. . Lintuharrastajan päiväkirja Birders diary . .

On Friday 24th of April after my work I drove to Oulu. On a long drive I saw a Red-necked Grebe in Punkaharju, a Black Grouse, a Black Woodpecker and a Common Crossbill somewhere, 4 Red-necked Divers in Pyhäntä and Smews in Piippola Kortteinen. I was in Tyrnävä when I noticed that a Demoiselle Crane that had been missing for some days was back! I was only 14 kilometers from it, so I drove there immediately! I finally found the bird from the second big flock of Cranes that I was scanning and luckily it was the closest bird in the flock! But unfortunately my camera-battery died after a couple of photos. I met my friend Petri Lampila and while we were discussing, I tried to warm the battery and luckily I managed to get my camera working so I could get a couple of more pictures in a better light.

I continued to Oulu where I stayed with my brother Riku’s family. We spent the evening following national ice-hockey finals and the result was that legendary game 7 was needed between Tappara from Tampere and our team Kärpät from Oulu.

On the 25th of April I visited Oulunsalo Kempeleenlahti in the morning. I found 4 Shelducks, 2 Redshanks and then when I was already walking bock to my car I saw a male Pallid Harrier flying over me. Then we did some shopping and in the evening I had a meeting with my old high-school fiends that most of them I hadn’t seen for 19 years! It was really fun evening and it came even better when Kärpät won the Championship! Anyway I had to leave the parties already at midnight.

On the 26th day we left birding together with Antti Peuna who was also visiting in Oulu. We headed first to Liminka Hirvineva where we found a Green-winged Teal that Petri Lampila had found on the previous day. It wasn’t the best looking bird I’ve seen but hopefully pure anyway. Unfortunately it was extremely shy so I couldn’t get any better pictures.

We continued to Virkkula where we met our good friends Mikko Ala-Kojola and Harry Nyström. Many other friends were met too as there were Liminka Bird-photo festivals. Anyway we walked to the bird-tower pretty soon and found 2 Grey Herons, 2 Mute Swans, Pink-footed and Great White-fronted Geese, Redshanks, 8 Black-tailed Godwits, a Peregrine, 5 White-tailed Eagles and a migrating flock of 25 Lapland Buntings. There were absolutely too many people, so we left Harry to guide them and continued to Lumijoki Sannanlahti where we found 4 Mute Swans, 4 Bewick’s Swans, a Gadwall and a White-tailed Eagle. Then we still went to twitch a Demoiselle Crane again as it was now in Liminka Ala-Temmes. In the afternoon I still went to play ice-hockey with my brother and it was the first time ever that we played ice-hockey together even though we have both played in team Kärpät. I am much younger which was a big deal then but not anymore In the evening I drove a long way to Parikkala where I did s a stop in Siikalahti where I heard 3 Spotted Crakes calling.

J.A.

On the 16th of April it was a migration-watching day. The weather forecast was bad – it was going to be a heavy northern wind. So we chose to go to the main tower in Siikalahti where you get some shelter from the wind. We were in the tower already at 5 a.m. and almost the whole 10 hours there were 6 of us counting birds. Unfortunately there weren’t that many birds to count but during the morning some Chaffinches, thrushes, Wood Pigeons and Curlews were migrating. But the wind got very strong during the day and it was very quiet then. But a Black Kite that we saw in the afternoon was a nice present to us all! Other birds that we saw were: 3 Canada Geese, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 6 Black-throated Divers, 12 Sparrowhawks, 8 Common Buzzards, 16 Rough-legged Buzzards, 9 Golden Plovers, 58 Lapwings, a Whimbrel, 30 Curlews, 6 Green Sandpipers, 160 Black-headed Gulls, 52 Common Gulls, 301 Wood Pigeons, 10 Waxwings, a Dunnock, 210 Fieldfares, 95 small thrushes, 4 Jays, 795 Chaffinches, 14 Bramblings, a Gold Finch, 107 Siskins and 200 unidentified passerines.

It was almost dark when I noticed that someone had seen a Great White Egret in Siikalahti! There was nothing told about the observation, but anyway I drove there to try to see it. But all white birds I could see were Whooper Swans.

On the 19th of April I headed to Siikalahti to try to find the egret again and surprisingly I found it already from the first tower! I took a couple of pictures of it but soon it was flying towards the bay. I walked after it to the main tower and from there I could watch it fishing. Almost all local birders came to see this 2nd ever Great White Egret for Parikkala and the first had been more than 30 years ago. It was also a new species to Siikalahti! I also saw 4 migrating Bewick’s Swans, heard 2 Grey-headed Woodpeckers and a White-backed Woodpecker drumming.

Later I visited Siikalahti 2 more times, also with Hanna, and saw the egret but it was snowing pretty much, so I couldn’t get any more pictures. Later in the evening my friend Pertti Hotta saw the bird leaving towards north.

On the 20th of April I didn’t see much on my lunch-hour but in the evening we twitched a 2nd c-y Pallid Harrier in Saari Pohjanranta with Harri Partanen.

The next days it was very hard winds again so I didn’t do much birding. A Slavonian Grebe was seen in Härskiinmutka.

J.A.

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.