Winter bird count and a White-billed Diver
During the week I was birding on my lunch-hours but also after work. It was nice to have light longer and longer in the afternoon. I saw the same Starlings, Gold Finches, Fieldfares, Blackbirds and Waxwings. In Siikalahti woodpeckers were already active and Grey-headed Woodpecker calls and drumming White-backed Woodpeckers were easy to hear. Common Crossbills were already breeding in the forests and they seemed to be common this year.
On Saturday the 21st of February I did a winter bird count again and it was also February count as I am planning to do the count every month this year. It was nice weather and especially Great Spotted Woodpeckers were very active. I saw clearly more species than ever before on this spring round, 29 species: 3 Black Grouses, 3 Rock Doves, a Grey-headed Woodpecker, 13 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 4 White-backed Woodpeckers, 45 Waxwings, a Blackbird, 11 Fieldfares, 4 Long-tailed Tits, 5 Willow Tits, a Crested Tit, 36 Blue Tits, 130 Great Tits, 9 Jays, 18 Magpies, 48 Jackdaws, 19 Hooded Crows, 7 Ravens, 2 Starlings, 2 House Sparrows, 8 Tree Sparrows, a Chaffinch, 26 Green Finches, 8 Gold Finches, a Siskin, 17 Redpolls, 12 Common Crossbills, 50 Bullfinches and 15 Yellowhammers.
On the 22nd day I was again playing in Lappeenranta and on the ice Lake Saimaa I saw already at least 60 Herring Gulls. In my game I got a pretty bad hit to my fore-head and 7 stitches. I don’t know why the doctor gave me whole week sick-leave.
Anyway I was working on the next day but in the afternoon I ended earlier and left twitching. I drove to Heinävesi Karhio where a stunning White-billed diver had stayed already for some days. On the way I saw 5 Dippers and a couple of flock of Black Grouses.
On the last days of February I still saw a family of Whooper Swans in Joukio, same Gold Finches, thrushes, Starlings, a Nuthatch in Moskuunniemi and woodpeckers. I also twitched a Tawny Owl that was calling in Kirkonkylä and continued almost every night. On the last day of February I heard it calling even in Sounio and a drive around Siikalahti produced even better owl when we saw a Great Grey Owl there!
J.A.