Finland in Winter (1 Viewer)

Is there any chance of ANY birds in Finland (Kittila area) in February?
Obviously its cold & the days are short, but is there any chance to bird anything?

Thanks,

H

H

It's your lucky day...as today is a public holiday and I've decided to have a lazy day of it, I've been to the Finnish sightings recording system ("Tiira") and downloaded all the sightings for the Lapland recording area for the whole of Feb 2011 and for the last 7 days. I'll send you the whole file separtately but here's a list of what's been seen and where in the last week (so you get the New Year's Day data which ought to mean it's fairly reprersentative of what is really out there at the moment!)

List is only got the Latin names and is alphabetical based on those only so I know it's in an odd order and looks messy but I did say it's a lazy day

Feel free to contact me for more up to date information on what's being reported closer to your trip but be aware I'll actually be in China after mid-Feb not Finland so I may not reply straight away given the time zones!

Cheers
Mark

Species Date(s) County
Accipiter gentilis 30/12/11 Ranua
Aegithalos caudatus 02/01/12 Rovaniemi
Anas platyrhynchos 03/01/12 Inari
Aquila chrysaetos 01/01/12 Rovaniemi
Bombycilla garrulus 01/01/12 Inari
Carduelis chloris 31/12/11 Inari
Carduelis flammea 31/12/11 Rovaniemi
Carduelis hornemanni 01/01/12 Kemijärvi
Cinclus cinclus 01/01/12 Savukoski
Columba livia 01/01/12 Inari
Corvus corax 01/01/12 Inari
Corvus corone 01/01/12 Inari
Corvus frugilegus 01/01/12 Rovaniemi
Corvus monedula 30/12/11 Ylitornio
Cygnus cygnus 30/12/11 Inari
Dendrocopos major 30/12/11 Ranua
Dendrocopos minor 3-5.1.2012 Rovaniemi
Dryocopus martius 02/01/12 Kemijärvi
Emberiza citrinella 01/01/12 Kemijärvi
Fringilla coelebs 02/01/12 Pello
Garrulus glandarius 31/12/11 Rovaniemi
Glaucidium passerinum 31/12/11 Ranua
Lagopus lagopus 30/12/11 Ranua
Lanius excubitor 30/12/11 Ranua
Larus canus 04/01/12 Kemijärvi
Loxia pytyopsittacus 01/01/12 Inari
Parus caeruleus 30/12/11 Rovaniemi
Parus cinctus 31/12/11 Rovaniemi
Parus major 31/12/11 Rovaniemi
Parus montanus 31/12/11 Rovaniemi
Passer domesticus 01/01/12 Inari
Passer domesticus x passer montanus 01/01/12 Kemijärvi
Passer montanus 30/12/11 Kemijärvi
Perisoreus infaustus 22-30.12.2011 Inari
Phalacrocorax carbo 05/01/12 Inari
Phasianus colchicus 01/01/12 Savukoski
Pica pica 31/12/11 Rovaniemi
Picoides tridactylus 31/12/11 Enontekiö
Pyrrhula pyrrhula 04/01/12 Pello
Regulus regulus 02/01/12 Rovaniemi
Streptopelia decaocto 22.10.2011-1.1.2012 Rovaniemi
Strix nebulosa 01/01/12 Kittilä
Surnia ulula 1-2.1.2012 Kittilä
Tetrao tetrix 31/12/11 Sodankylä
Tetrao urogallus 01/01/12 Kittilä
Tetrastes bonasia 31/12/11 Inari

Mark,

That's very kind, thanks very much.

More than half-a-dozen ticks for me in there, so not too shabby!

H

I was in Rovaniemi for Xmas 2008 and it was at 0 degrees relatively mild. A local CAU gave me a few good local locations walkable from the town centre hotel, and I was lucky to have 3 Pine Grosbeaks & Parrot Crossbill. Fieldfares, redwings and Waxwings along with Redpolls can be found as the town has good areas of greenery. Hooded Crows too.

Santa Claus village (a half hours coach trip away) has feeders where local-race Willow Tit visited along with waxwings, common tit species and House Sparrows. GH Woodpecker and Siberian jay are possible with local knowledge.

I know this aint Kittilla but it gives you an idea. Find out where the feeders are!

Thanks, everyone. We've decided against it anyway.