Year changes
On the 3rd of December “Potu” Suojarinne drove to Kirkkonummi from Mikkeli and then we drove together to Hanko. The weather was warm and it was extremely slippery on the roads! Soon we found out that it was also far too foggy for birding…
In Täktom we saw a Brambling and a Chaffinch and then in Långören a Robin on a feeder and then Mute and Whooper Swans, Mallards, Goldeneyes, Goosanders and a Smew on the sea. The wind was also very strong so we didn’t see almost anything from the next places, just a Tufted Duck. Even harbours were almost empty – just lots of Common Gulls. Then we tried to find Woodpigeons from the centrum but the weather was just too bad. So after all we decided to drive back and to Espoo to get some good ticks for Potu.
In Eestinmalmi we saw a Black-throated Thrush easily but in Kaitalahti we didn’t see a thing. In Soukanlahti we saw again lots of gulls and 5 White-tailed Eagles, but the gulls were in too big flocks and we couldn’t see any Glauscous Gulls. After we had eaten pizza Potu drove to Helsinki and in the evening we were planning next day’s journey!
New Year’s Eve! At 9 a.m. my father drove me to Veikkola where we met with Mikko Ala-Kojola, Sari Savolainen and Potu. Soon we started a long drive to Pärnäs. Luckily we were there early even though we had to wait for a ferry in Parainen for some time. Eivor ferry left towards Utö at 1 p.m.
We of course climbed up to the deck and started seawatching. First we saw even 12 White-tailed Eagles, Goosanders, Mallards, gulls and Mute Swans but after an hour we saw first a Razorbill and then a Black Guillemot – both really good birds in December! Later we saw another Black Guillemot, some Black-headed Gulls, a Tufted Duck and a Red-breasted Merganser too. But in Jurmo it started to get dark so the last hour we were inside.
Finally we were in Utö where we walked to the hotel and got a big room for 7 birders. Also Ina-Sabrina Tirri, Risto Suksi and Tarmo Lehtilä had come with Eivor. We had been lucky to get this simple room for us as all the places in Utö had been full for a long time! Jouko Olkio visited our room and told us what had been seen in the island and where the Fox Sparrow had been seen during the last days. The bird had been extremely difficult to see as it had been really elusive! We even went to see the best places so we would be ready in the morning.
Later it started to rain very hard so we spent the year’s change in our beds – only some rockets were heard.
On the 1st of January we woke up before 8 a.m. and at 8:30 we were walking towards the best feeder. It was still raining but luckily the rain stopped after an hour. But during that our we had seen only Great and Blue Tits, Blackbirds, Common Gulls a Black-headed Gull and a Herring Gull and the same Smew than 1.5 weeks earlier.
After a half an hour more waiting Risto and Tarmo saw the Fox Sparrow in another feeder so we almost ran there but the bird was already gone. I decided to walk back to the first place and on the way I saw 2 Rock Pipits flying over me and a couple of Cormorants flying on the sea. But then I got a call tat the bird had been found now from school’s feeder. It was a long way to run and I was sweating a lot and of course I was there too late! Only a handful of birders had seen it again. But even 2 birders that had just arrived with a smaller boat had seen it. But all we saw were tits, a Redpoll and a Tree Sparrow.
Then I decided that Jorma Tenovuo’s feeder would be the best place to stay as it was in the middle of the island and on a narrow place. I was right! We had been there maybe 15 minutes when Mikko found the bird hiding in a bush just in front of us! Luckily it stayed there for a long time and everyone saw it finally!
So finally we were free to do something else. We decided to go to walk around the shore and saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goldeneyes and then a flock of 5 Velvet Scoters and a Common Scoter – I had already got 3 First of January ticks!
Mikko and Sari left to get their cameras and with Potu we walked some more and saw 9 Red-breasted Mergansers, Mute Swans, 2 Greenfinches and then we decided to climb to the lighthouse where almost all other twitchers were seawatching. After a couple of minutes we found a duck swimming pretty far but managed to identify it as a female plumaged Steller’s Eider! Then we went to twitch the Rock Pipits for Potu too before we had to walk back to hotel to pack. And soon we were walking towards the ferry where 2 Ravens were flying over it.
Eivor left at 1 15 p.m. and it was full of birders! Even some twitchers that had just arrived with a bigger boat had managed to get to it as they had seen the Fox Sparrow right away. They had been in troubles during their journey to Utö, so they wanted to get a safe journey back. We had been coming to Utö with that boat too but luckily we had managed to get a place to stay and so managed to come with Eivor.
After we had left Utö we saw right away a Black Guillemot and soon a couple of them more! Also 2 Red-throated Divers were seen but no Razorbills that we were all hoping for. In Jurmo we saw a couple of Hooded Crows, 6 Waxwings, a Goosander and a Fieldfare and in Nötö we saw 2 Black Grouses but soon it came too dark.
In Pärnäs we hurried to our car so we made it sure we fit to the Parainen ferry. It was a long drive again to Veikkola where my father was waiting for me. I said goodbyes to my friends and then in Kirkkonummi I packed everything and soon started a long drive to Parikkala. On the way I saw an Eagle Owl in Lappeenranta. I was finally at home at 1:30 a.m. – my sick leave was over and I had to be at work on the next morning.
J.A.