. . Lintuharrastajan päiväkirja Birders diary . .

Finally spring

On the 1st of April the Nutcracker was again on our back-yard. The weather was finally getting warmer so in Siikalahti I finally saw some more migration: a Kestrel, 2 Bean Geese, 16 Lapwings, a White-tailed Eagle, a Golden Eagle, 3 Wood Pigeons and 2 Blackbirds. It really felt like spring!

On the 2nd day we participated to Mid-Karelian wilderness bird-race. At night we heard 2 Ural Owls, an Eagle Owl and a Tawny Owl. Then it started to rain heavily and it stopped only at morning. During the day we found 4 Black Woodpeckers, 16 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Three-toed Woodpecker, 22 Willow Tits, 2 Coal Tits, 28 Bullfinches, Black Grouses, 2 Hazel Hens, 2 Parrot Crossbills and 5 Snow Buntings. The best bird was found in Hyypiä Canal where we found a Marsh Tit on the feeder!

On the 3rd day the Nutcracker was seen last time and in Siikalahti White-backed Woodpeckers were drumming, a White-tailed Eagle, 60 Snow Buntings and 3 Chaffinches were seen. On the next day I saw a Lapland Bunting, 3 Black-headed Gulls, a Skylark, a Wood Lark, a Merlin, a Reed Bunting, a Common Buzzard, 132 Lapwings, 35 Wood Pigeons, 3 Fieldfares, 13 Starlings and 3 Chaffinches – Finally it was spring!

On the 5th day I saw 12 Common Buzzards, a Rough-legged buzzard, a Merlin, a Hen Harrier, a Crane, a Linnet, already 250 Lapwings and so on. In Särkisalmi there was any other ducks than 4 Mallards but also a Song Thrush. And on the next day I saw the first White Wagtail in Siikalahti and in Särkisalmi I found a good bird – a Moorhen!

Matti Lötjönen came to twitch it and surprisingly found also a Water Rail! During the next days I went to photograph these birds for several times and on the 7th day also a Grey Heron was seen and a Robin heard singing there. Also first Redwings were seen during the day.

On the 8th of April 2 Greylag Geese were migrating in Siikalahti. Also a Hen Harrier and a Meadow Pipit were seen, but the migration was so poor that I decided to go to find a Black Redstart to Kukonkanta. I really told to other birders I go to find one! And after 5 minutes I called them that I had found a 2nd c-y bird that was singing on the top of buildings on hippodrome.

On the 9th day I stopped in Imatra Vuoksi River, where 4 Coot, a couple of early Scaups and a couple of Canada Geese were seen. I also twitched a Blackcap in Lappeenranta Kourula and in the afternoon we went to twitch a Stonechat to Ristiina Haikola with Henrik Salomaa. The bird was seen well but the hard wind made photographing difficult. On the way back we stopped in Lemi Nuorajärvi where we saw a Mistle Thrush.

On the 11th day a Great Black-backed Gull and a Rook and on the next day a White-tailed Eagle, a Marsh Harrier and already 50 Black-headed Gulls were seen in Siikalahti. On the 13th day I saw a Pink-footed and a White-fronted Goose, 5 White-tailed Eagles, a Golden Eagle, a Coot, 23 Curlews, 2 Green Sandpipers, 120 Black-headed Gulls, and on the 14th day a Golden Plover and a couple of Long-tailed Tits in Siikalahti.

On the 15th of April I went to play rink-bandy to Turku and on the way I stopped in Lappeenranta Joutseno Konnunsuo where I saw 1200 Bean Geese, 400 White-fronted Geese, a Greylag Goose, 300 Lapwings, 23 Teals, 3 Pintails and a Black-tailed Godwit. On the way to Turku I saw Tufted Ducks from the bus window.

On the 17th day in Siikalahti we saw 2 Wigeons, 38 Teals, a Bittern was heard calling weakly, 30 Rough-legged Buzzards were migrating, 3 Ospreys, 4 Snipes, a Dunnock and 1500 Chaffinches were also seen. On the next day I saw a Greylag Goose and on the 20th day 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were in Särkisalmi. On the next day a Greenshank and a Rook were seen and a Wren heard in Siikalahti and in Särkisalmi there was a couple of Shovelers.

On the 22nd day a Stock Dove and a couple of White-tailed Eagles and a Bittern were seen in Siikalahti and in Saari area we found several bigger flocks of Bean Gees and 2 Redshanks and in Rautalahti we saw a Pink-footed Goose, a Greylag Goose, 40 White-fronted Geese and in Särkisalmi a Great Crested Grebe.

On the 23rd day we had a day when many birders were counting migration all around Finland. In South Karelia we were counting everything from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. and we were of course in Siikalahti. Altogether we saw 72 species plus a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and a Wren next to the information centre. The best birds and numbers were 2 Bewick’s Swans, 5 Black-throated Divers, a Slavonian Grebe, 4 Cormorants, 2 Water Rails, 570 Wood Pigeons, 522 Fieldfares, 760 small thrushes, 11 Jays, 3520 Chaffinches and a Great Grey Shrike and so on.

On the next day I saw 2 Hen Harriers, 2 Redshanks and 2 Red-necked Grebes before I got information about a Baikal Teal in Rantasalmi Putkilahti. We went to twitch together with Pekka Punnonen and luckily we saw the bird even though it was very far and in bad light conditions. Once it was awaken by Mallards and we could see it much better but soon it swam behind the reeds and we decided to leave. On the way back we saw a Red-breasted Merganser in Särkisalmi and in the evening we went to Siikalahti where some Woodcocks, 9 Water Rails and a Spotted Crake were heard.

On the 25th day the weather was extremely warm and nice. The best bird was a migrating Black Kite, but also 3 Hen Harriers, a Grey Heron, a Wood Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and 2 early Little Gulls were nice seen. In Kullinsuo I finally had my first Goldcrest of the year and in Lahdensuo a Northern Wheatear.

On the 28th day the weather wasn’t so nice anymore but a Swallow was flying on a hard wind in Siikalahti. In the evening I went to twitch a Red-breasted Goose to Lappeenranta Jäkkö as a month-tick.

On the 29th day the wind was very hard and from north, but anyway a Whinchat was singing in Siikalahti dam-road. I decided to start checking the owl nest-boxes and surprisingly I found 2 incubating Ural Owls and a Tengmalm’s Owl even though I checked only 15 nest-boxes.

On the last day of April we went to Joutseno. In Karhula we saw a Swallow and a Goldfinch, in Kotasaari we saw 2 Ruffs and in Konnunsuo 16 Barnacle Geese with numerous White-fronted and Bean Geese. Also a Yellow Wagtail was seen there. Then we got a message that Markku Loippo had found an Isabelline Wheatear in Taipalsaari Saikkola Kolinlahti. We drove there and the bird had been missing for some time but luckily it was soon found from the middle of the field feeding on a dung heap. This was our 2nd in Finland and a nice South Karelian tick.

On the way back to Parikkala we checked all the nest-boxes in Rautjärvi and it wasn’t a surprise that most of the nest-box trees had fallen in last autumn’s storms. Luckily only one wasn’t found at all and the rest were ok. Only bird-observations were a singing Chiffchaff and a couple of Hazel Hens. In the evening we went to Siikalahti where 2 Jack Snipes were heard.

Waiting for the spring in vain

In the beginning of March we were still in Morocco and Western Sahara – Morocco and Western Sahara trip-story (210 species, meny WP-ticks, more than 6000km driving and so on!).

When we were back from Morocco, we just needed to relax for several days after the hard trip. On the 12th of March I decided to go to try to twitch a sibiricus Great Grey Shrike that had been seen again after a month. In a very early morning I saw a Whooper Swan in Joukio and in Suomenniemi I saw a Fieldfare before I finally was in Mäntyharju Kinni at 8 a.m. Miika “potu” Suojarinne was already there and together we tried to find the shrike for several hours without luck. We did see a couple of Grey-headed Woodpeckers, a couple of flocks of Common Crossbills, Black Grouses, Hazel Hens and so on. After we had given up we drove to Mäntyharju centre, where we twitched a Marsh Tit. On the way back home I stopped in Imatra Vuoksi where I saw 410 Herring Gulls and a Great Black-backed Gull. In the evening we went to sauna to Tarvaslampi and there was Tengmalm’s Owl calling.

On the 13th day I went to Siikalahti but only bird I saw was a displaying Sparrowhawk. On the next day I found a Nutcracker from our garden sembra. And later this bird was on that tree almost every day until the end of month.

On the 18th day I was in Siikalahti for 3 hours and I saw 5 migrating White-tailed Eagles. Also 30 Herring Gulls were flying south; they had probably found out that there was no reason to go any more north than Vuoksi. Also a Black Woodpecker was seen.

On the 19th of March we had a traditional wilderness rally. We were in area of most distant corner of Rautjärvi and Ruokolahti. In Utula – Hauklappi – Akkala villages and forests we saw and heard altogether 26 Black Grouses, 3 Hazel Hens, 2 Pygmy Owls, a Grey-headed Woodpecker, a Black Woodpecker, 14 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 52 Willow Tits, 18 Crested Tits, 14 Bullfinches and 8 Common Crossbills. So the area wasn’t very good! Surprisingly we managed to win the team that was left last by 2 points marginal. The evening was fun as there were many friends that we hadn’t seen for a long time.

On the next day I was in Siikalahti again and saw 3 migrating White-tailed Eagles, a flock of 25 crossbills, a Great Grey Shrike, a couple of White-backed Woodpeckers and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

On the 22nd of March there was a first couple and also flock of 3 Whooper Swans in Siikalahti. White-backed Woodpeckers were drumming and a Sparrowhawk was in flight again. On the 23rd day I saw one more White-tailed Eagle and on the 24th the Nutcracker was trying to sing on our garden. So it was a feeling that spring might be coming, but it was still very cold during the nights and far too much snow on the ground.

So the last days of the month were also extremely quiet! One more family of Whooper Swans arrived to Siikalahti and on the 31st of March I saw the first migrating Common Buzzard. But still when the month changed it was more than -10 degrees, but finally the forecast promised warmer for the next days.

Extremely cold February

The winter continued extremely cold and even -30 degrees was common. On the coldest morning it was -37 degrees on our thermometer! Luckily in the end of month the sun started to warm up during the days and the increasing lightness was cheering up.

But the winter had been so cruel that there weren’t many birds around. So I really didn’t bother to do birding much. I also tried to save my car a bit. On the 3rd of February I was visiting Simpele and I went to see a Hawk Owl to Änkilänsalo from where it had been found a couple of days earlier. In Kokkolanjoki River I saw a female Goosander and on the way back home I saw a Pygmy Owl perched on the top of a spruce in Joukio.

On the 6th day I walked for a couple of hours around Kangaskylä villafe and checked some of the best streets and their feeders. Only better birds were a Waxwing and a Siskin. On the next day a Great Grey Shrike was perched on the top of our garden birch.

On the 12th day I went to try to see a Great Grey Owl to Rautjärvi Suomaankorpi, but I couldn’t find it. A Hawk Owl was still found in Änkilänsalo, even though it had moves a little. In Kokkolanjoki rive I saw a couple of Dippers.

On the 16th day I was on my way to play rink bandy to Imatra when I saw a big owl crossing the road. Unfortunately it was too dark to see anything else that it was either Ural or Great Grey Owl.

On the 20th of February I did a winter bird count again. When I woke up it was still -35 degrees but soon the sun rose higher and at 10 a.m. it was surprisingly warm even though it was still -30! In the beginning I was walking and only corvids were awake, all tits and sparrows were still in their holes. When I got closer to Siikalahti I started to ski and even though tits started to wake up there were so few birds that they didn’t really slow my speed. After all I saw fewer birds than even on my route: 253 birds, 17 species and the most common ones were Jackdaw 44, Magpie 42 and Great Tit 40. The best birds were on the tops of 2 trees only 100 metres from each others in Kangaskylä, a Pygmy Owl and a Great Grey shrike.

On the 24th of February we finally had our long-waited holiday! After my match we drove to Kirkkonummi where we slept for some hours and in the 25th at 7 a.m. we continued to Helsinki-Vantaa airport. We were on our way to Morocco and Western Sahara for 10 day to finally get the big number of WP-ticks on one country. We hoped for 20 more lifers!

On the 22nd of February Matti Lötjönen called me that he had been again checking one possible Marsh Tit that had been reported in Satumäki. I had also been there several times but I hadn’t seen anything interesting and Matti had found a Coal Tit but nothing else. But now he had found a tit that looked like a Willow Tit but it had started to call like a Marsh Tit. I was there after a couple of minutes and heard the bird calling many timed but it was in the gardens so I couldn’t see it. But it really sounded like a Marsh Tit. After work I went there again and soon I found the bird and it really was a Marsh Tit – the 1st ever in Parikkala!

On the 24th day the long-waited holiday finally started. In the afternoon we drove to Imatra where I played the last rink-bandy match of the season and then we continued to Helsinki-Vantaa airport where we stayed the night on the benches. On the 25th of February at 7 a.m. we checked in and after a couple of hours waiting our flight left towards Paris. And after an hour in airport in Paris we continued to Casablanca Morocco! We birded 10 days in Morocco and Western Sahara and the trip-report – Morocco and Western Sahara trip story (210 species, many WP-ticks, more than 6000km driving and so on!).

Boring January

First of January ticks

On the 1st of January we drove to Asikkala to start the New Year with a number 1st of January tick, the 1st ever Middle Spotted Woodpecker in Finland. At 9 a.m. we parked next to Päijänne building and after we had talked with many friends that had also decided to start a year like us, we walked to Melakuja feeder where the woodpecker had used to visit during last days.

The first bird of the year was a Yellowhammer and soon also Great Tits, Redpolls, Greenfinches, Hooded Crows, a couple of Siskins, a Sparrowhawk, Blue Tits, Jackdaws, Bullfinches, a flock of 6 Waxwings and Rock Pigeons had been seen.
After a half an hour someone spotted a woodpecker landing to the top of one larch and there it was, right on the same tree we had seen it in November. A Jay landed to the same tree and soon also a Great Spotted Woodpecker that attacked Middle Spotted Woodpecker so it dropped lower to the same tree. Then we decided to keep on going towards new 1st of January ticks. When we were back to our car we saw some Magpies.

We kept on birding with Kalle Larsson and Marko Kaukinen and continued to Lahti Polttimo where we were first as Kalle and Marko had managed to get lost. A Goshawk flew over us and a Little Grebe was found right away. The grebe disappeared but luckily it was found again when Kalle and Marko finally arrived. So we continued to Nikkilä where Kalle knew a place where a crazy Capercaillie had been staying in some backyard in last days. Finally we found the right place and after talking to a couple of locals we found the bird perched on a grill in one terrace.

Soon we continued to Kujala dump where 7 Twites had just been found. There we first saw only corvids, also Ravens, and then I found a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker which was even better than Twites as it was a new 1st of January tick again. Soon the Twites were found too and we started a long drive south. In Orimattila we saw 3 Black Grouses.

We drove until Vantaa where a Goshawk flew over us before we parked to Veromiehenkylä where a Crested Lark was on the feeding place in front of a small restaurant. The bird had stayed there the whole winter – and it was my all time 1st of January tick number 100!

Kalle and Marko continued to try to find Hawfinches and a Robin, which we weren’t interested at all so we continued to Helsinki Vallila where we easily found 2 female Teals with some 70 Mallards. Next we drove to Helsinki city to try to see an Eagle Owl that used to perch on one roof but it wasn’t there maybe because of a hard wind. A Herring and a Common Gull and also a House Sparrow were seen. Next we continued to Espoo Kaitalahti to try to find Bearded Reedligs. We walked quite a long in very deep snow but couldn’t find any reedlings.

After all we gave up and drove to a McDonalds nearby. Also Kalle and Marko came there and after some time we were ready to start a long way back home. But then we got a message that our friends were trying to find a Tawny Owl in Laajalahti so we still continued there. Our old friend Andreas Lindén was there trying to hoot so that the owl would answer and once we heard a very promising call but not well enough. So after some time we started to drive towards Parikkala.

We still stopped in Lappeenranta Toikansuo where we tried to find an Eagle Owl. The bird was not perched on its usual places so we stopped and I started to hoot. Immediately it flew to the top of closest streetlight and started to hoot back. Amazing! It was my number 102nd 1st of January tick.

On the 2nd of January I went to birding to Imatra where I first saw some Goldeneyes in Vuoksi River. Then I continued towards the border road where a Grey-headed Woodpecker flew over my in Näträmälä. A Hawk Olw was found easily in Räikkölä fields and in the village I found a Brambling with Tree Sparrows, Willow Tits etc. In Salo-Issakka there were 2 Grey-headed Woodpeckers on the feeders and also a Crested Tit and a Nuthatch etc. A flock of 4 Black Grouses were found nearby.
Next I went to try to find a Marsh Tit that had been in Teppanala almost whole December but I found only a flock of 5 Chaffinches. In Vuoksi I saw a Smew, some Goosanders, 3 Cormorants and 2 albino Mallards. In Niskalampi I met some other birders that had found a nice flock of 26 Pine Grosbeaks! After that I decided to drive back home – I just ticked a Dipper in Simpele on the way.

The winter had been so hard that the birding in Parikkala was really wasting of time. So I was just sporting. I was playing rink-bandy and visiting a gym a lot.

On the 6th of January we went to ski to Melkoniemi forests with Pekka Punnonen but we couldn’t find Siberian Jays, only a Hazel Hen was found. In Tarvaslampi we saw a Grey-headed Woodpecker.

On the 7th day I saw a Great Grey Shrike in Moskuunniemi and soon another one in Kangaskylä. On the 8th I drove to try another couple of Siberian Jays and I found them very easily even though Pekka hadn’t found them on the previous day. I was able to drive until the birds, which is not normal, but there were some forest cuts so the road was open. In Siikalahti I saw the 3rd Great Grey Shrike in a couple of days.

On the 9th we tried to find a Collared Dove in Taipalsaari with Pekka, but only interesting bird of the day was a Goshawk in Toikansuo.

On the 14th of January afternoon I started to drive towards Hanko where we had a Twitchers Association weekend, but my car broke down so I had to leave it to Imatra. I continued to Kirkkonummi by train and managed to loan my parents new Polo so on the next morning I could do some birding too before the meeting.

I drove straight to Hangonkylä where I found pretty easily 3 Stock Doves, 17 Wood Pigeons and a Collared Dove that were wintering there. Also more than 10 Chaffinches were seen. But otherwise it was very quiet even though I was in the southernmost place in Finland. The sea was completely frozen, only a couple of Herring Gulls and a couple of Goosanders were found flying far over the ice. One Starling was also seen in the city before I continued to Tvärminne to meeting.

The weekend was fun and we had very long meeting and finally finished on midday on the 16th of January. I then drove to Kirkkonummi and soon continued to Parikkala by train. On 18th I got my car back and I hope there is everything working now!

On the 20th of January I saw a flock of 9 Black Grouses in Siikalahti and in Kangaskylä the Rock Pigeons had started to breed already – they were hooting from the nests even though it was very cold.

On the 21st of January we drove to Imatra again with Hanna. We went first to Lakasenpelto where a new Marsh Tit had been found on the previous weekend. After some searching we found it and also a Sparrowhawk. This was only the 2nd twitchable Marsh tit in South Karelia for the autumn – winter even though there had been a couple of hundreds in Finland! In Niskalampi we found a White-backed Woodpecker and a Treecreeper, in Vuoksi 8 Cormorants, 15 Goosanders, a Smew 1 albino Mallard and a Great Crested Grebe that had been found a couple of days earlier. In Räikkölä the Hawk Owl was found easily and we got some pictures and video of it. We saw it catching a vole too.

On the 30th of January we participated to a Garden twitch. In Tarvaslampi we did see some birds like 12 Ravens, 35 Great Tits and 28 Yellowhammers, but in our own garden there were almost no birds at all because of very hard northern wind. On the last day of January I still saw a Blackbird in Satumäki.

December

December was so cold and snowy that birding wasn’t clever at all. There were absolutely no interesting birds around Parikkala at all. Also price of petrol was so high that I tried to drive as little as possible.

On the 2nd of December I had some studies in Lappeenranta and on the way I saw a Herring Gull and a couple of Cormorants in Imatra Vuoksi. On the next day I saw a Treecreeper and a couple of Crested Tits in Tetrisuo.

On the 4th of December we had a traditional bird-race. We started at 7 a.m. and an hour later had our first bird a Pygmy Owl calling in Melkoniemi. In Tarvaslampi we saw some common feeder birds before we continued to the forests. We walked a kilometre and found the Siberian Jays easily. Also Goldcrests, Crested Tits and a Hazel Hen were found. In Parikkala village we found House Sparrows, Rock Pigeons and Jackdaws easily so we decided to check all the best feeder areas too. A Chaffinch was found in Surumäki and a Nuthatch in Kirkkoranta. Then in Tetrisuo a Treecreeper was found again. Then we drove around Siikalahti but only new species was a White-backed Woodpecker. It was clear that we had used far too much time in Parikkala. We continued to Rautjärvi and saw Dippers in Kokkolanjoki before continued towards Imatra. Along the main road 6 we luckily saw a Capercaillie and a Black Grouse on the top of trees in the middle of the worst storm damages where only some trees were still standing. In Vuoksi we saw first Goldeneyes and Mallards but then found again the Herring Gull, Cormorants and some Goosanders too. In Mellonlahti it was already very late but luckily a flock of Long-tailed tits were found. We had planned to continue much further but we realized it was already too late so we decided to give up. Altogether we had 34 species and came 3rd in the race where winners got 40 species, but it was clear that Imatra and Lappeenranta would have been the best areas. While we were still in Imatra I got a message that there had been a Black-throated Accentor found in Pori. I decided to go twitching! I dropped Hanna to train and started to drive towards south. I picked up Sampsa Cairenius in Lappeenranta and we decided to drive until Pori right away so we could go to see the bird easily early in the morning. We had no plans were to stay overnight but luckily I managed to get us room from my old friends Hannes Tiira’s summer-cottage where we finally were at 11 p.m.

On the 5th of December we woke up early and after a proper breakfast in ABC we continued towards Pihlava Kaunismäki. We were almost there when we got a message that the bird was still there! What a relief! Soon we were there and after some waiting the bird was found again hiding under a thick bush in a snowy garden. My 12th lifer of the year and my 615th WP-tick! The bird was hiding very well so after all I couldn’t get any good pictures of it. After a couple of hours trying we decided to leave to do some more twitching.
In Toukari we found a Marsh tit easily from the feeder so then we decided to go to a crazy twitch to Lapua Alajoki where a Snowy Owl had been found on previous evening. It was a long drive but on the way we saw a Tree-toed Woodpecker, a Goshawk, a Dipper and some Pheasants. In Alajoki we found the bird-tower from where the owl had been seen, but found only a flock of Snow Buntings, a Great Grey Shrike and a Kestrel. We met the man who had found the owl and he told it had been active only in the sunset. Se we waited in cold and windy weather until it was too dark but couldn’t see anything more. Finally we gave up and started a long way back home.

On the 6th of December we did a short walk around Kangaskylä but found only a couple of Coal Tits.

On the 8th day I saw a couple of Dippers and a flock of Waxwings in Simpele. But then the weather changed even more wintery! It was either snowing or far too cold to go out at all! Of course it was also dark all the time

On the 18th of December we went to Lappeenranta to Christmas shopping. On the way we tried to twitch a Marsh Tit in Imatra Teppanala but found only a Coal Tit. In Vuoksi Imatrankoski some Cormorants and a Little Grebe were found easily.

Around the Christmas I was sporting almost too much – more than many years. So I was aloud to eat as much sweets and traditional Christmas food as I wanted. In Christmas eve it was extremely cold, -33.5 degrees! Luckily on the next day the forecast wasn’t that bad as I had planned to do the traditional winter-bird count.

On the 25th of December we started the winter-bird count a little bit late as it was still -24 degrees in the morning. Mikko Ala-Kojola joined me and we skied around Siikalahti and because of there were no skiing tracks at all it took too long. The sun set when we had still a couple of kilometres to go. So I had to count the rest on the next morning.
Altogether only 18 species were seen and there weren’t many birds around. The most numerous species was Yellowhammer – there was a flock of 130 birds in a farm near Siikalahti. Most of the birds seemed to be on feeders and there wasn’t many on our route. The best birds were 1+8 Pine Grosbeaks, one beautiful adult male even, a Hazel Hen and a Black Grouse. Altogether 453 bird individuals were seen which was about the average on my 7 year counts in mid winter.

November

On the beginning of November it was easy tell that the winter was coming, and a birdless winter. There were absolutely no berries in trees or bushes so all Waxwings and thrushes had gone already a long time ago and most of the other birds were gone too.

On the 1st of November I saw a Nutcracker in our own garden sembra and on the 2nd day I visited Siikalahti where were still 460 Whooper Swans, a Mute Swan, 43 Wigeons, 43 Mallards, 4 Smews, a White-tailed Eagle, a Goshawk and a Great Grey Shrike. In Härskiinmutka I saw a flock of 21 Great Crested Grebes. After the work I went twitching to Kerimäki Jouhenlahti where a Bar-tailed Godwit still was – a new month-tick. Also 2 Common Scoters were seen there.

On the 6th of November I did a winter bird count around Siikalahti and luckily the bay wasn’t frozen yet even though it was minus degrees. 321 Whooper Swans, 5 Wigeons, 10 Mallards, a Long-tailed Duck, 2 Smews, 137 Goosanders, 2 Black Grouses, 25 Common Gulls, 2 Herring Gulls, 9 Rock Pigeons, 2 Grey-headed Woodpeckers, 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, 10 Goldcrests, 12 Long-tailed, 2 Crested, 1 Coal, 49 Blue and 220 Great Tits, 1 Treecreeper, 7 Jays, 27 Magpies, 42 Jackdaws, 26 Hooded Crows, 5 Ravens, 36 House Sparrows, 37 Tree Sparrows, 3 Chaffinches, 122 Greenfinches, 2 Siskins, 88 Redpolls, 4 Pine Grosbeaks, 9 Bullfinches, 108 Yellowhammers and a Reed Bunting were seen. I had never seen so many species on the count before.

On the 7th day I found a Black-throated Diver and 5 Tufted Ducks in Joukionsalmi, 2 Smews in Tiviänlampi and 2 Bewick’s Swans in a flock of Whooper Swans in Vartianlahti where on the next day was also a Tufted Duck.

On the 12th day I saw the Nutcracker again and still 128 Whooper Swans and the same 2 Bewick’s Swans, 22 Canada Geese, 5 Mallards and on the next day also a Teal in Vartialahti. Then I saw again the Black-throated Diver and also a Tufted Duck and a White-tailed Eagle in Joukionsalmi.

On the 15th day I saw 7 migrating Velvet Scoters and a Smew in Härskiinmutka and still 130 Whooper Swans, 22 Canada Geese, 9 Mallards and the Teal in Vartialahti. In our own garden there were surprisingly 2 Starlings on the grass. On the 16th day there were still 77 Whooper Swans in Vartialahti, in Härskiinmutka I saw 260 Goosanders, 36 Common and 3 Herring Gulls. On the next day I twitched again in Kerimäki Jouhenlahti where a Wood Lark was now.

On the 19th day I saw 45 Common and 5 Herring Gulls and still 14 Whooper Swans in Härskiinmutka but a drive around Tyrjä produced only some Black Grouses and a flock of Long-tailed Tits.

On the evening of 20th day In Lappeenranta Toikansuo some birders saw a strange bunting that was first thought to be a Little Bunting but later they thought it might have been a Black-faced Bunting. So I had to go there on the next morning like about 100 other twitchers. Together with Karri Kuitunen, Sampsa Cairenius, Totti Toiskallio and Jouko Rantanen we walked around the snowy hillside where the bird had been seen while the rest of the twitchers were waiting but we couldn’t find the bird. Soon all birders were free to start searching for it but it wasn’t found. A Robin and a Wren were found on the ditch nearby, 10 Waxwings migrated over us and 8 Long-tailed Tits were found on the forest nearby but soon we decided to go to birding somewhere else with Pekka Punnonen. In Tyysterniemi we saw just 4 Long-tailed Ducks, in Voisalmi a Black-headed Gull, 7 Long-tailed Ducks, a Great Crested Grebe and a migrating Red-throated Diver, in Joutseno Kivisaari we twitched a Lapland Bunting and a Skylark and in Konnunsuo we saw a Kestrel before we went back to Toikansuo. A Merlin and 4 Teals were seen but no sign of the bunting.

I stayed overnight in Pekka’s home and next morning we were again in Tyysterniemi where we found a Tufted Duck before we went again to Toikansuo. The weather was again more like in winter and soon we gave up, the bunting was either dead or somewhere far. Only a Fieldfare was found. In Luukkaansalmi we saw 4 Common Gulls and a flock of 250 Greenfinches. Soon I started to drive towards Kouvola where I had a rink ball match in the evening. In Luumäki I saw a flock of 18 Pine Grosbeaks. I drove to Iitti Lyöttilä where I twitched 3 Marsh Tits on one feeder. I tried to record and photograph them but the wind was too strong and it was also so cold that my fingers and my camera-batteries didn’t last long. There was also a Great Grey Shrike visiting the feeder which made the bird very shy. Next I drove to Elimäki Mustila arboretum where I twitched a flock of 6 Two-barred Crossbills. I even got a short recording of them even though they were mostly quiet. Luckily I found a flock of 12 Grey Partridges in the very same place where we had seen them 1,5 years earlier on our Yellow-browed Bunting twitching trip. I still twitched a Little Grebe and saw a Dipper in Kuusankoski Keltti before I continued to ice-hall.

On the 22nd of November even Härskiinmutka started to get frozen, still 24 Whooper Swans were there but on the next day I saw only a family of 4 swans, 3 Herring Gulls were migrating. Also Vartialahti was completely frozen, 3 Whooper Swans were standing on the ice.

On the 27th day I was in Rautjärvi Simpele playing inner bandy tournament. Some Whooper Swans seemed to be still on Kokkolanjoki River. On the 28th of November we drove 260 kilometres to twitch the first ever Middle Spotted Woodpecker for Finland. After 4 hours searching in -15 degrees with Hanna and Sampsa Cairenius and maybe 100 other twitchers the bird was finally found. The bird was very active but finally it flew to some big trees where it stayed so I could get some photographs and video of it. Also a Song Thrush, a Black Woodpecker and a Dipper were seen in Asikkala Vääksy. On the way there we had seen an Arctic Redpoll in Iitti Kausala.

The end of the month was very cold! It was about -20 degrees every night and about -15 during the day. It was going to be a long winter!