Helsinki stopover (1 Viewer)

I may be flying through Helsinki within the next couple of weeks, and I should have the option of spending couple of days as a stopover there. I've never been to Finland before, so I was wondering what birds I can expect to see in and around the city. I will not have a car (relying on public transport/taxis), and I do not intend visiting far away places such as Oulu.

Looking at Finland's list on Avibase, here are the species I'm missing, and which obviously I'd be delighted to see any of 8-P

Red-breasted Goose
Ruddy Shelduck
Eurasian Capercaillie
Black Grouse
Hazel Grouse
Willow Ptarmigan
Rock Ptarmigan
Red Kite
Corn Crake
Snowy Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
Eurasian Pygmy-Owl
Tawny Owl
Ural Owl
Great Gray Owl
Long-eared Owl
Black Woodpecker
Gyrfalcon
Eurasian Nutcracker
Siberian Jay
Red-flanked Bluetail
Red-breasted Flycatcher
European Pied Flycatcher
Collared Flycatcher
Ring Ouzel
Rosy Starling
Lapland Longspur
Little Bunting
Rustic Bunting
Pine Grosbeak
Common Rosefinch
Parrot Crossbill
Red Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill
Lesser Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll

Have you checked out the thread below this in this subforum?

dantheman said:

Have you checked out the thread below this in this subforum?

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I have indeed, and aprt from the Common Rosefinch, I don't see any birds of interest there.

Depends on how far north you're prepared to go. AFAIK most of your target species are to be found mostly in the north or east of Finland (especially during the summer), which would mean long rides and possibly little or no public transport.

Rosefinch and Pied Flycatcher are common in Viikki, which is in Helsinki (check the relevant thread). In fact, Pied Flycatcher seems to be very common all over the country. Viikki and Vallisaari (see thread) may also be good for vagrant species or rarities, most of which I didn't get to see there myself, but perhaps you may be luckier.
The only other place I know near Helsinki which is well accessible via bus is Nuuksio National Park. However I didn't see any of our target species there except for Pied Flycatcher, and very few of my own. Though perhaps if you go in the early morning, it's a different story.

I've seen Hazelhen and Red-breasted Flycatcher (and Pied Flycatcher), and heard Black Grouse and Black Woodpecker, in Torronsuo National Park (between Helsinki and Tampere). Willow Grouse is also rumored to live there on the bogs.
However I have no idea if it's even possible to get to that place via public transport. I was fortunate enough to have a car for the trip.

Red Crossbill are nomadic (except in late winter, when they're breeding), so I guess you can see them anywhere or nowhere, it's a matter of luck really in my experience.
Regarding Red Kite, weirdly enough I haven't seen any hawks or eagles in Finland, except a Marsh Harrier down in Viikki. Red Kite should be easy to see in Germany or Spain though, and even in parts of Britain.

Hi,
Here is some information concerning your species list. Unfortunately most of these birds don't live near Helsinki. If you have time and money, maybe it's worth traveling to northern Finland and try to see these birds. There are good birding excursions available, try for example http://finnature.com
If that kind of thing is not an option, there are good birding places near Helsinki also. I recommend Nuuksio and Viikki. It's easy to go to both of these sites by public transport. It's been a while since I have been in Helsinki but if you want more information concerning public transport etc, send me a message. I can help with that.


Red-breasted Goose
- Unfortunately not likely to see at this time of year. Some red-breasted geese stop here among white-fronted geese in spring migration, many ones in a year but for example I have seen only couple of these in my life.

Ruddy Shelduck
- Very very rare. Not breeding here.

Eurasian Capercaillie
- Breeds in forests here but it is hard to find. I don't know where is the nearest place from Helsinki. Probably Nuuksio?

Black Grouse
- Easier to see than Capercaillie. Maybe in Nuuksio, I guess. It may be hard to find these kind of birds in this time of the year, it's easiest in spring when they have their mating display.

Hazel Grouse
- More common than the other ones but again, maybe not easy to see. I guess you shoud try Nuuksio for these ones. Even if you don't find any of them, you will have great time and you will see some birds for sure!

Willow Ptarmigan
- Only in northern Finland. I know that area very poorly.

Rock Ptarmigan
- Only in Lapland

Red Kite
- Very rare in Finland. Only some individuals per year

Corn Crake
- Maybe. They call at nights in the fields etc, but it can be too late in July. But it is not rare! Possible in Helsinki also

Snowy Owl
- Only in Lapland and very rare there Doesn't breed every year in Finland anymore

Northern Hawk Owl
- You must go to Northern Finland for this. In some years they are numerous in southern Finland too, but this year is not one of them.

Eurasian Pygmy-Owl
- Breeds in southern Finland also. I don't know exact places, Nuuksio is worth trying

Tawny Owl
- See above. I think it's possible to see this even near Helsinki city, in Viikki. There have been these in winter, I saw one in Viikki in March. But I don't do much birding in that area, I don't know where they bred etc. Anyway this species is not so rare.

Ural Owl
- Breeds in old forests but I don't know exact places. They have chicks now and the mothers can be very angry.

Great Gray Owl
- In northern Finland

Long-eared Owl
- Maybe the easiest owl to find in this time of year. That's because of their chicks. They are very noisy at nights. The yell in small forests around fields and their mothers hunt for them, you can see them also. I think it's possible to see and hear in Helsinki.

Black Woodpecker
- Quite easy if there is a bigger forest. Try Nuuksio.

Gyrfalcon
- Very very rare. Almost extinct unfortunately.

Eurasian Nutcracker
- Hard to find this year. They wander depending on conifer's cones. I have seen none of these this year

Siberian Jay
- Very easy to see in northern Finland, many of them are almost tame. But I guess it's not likely to see these in southern areas.

Red-flanked Bluetail
- In Kuusamo area. Not in the south

Red-breasted Flycatcher
- Lives in old forests. It's not common but possible to find if you know where to go. I don't know any places near Helsinki, but in my town I know a few places (I live about 120km from Helsinki)

European Pied Flycatcher
- This is very common and easy to see. Lives in parks, gardens, suburbs etc. You will see this for sure!

Collared Flycatcher
- Doesn't breed here. Rare visitor

Ring Ouzel
- In Lapland only

Rosy Starling
- Doesn't breed in Finland. Rare visitor

Lapland Longspur
- In Lapland in this time of year. In autumn they can be easily seen in south also, but not yet, unfortunately.

Little Bunting
Rustic Bunting
- These breed in eastern Finland, in Northern Karelia etc. Maybe easy to see there, but I can't help with that. Actually I have never seen Rustic Bunting...

Pine Grosbeak
- Possible in north. See crossbills later.

Common Rosefinch
- This is easy. For example in Viikki. I think we have much of them this year.

Parrot Crossbill
Red Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill
- All crossbills are unfortunately gone this year. I have seen only one in whole year. Compared to good years, then they are everywhere. They eat conifer's seeds and it's very bad year for conifers now, that is why they are rare now.

Lesser Redpoll
- Can be anywhere, but I think that summer is not so easy time to find them. They are most visible in winters when they move in flocks.

Hoary Redpoll
- Only in northern Finland in this time of the year

Thank you Sangahyando for the valuable info. I've birded in Germany before and never seen a Red Kite; I suppose I didn't go to the right area. I'll have to try again. 8-P

And thank you viidakkoveitsi so much for the extended and detailed response. o

It looks like Nuuksio should be my first priority, and then Viikki.

Just for the record, I did not end up seeing any of my target birds there. I tried Viikki but the best I saw there were a bunch of jays. That place is devoid of birds!

The other places mentioned above are definitely not easily accessible by public transport, so I didn't end up going to any of them.

The owls will be difficult, as they are not calling as much now.

Black woodpecker should be doable.

iraqbabbler said:

Just for the record, I did not end up seeing any of my target birds there. I tried Viikki but the best I saw there were a bunch of jays. That place is devoid of birds!

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Hm, sorry to hear that. I guess that apart from luck, it's a seasonal thing - other people on this forum were full of praise for that place and I myself saw a lot of species there as well, though no lifers either.

The other places mentioned above are definitely not easily accessible by public transport, so I didn't end up going to any of them.

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Well, depends on how you define "easy". I guess that by now I'm so used to public transport that I consider anything less than a 2h train/bus ride away as "easy"...

iraqbabbler said:

Just for the record, I did not end up seeing any of my target birds there. I tried Viikki but the best I saw there were a bunch of jays. That place is devoid of birds!

The other places mentioned above are definitely not easily accessible by public transport, so I didn't end up going to any of them.

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Finland can be very frustrating! I went to Viiki a couple of Junes ago and it was teeming with birds although I missed Citrine Wagtail (which is why I went - twice). It was also the first time I have missed any of the 'grouse' type birds a bit further north.

That said it also has a lot to do with the time of the year. I know that things here are very difficult this time of year.