Something amazing.. 29.5.2012

Date 29.5.2012 will be remembered as one of the best days ever!
I started my work at 7am and this time i had to be at hangar roof. I was sitting there and at 8:21am something happened.
I saw weird looking bird coming from north and when it came closer i realized that im watching ALPINE SWIFT! It was totally unreal.. Bird did some circles just 10m(about) away from me.
I saw white belly and throat, huge size and when some Common Swifts came it´s size was even bigger.
I almost fell of the roof.
Hole situation lasted maybe 45seconds but in that time i was sure that this bird is not weird looking Common Swift.
This would be fourth record from Finland if RC accept this one.
Here is a photo of one bird so you people can see what it looks like. Photo is taken in Israel at 2011.

From Israel 2011, Alpine Swift.

I was in little shock rest of a day and people called me and congratulated me. Something totally new for me.
I still have little bit unreal feeling.
My shift ended at 4pm but day wasn´t over yet. Some people found Ring-necked Duck at Hanko birdstation just two days ago and there was opportunity to twitch it! We drove to Hanko and when we arrived little bit late there was something like 12 car groups waiting. We drove in one line to the parking lot and walked to the Ring-billed Duck place.
We were greeted by Aatu and he showed where the bird was. This duck was new lifer for me so it was worth of all driving.
Thanks Jari for company again! Here is great photo of bird, tajen by Aleksi Mikola. Sorry Aleksi but i had to borrow this.

Ring-necked Duck, male. (c) Aleksi Mikola

Huuh, what a day, maybe once in a life time? How knows.
More stuff coming soon.

best

-Tomppa-

Espoo, 27.5.2012

Yesterday after little partying, i had to go out and watch some birds.
I woke up of course late and when i arrived to Finnå waste-water treatment plant clock, it was already noon.
I walked my normal clockwise route.
Sun was shining and there was something like 23degrees and i sweated like a pig..
Only normal species was seen..

Common Pochards, Tufted Duck and Shoveler male.

Gadwall Male.

Reed Bunting.

Common Rosefinch male.

Slavonian Grebe.

Finnå is one of my favorite place just because of Slavonian Grebes, maybe in the future i can have super photo of this specie.
After Finnå i went to the Maari birdwatching-tower. This time i left my camera in the car and just focused watching birds.
When i arrived to the tower i saw Jari Laitasalo and he´s girlfriend. Im not good with the names but was it Mirka? Sorry Jari if im wrong.
Almost first bird what i saw was Little Tern witch is nice specie here. Other birds were common shit but it was nice just watch birds in good company. Jari fond also Long-eared Owl hovering in the air, weird but nice.
Other birds worth mentioning was 3 Sparrow Hawks, Hobby, Broad-billed Sandpiper ans Osprey.
Thanks Jari for company and hope when you get your ass in to the Hanko Birdstation you will see something nice.

Best.

-Tomppa-

Lazy me...

Sorry for the late posting.. I had no inspiration to write anything. Last day in Hanko bird observatory was quite slow...
I came home at Saturday and we did not see any significant... Sunday was better there and Petri, Jonne, Jari and Aatu saw Black kite and White-backed Woodpecker. Good job guys!
I must thank all you guys and also Aleksi and Kaisa for nice company. It was nice to be in station again.
Now this week in work and then i have more time to watch birds.
Sorry for this photoless post, see you soon.

-Tomppa-

Nice arctic migration, 18.5

Morning came way too early, we woke up at 4am and after little coma i got my self to the bunker. Weather was nice but wind was little bit too hard.. First Geese flocks came very soon after we start and Divers started their migration also.
Here we do sea-watch in 30min periods and normal mourning routine is 4hours. Here is numbers from routine.
m = migration
Black-throated Diver 739m
Red-throated Diver 31m
Diver Specie 552m
Barnacle Geese 1297m
Brent Goose 119m
Geese Specie 163m
Steller´s Eider 18m
Black Scooter 460m
Velvet Scooter 76m
Long-tailed Duck 2874m and 200 local birds
Eider 45m and 5000 local birds
Water bird specie 1975m
White-tailed Eagle 8locals
Marsh Harrier 2m
Greater Spotted Eagle 1m (Afternoon, i didn´t see it)
Oystercatcher 50 locals
Bar-tailed Godwit 1m
Ruddy Turnstone 1m
Arctic Skua 10m and 3locals
Short-eared Owl 1m
Yellow Wagtail 1m
Thrush Nightingale 4locals
Bluethroat 1local
Ichterine Warbler 1local
Red-backed Shrike 1 local
Parrot Crossbill 2m

Same time Jari got some birds from the net and i got some hand-pics.
Rest of the day was slow and wind was still very hard... Best bird came from net when Aleksi got weird looking Chiffchaff witch had features of ssp. Collybita Collybita witch is southern race of this specie.

Flock of Black-throated Divers.

Mr. Chaffinch.

Common Rosefinch, male.

Thrush Nightingale. 

Chiffchaff, possible ssp. Collybita Collybita.

At evening we went to the sauna.

Nice day with nice numbers of birds.

-Tomppa-

Hanko Bird-observatory, 16-17.5.2012

Yesterday i came to Hanko bird-observatory, on my way i stopped at Lepinjärvi where i saw something like 10 Red-necked Grebes and few Sedge Warblers. I arrived about a 3pm and after i got my bag and other stuff in i said hello to Aatu and Aleksi.
Rest of the day was slow and not any interesting birds were seen. Total specie count yesterday was like 73.

Red-necked Grebe in Lepinjärvi.

Today we woke up at 4am and after little breakfast i got my self to the bunker witch is main observation point here in station area.
First migration was super slow and weather was shabby.. After an hour first real migrants were seen but today wasn´t the day... Best birds were 16 Common Rosefinch, Hobby and some other common stuff.
Rain was almost all day problem and when we stopped our sea-watch it was heavy rain already...
All the people went in when i noticed that my camera bag and telescope are still at the bunker..
I ran there and same time Aleksi yell´d that Jari haves Collared Flycatcher quite near.
I ran back and others were little bit ahead of me. I catch them soon and after 5minutes we arrived to the place were Jari had the Flycatcher.
First the bird were hiding and just some people saw it, i saw it only like 2sec. sitting on a branch! Nice Finnish tick for me! Bird was 2cy male and super cool looking.
I didn´t carry my camera there because of rain and soon we get back to the station and got some dry clothes on.
Rain continued about an hour and after that i went to look the flycatcher again with Aatu.
First we heard the voice but bird were hiding very effective. Aatu went back and i stay to look at it one more time. After 10minutes i spotted it sitting in a tree and then i got the photos. Nice!
Bird were quite shy and i got pics only from the distance...
Here is photos of some common birds and the Flycatcher.

Collared Flycatcher.

Arctic Tern and fish.

Common white-throat.

Lesser white-throat.

This was good day and tomorrow should be better weather, so maybe we can see something really rare.

Best.

-Tomppa-

New York 5-12.5.2012

Me and Sarina had a little trip to New York. Most of the time was shopping, culture, eating and just watching the city.

We also had some time to make few visits to Central Park and there was opportunity to watch some birds. 

I just counted and my trip-list is 53 species. Most of the species are from Central Park but few are from Bryant Park and Battery park. 

List of the species:
Double-crested Cormorant
Night Heron
Brent Goose
Mallard
Red-tailed Hawk
American Herring Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Laughing Gull
Mourning Dove
Feral Pigeon
Northern Flicker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Barn Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Chimney Swift
Tufted Titmouse
House Wren
American Robin
Swainson´s Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Veery
Wood Thrush
Grey Catbird
Blue Jay
Red-eyed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Northern Parula
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
Black-and-White Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Canada Warbler
Cape May Warbler
American Redstart
Yellow Warbler
Wilson´s Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Ovenbird
Northern Cardinal
White-throated Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Common Grackle
Red-winged Blackbird
European Starling
Brown-headed Cowbird
Baltimore Oriole
House Sparrow

Prothonotary Warbler is rarest bird, Feral Pigeon, American Robin, House Sparrow and European Starling were most common. There was something like 20 birders twiching the Prothonotary and i was super lucky when i saw it. Bird were hanging with nice Wilson´s Warbler. Here is some photos from the trip. Hope you have energy to check all pics..

Baltimore Oriole, male.

Blue Jay.

Black-throated Blue Warbler, male.

Northern Cardinal, male.

Grey Catbird.

Black-and-white Warbler.

Downy Woodpecker.

Magnolia Warbler.

Mourning Dove.

Ovenbird.

Double-crested Cormorant.

Red-winged Blackbird.

American Redstart, female.

American Redstart, male.

American Robin, male.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, female.

Tufted Titmouse. 

White-throated Sparrow.

Warbling Vireo, tell me if im wrong!

Wilson´s Warbler, bad photo...

Common Yellowthroat, male.

Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Then i had this Sparrow, if somebody can tell me what this is, i would be grateful.

Sparrow SP. 

I must thank Sarina for patience, three times in Central park had to be frustrating for you and my passion of birds must be annoying.
This was super nice trip and i hope we can make it again very soon.

End of story.

-Tomppa-

Pelican in Estonia!! 4.5.2012

Some guy found Estonia´s 4th White Pelican few days ago. Because pressure of Estonian ticks is horrible, Jände, Uku Paal and i decided to go and twitch the bird.

We left at 9:30pm from Helsinki and after 2,5 hour sailing we arrived to Tallin. 

Rene Otteson waited us in harbor and after the compulsory measures, we jumped in to the car.

Driving was long but because i fell asleep, it did not seem so long. 

We start looking very early and if somebody thinks that now is summer, welcome to Estonia, 0 degrees and super cold morning. 

We drove around the area and only big white birds we saw was White Storks. 

Many times we tried walk around also, and one time i saw Northern Harrier. After 2h searching, almost everybody started to be hopeless. 

Uku and Rene talked with some Estonian birders who saw bird day before we came and they got some info of fishponds. 

We drove there and after 5min Uku screamed like maniac! Pelican, Pelican!!! I was walking with Rene and we didn´t saw it first. After 50m spring in 3seconds we had bird in control. 

Pelican were sitting on field and we decided to get little bit closer. I took some photos trough Renes telescope and here is something

Pelican.

This was actually first pic. 

After these photos bird flew in to fishpond. Jände and Uku got super photos of flying bird. 

Before we leave we waited one more twitcher and then we left. 

Rest of the day was driving and nothing special..

Thanks Uku, Jände and Rene for company. 

This was my Estonian tick number 275.

Best

-Tomppa-