Boring mid-winter
After the beginning of January it was really boring birding in Parikkala area. Only nice birds around were Hawk Owls and Great Grey Shrikes – finally there were mice and voles around.
On the 7th of January I saw my 4th Hawk Owl of the year in Argusjärvi, in Kirkonkylä feeders I saw a couple of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, a Treecreeper and a flock of Long-tailed Tits. On the 9th day I saw a Hawk Owl in Joukio and Lake Simpele was again mostly open and there were a couple of flocks of Goosanders, some Whooper Swans and a couple of Herring Gulls.
A Whooper Swan was also still in Joukio and now the forecasts promised much colder weather so I took a lot of food for this bird and hoped that it could move somewhere safe. But still on the 10th day it was there like one family on the Glossy Ibis fields too. But during the afternoon the field froze and the family moved to Kokkolanjoki.
On the 11th day I twitched a couple of Rock Doves in Satumäki. I hope these only Rock Doves in Parikkala would manage to breed soon.
On the 14th day it had been almost -30 degrees and Joukio was completely frozen, but the Whooper Swan was still there on the ice. So I called firemen to rescue it and later in the afternoon it was already on its way to Pyhtää bird-house.
On the 16th day I was playing rink-bandy in Imatra and late in the evening I went to check how Mallards were surviving on the river Vuoksi in keskusliikenneasema. Surprisingly there were also a flock of 60 Goldeneyes with them. Abd one week later when it was even colder there were even 160 Goldeneyes and a male Smew with the Mallards.
On the 25th day it was finally warmer again but I had to start early in the morning driving towards Kouvola where we had a meeting weekend with twitcher’s organization Bongariliitto decicion-makers. On the way I stopped in Kokkolanjoki where O saw a family of Whooper Swans and 2 Dippers, In Vuoksi I saw 2 Cormorants and in Lappeenranta I twitched 2 Europaean Nuthatches in Pappilanniemi and a Rook in Asemakylä. The weekend was very good and on Sunday I drove back home.
On the 29th day I saw the same Whooper Swans in Kokkolanjoki but there was also a male Goosander. And in Imatra keskusliikenneasema I saw a Canada Goose that had been missing for some time.
On the 1st of February we visited Siberian Jay forests with Hanna. Siberian Jays were missing but we saw a Black Grouse, 2 Goldcrests, a Crested Tit and a Treecreeper and heard a Goshawk calling. On the next day I had a tournament in Savonlinna where I saw a Goshawk.
The same Hawk Owls were still around but they were really difficult to see. On the 7th day I saw a flock of 5 Long-tailed Tits in Mustiinpohja and in the evening I ran around Siikalahti and saw my first Bullfinches of the year in Parikkala, a Great Grey Shrike, a flock of 28 Black Grouses and a Grey-headed Woodpecker. On the 9th day i biked around Siikalahti and saw a Black Woodpecker.
On the 10th day I saw a White-backed Woodpecker in Siikalahti and a Hawk Owl in Tiviä first time this year and in Kolmikanta I saw a Great Grey Shrike. On the 13th day I saw a shrike in Joukio and an owl in Koitsanlahdenkangas – it was already my 7th Hawk Owl in Parikkala this year, but they were all familiar birds from the beginning of winter.
In mid February it was very warm again and the same Whooper Swan family was again seen in Joukio that was partly open, but only other birds I saw were the same Hawk Owls.
On the 19th of February I got a phone-call that I could have already the 3rd inner-ear surgery in last 14 months. But as my right ear was deaf now I really wanted to go even though the schedule was extremely tight! So after all I had the surgery on the next morning and so I will be on sick-leave for the next 2 weeks. But I will take it very easy as I really wan’t to get my ear work.
J.A.