From back-winter to summer in one week
The weather had once again changed much colder so I wasn’t birding very much: on the 8th of May the best birds were a flock of 20 Oystercatchers in Härskiinmutka and on the 9th day I saw a migrating Peregrine in Siikalahti. And on the 10th day it was snowing again…
On the 11th of May I saw the first Pied Flycacther and a couple of Whinchats in Siikalahti. Other birds seen were a Common Redstart, a Gold Finch and a Rough-legged Buzzard. In Härskiinmutka I saw 52 Black-throated Divers. In the evening we went to check some empty owl nest-boxes and on the way we saw 2 Hazel Hens and finally the first Capercaillie of the year. On the way back home we saw a Nutcracker in Kangaskylä – I had never seen it before in Parikkala in May.
On the 12th day the best birding was made in the evening in Saari where with Miika Soikkeli we saw a Gadwall in Pohjanranta, a Redshank in Suurenjärvenliete and 5 or 6 Stock Doves in Jyrkilä.
On the 13th of May I did duck-counts in Siikalahti and during the 4 hours count and after that I saw 2 Greylag Geese, a Peregrine, a Hazel Hen, a Redshank, a Bluethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Swift and a Red-breasted Flycatcher that Hanna found while she was photographing birds from her new hide. But the best bird of the day was a Marsh Sandpiper that I first heard and then found already landing just in front of us to a small island. It was hiding very well behind other waders and soon left with a flock of Wood Sandpipers. In the evening we did a visit to Saari again and in Pohjanranta we saw a flock of 20 Bar-tailed Godwits but almost nothing else.
On the 14th of May the day started with 7 Scaups in Härskiinmutka and then we headed to Siikalahti. During the morning and day we saw a flock of 11 Velvet Scoters, 2 Cormorants, a Black Kite, 6 White-tailed Eagles, a Hen Harrier, female Pallid Harrier, a really distant Golden Eagle, a Peregrine, 110 Golden Plovers, a Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Dunlins, 150 Wood Sandpipers, 18 Swifts, a Grey-headed Woodpecker, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, a Red-throated Pipit, a Bluethroat, a Sedge Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat – so it really was the best day of the whole spring!
On the 15th day there were 10 Scaups in Härskiinmutka and on my lucn-hour I saw a Spotted Flycatcher in Siikalahti. On the 16th day I saw a Honey Buzzard on my lunch-hour and in the evening we headed to Saari with Miika. In Pohjanranta we saw a Garganey and a Peregrine, in Pohjansuo there was a flock of 390 Golden Plovers, in Suurenjärvenliete 4 Brent Geese, a Temminck Stint, 3 Ringed Plovers, a Little Ringed Plover and a Lapland Bunting, in Jyrkilä we saw again some Stock Doves and in Kanavalampi 80 Wood Sandpiper and a Dunlin.
On the 17th of May I was watching migration on our own beach and saw 40 Brent Geese and 4 Velvet Scoters. In Moskuunniemi I still heard a Common Whitethroat before I had to go to work. On my lunch-hour I saw a Black Kite in Siikalahti and in the evening we went to check the situation of our breeding owls with Hanna and Miika. One of the Tengmalm’s Owl nests had been predated but one had 5 eggs and one 5 small nestlings. Both Pygmy Owls still had 7 eggs and both Ural Owls had 2 chicks which we ringed. Another mother-owl was very aggressive and it hit a few times really hard, but luckily we have really good equipment, so neither us or the owl was injured.
On the 18th of May 2 Bluethroats were singing in Siikalahti dam-road and a Dunlin was seen migrating. The 19th of May was the first very warm day so it really felt that the short spring was already gone. In Siikalahti a couple of Thrush Nightingales and Blackcaps were singing and surprisingly I heard also a Grasshopper Warbler and a Corn Crake. In Härskiinmutka I saw a Cormorant and 6 Scaups before I had to go to work.
J.A.