Indenpendece Day -bird race in Porvoo area
On Friday evening I drove to Lapinjärvi and to Juha Tuomaalas house. After some planning of the next days bird-race we went to sleep before midnight. On the 6thof December was the Independence Day bird-race and we participated Porvoo area race. We picked up Markus Keskitalo at 6:30 a.m. and after some searching for owls started driving towars Loviisa Saaristotie.
We parked to Busholmen when it was still pretty dark but soon once we had walked to the shore we started to see some birds. The first bird was a Goosander at 8:38 a.m. Soon we saw some Common Gulls and a flock of 5 Velvet Scoters but only other bird was a calling Goldcrest. So we drove to a harbor nearby where we saw some Mute Swans, Goldeneyes, a White-tailed Eagle, a Greater Black-backed Gull but the hard wind and rain weren’t the best combination so there was nothing else. So we started to drive towards Loviisa and stopped many times on the way. Great, Blue, Willow and Crested Tits, Blackbirds, Fieldfares, Yellowhammers, Hooded Crows and Magpies were seen and in Jomalsund we saw a male Smew. Soon we tried to find a Hazel Hen and managed to hear it after some searching. We watched to the sea in a coupe of places but only new bird was a Tufted Duck, some more Smews were also seen.
In Loviisa we found Greenfinches, Tree Sparrows, Jackdaws, Waxwings and after some searching a male Chaffinch. Then we headed towards Lapinjärvi where in Juhas feeder we saw only a Great Spotted Woodpecker and heard a Treecreeper. In a traditional Collared Dove place we saw only Bullfinches but Markus decided to stay there while we went to see House Sparrows, Pheasants and a Jay. Once we got back Markus had just found a Collared Dove so we got it to our list.
Then we headed towards Liljendal and found a Grey Heron a kilometer wrong place, but another stop in a good feeder place didn’t give us any woodpeckers. Also Dippers were missing and we couldn’t find them. Only new species for a long time was a Rock Pigeon.
In Koskenkylä we saw 10 Whooper Swans and on the way to Isnäs we saw a Great Grey Shrike and another Hazel Hen of the day. In Isnäs we saw finally a Herring Gull and also a Black-headed Gull. It was alrready late when we finally headed to Porvoo. In rubbish tip we finally saw 2 Ravens but Hawfinched weren’t found in the city. In Ruskis we stopped on the 3rd bridge and after some waiting heard a flock of Bearded Reedlings very far! It was already completely dark but we still tried to find Pygmy Owl or Cormorant but found nothing anymore.
The results were given in Amarillo restaurant and it was a tight race. The winners got 43 species, we and 2 other teams had 42 and at least 2 teams had 41. Altogether 13 teams had been participating. We ate also well and at 11 p.m. we headed to Lapinjärvi to sleep.
On the 7th day we woke up early again and after 7 a.m. we headed toward Lahti with Juha. Juha was driving along strange roads and I followed. In Orimattila I saw a Nutcracker flying on the sky and after an hour driving we were in Lahti Myllysaari. We walked to the island and put up our scopes and started to scan the lake. After some time we had found only some Goosanders but finally I found what we were searching, a young White-billed Diver that was extremely far on the other side of the lake. So we decided to drive there. In Mukkula we found the bird again and there it was showing very well. I even got some phonescope-pictures.
But soon I decided to continue to Heinola where I twitched a Shoveler in Kirkkolampi and a Crane in Viltasniemi. Then I had to start driving to Lappeenranta where I had a bandy-match at 2 p.m. On the way I saw a Black Woodpecker and some Black Grouses in Mäntyharju.
On the 8th day I visited Vartialahti on my lunch-hour and saw 147 Whooper Swans, 30 Mallards, a Wigeon, a Scaup and 3 Velvet Scoters. In Raikanniemi I still saw a Treecreeper. On the next day the same birds were still in Vartialahti but I saw also a Goshawk and 450 Fieldfares in Liuharanta and twitched 2 Blackcaps in Särkisalmi.
On the 10th of December same birds were still in Vartialahti, but I also saw a Tufted Duck and a Goldeneye. In Petala I saw 1 Blackcap and in Satumäki I found a Chaffinch. On the 11th day I saw a Sparrowhawk in Muttelinmäki, a Great Grey Shrike in Huhmarinen and the same birds plus a heard Two-barred Crossbill in Vartialahti. On the 12th day I saw the same birds again but also an asiatica Nuthatch in Moskuunniemi again.
J.A.