Last birding for winter – I hope
Winter continued even though it should have been spring already! It was still almost -20 degrees at nights but luckily sun was shining during the days. The wind was first only northern but finally it turned east and even south-east. But there was still too much snow for almost any migrants.
On the 23rd of March I visited Lappeenranta and heard a Gold Finch singing and twitched 5 Teals that had been overwintering there. In Joutseno I saw a Great Grey Shrike. On the 24th day we tried to see migrating eagles in Tyrjä. The weather was perfect but we didn’t see anything. 3 Herring Gulls had arrived to the border-lake. In Siikalahti we heard a couple of drumming White-backed Woodpeckers and some calls of distant Whooper Swan, a Great Grey Shrike was seen there too. On the 25th day I heard another White-backed Woodpecker and in Kaukola fields I saw a flock of 6 Snow Buntings.
On the 26th I visited Lappeenranta again. I already knew it but in a hospital they told me that the surgery where I had been in December hadn’t succeed. My hearing has got even worse than before the surgery – F**K! Only bird I saw before I had to rush back to work was a Treecreeper in Pappilanniemi – a Nuthatch wasn’t seen. On the 27th I saw a White-backed Woodpecker and on the 28th I heard a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. A Gold Finch was singing in Kannas and at night we went to listen to owls to Tyrjä but even though the weather was perfect, we didn’t hear a single owl.
On the 29th day we were again in Tyrjä and finally we saw something! First we heard a Nuthatch which soon migrated over us towards north. And in a couple of hours we saw also 2 migrating White-tailed Eagle adults and a Goshawk.
Wilderness rally
On the 30th of March we had a wilderness rally again. We got an area in the south-eastern Ruokolahti and Rautjärvi where are a couple of good birding places. Mikko Ala-Kojola was our third team-member. We started at 3 a.m. but the first owl, an Eagle Owl was heard on the wrong area where we were by accident. After an hour we heard a strange call which was either an Ural or a Great Grey Owl and soon after that we heard a distant Ural Owl from Russia. When we got to Kuokkalampi it was already getting lighter. We saw a couple of Hazel Hens and heard one more but when we planned to start listening to Pygmy Owls it was suprisingly already morning and woodpeckers started drumming! And there were Great Spotted Woodpeckers everywhere! During the day was heard or saw 90 of them! We also heard or saw 5 Black Woodpeckers and 3 Grey-headed Woodpeckers. But we didn’t find any White-backed Woodpeckers which was the main bird in this race.
Later we found 3 Gold Finches, a Coal Tit and only 10 Black Grouses, 11 Jays, 11 Common Crossbills and very few Bulllfinches, tits and only 2 Goldcrests. These all were species that we should have seen as points were given from every individual.
At 10:30 a.m. we were in Purnujärvi where we tried to see migrating raptors for a couple of hours. Luckily we managed to see a Golden Eagle and 3 White-tailed Eagles, a Sparrow hawk, 3 Goshawks and a Common Buzzard. 7 Snow Buntings landed next to us to the road. Then the wind got stronger and we decided to go to check some corners of our area that we hadn’t been yet. But forests were absolutely quiet. At 4 p.m. the time was gone and we drove to eat. The results were given in Junkkarikämppä and it wasn’t a surprise that we lost. Everyone else had got much more passerines and grouses – some even quite a few owls! Anyway only 49 species had been seen altogether so it really wasn’t spring yet!
On the 31st day I drove to Tyrjä again where in 3 hours I saw a Golden Eagle and 4 White-tailed Eagles and 4 Goshawks. 55 Ravens were flying in one flock. On the way back home I saw a flock of 3 Snow Buntings and in the afternoon we saw 2 Whooper Swans in Särkisalmi. At night we drove to North-Karelia where amazing numbers of owls had been heard at previous nights. It was again very cold so it wasn’t a surprise that we didn’t hear too many owls. We heard a Great Grey Owl once, 2 Tengmalm’s Owls and a Tawny Owl and Hanna heard too distant Eagle and Ural Owls. But I had hoped to record Hawk or Great Grey Owls…
On the 1st of April after 2 hours sleeping I drove to Joutseno and when I turned to Pätilä 2 Stock Doves flushed from the road. A Corn Bunting was still there but it was really difficult now as it was moving a lot. There were only 35 Yellowhammers so I think the Corn Bunting won’t be there for long anymore. But I got my April-tick. I also saw a Wood Pigeon and heard a Snow Bunting. Then I drove to Konnunsuo where I saw another Stock Dove and soon a flock of 3 Snow Buntings. Then I still tried to find Hawfinches in Imatra Linnansuo but without luck and visited Vuoksi harbour where I saw only 2 Cormorants. Then I had to drive back to home and get some sleep!
J.A.