Finally i have some time to write this post and tell you about my last weekend in Pori.
After night shift and not so long sleep, my buss left from Helsinki to Pori at 2 pm. Long and boring (4 hours) drive was real pain in the ass but i made it. When i arrived my friend Petteri and hes wife Matleena picked me up. First we went to have coffee with Petteris parents and after that we started to do some birding.
Clock was about 7.30 pm when i looked our alarm system and i noticed that Lesser Grey Shrike was found in Kirrinsanta, which was actually our first target. Nice start! After 15 minutes driving we arrived there and soon i found the Shrike sitting on a little Birch.
Bird was quite mobile and it changed place very often. I managed to take some distant shots of the birds but it was quite hard to photo.
We were not the only ones who wanted to see the bird, but i guess everybody saw it that evening. We met Juha Sjöholm in the area and he joined us for the rest of the trip but more that later.
Kirrinsanta is nice place with low vegetation so we walked around the fields there but nothing better than lost of Yellow Wagtail with Lesser-G Shrike.
From Kirrinsanta we went to Levo to check if the Greenish Warbler would show up, and it really did. If i´m honest, we did not saw the bird but it was very close, calling actively. Also one Wood Warbler and Hawfinch in the area. Because there was still daylight left we drove trought Riitasarka to the famous Yyterin Lietteet to check some waders and other birds. We had one Baltic Dunlin, three normal Dunlins, one Little Stint, one Broad-billed Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit and some birds which are little harder to see. Five Water Rails and one Spotted Crake were calling around the bird tower.
We had our last light in Enäjärvi but nothing much there. Only two displaying Wood Cocks around.
That moment we decide to drive all night and check all good song bird places in the area and sleep later.
First stop in Halssi where we had Tawny Owl. Next Launainen where we heard very odd sound which turned out to be European Beavers sound! Also Common Grasshopper Warbler were singing with Common Cuckoo.
After these places our route was Kyläsaari-Airfield-Pinomäki-Pietniemi-Preiviiki-Kaarluoto-Kerinjärvi-Kirrinsanta-Lampaluoto.
Here is some numbers.
Blyth´s Reed Warbler 18
Grasshopper Warbler 3
Great Bittern 1 in Kirrinsanta
Great-reed Warbler in Kirrinsanta
Marsh Warbler 3
Corncrake 2
Common Cuckoo 3
At four a clock next morning we drove Juha back home and we met Pasi Alanko and with hes boat we went to Haminakari which is nice little island. Sadly after 20 minutes sailing we had to notice that there was not too much visibility.. At least we managed to see one Red-necked Grebe, some Black and Velvet Scoters, little flock of Greater Scaups, and two dark morph Arctic Skuas.
Soon we left to the nearest island called Iso-Enskari and we walked around it. Lots of Spotted Flycatchers, Goldcrests and later Petteri found singing Siberian Chiffchaff! Bird was very hard to see but it sang very actively. Finally i managed to take very bad photos of it and Petteri took some recordings of its song.
Siberian Chicffchaff is normally autumn rarity in Finland, so it was big surprise to find it now! There is not many spring records, but anyway, it is just a subspecies at the moment..
Clock was already about seven of eight so we sailed back and after we landed back to mainland Pori, we checked Sahakoski if there would be anything nice. Brambling male was best sighting.
Finally we went to Petteris house and it took maybe 30 seconds to fall asleep.
We had nice seven hour sleep and because Matleena went to watch hockey with her friends, me and Petteri were at home with their awesome daughter Mimosa. Just before nine pm and after lots of different games with Mimosa, we left again to check Enäjärvi and Teemuluoto if some chlidonias tern would show or even something better. Not this time. In Enäjärvi we had one Ichterine Warbler singing and in Teemuluoto we saw almost 150 Little Gulls, two Marsh Harriers and some singing Ichterine and Reed Warblers.
After Teemuluoto we went to Toukari to listen some singing birds again. We had huge numbers of nice birds in short time. We met also Veikko Aalo there.
River Warbler 3
Grasshopper Warbler 7
Blyth´s Reed Warbler 5
Marsh Warbler 1
Corncrake 7
Thrush Nightingale 14.
For a change we drove back to the house and we wanted to be out again in first light.
Plans changed after we noticed huge thunder storm at 4 am when we should woke up. So it was well deserved longer sleep.
At 9 am we went out and we checked some fields before we had quite long raptor watch in Teemuluoto.
In five hours we had some raptors and very nice flock of three Black Terns! Here is some numbers.
Honey Buzzard 6
White-tailed Eagle 2
Marsh Harrier 12
Common Buzzard 2
Sparrow hawk 1
Osprey 2
Hobby 5
Little Stint 2
Temmink´s Stint 4
Broad-billed Sandpiper 15
Whimbler 1
Little Gull 40
Black Tern 3
So nice numbers of birds around and of course the Black Terns were very nice sighting.
This was our last birding place before we went back to city and later evening we went out to hope that Finland would beat Russia in hockey. Well.. Everybody who watched that game knows what happened. Anyway we had great time and next morning i had to leave back to Helsinki with the buss.
I must thank Petteri, Matleena and Mimosa for superb company and great hospitality. We had great fun. Also thanks to Pasi Alanko, Matti Mäkelä, Juha Sjöholm and all the others who i met. Can´t wait to come back some day.
Lots of text and photos this time. Next week my summer holiday will start and more stories coming.
-Tom
After night shift and not so long sleep, my buss left from Helsinki to Pori at 2 pm. Long and boring (4 hours) drive was real pain in the ass but i made it. When i arrived my friend Petteri and hes wife Matleena picked me up. First we went to have coffee with Petteris parents and after that we started to do some birding.
Clock was about 7.30 pm when i looked our alarm system and i noticed that Lesser Grey Shrike was found in Kirrinsanta, which was actually our first target. Nice start! After 15 minutes driving we arrived there and soon i found the Shrike sitting on a little Birch.
Bird was quite mobile and it changed place very often. I managed to take some distant shots of the birds but it was quite hard to photo.
 |
| Lesser Grey Shrike. |
 |
| In flight. |
 |
| In the tree where it was found. |
 |
| Trough my telescope. |
We were not the only ones who wanted to see the bird, but i guess everybody saw it that evening. We met Juha Sjöholm in the area and he joined us for the rest of the trip but more that later.
Kirrinsanta is nice place with low vegetation so we walked around the fields there but nothing better than lost of Yellow Wagtail with Lesser-G Shrike.
 |
| Female Yellow Wagtail. |
From Kirrinsanta we went to Levo to check if the Greenish Warbler would show up, and it really did. If i´m honest, we did not saw the bird but it was very close, calling actively. Also one Wood Warbler and Hawfinch in the area. Because there was still daylight left we drove trought Riitasarka to the famous Yyterin Lietteet to check some waders and other birds. We had one Baltic Dunlin, three normal Dunlins, one Little Stint, one Broad-billed Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit and some birds which are little harder to see. Five Water Rails and one Spotted Crake were calling around the bird tower.
We had our last light in Enäjärvi but nothing much there. Only two displaying Wood Cocks around.
That moment we decide to drive all night and check all good song bird places in the area and sleep later.
First stop in Halssi where we had Tawny Owl. Next Launainen where we heard very odd sound which turned out to be European Beavers sound! Also Common Grasshopper Warbler were singing with Common Cuckoo.
 |
| Tawny Owl. Notice rainbow eyes, so i put some pink ink. |
After these places our route was Kyläsaari-Airfield-Pinomäki-Pietniemi-Preiviiki-Kaarluoto-Kerinjärvi-Kirrinsanta-Lampaluoto.
Here is some numbers.
Blyth´s Reed Warbler 18
Grasshopper Warbler 3
Great Bittern 1 in Kirrinsanta
Great-reed Warbler in Kirrinsanta
Marsh Warbler 3
Corncrake 2
Common Cuckoo 3
At four a clock next morning we drove Juha back home and we met Pasi Alanko and with hes boat we went to Haminakari which is nice little island. Sadly after 20 minutes sailing we had to notice that there was not too much visibility.. At least we managed to see one Red-necked Grebe, some Black and Velvet Scoters, little flock of Greater Scaups, and two dark morph Arctic Skuas.
 |
| Pasi and Petteri. |
 |
| Dark morph Arctic Skua. |
Soon we left to the nearest island called Iso-Enskari and we walked around it. Lots of Spotted Flycatchers, Goldcrests and later Petteri found singing Siberian Chiffchaff! Bird was very hard to see but it sang very actively. Finally i managed to take very bad photos of it and Petteri took some recordings of its song.
Siberian Chicffchaff is normally autumn rarity in Finland, so it was big surprise to find it now! There is not many spring records, but anyway, it is just a subspecies at the moment..
 |
| There it was! |
 |
| Petteri made real alfa-male posing after founding this great bird. |
 |
| Archipelago birding in Iso-Enskari. |
Clock was already about seven of eight so we sailed back and after we landed back to mainland Pori, we checked Sahakoski if there would be anything nice. Brambling male was best sighting.
 |
| Sahakoski. |
Finally we went to Petteris house and it took maybe 30 seconds to fall asleep.
We had nice seven hour sleep and because Matleena went to watch hockey with her friends, me and Petteri were at home with their awesome daughter Mimosa. Just before nine pm and after lots of different games with Mimosa, we left again to check Enäjärvi and Teemuluoto if some chlidonias tern would show or even something better. Not this time. In Enäjärvi we had one Ichterine Warbler singing and in Teemuluoto we saw almost 150 Little Gulls, two Marsh Harriers and some singing Ichterine and Reed Warblers.
 |
| Beautiful view in Teemuluoto. |
 |
| Also in Teemuluoto. |
After Teemuluoto we went to Toukari to listen some singing birds again. We had huge numbers of nice birds in short time. We met also Veikko Aalo there.
River Warbler 3
Grasshopper Warbler 7
Blyth´s Reed Warbler 5
Marsh Warbler 1
Corncrake 7
Thrush Nightingale 14.
 |
| River Warbler trough my binoculars. |
For a change we drove back to the house and we wanted to be out again in first light.
Plans changed after we noticed huge thunder storm at 4 am when we should woke up. So it was well deserved longer sleep.
At 9 am we went out and we checked some fields before we had quite long raptor watch in Teemuluoto.
In five hours we had some raptors and very nice flock of three Black Terns! Here is some numbers.
Honey Buzzard 6
White-tailed Eagle 2
Marsh Harrier 12
Common Buzzard 2
Sparrow hawk 1
Osprey 2
Hobby 5
Little Stint 2
Temmink´s Stint 4
Broad-billed Sandpiper 15
Whimbler 1
Little Gull 40
Black Tern 3
 |
| White-tailed Eagle |
 |
| Pintail. |
So nice numbers of birds around and of course the Black Terns were very nice sighting.
This was our last birding place before we went back to city and later evening we went out to hope that Finland would beat Russia in hockey. Well.. Everybody who watched that game knows what happened. Anyway we had great time and next morning i had to leave back to Helsinki with the buss.
I must thank Petteri, Matleena and Mimosa for superb company and great hospitality. We had great fun. Also thanks to Pasi Alanko, Matti Mäkelä, Juha Sjöholm and all the others who i met. Can´t wait to come back some day.
Lots of text and photos this time. Next week my summer holiday will start and more stories coming.
-Tom
Ei kommentteja:
Lähetä kommentti