Wow! It took only eleven days to do some bird watching this year. Last Tuesday some guy found Oriental Turtle Dove from hes feeder in Uusikaupunki, Wwestern Finland.
I had five night shifts this week and my first change to go there was today.
Little bit after six a clock this morning me, Markus Lampinen, Frans Silvenius, Tomas Swahn and Matt Koljonen started to drive towards Uusikaupunki.
After 260km we arrived to right place and we were very lucky when we noticed some friends showing that the bird was there! I jumped out of the car and finally saw this magical eastern dove! First it sat on a branch about one minute and later i found it drinking from little ditch about 200m from the first place.
This bird was 2 cy bird and race "meena" which means that this bird comes from open woodlands of central Asia. Only 21 records from Finland, so it is really rare bird.
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| Oriental Turtle Dove! |
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| Bird had little drinking spot there. |
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| Lots of people watching this Siberian vagrant. |
Also lots of other birds around the area, including Coal Tits, Brambling, Jay and big flock of Green Finches.
After this great bird we went to local fish harbor where somebody saw Glaugous Gull yesterday.
It took about ten minutes before the bird was found!
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| Harbor. |
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| Second year Glaugous Gull. |
Always nice to see this beautiful gull. Also lots of other gulls in the area with over a hundred Goosanders.
After harbor we had quick coffee break and then we continued to Uusikaupunki dump.
Lots of Ravens, Crows, Jackdaws, Yellowhammers, Starlings and some gulls there.
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| Uusikaupunki Dump. |
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| Part of the Starling flock. |
After this dump we had plans to go Hallavaara dump in Köyliö where somebody photographed first ever Kumlien´s Gull in Finland yesterday. There was already lost of people earlier today and that´s why we had no rush there.
While we were driving there Tomas saw big raptor flying above the road. Quick stop and WOW! Adult Golden Eagle circled above the road! Sadly the Eagle decided to leave very quickly. I got only distant shot of it, but we were super happy!
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| Golden Eagle. |
We continued our drive and next stop was Iso-vimma beach where we tried to watch some gulls. Tomas saw one Glaugous Gull from the car window but the rest of us missed it.
In the beach was super cold, only few birds and nice landscape. Lone Redpoll and flock of Whooper Swans were best.
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| View from the beach. |
Next stop was in Eura where we twitched flock of Collared Doves. This species is very rare in Helsinki area and i have seen only one bird in last two years. Here we had nine birds in same tree!
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| Here is two birds from the flock. |
Finally we arrived to Hallavaara and there was only one guy and he left same time we came there. Super cold weather, 2000 Jackdaws, only 200 Gulls and not much else.. No Kumlien´s Gull anymore today.
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| Hallavaara dump. |
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| Me having Gull-watch. |
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| Rest of the guys, Markus, Frans, Matti and Tomas. |
After we spend over 30minutes in windy freezer we decide to leave towards Helsinki.
Thanks guys for the company, this was great fun. Dove was my Finnish tick number 297, so soon i have my 300 party.
After this long brake of posting here i really consider to buy new car. But let´s see.
-Tom-
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