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

Wonder wondering the Wonders of Nature on the shore of the Mare Karelia and elsewhere (1 Viewer)

Yes, they were Wood Pigeons. I've never seen so many birds in one tree before. And there was more Pigeons on a ground.

Few photos from April:

I found this Common Frog in a middle of snowy field and carried it to the edge of the snow, to the flooding meadow. I rarely touch the cycle of nature, but the frog looked so helpless and frozen. It was only a matter of time when some crow would have noticed it in the middle of the snow.

Caspian Tern was my first tern of the year – as usual.

I found this dead Long-eared Owl in local woods – poor thing. It looked harmless on outside, but it felt really light. I took it with me and brought it to a friend who has probably ringed thousands of birds, including owls. He tried the bird's sternum and thought that the cause of the owl's death was probably hungry.

Lupinlahti is fantastic wetland in city of Hamina with good bird observation tower. At the Springtime, I usually go there at least every second weekend. This Common Pochard (or not so common nowadays) and Black-headed Gull I filmed there. And here is short video from Pochard couple. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4toEFBYaDo&list=PLQ9t8zFqZv05hGY4MUDeaghfMEWz1FNoa&index=7&t=0s
 

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OK, these are last photos from April:

One day I happened to be on work by a car (I usually go work by bike – if the roads are not covered with snow or ice), and I got message from Ringed Ouzel about 5 km away. I decided to go look at it on lunch time. I haven´t seen Ouzel for years so it would be nice to get it for my year list. Unfortunately, my twitching didn’t work, but to comfort, I saw a couple of Cranes for really close when they were eating in the field just off the road.

In addition to birds, I also like other animals, so I also keep a year list for mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Especially I like snakes, they are so cool and beautiful. Unfortunately, there are only two snakes in Finland, the Adder and the Grass Snake (and in Aland also rare Smooth Snake). This year first snakes I found one rocky forest area, and there were at least 7 Grass Snakes.

Little Ringed Plover and Great Crested Grebes I filmed in Hovinsaari, Kotka, which use to be one of best birding places in whole Finland, but then City of Kotka decided to expand the port. Today Hovinsaari is mostly EMPTY asphalt courts, because the transportation of cars to Russia via Kotka came to a halt. Anyway, the area is still one of the best bird sanctuaries in the neighborhood. And most importantly, my home is just a few kilometers away.

This Curlew was in Kirkkojarvi nature conservation area, in Hamina. It’s an old lake which is quite dry and wooded in these days.
 

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May has been quite competitive month. On Wednesday 1st May we (in our local Bird club) organized traditional – already second - annual Vappu-rally. Rally area was Kymenlaakso and time from 3am to 6pm. There were four teams involved. In total, 153 bird species were seen in the race. Winners got 133 species. Our team was nicely fourth and we saw a total of 116 species. The highlight of the race was when from Pyhtaa field we found single Red-breasted Goose among several hundred Barnacle / Bean / White-fronted geese flock. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdgFIPReJXY&list=PLQ9t8zFqZv05hGY4MUDeaghfMEWz1FNoa&index=3&t=0s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PioB8WxfwDU&list=PLQ9t8zFqZv05hGY4MUDeaghfMEWz1FNoa&index=3 Sorry about the wind noise and a dog...

On Saturday 4th May was Tornien Taisto (=Battle of the Towers), which included teams not only from Finland (330 teams), but also from Sweden (90 teams), Denmark and Lithuania. Day was the coldest day of Tornien Taisto history. Despite the cool weather the limit of one hundred species was broken in three towers which all got 101 species. Best Swedish tower got 106 species, best Danish tower 98 and best Lithuanian 67 species.
I was in Jaalanlahti Tower in Kouvola and we observed 86 species in 8 hours and we were in 38th place in Finland. Our best species was Ring Ouzel. But it was so far away that I couldn’t get photo of it. Other good stuff was Garganey, Common Pochard, Red-throated Diver, Golden Plover, Whimbrel, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Sand Martin and Wood Warbler.
 

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My diary runs badly overdue. :eek!: (So much out there now)


Ruff and Jay were both just in my neighborhood and really daring. Normally Jays avoid to come close, but this was just a 5 meters away.

This Magic Moment happened one morning in my local marina on the way to work:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIO8zhy_Xek&list=PLQ9t8zFqZv05hGY4MUDeaghfMEWz1FNoa&index=11&t=0s

White Wagtail and Osprey were on Valkmusa, Pyhtaa (One of the best swamps in Southern Finland). Also I heard there Black-tailed Godwit and saw some Black Grouse lek.

Pied Avocet was Finish tick for me. It spend several days in Oivonoja, Kouvola.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM7y-0NNidA
B :)
 

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On 15th May I was cycling to work with "landscape route" and got six new eco-year-ticks, like these Arctic Terns and Wood Sandpipers. As you can see from that thin crust of ice, the night wasn't warm...

At Sunday 19th May was again time to Race. In Virolahti, Arctic Days are held every May when the Arctic waterfowl flocks migrate to the northern breeding areas along the Gulf of Finland. The event will include a 12-hour Arctic rally and our team has participated in it every year. This year there was only seven teams in (maybe the Sunday isn't such a good day for a race) and we came fourth place with 121 species. First and second team scored 132 species and the number of aces solved the winner. (Ace = species that only one team got)
Third pic is our team (I'm of course behind camera :king: )

Painted Ladyes are massive migration this spring and early summer. I don't remember I'd ever seen them in such quantities.

I visited in Virolahti again May 23rd and photoing this just ringed Greenish Warbler. May mornings can be quite magical in Virolahti also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAQGKBg2-GI&list=PLQ9t8zFqZv05hGY4MUDeaghfMEWz1FNoa&index=9
 

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Well done, maybe you'll win next year! I thought your team member standing on the track had an enormous telescope when I first looked at the photo (see what I mean?).

Cheers,

Richard
 
25th May

Traditionally our Birding Club has organized boat trip to Ulko-Tammio, which is one of the islands of National Park of Eastern Gulf of Finland. Every year we have done this trip on last Saturday of May.
This year's trip was very foggy and on the way back we got some rain on our neck. Although the weather didn't really favor us, the journey was once again fun and rewarding.
It seems that every year is little bit different. At this year we saw biggest flocks of Black and Velvet Scoters than ever - there was thousands of them swimming and resting. Also there was plenty of Brent and Barnacle Geese and Black-throated Divers and we got quite close view of them. Geese and Divers flew between water surface. Some of the Divers we surprised from swimming (like the bird on photo). Also Arctic Skuas we saw more than usually. - All this we can give thanks to fog. :t:
The downside was that there wasn't much sense to scope to the sea from the shores of the island. Otherwise the island of Ulko-Tammio is a fantastic place with varied habitats: groves, dry pine forest, cliffs, and even a small sheltered sea bay with reeds. This year we saw - or heard - 3 Red-breasted Flycatcher and 5 Greenish Warblers plus many other nice birds.
Even I said that there wasn't much sense to scope to the sea, I got my trips only year tick in that way: Dunlin was on a small islet near shore. :king:
 

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An overview of my year tick situation at the end of May.

Year ticks: 185 (last year: 193) - So not looking good... :-C
Eco ticks: 120 (last year: 134) - Even more worst...
Garden ticks: 57 (last year: 61) - :cat:
Mammal ticks: 15 (last year: 10) - This look's little bit better.
Reptile and Amphibians: 5 (last year: 3) - And this.

But I don't sink in despair. There is still more than half of the year left.
And my last tick for May was quite nice - After many years dipping: Marsh Sandpiper, which is why I went out of work. However, twiching it didn't last more than an hour, after which I was more refreshed at work. :king:
 
Helsinki - 7th June

On that day I had a work gig in Helsinki and I planned to do some birding in Viikki/Vanhankaupunginlahti while I was there. In Arabianranta had been fair weekdays a Bar-headed Goose, which was lifer to me. Some kind of lifer anyway, because in Finland it's on category D. Even, in Kemijarvi (2008) had one successful breeding and one possible in Kainuu (2006). Before I found BhG I found these fearless Canadians (Photo 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0qwXA3zCg4&feature=youtu.be

After twitching that beautiful Goose I walked to Viikki's Lammassaari and tried to look out the Long-eared Owl and Golden Oriole, which had been seen there earlier in the morning - without success. But it's always pleasure to go Viikki. I manage to take short videos this Barn Swallow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmBHfrt2lEo&feature=youtu.be and this very showy Sedge Warbler https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhTICRuyTJM&feature=youtu.be

Hoodie (Photo 4) thought that Bird tower means that the tower belongs to birds. :king:

When I left from Viikki, I had information that there is Booted Warbler in Malmi, Helsinki. I didn't have it on my lifelist - but now I have. B :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3UoRj7kZKs&feature=youtu.be (It's little bit frusrating when cobirder fire up with camera and you try to record birds sound :C BW didn't show up so well for another time, so that's my only video for it)
 

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Eco rally - 8th June

On 8th June was again time to race. This time with bike and alone. Rally time was 8 hours and I started at 03.15 am and stopped 11.15 am. I cycled a little over 62 km in Kotka and Pyhtaa counties and I get 82 species. With that score I came fourth place (from 4 competitors |:x| ), witch begin to come very familiar place to me (or my team).
Other competitors get 111 sp. (winner), 104 and 102. So I really sucked... :-C
I can only say that I cycled too much on woods, when I should scoped more on shores. Good thing is that there is always next competition...

Weather was nicely sunny and the morning hours were pure enjoy, when birds were singing and species get coming: Corn Crake, Green Sandpiper, Wood Lark, Tree Pipit, Little Gull, Great Reed Warbler and Marsh Warbler were new eco ticks for me for this year. However, the best bird of the day was Lesser Gray Shrike, which I saw 15 minutes before the end of the rally. OK, it was a twitch, but nice rally species still. This was my second LGS ever and it was exactly same place than my first one on 6th July 2016 - Hovinsaari, Kotka.

In addition to the LGS, Roe Deer was photographed during the rally, and few days later I photoed Meadow Pipit and Spotted Redshanks (which are already on autumn migration) - both of course in Hovinsaari.
 

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Red-headed was near Turku, so way too far away for biking trip. I didn't go even with car. Which I'm gonna be sorry someday for sure. (I wait it coming closer some day... 3:) )
 
Nice to read some stuff from another biking birder:t:

I do not drive but do have half a dozen to choose from including electric conversions. My tallies would not match yours around where i live but i do take one of our folding Bromptons abroad from time to time:eek!:

Laurie -
 
Nice to read some stuff from another biking birder:t:

I do not drive but do have half a dozen to choose from including electric conversions. My tallies would not match yours around where i live but i do take one of our folding Bromptons abroad from time to time:eek!:

Laurie -

I'm actually quite lazy biker. If there isn't competition, my biking trips are mostly short; 5 to 10 km only. I have planned that some day I take the tent and do two days biking trip in some good birding location. :cat:
 
Trip to Norway and Lapland 27.6. – 7.7.2019 with family, part 1

At a first day of my Summer holiday, we started to drive towards the North at 7.35 am. There was nothing amazing on the way to the Liminka – just the usual stuff; Magpies, Jackdaws, Crows, Wood Pigeons, Gulls, Cranes, Sparrows, Swallows, couple of dead Raccoon Dogs, etc… After 560 km and 8½ hours we were at the hotel.

Some of you might know that Liminka is one of the best birding hot spots of Finland and this was my first time there. Not the best time of a year, and only one evening and one morning to spend there but I decided to get most out of the short time. At evening (or afternoon if I’m absolutely correct) we drove to parking lot of Liminka Bay Visitor Centre (Liminganlahti: https://visitliminka.fi/en/liminka-bay/ ) and walked couple hundred meters to birdwatching tower of Virkkula. Which looked absolutely fantastic, it’s the finest watching tower what I have ever seen. But when I climbed to upper lever of tower, it soon became clear that the hard wind made it impossible to use the telescope… [couple of not so nice words] :C
There I was – on the ultimate hot spot of Finland and I could use only my binoculars and even that was unpleasant as the blowing North wind. Other family escaped soon from tower and so did I. I tried the lower level which is covered by the walls but the view from there was very limited. Soon my wife and son demanded that we return to the Visitor Centre. So my sightings from that visit was minor: Pied Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, Reed Bunting, Common Redshank (very showy), Hooded Crow, Marsh Harrier, Caspian Tern, Common Tern, Mallard, Wigeon (mother and ducklings) and Common Snipe. On the other side of Bay I saw lots of ducks and other waterfowl, but couldn’t ID them.
We make a short visit in the Visitor Centre and the exhibitions there and we all like it very much. On the hotels yard I saw couple of Rooks which is always nice to see, cos they don’t occur regularly on our neigborhood.

After good 5 hours sleep, I sneaked out and drove back to Liminka Bay. I thought that early in the morning the wind had calmed, but I was wrong. It still blew so that I soon pulled back to the lower level of the tower. It wasn’t pure joy, but I stayed there about an hour and saw in addition to the species seen last evening: Whooper Swan, Northern Shoveler, Common Teal, White-tailed Eagle, Common Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Black-headed and Common Gull, Great Tit, Fieldfare, Whinchat, White Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Yellowhammer.
At the next I drove half an hour to North-West to Sannanlahti’s tower in Lumijoki. I thought that it would be little bit more wind cover than Virkkula. I was right, but just a little. In my half an hour there I saw Wood Pigeon, Common Crane, Black-tailed Godwit (which is one of Liminka Bay specialities), Red-backed Shrike, Sedge Warbler, Redwing and briefly small Falcon (not sure was it Kestrel or Hobby). On way back to the hotel for breakfast I manage to see Lapwing, Magpie, Jackdaw, Blackbird and Spruce Siskin.

Then it was time to hit the road again. I had planned that the first stop would be made in Oritkari, Oulu. I was told that there might be Terek Sandpipers. – Actually, I had just got it for Lifer from Kouvola (which I think I haven’t told you yet) at the less than a week ago, but it was so distant that I didn’t get any photos it could have recognized. – So, this time I wanted more successful pictures.
When we get TS place, I noticed there was plenty of waders on a pool. Soon I found promising looking bird, but no – it was a Wood Sandpiper. There was at least four of them and also couple of Redshanks, Little Ringed Plover, Mallards, Teals and White Wagtails but no sign from Terek. Other family members get little bit nervous already, so I thought it’s better to put scope, binos, camera and myself in to the car. Anyway, I had still one other TS place in my notes. I started the little Skoda and lifted up the clutch, when I saw something small and pale waderish kind of thing landed on pool, I stopped the car and jump out with a camera. And indeed – there it was now – Terek Sandpiper looking for a lunch. I take my photos and short video and then we were ready to leave Oulu – and Finland - behind us.
https://youtu.be/WoC_NYaNUrw
 

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Trip to Norway and Lapland 27.6. – 7.7.2019 with family, part 2

We were on Swedish border at 12.25 pm and I started to collect Swedish ticks: Jackdaw, Black-headed Gull and Common Tern and so on, nothing special. Our trip first (and only in Sweden) Reindeer we saw just before crossing the Polar Circle. Bull with massive antlers grazed on road side. Scenery started look like we aren’t home no more, mountains (or fjeld or tunturi if you prefer) get higher and trees smaller.
We spend next night in Kiiruna and we were there at 16.30 pm. After settling to hotel, we went pizzas and then we were ready to sleep.

Saturday mornings start was 8.30 am. We did our first stop in Abisko where we bought some supplies and fill up the tank, cos I had read beer, food and petrol is cheaper in Swede than in Norway. About petrol – it wasn’t – at least in Abisko it wasn't. (Here I must say; they say that Finland is expensive country, but all the petrol we bought during our trip, it was cheapest in Finland. Maybe the food is little cheaper in Sweden – in grocery stores – but more expensive in Norway and the alcohol prices in Norway… :eek!:)
In Abisko has a nice Visitor Centre and we make a little walk there and noticed that it was beautiful place with plenty of paths to walk middle of nature. Now we were little bit annoyed at we didn’t choice this place to spend night instead of Kiiruna. Well, it’s always the next time. I saw my this years first Bramblings in Abisko, couple of very bright-coloured males. Nothing like those what I usually see in winter times in Southern Finland. Also there was singing Willow Warbler, Common Redpolls, Magpies, Hooded Crows, Fieldfares, some almost tailles Rodent (too quick to ID or taking photo) and on Visitor Centre House Sparrows. (I think that Tree Sparrows aren’t this north – yet – actually, I didn’t saw them anywhere on this trip.)
I was hoped to see Willow Grouse and/or Rock Ptarmigans in Abisko, but no luck with them. But just couple miles before Norwegian border I manage to saw Rough-legged Buzzard.

From Sweden, I got only 17 species from this trip and most of them was already on my Swede-list, so it stands on 33 now. What is quite sad number. :-C
Maybe I have to do birding trip to Sweden at some point.
 

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