Butterflies, orchids and some birds
We have been lazy this summer, we haven’t been birding much in Finland. This Sunday we decided to go birding to Lappeenranta but after all we did almost as much orchid and butterfly searching too. Anyway we leaft after 9 a.m after a lazy morning – we should have awaken earlier. On the way to Lappeenranta we saw a hawk flying over the road in Rautjärvi Pirhola and we immediately realized it was a small harrier. We stopped and luckily the bird started to soar some 300 metres from us. It wasn’t an easy bird but we managed to identify it as a female Montagu’s Harrier! Hanna took several pictures and suprisingly it can be identified from them too!
Our first stop was on Askola pools were we found 31 Dunlins, 12 Ringed Plovers, 2 Green Sandpipers and a Spotted Redshank, Long-tailed Tits were calling on the forest behind us.
Next we continued to our main destination to Haapajärvi. This lake has been dried and it is now really good for waders. Hanna has been counting the birds of this lake in a couple of springs so she really had to see the lake now! On the birdtower we found out that all waders were too far and in very bad light so soon we drove to the other side of the lake, but the waders were even further from there. The light was better but after we had checked all the places we noticed that all waders were now closer to the tower. So we drove back to the tower where we met Matti Vanhapelto who had seen a Knot on the flock of waders which was now on the closest pool. The Knot was gone but we saw 35 Dunlins, 44 Ringed Plovers, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 28 Greenshanks, tens of Wood Sandpipers, 2 Redhanks, 2 Curlew Sandpipers and a Little Stint. 8 Grey Herons were also seen and an Osprey was fishing over the only deeper water.
Around the lake we saw also lots of butterflies! Surprisingly the most numerous species was a Map Butterfly which still some years ago was a big rarity. We saw our first one about 10 years ago in Värtsilä. Hanna managed to get pictures of one still big rarity, a Large Copper. Many common butteflies were also photographed.
After Haapajärvi a huge thunderstorm came to Lappeenranta so we went to eat. After the rain had stopped, we decided to go again to Askola to see if the rain had dropped any new waders. Surprisingly the main road was flooding so we had to get a smaller road. There was more than a half of a meter water under the bridge! Only 5 more Dunlins were seen and 2 Common Sandpipers so soon we continued to a secret orchid place that Hanna knew.
In one forest there has been Broad-leaved Helleborines that has no chlorophyl. This place is maybe the only place in the world where these flowers can be found at least almost every year. In dry summers the mycelium rests and the verso dies because of the plant can’t photosynthesize itself. But this summer we have got lots of rain and we managed to find three of these magical orchids. Of course there were hundreds of normal Broad-leaved Helleborines but only 3 white ones. These 3 were very weak and full of aphids but still flowering beautifully!
Next we visited Joutseno Kotasaari pools where we met Paavo Rantanen who had already checked all the pools. So we just checked the first one where we saw a strange Barnacle x Canada Goose hybrid, a family of Slavonian Grebes and 2 Little Ringed Plovers.
Then we still decided to drive close to Russian border where we knew some birders had seen some rare butterflies like Scarce Tortoiseshells, Purple Emperors, Lesser Purple Emperors, Great Coppers and Meadow Browns. It was probably too late, both the time of the day and also summer, so we found only a coupe of Meadow Browns, but it was anew species for us.
Finally at 8 p.m. we left back to Parikkala. On teh way we sill saw a family of Wood Larks in Rautjärvi.
On the 5th of August we saw a Grey Heron and heard a Ringed Plover in Siikalahti. On the 7th day we went to Lappeenranta with Harri Partanen. In Askola we saw 52 Dunlins, 6 Curlew Sandpipers, a Little Stint, a Temminck Stint, 42 Ringed Plovers and so on. In Haapajärvi most of the waders were hiding in a vegetation but we managed to count at least 250 Dunlins, 140 Ringed Plovers, 12 Curlew Sandpipers, 3 Little Stints, 5 Oystercatchers, 13 Grey Plovers, 18 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Spotted Redshanks, 18 Grey Herons etc. On the way back to Parikkala we visited Joutseno Kotasaari but only the same familiar goose hybrid and 2 younf Slavonian Grebes were seen.
Nutcrackers have came to spend autumn to Parikkala again. At least 4 birds are feeding on trees close to the railway-station.
J.A. & H.A.