May 2009
May birding
On the 1st of May we were birding in Sari but only a White-tailed Eagle and a Bewick’s Swan were seen. There were more than 800 Teal in Lammitaus so we couldn’t locate a Green-winged Teal even though it was still there.
On my birthday I went to a short nightsinger trip and heard a Ural Owl, 2 Long-eared Owls, 4 Spotted Crakes and 10 Water Rails. In morning we went to see a Grey Wagtail to Oronmylly and then went to Siikalahti were only a Red-throated Diver, a Rough-legged Buzzard, some Whimbrels and a flock of 11 Jays were seen. Then we decided to leave to Virolahti to stay the rest of the weekend. On the afternoon we were in Kurkela where we managed to see only one bigger raptor but luckily it was a Greater Spotted Eagle! In Lintulahti we saw some Spotted Redshanks, a couple of Caspian Terns, Arctic Terns, Pied Flycatchers and so on and in Hurppu we saw Eiders and Red-necked Grebes. We put a tent up to Leerviikki and at night we heard some migrating flocks of Common Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks and a Bewick’s Swan.
On the 3rd of May we were the whole morning in Hurppu where we saw 56 Bewick’s Swans and 249 swans that were too far to identify, 3195 geese, 2158 of them were already Barnacles, at least 4000 Common Scoters, 128 Black-throated Divers, 736 Oystercatchers, 7 Whimbrels, a Bar-tailed Godwit and 5 White-tailed Eagles. On the way back home we stopped in Ylämaa Väkevänjärvi where was a flock of 10 Steller’s Eiders, a White Stork and a Black Kite! On Joutseno Konnunsuo we counted still more than 4000 grey geese (Bean and White-fronted) and in Imatra Liete we twitched a Moorhen and in Rautjärvi Miettilä we saw a female Capercaillie. Pretty good trip we had!
On the 4th day I had a good lunch hour as I saw 3 White Storks and a Black Kite in Siikalahti. Also the first Sand Martin of the year was seen. On the next night I heard a Jack Snipe and on the 6th day I saw a Hawfinch in Tarvaslampi and a Temminck’s Stint and a Little Ringed Plover in Siikalahti.
On the 7th day ”potu” alias Miika Suojarinne came to Parikkala and right away we managed to twitch a Kingfisher in Sammallampi. A couple of Sedge Warblers had arrived there too. On a short night-trip we heard a Ural Owl, a Long-eared Owl, 2 Spotted Crakes and 10 Water Rails. On the 8th day we were birding in Saari again and found 2 Pink-footed Geese in Rautalahti, an Ortolan Bunting and 40 Lapland Buntings in Akanvaara Tetrisuo and a Ringed Plover in Lammintaus.
On the 9th day we had a traditional bird tower competition again. In 8 hours we managed to see 86 species but nothing really special. The best birds were 4 Greylag Geese, a flock of 22 Bewick’s Swans and a Dunlin. 2512 geese were seen altogether. Nothing really was migrating and sun was shining too bright! In the afternoon we went to twitch a Black-tailed Godwit in Tarassiinlahti and in the evening we were extremely lucky to see a 2 c-y Montagu’s Harrier migrating from our back-yard! On the 10th day we found 2 Wrynecks and 2 migrating White Storks but soon we were really too tired and we had to go to rest.
On the 11th day maybe the same 2 White Storks were back again. Now they were in Tetrisuo fields where they stayed whole day and on the next night they were sleeping on the top of electric poles. During a couple of days the year-ticks were a Wood Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Thrush Nightingale. On th13th day we were checking the last owl nest boxes and saw a female Capercaillie and also went to check that everything was ok with our only breeding Tengmalm’s Owl.
On the 15th I drove again to Virolahti. On the way I stopped in Konnunsuo where I found 7 Pink-footed Geese and a Short-eared Owl. In Virolahti I found “potu” and together we continued to the sea and we saw a Turnstone in Leerviikki and a Knot in Hurppu.
On the 16th day we woke up at 3 a.m. heard a couple of Thrush Nightingales and Water Rails and drove to Lakakallio where we started counting the arctic migration at 4.15 a.m. During the next 8 hours we saw 5 Bewick’s Swans, 15419 geese, mostly grey geese – a Pink-Footed Geese with them, 274 divers, 3 Black Kites, 30 Whimbrels, a Swift, a Red-backed Shrike and 2 Wood Larks that were singing the whole day. In the afternoon we saw only about 3000 Barnacle Geese but at least 50 000 arctic ducks (Common Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks). A Bluethroat was singing a couple of seconds and an Arctic Skua migrated. At night a Nightjar was singing.
On the 17th day we started again at 4.15. and during the next 7 hours we saw 32680 geese, mostly Barnacles – 20696. The best bird was a Lesser White-fronted Goose that only I saw migrating in a flock of 1300 Barnacles. I was very lucky to find the bird right when it was very close, but it was impossible to tell to the rest of birders where it exactly was. Also 51 Scaups, 266 divers, 2 Short-eared Owls, a Spotted Flycatcher and so on were seen. Same time Hanna was guiding a Dutch group there in Virolahti and they were lucky to see a family of 4 Lesser White-fronted Geese migrating in a flock of Barnacles.
On the way home I stopped in Vakevänjärvi where I saw 2 Arctic Terns (rare in South Karelia), a Honey Buzzard and a Bittern. In Lappeenranta Ihalainen I twitched an Icterine Warbler. And even though I was extremely tired at home I still went to back-yard to watch evening-migration and saw more than 7000 Common Scoters and Long-tailed Ducks and an Arctic Skua.
On the 18th day Hanna was back from North Karelia with her group and in the afternoon we went to ring some Ural Owls. The group had one of the most memorable experiences as we were really targets for an angry Ural Owl female. Luckily we had good helmets with Hanna so nobody got hurt and 3 chicks were ringed soon. Then we went to see a Tengmalm’s Owl and checked that there were now 6 chicks but 2 of them were much bigger than 4 really small ones. With Hanna’s brother Miika I still went to ring another Ural Owl’s chicks. This female wasn’t that aggressive but it was nice to hear a male calling too.
On the 19th day I heard already 10 Thrush Nightingales in Siikalahti and on the 20th day I saw a Dunlin and a Redshank and on 21st the next year-tick was a Common Rosefinch.
On the 22nd day I started a long way to Oulu. In Juva I picked up “potu” and the next stop was made in Siikalatva Piippola Kortteinen where 2 Black Terns were found. In Oulu we ticked a Terek Sandpiper in 5 minutes before we went to see my brother Rikus family where we also stayed at night. After an hour or so we went to pick up Antti Vierimaa and continued to Sanginjoki to check a Pygmy Owl nest. In Pyykösjärvi we still found a Pochard and luckily saw a flying Glauscous Gull. At 11.10 p.m. we still picked up Andreas Lindén from the railway-station and went to sleep.
On the 23rd day we woke up at 7 a.m. and drove to Kiviniemi where a Common Whitethroat was heard and then went to pick up Antti and continued to Toppila where a Black Redstart and a Blackcap were found easily. In jätäri we saw 2 Turnstones and a Cormorant and heard several Common Rosefinches. In Huutilampi we weren’t lucky to see a Moorhen but then our time was over – we had been lucky on our short preparation for the 24 hour bird-race that was going to start.
We went to start the race to Sanginjoki where not only a Pygmy Owl but also Hazel Hens, a Black Woodpecker, Common Crossbills, a Crested Tit, Treecreepers and 3 Waxwings were found. We still couldn’t find a Moorhen but a Gadwall and a Pochard were found in Pyykösjärvi, a Black Redstart, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and a Blackcap in Toppila and a Cormorant and Turnstones in jätäri. Also a Terek Sanpiper was found and a Pheasant and Stock Doves. In Kiviniemi we just missed a big rarity – a Bee-eater has just left south. We got the message while we were parking there! A Sparrowhawk, a Merlin, Little Terns, a Common Whitethroat and Starlings were seen. In Kempeleenlahti the best birds were 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Little Stints and a Broad-billed Sandpiper and in Teppola some Black-tailed Godwits and a Short-eared Owl.
We continued to Tyrnävä Murto where Ortolan Buntings were singing and 2 Whimbrels were heard and seen, Short-eared Owls were flying and a beautiful Dotterel was standing on a muddy field. In Liminka we got a Collared Dove and in Virkkula a White-tailed Eagle and Shelducks. In Lumijoki Letto we saw a falcon that was either Hobby or a Red-footed Falcon, but it landed too quickly and in Sannanlahti we saw a Caspian Tern.
It was already late so we continued to Siikajoki Tauvo where we walked for an hour and saw a Smew, 2 Slavonian Grebes, an Arctic Skua and a Bluethroat. The water level was very low, Tauvo was like a desert!
In Raahe dump we saw an Eagle Owl and then we continued south to Pyhäjoki where in Heinikarinlampi we heard a Spotted Crake, a Willow Grouse and several Green Sandpipers. The rest of the night we were trying to find something from the fields but we found only several Short-eared Owls. At 4 a.m. we drove to Elävisluoto were quite a few divers and arctic ducks including 2 Scaups and 2 Eiders and also 2 Razorbills were seen. A barnacle Goose was standing on a rocky island and also 2 Arctic Skuas were migrating. In Tankokari we heard a Garden Warbler and in Hanhikivi we saw a Red-necked Grebe.
Then we drove towards north again and saw a Mute Swan in Raahe Lapaluoto and a Buzzard and a Jay before we were in Siikajoki Säikänlahti where only some Bramblings were heard. In Sääri area we found Linnets, a Golden Plover, a Red-backed Shrike, 2 Bean Geese and a beautiful flock of 45 Knots. Also a Rough-legged Buzzard kind of buzzard was seen migrating but too far. In Lumijoki Varjakka area we finally heard a Wood Warbler and a Chiffchaff and also saw a male Three-toed Woodpecker. It was our last species number 156 and after all we came 3rd in the race. Pretty well done as 3 of us were living far from Oulu and Antti had been mostly away from Oulu whole spring.
With ”potu” we had a horrible drive back home, but luckily in Juva we managed to twitch a stunning male Montagu’s Harrier that had been found 10 minutes earlier. Finally I was back at home after being 40 hours awake!
On the 26th of May I saw 3 Dunlins, a Temminck’s Stint and heard a Great Reed Warbler in Siikalahti. On the 28th I heard an Icterine Warbler and a Corn Crake and heard and saw a Nightjar and on the 29th day I went to hear a River, Grasshopper and Blyth’s Reed Warblers and Golden Orioles as they had all arrived in a couple of days. I also heard now 2 Great Reed Warblers.
On the 29th day my holiday finally started. I drove directly through the whole country to Jalasjärvi to twitch a Blue-winged Teal. The bird had been just found again so I could tick this lifer easily from other twitchers scopes. Also a couple of Marsh Sandpipers had been found just a couple of hours before and I even saw them copulating. Other birds seen on this very good birdlike were 9 Red-necked Phalaropes, a Broad-billed Sandpiper, a Redshank, 2 Temminck’s Stints, a Ringed and a Little Ringed Plover, a Marsh Harrier, a Short-eared Owl and 4 Garganeys.
At night I drove until Kärsämäki Nurmesjärvi, on the way I saw some Short-eared Owls and an Eagle Owl. After some hours sleeping in my car I continued to Kuusamo where I checked a small pool in rubbish tip where a Little Ringed Plover and 2 Red-necked Phalaropes were found and then continued to a hut where the rest of my birdrace team: Jukka Salokangas, Andreas Lindén, Jaakko Aarniala and Vesa Jouhki were already. They had already been preparing to Kuusamo bird race for a couple days – Jukka even longer.
After a good sleep I started to prepare for the race but at night of 31st of May I really couldn’t find anything. At morning I twitched 2 Red-flanked Bluetails from Konttainen.
The month changed while preparing for a race where we had our victory from last year to defend.