Warixenjalka
Birdwitcher
May 6th to 18th
Welcome Chris! :t:
6th Morning in Lake Kirkkojarvi, Hamina where my main target was a Savi’s Warbler that had been “singing” there for a few days. Even couple of other birders in my side said that they can hear it – barely, but hear all the same, I couldn’t distinguish its chirping verse from all the “background noise” – Reed and Sedge Warblers, Chaffinches, Greylags and many others. My ears aren’t same as they use to be… In addition to the Warblers I got year ticks from Yellow Wagtail and Blackcap.
After the morning in Lake I drove couple miles to North to site which is one of the lasts Ortolan Bunting sites in Kymenlaakso. When I opened cars door, I heard it singing right away. I crab camera on my hands and I tried to found the singer, cos I hadn’t never before manage to photo it. Song stopped, Bunting flew little further and landed high on birch. I walked little closer, singing started again and I start to shoot. I even take a short video from it. It was still quite distant and carefully I walked closer to get better photos. Then the Bunting moved even further. I decided to leave it alone and left happily away from the new photographed species.
At home I loaded the Bunting photos on PC and it was a big surprise when I noticed I had photographed a Yellowhammer! 3
9th Because Corona this year’s “Fight of a Birding Towers” was cancelled. Instead, it had been decided to organize “Fight of Gardens”. I have already told about this on here: https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=384988 – so I mention only that I got one new garden lifer: Northern Wheatear.
10th The morning bike ride produced couple of eco ticks: Sedge Warbler and Blackcap and one great year tick when very early Greenish Warbler sang a few verses at the top of the spruce. What made the situation a little confusing was that the bird once took off in the middle of the song. To my understanding, the song flight is not known from GW’s. Unfortunately, the bird soon disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Luckily, a few other birders manage to heard it in the same and the very next day, but overall quite a few manage to enjoyed it.
11th I feel lazy in morning and decided to skip birding from this day. But after I got information that there is Dunlin and Temminck’s Stint in Hietanen, I hopped on back of my bike and hurried there. There was already one searcher and soon one more came. We saw two Little Ringed Plovers, heard Thrush Nightingale (both year ticks for me) plus got eco ticks from Arctic Tern and Yellow Wagtail. After searching for the Calidris’s for over an hour we found Dunlin and Temminck's Stint in a place we had passed already before. What an joy – especially Temminck’s is hard to get some years – and this time I got it even for eco tick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IvKfU5Qxs8&list=PLQ9t8zFqZv05hGY4MUDeaghfMEWz1FNoa&index=49&t=0s
12th Early in a morning (3 am) me and my birding-komrad started trip to Hamina and Virolahti (South-East corner of Finland). In Kirkkojarvi, Hamina I finally manage to hear Savi’s Warbler. In Virolahti, we first drove through fields and tried to find Corn Crakes, Quails and some Owls, but without result. I got first year ticks for a day from Vilkkilantura (which is lush sea bay just a couple km from Russian border): Whitethroat, Spotted Redshank and Eurasian Cuckoo. From Lerviikki (shore where many birders come to watch arctic migration) we saw Gadwall male and two local Black Scoters, but almost no migration at all. So, we decided to go North to looking for Raptors etc. Rest of the day best were Honey Buzzard and Common Swift.
15th It was time to do second waterbird counting in Iitti. This time we skipped the old forest and focused those four counting points. We noticed that there were fewer Waterfawl but more insectivores, which was obvious. Year ticks from Garden Warbler and Bluethroat. But mornings best observation was two Canadian Beavers – lifer! :eek!: They almost steal the whole show and the bird counting could suffer a bit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op5UDPi_sgs&feature=youtu.be
After countings we drove to Elimaki, where in some fields had been seen for a few days resting Dotterels. Fortunately we found them after one hour searching – just when the sky breaks and cold rain started. This was just the second time I had seen Dotterels, the last time was 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zjjRFuieFY&feature=youtu.be
18th Local bike trip in a morning produce Common Rosefinch plus 3 eco ticks: Garden Warbler, Reed Warbler and Whitethroat. This very showy Yellow-necked Mouse was delight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_WDUQW8dGg&feature=youtu.be
In the evening I drove to Kouvola where had been two Montagu’s Harrier and I manage to see the old male but quite far away. Me and four other birders were looking for it and the 2cy female couple of hours but we didn’t found them again.
Welcome Chris! :t:
6th Morning in Lake Kirkkojarvi, Hamina where my main target was a Savi’s Warbler that had been “singing” there for a few days. Even couple of other birders in my side said that they can hear it – barely, but hear all the same, I couldn’t distinguish its chirping verse from all the “background noise” – Reed and Sedge Warblers, Chaffinches, Greylags and many others. My ears aren’t same as they use to be… In addition to the Warblers I got year ticks from Yellow Wagtail and Blackcap.
After the morning in Lake I drove couple miles to North to site which is one of the lasts Ortolan Bunting sites in Kymenlaakso. When I opened cars door, I heard it singing right away. I crab camera on my hands and I tried to found the singer, cos I hadn’t never before manage to photo it. Song stopped, Bunting flew little further and landed high on birch. I walked little closer, singing started again and I start to shoot. I even take a short video from it. It was still quite distant and carefully I walked closer to get better photos. Then the Bunting moved even further. I decided to leave it alone and left happily away from the new photographed species.
At home I loaded the Bunting photos on PC and it was a big surprise when I noticed I had photographed a Yellowhammer! 3
9th Because Corona this year’s “Fight of a Birding Towers” was cancelled. Instead, it had been decided to organize “Fight of Gardens”. I have already told about this on here: https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=384988 – so I mention only that I got one new garden lifer: Northern Wheatear.
10th The morning bike ride produced couple of eco ticks: Sedge Warbler and Blackcap and one great year tick when very early Greenish Warbler sang a few verses at the top of the spruce. What made the situation a little confusing was that the bird once took off in the middle of the song. To my understanding, the song flight is not known from GW’s. Unfortunately, the bird soon disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Luckily, a few other birders manage to heard it in the same and the very next day, but overall quite a few manage to enjoyed it.
11th I feel lazy in morning and decided to skip birding from this day. But after I got information that there is Dunlin and Temminck’s Stint in Hietanen, I hopped on back of my bike and hurried there. There was already one searcher and soon one more came. We saw two Little Ringed Plovers, heard Thrush Nightingale (both year ticks for me) plus got eco ticks from Arctic Tern and Yellow Wagtail. After searching for the Calidris’s for over an hour we found Dunlin and Temminck's Stint in a place we had passed already before. What an joy – especially Temminck’s is hard to get some years – and this time I got it even for eco tick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IvKfU5Qxs8&list=PLQ9t8zFqZv05hGY4MUDeaghfMEWz1FNoa&index=49&t=0s
12th Early in a morning (3 am) me and my birding-komrad started trip to Hamina and Virolahti (South-East corner of Finland). In Kirkkojarvi, Hamina I finally manage to hear Savi’s Warbler. In Virolahti, we first drove through fields and tried to find Corn Crakes, Quails and some Owls, but without result. I got first year ticks for a day from Vilkkilantura (which is lush sea bay just a couple km from Russian border): Whitethroat, Spotted Redshank and Eurasian Cuckoo. From Lerviikki (shore where many birders come to watch arctic migration) we saw Gadwall male and two local Black Scoters, but almost no migration at all. So, we decided to go North to looking for Raptors etc. Rest of the day best were Honey Buzzard and Common Swift.
15th It was time to do second waterbird counting in Iitti. This time we skipped the old forest and focused those four counting points. We noticed that there were fewer Waterfawl but more insectivores, which was obvious. Year ticks from Garden Warbler and Bluethroat. But mornings best observation was two Canadian Beavers – lifer! :eek!: They almost steal the whole show and the bird counting could suffer a bit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op5UDPi_sgs&feature=youtu.be
After countings we drove to Elimaki, where in some fields had been seen for a few days resting Dotterels. Fortunately we found them after one hour searching – just when the sky breaks and cold rain started. This was just the second time I had seen Dotterels, the last time was 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zjjRFuieFY&feature=youtu.be
18th Local bike trip in a morning produce Common Rosefinch plus 3 eco ticks: Garden Warbler, Reed Warbler and Whitethroat. This very showy Yellow-necked Mouse was delight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_WDUQW8dGg&feature=youtu.be
In the evening I drove to Kouvola where had been two Montagu’s Harrier and I manage to see the old male but quite far away. Me and four other birders were looking for it and the 2cy female couple of hours but we didn’t found them again.
