Boring Autumn
On the 1st of September we went to a short morning trip to Siikalahti before work. We even put up the mist-nets and caught 5 Rustic Buntings and a little bit more than ten other birds.
In the beginning of September there was still a Bewick’s Swan and 12 Great White Egrets in Siikalahti. In Kangaskylä I saw a family of Linnets and on the 2nd day the same Black Redstart was seen again in our back-year and then next week I saw it every day.
On the 3rd day I saw a Ringed Plover in Kangaskylä and in the evening we went to count Cranes. 610 birds were seen but the best observation was made after the sunset when a Lynx passed us walking along the dam-road. A Bluethroat was alarming to this big cat.
On the 4th we headed early to Siikalahti and saw a Nightjar on the way. From the mist-nets we got 11 Rustic Buntings and about 20 other birds. Nothing else interesting was seen even though we stayed on the dam-road whole morning and until midday.
On the 5th day we caught 5 Rustic Buntings and 13 more were seen migrating or local. The best bird we caught was a very late River Warbler! 25 other birds were ringed. We also heard a Yellow-browed Warbler but couldn’t see it as it moved towards north. A Red-throated Pipit and a Peregrine were migrating too and a flock of 43 Canada Geese was flying around.
During the day we went to photograph to Hanna’s hide to Tarvaslampi but only interesting pictures were got were Chiffchaff-pictures.
On the 6th day we spent an hour or so in the evening in dam-road with Ilkka Jarva and his family and a Bitter, a Grey Heron and of course Great White Egrets. While driving back home we saw the same Nightjar again.
On the 10th day I did duck-counts in Saari but saw nothing special. A migrating Curlew and a heard Lapland Bunting were in Akonpohja, 450 Cranes and a Grey-headed Woodpecker in Jyrkilä and a Great White Egret In Pohjanranta. In the evening about 100 Bean Geese and 4 Barnacle Geese, a Wood Sandpiper and 3 Rustic Buntings were seen in Siikalahti.
On the 11th of September we were in Siikalahti again saw 150 Bean and 22 Barnacle Geese. 15 Great White Egrets were seen and also 2 Grey Herons. A Ringed Plover was heard and we also saw a big pipit that must have been a Richard’s Pipit but it went a little bit too far and it didn’t call. Only interesting birds we caught were 3 Rustic Buntings and a Bluethroat and about 20 other birds, 5 more Rustic Buntings were migrating.
On the 12th day we caught 3 Rustic Buntings (10 more were seen or heard migrating), 4 Long-tailed Tits, a Goldcrest, 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Bluthroats, 4 Dunnocks, Wren and about 20 other common birds. Nothing else interesting was seen.
In the afternoon we saw a couple of Nuthatches in Särkisalmi and then we got a call that there was a injured Common Buzzard along the main road 6. We took this buzzard home and it seemed to start recovering quite well. On the next evening it got a ride to Pyhtää where is a bird-hospital.
On the 15th day I saw 26 Brent Geese migrating. In the morning there had been huge migration of them, but on my lunch-hour there were only Barnacle Geese anymore. On my break and after work I estimated about 18000 migrating Barnacle Geese and 6000 more were local. There were also 28 Shovelers, 50 Tufted Ducks, 2 Smews and so on in Siikalahti. I also saw 4 migrating Hen Harriers and one too distant Pallid Harrier looking bird, 2 Rough-legged Buzzards, 2 Merlins and so on. Unfortunately this all happened in the middle of the week.
On the 16th day evening we counted 955 Cranes and 10 Great White Egrets were also soon. While driving back home we saw a Ringed Plover along the road in headlights. This plover stayed local for next few days.
On the 17th day I counted ducks in Saari again. A Gadwall was still in Akonpohja and I also heard a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and saw 3 migrating Ringed Plovers. In Tarassiinlahti there was a huge flock of 15000 Barnacle Geese on the lake. Also a Common Scoter was there and in Jyrkilä I saw 200 Whooper Swans and a Bewick’s Swan and in Pohjanranta I saw a Dunlin.
On the 18th we were again in Siikalahti where we got some pictures of Ringed Plover and 3 Bluethroats. Also a Little Stint was seen when it landed to the road for a few seconds. 4 Rustic Buntings were ringed and 6 more seen on migration. More than 30 other birds were ringed and in the afternoon we still twitched a Hawk Owl in Tyrjä.
On the 19th it was quiet and only one Rustic Bunting was caught and another was seen on migration. Ringed Plover was still present and some small flocks of Brent Geese were seen – altogether 120. 631 Cranes were counted.
on the 20th day I saw a migrating Golden Eagle and there were 5 Bewick’s Swans in Huhmarinen. On the next day the best bird was a migrating Peregrine. And in the evening the same Black Redstart was seen again after it had been missing for 10 days. On the 22nd day another Golden Eagle was seen and in the evening we saw a migrating Osprey. Black Redstart was seen for the last time.
On the 24th day I counted ducks again but saw nothing interesting. Even geese were gone. It had been great winds for them to migrate and then they had been shot and frightened along the way, so they had gone fast. On Saturday it was raining so we finally went finish the wader-place project in Pohjanranta. It had been too hot and dry summer so our project hadn’t really been a success.
On Sunday the 26th we were again in Siikalahti and caught still a Blackcap but otherwise the morning was quiet. A couple of Hobbies and a Barn Swallow were still seen and 10 Great White Egrets.
During the week egret number dropped to five birds and on the 29th day I heard a late Sedge Warbler singing shortly. But all other visits to Siikalahti were quite boring.
On the first of October I counted ducks again and still the Gadwall was in Akonpohja and also a male Pochard was seen there. Only little bit more than a thousand Barnacle Geese were seen and nothing else either really.
At the weekend we still tried mist-netting in Siikalahti but Rustic Buntings were gone. On Saturday only 28 birds were caught an 7 common species. Surprisingly we saw 30 Linnets migrating. In the afternoon we ringed a Nuthatch in Kangaskylä and in the evening we tried owls for a couple of hours in Tarvaslampi and caught 2 Tengmalm’s Owls.
On Sunday Great Tits and Robins were on the move so we caught more than 60 birds. We also played tape for a Blackbirds and caught 12 of them. But nothing better was caught or seen.
In the afternoon I went to twitch a Buff-breasted Sandpiper to Lappeenranta Joutseno Konnunsuo. It was already my 4th in South-Karelia but first on October. A Merlin almost caught the sandpiper but luckily it survived! There were also Lapwings, Golden Plovers, Ruffs, 3 Hen Harriers and 2 Stock Doves. On the way back home I twitched a Red-breasted Goose in Imatra. I first saw it on Vuoksi River but soon it flew to Pajarinpelto field where it stayed with Barnacle Geese. The light was bad, but I managed to get some pictures of it.
During the week I visited Siikalahti every day but there was really nothing interesting.
J.A.