Today i decided to go out without any excuses. I ended my nigh shift and because i don´t have car i had to use buss and tram to get my ass to Vanhankaupunginlahti.
It was almost dark when i arrived but i was hopeful that even the Dipper would show if i have little patience.
Well, it did not..
I continued walking and first year-tick was Siskin. How embarrassing! Its almost March and i got my first Siskin today.. Soon i arrived to forest which is normally very good for woodpeckers. Fist bird i saw after Blue and Great Tit was Black Woodpecker. It was still so dark that my camera didn´t want to focus on the bird! Being in a sparse forest did not help me either.
So when i moved the bird flied away and no pics of the BW this time.. I continud again and soon i met three Great-spotted Woodpeckers with lone female Little-spotted Woodpecker. All the birds were enjoying the feeder. With better weather i could show you nice photos of all there woodies..
After woodpeckers i climbed to pornaistenniemi bird-tower and nice surprise was male Hen Harrier! I knew that there has been one bird in the are but seeing it that easy was nice. First good bird for the day.
It did not took long after Harrier i had two Stock Doves flying toward the city. Nice birds in February.
After the tower i checked little feeding near but only Tits and some Bullfinches around.
My next stop was old refinery in Viikki which normally brings lots of ducks in winters. This time there was about 45 Mallards and two Golden Eyes. So not much..
After this hotspot i walked to Viikki fields where i saw Great-grey Shrike from distance. No any migrant birds around there and soon i decided to go home to have some sleep..
Even it is still February there is lots of birds around. Warm weather brought us lots of Lapwings around Southern Finland. I had flock of five at work one day. Also record early Golden Plover in Pori and also some super early Tundra Swans around Finland, mostly in west.
So, lets hope that warm weather continues and we get some early rarities also.
Our Israeli trip is coming soon also and i am leaving 24th of March for two weeks.
Big thing is to take part of the Champions Of The Flyway birdrace in southern Israel.
Race is first of April and we are going to show how to handle this one! Hmm what else? Okay lets hope i have time to watch birds in Finland before that.
Now i am going to postal office to get my new Rare birds of North-America book. Can´t wait.
Hear you soon.
-Tomppa-
It was almost dark when i arrived but i was hopeful that even the Dipper would show if i have little patience.
Well, it did not..
I continued walking and first year-tick was Siskin. How embarrassing! Its almost March and i got my first Siskin today.. Soon i arrived to forest which is normally very good for woodpeckers. Fist bird i saw after Blue and Great Tit was Black Woodpecker. It was still so dark that my camera didn´t want to focus on the bird! Being in a sparse forest did not help me either.
So when i moved the bird flied away and no pics of the BW this time.. I continud again and soon i met three Great-spotted Woodpeckers with lone female Little-spotted Woodpecker. All the birds were enjoying the feeder. With better weather i could show you nice photos of all there woodies..
After woodpeckers i climbed to pornaistenniemi bird-tower and nice surprise was male Hen Harrier! I knew that there has been one bird in the are but seeing it that easy was nice. First good bird for the day.
It did not took long after Harrier i had two Stock Doves flying toward the city. Nice birds in February.
After the tower i checked little feeding near but only Tits and some Bullfinches around.
 |
| Great-spotted Woodpecker. |
 |
| Vanhankaupunginlahti. Hen Harrier showed here. |
My next stop was old refinery in Viikki which normally brings lots of ducks in winters. This time there was about 45 Mallards and two Golden Eyes. So not much..
 |
| Golden Eyes. |
 |
| The lake. |
After this hotspot i walked to Viikki fields where i saw Great-grey Shrike from distance. No any migrant birds around there and soon i decided to go home to have some sleep..
 |
| Great-grey Shrike. |
 |
| Viikki. |
Even it is still February there is lots of birds around. Warm weather brought us lots of Lapwings around Southern Finland. I had flock of five at work one day. Also record early Golden Plover in Pori and also some super early Tundra Swans around Finland, mostly in west.
So, lets hope that warm weather continues and we get some early rarities also.
Our Israeli trip is coming soon also and i am leaving 24th of March for two weeks.
Big thing is to take part of the Champions Of The Flyway birdrace in southern Israel.
Race is first of April and we are going to show how to handle this one! Hmm what else? Okay lets hope i have time to watch birds in Finland before that.
Now i am going to postal office to get my new Rare birds of North-America book. Can´t wait.
Hear you soon.
-Tomppa-
