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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Finland 16/01/2019 - valkeakoski Tampere (1 Viewer)

rosbifs

rosbifs

PutAin STOP
Ukraine
Sadly (funeral) heading to Finland next week.

Staying in valkeakoski but visiting Tampere and will have a couple of nights and days free.

Is there anything or anywhere worth visiting. Would love to see a couple of owls (my last Hawk owl was here) and maybe grey headed and white backed woodies...

Pigs might fly...

Any help appreciated - yes I appreciate might be delicate for the southern breeding owls so understand if reluctant there but some roaming ones!

Many thanks in advance.

Rosbifs
 
Very quiet this winter Rosbifs...nearest Hawkie is Hämeenkyrö which is a long stayer since early November. Otherwise one in centre of Turku.

Main problem for you is forecast to get much colder next week...-1C now down to -15C (-20C with wid chill) next Wed.

The Arboretum in Tampere might be best bet...there's a feeding station in the woods...message me if you want directions to that...I've seen Black, White-backed, Grey-headed, Greater and Lesser Spotted there last winter hater plus Hawfnch but not much reported this year

Oops...there is the female Steller's Eider in Lempäälä for the last week...forgot about that!
 
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McMadd, Thanks for heads up.

There used to be a site for Grey Headed Woody towards Saaksmaki.
I dig out the place for Ural Owl - they might be around and then Pygmy but I guess they could be anywhere.

A cold snap might bring things out!

Fingers crossed.
The arboretum could be worth a shout. I'd half thought of the same nr Hameenlina. I have no idea of the status of White Backed Woody - I had the impression that they had made a partial recovery in the right places - I don't think time in Helsinki is on the cards for that though...

At the end of the day any time out would be welcome for Dad - Mum will want to chat and Dad will be a bit lost...
 
rosbifs said:
McMadd, Thanks for heads up.

There used to be a site for Grey Headed Woody towards Saaksmaki.
I dig out the place for Ural Owl - they might be around and then Pygmy but I guess they could be anywhere.

A cold snap might bring things out!

Fingers crossed.
The arboretum could be worth a shout. I'd half thought of the same nr Hameenlina. I have no idea of the status of White Backed Woody - I had the impression that they had made a partial recovery in the right places - I don't think time in Helsinki is on the cards for that though...

At the end of the day any time out would be welcome for Dad - Mum will want to chat and Dad will be a bit lost...
Click to expand...

White-backed Woodpecker has recovered and is quite possible at the feeding station...its a 1-man unofficial site...
 
McMadd said:
White-backed Woodpecker has recovered and is quite possible at the feeding station...its a 1-man unofficial site...
Click to expand...

I spent a long time in Lahti where they were well known in the 80's - the only person who didn't know was me and despite being 300m from the site I didn't go until '99 when it was too late.

It was fascinating reading about their recovery and how people were helping create habitats for them. I have a feeling this was round the two park nationals north of Tampere (nr. Rouvesi) - the other place used to spend a lot of time.

I have only seen a 'family' here but was taken to the nest so feels like cheating!

Co-ordinates would be awesome.

Thanks again.

Out of interest are there any other type birds yet - Grosbeaks, Crossbills, Redpolls etc. I guess they are waiting for the temp to drop before they evacuate to the south - I'll get my cousin to get a feeder on the go...
 
rosbifs said:
I spent a long time in Lahti where they were well known in the 80's - the only person who didn't know was me and despite being 300m from the site I didn't go until '99 when it was too late.

It was fascinating reading about their recovery and how people were helping create habitats for them. I have a feeling this was round the two park nationals north of Tampere (nr. Rouvesi) - the other place used to spend a lot of time.

I have only seen a 'family' here but was taken to the nest so feels like cheating!

Co-ordinates would be awesome.

Thanks again.

Out of interest are there any other type birds yet - Grosbeaks, Crossbills, Redpolls etc. I guess they are waiting for the temp to drop before they evacuate to the south - I'll get my cousin to get a feeder on the go...
Click to expand...

What type of habitat is being created?

We have White-backed around us in Russia, mainly swamp and Pine forest. I've even seen them in gardens in the village in winter and even flushed one from the ground on the side of the road.

They're commoner than Three-toed here by far.
 
I will have to find the article but what was interesting was, as I understood it, setting up 'natural' feeding areas/stations and the Woodpeckers would travel fairly large distances between suitable copses, across open land or lake, to find food.

Here, France, they are fairly localised, mainly steep sided beech woods, north facing and interesting here they found that the males and females fed in different parts of the wood and even at different heights in the tree. I think the female would occupy the higher parts of the tree and the male lower. Also the nest site I visited the male always went up the hill and the female down, no scientific basis to that. Only once were they at the nest together - we were there about one or two days from full fledging.
 
rosbifs said:
I will have to find the article but what was interesting was, as I understood it, setting up 'natural' feeding areas/stations and the Woodpeckers would travel fairly large distances between suitable copses, across open land or lake, to find food.

Here, France, they are fairly localised, mainly steep sided beech woods, north facing and interesting here they found that the males and females fed in different parts of the wood and even at different heights in the tree. I think the female would occupy the higher parts of the tree and the male lower. Also the nest site I visited the male always went up the hill and the female down, no scientific basis to that. Only once were they at the nest together - we were there about one or two days from full fledging.
Click to expand...

That's interesting as I read that they're the most terrestrial of the Dendrocopos, I've certainly had them on the ground a few times and at low height.

This one was very low and it just got clobbered by falling snow.
 

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I think you right about the ground feeding. Dead things, wood, tend to be lower.

Off to the bookshelf for the detail...
 
Apparently the article is in ‘nos oiseaux’ in 1991. Someone is sending me a copy.

As for the forestry program they have been leaving small enclaves of broad leave trees in the spruce plantations. Can’t find the specific article that I remember....
 
I have finally received the article about the White Backed Woodpecker. Very interesting.

In summary the Male is found at lower heights than the female, on wider trunks and bores deeper to get its food.

Dreaded percentages 55.9% of observations of the female were above 8m whereas 38% of male observations were below 3m (17.8% for the female).

Only 1 observation of the male in the branches of the trees.

The average length of the male beak was 37mm against 32mm for the female.

I don't like percentages that much and the sample wasn't huge, 60 observations, but there is a definate squew in the data....
 
If it helps to increase the sample size a tiny bit, I've only seen one White-backed Woodpecker so far, but it was fairly high up in a tree and a female, so that's in line with the findings. Did you have any luck on your trip?
 
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