-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Dixonsummer Madness - Finland 2009 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Farnboro John
- Start date
Farnboro John
Well-known member
11 July
Being in a city, without wheels, I didn't expect to see much wildlife and indeed the range of species was limited. Helsinki proved however to be quite good for photographing gulls including the Greater Herring Gull, which pic I will bring you if at all possible. Judging from the woman it is standing next to, this gull, which exists mainly on a diet of icecream, is about 4 feet long with a wingspan estimated at eight feet. On the ground it stands nearly three feet tall.
After a morning diet of churches and markets, and failing to get in the cathedral due to a baptism service, we took a boat trip to the seaward fortress defences of Helsinki. I picked up a few trip ticks including large numbers of presumably feral Barnacle Geese, Mute Swans, Common Scoter, Oystercatcher and Great Crested Grebe. I spent a fair bit of time scanning the channels and outer sea area for seals (in range but may be seasonal?) but found none. We were also somewhat entertained by a constant parade of wedding parties travelling to use the island's church (and one lot, the outside grounds) as a memorable place to mark their vows: several guests got confused about which wedding they were attending and had to go tazzing off at high speed to find the right one. The weather gradually deteriorated and we returned to the city where we were this time prevented from entering the cathedral by a wedding. With two women in our own party we decided to wait, see the couple emerge, then dive into the cathedral. Later, after walking round half of Helsinki looking for a restaurant with both good food and good ale, we ended up a few yards from our hotel in a Nepalese restaurant called the Mount Everest. Might as well have stayed in Fleet...
12/7
Nothing to report, usual last day pratting about before flying home.
A few general comments about Finland:
Its a brilliant place with fantastic people, most of whom speak English and all of whom are very helpful to the limit of their ability.
It has a very unhealthy obsession with speed cameras, but nearly all of them are on main roads and nearly all are helpfully signposted in advance. If you see a speed camera sign, slow down (if you need to, I suppose some people must drive below speed limits - not many Finns do though!)
Wildlife is generally thin on the ground but seems to be quite accommodating once you find it.
Finland has excellent access laws, summed up as "everyman's rights" - go anywhere, use natural resources (berries and mushrooms, like) that should make wildlife watching quite easy. Beware of rich Russian immigrants who are trying to spoil the game with notices saying no access that are completely illegal but may well be backed with force....
Almost all the notices we saw everywhere were in both Finnish and English.
However, I must say that it is really really worth doing research on what, where and how before you go because if there is a gap in the service provision it is information for wildlifers. They are set up for directing hikers, backpackers, canoeists, mountain-bikers onto trails and watercourses but not for explaining exact directions to the picnic site where Siberian Jays mug you.
I will be back - I want that Flying Squirrel as well as a lot more birds, butterflies, dragons and Finnish beer!
John
Being in a city, without wheels, I didn't expect to see much wildlife and indeed the range of species was limited. Helsinki proved however to be quite good for photographing gulls including the Greater Herring Gull, which pic I will bring you if at all possible. Judging from the woman it is standing next to, this gull, which exists mainly on a diet of icecream, is about 4 feet long with a wingspan estimated at eight feet. On the ground it stands nearly three feet tall.
After a morning diet of churches and markets, and failing to get in the cathedral due to a baptism service, we took a boat trip to the seaward fortress defences of Helsinki. I picked up a few trip ticks including large numbers of presumably feral Barnacle Geese, Mute Swans, Common Scoter, Oystercatcher and Great Crested Grebe. I spent a fair bit of time scanning the channels and outer sea area for seals (in range but may be seasonal?) but found none. We were also somewhat entertained by a constant parade of wedding parties travelling to use the island's church (and one lot, the outside grounds) as a memorable place to mark their vows: several guests got confused about which wedding they were attending and had to go tazzing off at high speed to find the right one. The weather gradually deteriorated and we returned to the city where we were this time prevented from entering the cathedral by a wedding. With two women in our own party we decided to wait, see the couple emerge, then dive into the cathedral. Later, after walking round half of Helsinki looking for a restaurant with both good food and good ale, we ended up a few yards from our hotel in a Nepalese restaurant called the Mount Everest. Might as well have stayed in Fleet...
12/7
Nothing to report, usual last day pratting about before flying home.
A few general comments about Finland:
Its a brilliant place with fantastic people, most of whom speak English and all of whom are very helpful to the limit of their ability.
It has a very unhealthy obsession with speed cameras, but nearly all of them are on main roads and nearly all are helpfully signposted in advance. If you see a speed camera sign, slow down (if you need to, I suppose some people must drive below speed limits - not many Finns do though!)
Wildlife is generally thin on the ground but seems to be quite accommodating once you find it.
Finland has excellent access laws, summed up as "everyman's rights" - go anywhere, use natural resources (berries and mushrooms, like) that should make wildlife watching quite easy. Beware of rich Russian immigrants who are trying to spoil the game with notices saying no access that are completely illegal but may well be backed with force....
Almost all the notices we saw everywhere were in both Finnish and English.
However, I must say that it is really really worth doing research on what, where and how before you go because if there is a gap in the service provision it is information for wildlifers. They are set up for directing hikers, backpackers, canoeists, mountain-bikers onto trails and watercourses but not for explaining exact directions to the picnic site where Siberian Jays mug you.
I will be back - I want that Flying Squirrel as well as a lot more birds, butterflies, dragons and Finnish beer!
John
Last edited:
Farnboro John
Well-known member
OK, I've never posted pix before so anything could happen here...
Hopefully this will result in Wolverine and Brown Bear photos for a proper grip, as requested by a BF masochist.
John
Hopefully this will result in Wolverine and Brown Bear photos for a proper grip, as requested by a BF masochist.
John
Last edited:
Mike Richardson
Formerly known as Skink1978
Well you can consider me truly and utterly gripped off!
StuartReeves
Local rarity
Yup, me too!
Farnboro John
Well-known member
I forgot the stats:
We saw 97 species of birds, only lifer was White-backed Woodpecker.
9 species of mammals (five lifers, in bold):
Water Shrew
Wolverine
Brown Bear
Raccoon Dog
Brown Hare
Mountain Hare
Red Squirrel
Muskrat
Elk
I haven't counted up the Butterflies and Dragonflies yet. Now that I've got the hang of posting pix I'll put a few more on.
John
We saw 97 species of birds, only lifer was White-backed Woodpecker.
9 species of mammals (five lifers, in bold):
Water Shrew
Wolverine
Brown Bear
Raccoon Dog
Brown Hare
Mountain Hare
Red Squirrel
Muskrat
Elk
I haven't counted up the Butterflies and Dragonflies yet. Now that I've got the hang of posting pix I'll put a few more on.
John
Farnboro John
Well-known member
Similar threads
