Cutting bushes and spring is coming
A couple of dry summershad done their job and along the wood-path to Siikalahti the wetland was changing to a forest. The thickest birches and alders were already as thick as a wrist. Some years ago there had been a colony of Little Gulls breeding with Water Rails and Spotted Crakes. Also ducks had been breeding on the area where gulls protected them from crows and harriers. But now the area was getting very poor for any birds so we had to start doing something. Before cutting the bushes the area looked like this:
Three persons were cutting the bushes and quite a big area was cleaned. There was still lots of snow so the work was very hard. And there is still a lot to do but this was a good beginnig. Hopefulle the gulls will find the place good for breeding again.
A Forest and Park Service had built a nice camping kitchen. Crows had already been checking the place.
Some first Migrants are coming
There are only a couple of places where the water moves a little so they open from the ice early. Every year the Whooper Swans are coming earlier and earlier becouse they have to fight for their territories.
In the end of March the spring was coming but slowly. After one warmer day it always came several cold days and the birds were gone again.
On the 21st of March I saw a Pygmy Owl in Lepomäki. It was checking small nest-boxes, maybe it had some food in the freezer? On the 22nd day it was the first spring-day with 6 Whooper Swans, 4 Lapwings, 5 Starlings and a White-backed Woodpecker, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, a Great spotted woodpecker and a Long-tailed Tit in Siikalahti and 3 more Lapwings in Särkisalmi.
Then it came again a couple of cold days with snow and northern wind. On the 25th of March in Siikalahti I saw a White-tailed Eagle, a Common Buzzard and 2 Snow Buntings and in Tyrjä 9 more snow Buntings. But then it came cold again.
On the 28th day a Goosander and a Coot had arrived at Särkisalmi and in Siikalahti I saw 15 Whooper Swans, 2 Common Buzzards, 4 Lapwings, a Stock Dove, 17 skylarks, 3 Starlings and so on. It really felt like spring – swans were having big fights on their territories. On the next day the first couple of Goldeneyes was found in Särkisalmi and in Siikalahti I saw a White-tailed Eagle, 2 Common Buzzards, 33 Lapwings which were all going towards south (it was coming a back-winter again), a Stock Dove, 4 Wood Pigeons, a Snow Bunting and so on.
But then it came a back-winter again. On the 30th of March “potu” Suojarinne came to do some birding with me and in Siikalahti we saw a White-backed Woodpecker and a Great Grey Shrike and from our back-yard we saw a flock of 18 Herring Gulls with 2 Great Black-backed Gulls!