Coal Tit was heard in Muttelinmäki and in Siikalahti I saw a female Shoveler, 18 Tufted Ducks, 16 Pochards, 16 Smews, 5 Curlews, a Stock Dove, 6 White Wagtails, 2 Rooks and a Goldfinch and heard 3 Water Rails.

On the 12th of April I was in Siikalahti for 11 hours and saw a female Pallid Harrier right away when I got there. Later there were several birders and together we saw 4 Bewick’s Swans, a Greylag Goose, 4 Barnacle Goose, 21 Pintails, a Black-throated Diver and on more unidentified diver, 4 White-tailed Eagles, a Golden Eagle, 8 Marsh Harriers, amazing 17 Hen Harriers, 38 Rough-legged Buzzards, 7 Common Buzzards, 55 Sparrowhawks, 5 Ospreys, 3 Marlins, 9 Golden Plovers, 30 Snipes, 7 Green Sandpipers, very early Black-tailed Godwit, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and 3 Bitterns and a Dunnock were heard.

On the 13th day very hard winds started and I visited only Kirkkolahti where I counted 390 grey geese and found 2 male Gadwalls. On the next morning I found a few Bewick’s Swans there in a flock of 150 Whooper Swans. In the afternoon I visited Saari but saw almost nothing in a rain and wind. And the next day’s tour wasn’t much better but 3 Bewick’s Swans and a White-tailed Eale were seen in Pohjanranta and a Songthrush in Suurenjärvenliete. On the 15th day a White-tailed Eagle was seen in Siikalahti.

On the 16th day a couple of Bramblings were heard in Kirkkoranta and during the day I twitched a strange looking, probably oily Common Gull that Pauli Kantonen had found in Koitsanlahti. In the afternoon I visited Saari again and saw a Hen Harrier in Tetrisuo, 720 grey geese and 6 Canada Geese in Pohjanranta, a Hen Harrier in Jyrkilä, 1100 grey geese, 3 Canada Geese, a Great Crested Grebe and 5 White-tailed Eagles in Kanavalampi and 3 more Canada Geese in Poutasenryhmä.

J.A.

Tuesday 17th of March was great day for night sky photographers in whole northern hemisphere. Activity spike of the sun was known in advance, so I had my camera gear ready. Janne had our better 7D camera with him in Israel, so I used our nearly 11 year’s old 10D camera. It has lots of dead red pixels, so I had to clean images quite a lot.


On Friday 20th of March was suns turn to be photogenic. In our region partial solar eclipse was 80%. During eclipse weather become clearly colder and windier. Light was very odd and all colors looked fainter.
These photographs have been taken trough telescope using Astro Solar protective film over telescopes main lens.

It was possible to observe sun also with simple devices that used principles of camera obscura.

Light that went through fingers also formed images of crescent shaped sun.

H.A.

On the 14th and 15th of March we were in Helsinki at Bongariliitto 30th year parties and in BirdLife Finland meetings. On Sunday I managed to do some birding after the meeting and twitched a Glauscous Gull in Kyläsaari, saw a Pochard and a Long-tailed Duck in Espoo Suomenoja and Bean, Greylag and Canada Geese and 2 Grey Herons and 4 White-tailed Eagles in Kirkkonummi Saltfjärden.

On the 16th of March we headed to Hanko together with Kari Haataja and Tim Worfolk that had given the lecture about shrikes in Bongariliitto meeting. We stopped first in Raasepori Tammisaari Ramsholmen where we walked a bit and found a Nuthatch, 2 Long-tailed Tits, a Pheasant and several Treecreepers. In Hanko we found first better birds in Vedagrundet where 6 Eiders, a Snow Bunting and a Wood Lark were seen. In Täktbukten Kobben we found a Shelduck and the first White-tailed Eagle. In Itäsatama we saw 5 more Eiders and another White-tailed Eagle. Finally in Täktom we managed to see 3 White-tailed Eagles better and also a Great Grey Shrike, 2 Wood Larks and a Chaffinch. White Tim and Kari were photographing the shrike I managed to see an early Crane migrating towards north.

In the evening I left to Helsinki-Vantaa airport and later towards Israel and Champions of the Flyway.

J.A.

March started with same birds that had succeeded in wintering: 2 Starlings and Gold Finches were still around and in siikalahti I saw Grey-headed and White-backed Woodpeckers and also a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. In Kirkonkylä I saw a hunting Goshawk. On the 2nd day I saw a Hazel Hen in Kirpoavankivenmäki and 2 Herring Gulls in Härskiinmutka. On the 3rd day I visited Imatra and saw a Cormorant and a Common Gull in Vuoksi.

On the 5th evening I heard the same Tawny Owl in Vierevi ans an Eagle Owl in Siikalahti. On the 6th day I saw a Stock Dove migrating in Tarvaspohja and on the next day already 5 Whooper Swans had arrived at Siikalahti to fight for their territories.

On the 8th of March I walked around Siikalahti again and saw 30 species. 3 Grey-headed Woodpeckers, a Black Woodpecker, a White-backed Woodpecker, a Great Grey Shrike, 2 Starlings, 22 Gold Finches, 190 Siskins and the best one, a Twite were seen.

On the 9th day already 56 Lapwings and 16 Whooper Swans were seen in Siikalahti. But then came back-winter and on the next day only 19 Lapwings were seen but a Stock Dove was still going towards north anyway. In Vuoksi I saw an overwintered Smew and an early Coot. On the 11th day I was in Lappeenranta and in Konnunsuo I saw 51 Lapwings, 25 Stock Doves and a White-tailed Eagle and in Pappilanniemi I saw a couple of europaea Nuthatches. In the afternoon I was in Siikalahti again and saw 18 Lapwings, 5 Starlings and a Great Grey Shrike.

On the 13th of March it felt more like spring while a Goshawk, 4 Sparrowhawks, 5 Common Buzzards, 34 Lapwings, 2 Skylarks and 800 Redpolls were counted. Even 3 Grey-headed Woodpecker and 2 White-backed Woodpeckers were also seen.

J.A.

During the week I was birding on my lunch-hours but also after work. It was nice to have light longer and longer in the afternoon. I saw the same Starlings, Gold Finches, Fieldfares, Blackbirds and Waxwings. In Siikalahti woodpeckers were already active and Grey-headed Woodpecker calls and drumming White-backed Woodpeckers were easy to hear. Common Crossbills were already breeding in the forests and they seemed to be common this year.

On Saturday the 21st of February I did a winter bird count again and it was also February count as I am planning to do the count every month this year. It was nice weather and especially Great Spotted Woodpeckers were very active. I saw clearly more species than ever before on this spring round, 29 species: 3 Black Grouses, 3 Rock Doves, a Grey-headed Woodpecker, 13 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 4 White-backed Woodpeckers, 45 Waxwings, a Blackbird, 11 Fieldfares, 4 Long-tailed Tits, 5 Willow Tits, a Crested Tit, 36 Blue Tits, 130 Great Tits, 9 Jays, 18 Magpies, 48 Jackdaws, 19 Hooded Crows, 7 Ravens, 2 Starlings, 2 House Sparrows, 8 Tree Sparrows, a Chaffinch, 26 Green Finches, 8 Gold Finches, a Siskin, 17 Redpolls, 12 Common Crossbills, 50 Bullfinches and 15 Yellowhammers.

On the 22nd day I was again playing in Lappeenranta and on the ice Lake Saimaa I saw already at least 60 Herring Gulls. In my game I got a pretty bad hit to my fore-head and 7 stitches. I don’t know why the doctor gave me whole week sick-leave.

Anyway I was working on the next day but in the afternoon I ended earlier and left twitching. I drove to Heinävesi Karhio where a stunning White-billed diver had stayed already for some days. On the way I saw 5 Dippers and a couple of flock of Black Grouses.

On the last days of February I still saw a family of Whooper Swans in Joukio, same Gold Finches, thrushes, Starlings, a Nuthatch in Moskuunniemi and woodpeckers. I also twitched a Tawny Owl that was calling in Kirkonkylä and continued almost every night. On the last day of February I heard it calling even in Sounio and a drive around Siikalahti produced even better owl when we saw a Great Grey Owl there!

J.A.

On the 13th of February I visited Siberian Jay forest but most of the time was lost when I had to push one local birder’s car back to the road from the deep snow where it was stuck. He had been trying to get back to the road for 3 hours so luckily I got there. I managed to hear a drumming Black Woodpecker and calling Grey-headed Woodpecker before I had to hurry back to work.

After my work I left driving towards South. I headed to Heinola where I twitched a Shoveler in Tommola. Also 7 Whooper Swans were seen but I couldn’t find a Little Grebe that had been staying on the same place. In the evening I arrived at Kirkkonummi.

On the 14th of February I woke up early and at 7 a.m. Tom Nordblad picked me up. Jari Laitasalo and Pasi Pirinen were also in the car and we headed towards west. It was 170 kilometers drive but it went quickly. Just before 9 a.m. we arrived at Masku Laulainen and there were already plenty of twitchers in a group along the road. When we walked to them, we could easily see a Calandra Lark that was feeding along the road about 70 meters from us. This 12th Calandra Lark for Finland had been staying in this very same place for some days already. There was some traffic but the bird didn’t move much. When a bigger truck came it once flew a little bit to the snowy road-side. After about 20 minutes a an came walking a long the road and then the bird moved to the field and we couldn’t see it anymore. After 15 minutes waiting we decided start a long way back.

We stopped in Salo Moisio where we found a flock of 13 Collared Doves after some searching. Also a lonely Gold Finch was seen. In Lohja we still saw a Great Grey Shrike before we were back in Kirkkonummi.

It was still early afternoon so after U had eaten, I left birding to Kirkkonummi Porkkala. I watched to the open sea for a couple of hours but all I saw were 110 Long-tailed ducks, Herring Gulls, 9 Mute Swans, a Goldeneye, 4 Great Black-backed Gulls and a flock of 3 Velvet Scoters. I still visited Saltfjärden and in the evening we did a 2.5 hours owl-listening trip with my father but nothing was seen or heard.

On the 15th of February I left early to Hanko and when the sun was rising I was in Gåsörsbukten. Night had been quite cold so I didn’t really try to find a Wood Lark that had been there but continued to Tallholmarna. But there was very bad haze on the sea so I saw only some flocks of Long-tailed Ducks, local Goldeneyes and Herring Gulls with some Great Black-backed Gulls. A lonely White-tailed Eagle was perched on a distant rock. Then I continued to Drottningsholm where I visited a tower. While I was wondering why on Earth there was a tower, I noticed a Great Grey Shrike perching on the closest tree. It looked very pale! With binoculars I could also see that the mask was very weak and the base of the bill was pink. I ran to get my scope and managed to get some pictures and videos before the bird flushed and flew to the sea towards the closest islands. I was very confused as I knew that it didn’t have big enough white area on its wing for pallidirostris.

So I had no idea what it could have been. After I had seen my pictures and videos from the screen, I was still as confused. Maybe it was more like a sibiricus with brownish head but then the bird had no scaly markings at all. Hopefully someone can find it and watch and photograph it more than I could.

In harbor I saw only 2 Common of the day before I continued to Gåsörsbukten where I managed to find the Wood Lark after some searching. In Vedagrundet I counted 43 Mute Swans and 2 Whooper Swans and with Goldeneyes there were 12 Scaups and a Tufted Duck. In Svanvik a Common Buzzard was seen in flight and 2 White-tailed Eagles were also seen. The haze was still very bad so I decided to drive back to Kirkkonummi. On the way I saw still one more White-tailed Eagle in Inkoo.

In the afternoon we visited my grandmother in Helsinki with my father. On the way we stopped in Jätkäsaari where we found a flock of 21 Linnets and a Twite. After 1 hour discussing with my grandmother it was time to start driving back to Parikkala.

J.A.