Jared Goes to Finland

Coastal Birding ...

Well ... back from a weekend of coastal birding in the Oulu region. It was great - and perhaps the best part was simply seeing salt water again!! Didn't realize how much I missed it until I actually saw the open waters of Bothnian Bay - the waves rolling in over the rocks, and the distinct smell of ocean. (Heck - when no one was looking, I fair danced a jig on the beach!!!)

The salt water, combined with the weather which was (unlike my Finnish experience thus far) often cool and quite windy, made for a birding experience that was reminiscent of home. Bundled up for an early morning sea-watch and cursing as my scope trembled in the wind ...

I focused almost entirely on coastal birding for this trip ... most passerines and forest-type species I encountered were simply coincidental as I was walking the trails to waterside observation points. The Oulu region offers a variety of wetland habitats from coastal reed marshes to vast sandy beaches, and tidal pools to the open waters of Bothnian Bay. Unfortunately, it was rather quiet, maybe wth the wind keeping many of the waterfowl and waders taking shelter in the grass.

I started with a stop at a swampy pond in Piipola, about halfway along my drive to Oulu, where I encountered Black Tern (Mustatiira) at one of its few breeding sites in this part of Finland. I spent the rest of the day birding around Limingalahti -- a big bay with lots of coastal habitat and a number of birding towers and observation points. Here I found the only known breeding Black-tailed Godwits (Mustapyrstökuiri) in Finland, along with Dunlin (Suosirri), Ruff (Suokukko), and a number of waterfowl species. Both Marsh (Ruskosuohaukka) and Hen Harriers (Sinisuohaukka) were seen hunting over the marshes, and Whooper Swans (Laulujoutsen) and Common Cranes (Kurkki) were peeping out from the tall grass. Sedge Warblers (Ruokokerttunen) and Reed Buntings (Pajusirkku) were abundant everywhere. A pleasant surprise was an adult White-tailed Eagle (Merikotka) being harassed by crows - my first look at this species, which is successfully recovering in numbers in Finland after being threatened for many years.

A few hours at the cape of Tauvo also proved interesting -- seeing both Caspian (Räyskä) and Little Tern (Pikkutiira), as well as Purple Sandpipers (Merisirri). A quick trudge through the forest produced my first Black Woodpecker (Palokärki).

I spent an entire morning at Kemi, searching high and low in cold, damp and windy weather for the famed Terek Sandpiper (Rantakurvi). No success. Enough said. One of my key target species that I only hope I can see during its late-summer migration.

A short ferry trip brought me to the island of Hailuoto, where I spent a full day enjoying the great scenery and fantastic birding. With a variety of coastal habitats, this largest island in Bothnian Bay is a great place to poke around. Along with the more regular species, I saw breeding Greylag Goose (Merihanhi), Common Shelduck (Ristisorsa), and Gadwall (Harmaasorsa). Open mudflats and tidal pools produced scattered shorebirds, such as Ringed Plover (Tylli), Redshank (Punajalkaviklo), Eurasian Oystercatcher (Meriharakka), and Ruddy Turnstone (Karikukko). Interesting coastal passerines included Rock Pipit (Luotokirvinen), Northern Wheatear (Kivitasku) and Yellow Wagtail (Keltavästäräkki). At the fishing harbour, I found myself looking for Great Black-backed Gull (Merilokki) to no avail -- until a fishing boat came in with its daily haul, causing a flurry of gulls that (not surprisingly) included two. Despite sometimes seeing thousands daily back home, I was happy to see my first for this side of the Atlantic.

After a long weekend of coastal birding, I left feeling refreshed ... probably due to the salt water and fresh air!! I also left with a red, wind-burned face - but having seen lots of quality birds and some amazing scenery. Finland continues to amaze me ...

The Oulu region is home to a variety of coastal habitats. (Click to enlarge)

A Ruddy Turnstone (Karikukko) poses for picture along the breakwater of Marjeniemi fishing harbour. (Click to enlarge)

Common Gull (Kalalokki) chicks play on the beach. (Click to enlarge)

A Eurasian Oysercatcher (Meriharakka) ponders lunch. (Click to enlarge)

A male Northern Wheatear (Kivitasku) announces his territory from the nearby boardwalk. (Click to enlarge)

A Meadow Pipit (Nittykirvinen) acting very territorial ... its partner was never far away. (Click to enlarge)

Juhannus

Starting tommorrow, Finland will pretty much shut down for the weekend. It's "Juhannus" -- the national holiday which celebrates Midsummer Eve or solstice. Towns and cities are almost vacated as everyone heads to their summer cottages for the weekend, and sales of beer and sausages ("makkara") skyrocket.

I will also be getting out of town this weekend --- heading NW to the Oulu region for some birding. This region, on the shores of Bothnian Bay and close to the Swedish border, hosts some of the best wetland areas in all of Finland and is home to some great bird species - including the rare Terek Sandpiper. I'll post a full trip report on Monday ...

In the meantime, I have managed to get out a little again this week. Monday morning, I joined a friend to look for Golden Oriole (Kuhankeittäjä). After an arduous trudge through some old birch woods with thick undergrowth, we finally heard one whistling -- but across the lake and out of sight. There were several Tree Pipits (Metsäkirvinen) singing, and I managed to find my first Greater Whitethroat (Pensaskerttu) singing on the edge of field. I spent Moday evening in Maaninka, where I missed my target species, but did have great looks at three Marsh Harriers (Ruskosuohaukka) and two Short-eared Owls (Suopöllö). Interesting to watch was a Curlew (Kuovi) leading around two fluffy young. Surprisingly, a flock of Starlings (Kottarainen) was only my second sighting since arriving in Finland 7 weeks ago!!

Tuesday evening I visited Haminalahti, where the highlights were one Grasshopper Warbler (Pensassirkkalintu) and my first Long-tailed Tits (Pyrstötiainen). Later, I joined my friend Hannu to ring several Blyth's Reed Warblers (Viitakerttunen) and get a close-up look at the subtle details which separate it from the very similar Marsh Warbler which I had helped band last week.

A Curlew (Kuovi) protests my presence from atop a light pole. (Click to enlarge)

Some playful House Martins (Räystäspääsky) scuffling over lunch. (Click to enlarge)

Birding in the eerie morning mist at Joinen last week. (Click to enlarge)

This is a Marsh Warbler (Luhtakerttunen) that we ringed one night last week. (Click to enlarge)

Warblers to "Boot" ...

The season of song is quickly drawing to a close in most parts of Finland, meaning I only have a couple weeks to seek out some of the songbirds I haven't met yet. It's been a bit of a busy week, and I only managed to get out Monday night ... Hopefully I'll be more productive over the weekend.

After having one night to partially recover from my Kuusamo trip, I took up an offer to go "twitch" one of the rare eastern species which had been found ~100km south of Kuopio -- Booted Warbler (Pikkukultarinta). I met up with my friend Hannu just outside the city, and we headed off for an evening of birding. When we stopped to pick up another birder, we were greeted by the breaking news that a farmer (maybe a little perturbed by the attention of birders near his fields) had just cut down all the bushes the bird had been hanging out in!!

Sooo ... not sure if it was worth the effort, we decided instead to go and attempt to ring Long-eared Owl (Sarvipöllö) nestlings in nearby Varkaus ... only to be asked to leave by a local lady who was upset that we were exciting her dogs!! What an odd start to a night of birding.

Fortunately, it was not a total bust. I did hear my first River Warbler (Viitasirkkalintu), the more uncommon Reed Warbler (Rytikerttunen), and even helped catch and ring a Marsh Warbler (Luhtakerttunen) -- which, it turns out, is a fantastic singer. A little later in the night I was able to get nice looks at a Sedge Warbler (Ruokokerttunen), which up to then had been impossible to see hiding deep in reed beds.

BUT --- As a last-ditch effort, we did go to our original destination. And, after an hour or so of walking fields in the early morning mist (it was eerie but amazing), we got to hear and eventually see the Booted Warbler not far from where it had been found. Crazy farmer ... can't stop us from getting our bird!!!

Kuusamo Rocks!!

Wow!! It was a whirlwind tour, but definitely a highlight thus far in my Finland experience.

I really could have used another full day in the area, but I am happy to say I left Kuusamo with most of my target species squared away -- missing only Capercaille and Rustic Bunting. (Unfortunately, I didn't see any raptors during the two days, and will have to wait for fall migration to see many of them.) With the aid of continual daylight and hardly any sleep, I managed to squeeze in 30 hours of birding in less than two days!! (I was fortunate enough to have a local guide for about 1/3 of that time, who also provided me with directions to some of the hot species)

My first stop early Saturday morning was Valtavaara and Konttainen -- the legendary breeding places of Red-Flanked Bluetail (Sinipyrstö). Using some general direction, I climbed the heavily wooded fell and eventually heard the sweet song I was hoping for ... True to its reputation, the bird was quite shy and gave only brief but beautiful views for about 15 minutes ... BUT then it settled down and I had an amazing 30 minutes of perfect looks as it sang from high up in the treetops!! I could not have asked for a better start to my adventure.

Also on Valtavaara I was able to find Greenish Warbler (Idänuunilintu) - another eastern specialty that likes the old-growth forests of the Kuusamo region. On my way back down, I saw both Red (Pikkukäpylintu) and Parrot Crossbill (Isokäpylintu), along with Redpoll (Urpiainen) and Siskins (Vihervarpunen). While taking a short lunch break in the parking lot after my hike, a Siberian Jay (Kuukkeli) stopped in to check things out ... but quickly disappeared back into the woods. A Great Spotted Woodpecker (Käpytikka) was tending a territory in the same area.

I spent much of the rest of Saturday looking for Grey Wagtail (Virtavästäräkki), but despite checking the best river and a roadside stream where one had been spotted earlier, I came up empty. Fortunately, patience paid off and on my third attempt the next day I heard the "ringing" call. Eventually, the bird flew out of its hiding spot and began to display ... an amazing sight. But it was a VERY shy bird and traffic was quite heavy. I got nice but brief looks, and twice when I had it lined up for excellent photos, it was flushed by a passing car. Ah well ... fantastic nonetheless!!

At another stop, I was chasitised by a Siberian Tit (Lapintiainen) as I was too close to its nest site. Earlier in the morning, I enjoyed the rare sight of a Tengmalm's Owl (aka "Boreal Owl", Helmipöllö) hunting for small rodents on a roadside meadow ... followed later by looks at its larger cousins - Short-eared (suopöllö) and Great Grey Owl (Lapinpöllö). Woodcocks (Lehtokurppa) and Green Sandpipers (Metsäviklo) were often seen doing their aerial displays. A lone female Black Grouse (Metso) was the only grouse species seen -- the warm weather and end of lekking season has made them quite elusive. A young White-throated Dipper (Koskikara) learning to fish on the rocks of a fast-flowing river was real treat.

Several Little Buntings (Pikkusirkku) were singing in the lakeside willows of Tornkijarvi, not far from the town centre. Another was found just north of the town, where I tracked down the first Arctic Warbler (Lapinuunilintu) report of the season --- a new arrival that was, luckily for me, found just a few hours before I was due to leave!!

Red-flanked Bluetail (Sinipyrstö) ... What a looker!! (Click to enlarge)

What can I say ... Wow!! (Click to enlarge)

The view from Valtavaara ... not far from where I found the little guy above. (Click to enlarge)

A distant pic of a true hunter of the north --- Great Gray Owl (Lapinpöllö). (Click to enlarge)

This Little Bunting (Pikkusirkku) was quite active ... his song ringing out over the wind which had just picked up. (Click to enlarge)

There were lot of reindeer in the Kuusamo region -- including this very photogenic calf tagging along behind the others. (Click to enlarge)

Weekend Getaway ...

Finally ... a weekend off to do some serious birding.

As is probably obvious from my lack of postings here lately, I've been rather tied to my work at the university. In the past week, I've only managed to get out a few evenings for a few hours of birding -- none of which has been too fruitful.

But this weekend should be different -- Ifinished up work early today, and will be leaving for Kuusamo in a few hours!! I'm pretty excited ... and am going with a hefty "wish-list" for the next two days. Key are the northern and eastern specialties which I should be able to score in Kuusamo -- Siberian Tit, Siberian Jay, Arctic Warbler, Little Bunting, Grey Wagtail --- AND, of course, Red-flanked Bluetail. And that's just the tip of the iceberg!!

So ... Tune in on Monday (June 13) for full trip report, and hopefully a few mediocre pics!!

Long Days and Night Singers ...

The most wonderful thing about Finland is that one can work all day and still have lots of time to bird in the evening!! And that's just what I've been doing this last week.

I've become very busy with work (finally), but still taking every chance I get to bird -- and considering it now doesn't get dark at all, it hasn't been hard to find the time. Sleep ... now that's a whole other issue.

Adding to the miracle of continual daylight is the fact that many of the bird here in Finland are night-singers, and become most active after 9pm. Warblers, crakes and rails, nightingale thrushes, cuckoos ...

Because I haven't had time to keep this site updated over the last 7 days, I'll briefly sum them up here ---- Last Saturday I was fortunate enough to join a friend birding in the early morning hours. While it was a little windy and cool, I did manage to see my first Winter Wren (Peukaloinen) for Finland, a beautiful Wood Warbler (Sirittäjä), and the more drab but enthusiastic Garden Warbler (Lehtokerttu).

Tuesday evening was a real treat, as I was invited to help ring Ural Owl (Viirupöllö) chicks in Suonenjoki. While we arrived only to find that they had already fledged, a return trip later in the night allowed us to find two fledglings high up in the nearby trees ... we were able to "chase" them to a nearby meadow where their under-developed flying skills made them quite catchable. Luckily, we didn't attract the unwanted attantion of the very protective parents, who can be quite dangerous in such a situation. Check out the pics below (I apologize for the blurriness -- low light made sharp pics a little troublesome).

As luck should have it, while I was visiting Suonenjoki that evening, a semi-rare eastern shorebird, Marsh Sandpiper (Lampiviklo) was spotted in nearby Rautalampi ... we tore off to the site, where I joined about 15 other birders for great looks at a very nice bird. Also that evening, I scored my first Grasshopper Warbler (Pensassirkkalintu) and Sedge Warbler (Ruokokerttunen) ... and heard the beautiful song of Thrush Nightingale (Satakieli). Even more fun to listen to was the varied, mimic-like song of Blythe's Reed Warbler (Viitakerttunen) -- another Finnish specialty.

Finally, I spent last night in Sillinjarvi and Maaninka, where I saw a number of shorebirds and ducks, 50+ Common Cranes (Kurki), my first Eurasian Coots (Nokikana), and heard a very excited Spotted Crake (Luhtahuitti). Shortly after midnight, I could distinctly hear 9 different species singing around one of the local bird lakes!! Night-singers ... It's fantastic.

This Ural Owl (Viirupöllö) fledgling was quite the little character ...

The funny-looking one is me.

Almost done ... Ringed and ready to go.