Quality birding in Espoo. 21.5.2018

On 21st I dropped Vilma to daycare and headed to Maari bird tower in Espoo. I arrived just after 8 a clock and there I as surprised that there was only Touko Torppa, Jani Ceder an Hannu Ruotsalainen in the tower. I checked the meadow and I found three Temminck´s Stints, some Ruffs, Redhanks etc. Stints were new to my year list. Very soon after I arrived an alarm came of an female Red-crested Pochard from Elfvik tower. Distance from Maari to Elfvik is about one kilometer and little bit more when you go with car or a bike.
Others wen to twitch the bird, but I wanted to stay and wait if I can see it from Maari. I regularly checked if the bird would came in open and visible, but nothing in first hour. Boys came back and told that bird was showing well from that other tower. I was not worrying and my waiting paid the price when me and Hannu Palojärvi, who also twitched the bird earlier noticed it swimming with Mallards just behind the last reeds. Nice bird and new species for the tower. Here is a very poor record shot of the Pochard. Taken trough my telescope and distance of 1000m.

Female Red-crested Pochard from 1000m. 

My only real bird photo from the tower. Sedge Warbler singing.

Scopes and tower. 

View from tower to the bay. 

The atmosphere was relaxed and calm after we found the bird and more people came to the tower. We had few Honey Buzzards, a single Hobby, some Ospreys, Kestrel etc migrating and not too many birds on the meadow. Still I got some new species on my year list including that Hobby and Honey B, Little ringed Plover, Water Rail and finally when I was walking to my car, a Spotted Crake near the road walking in the reeds and it disappeared very quickly.

On 22nd I spend lots of time outside with Vilma. Our backyard is amazing because there is lots of flowering apple trees. Vilma like pink color and ques what color are the flowers :)

Also some birds around singing Garden Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, lots of Common Swifts and Fieldfares around. Vilma likes every animal and wants to stroke every Squirrel and European Hare in our backyard. Shame that the animals are little shy for this.

Flock of Barnacle Geese migrating over our house.

Apple tree flowers. 

Anemone Nemorosa from our yard.

Vilma showing me some Common Swifts.

Vilma and apple trees.

My two week summer vacation started this week and after that I will spend 3 weeks on parental leave. Baby is coming in a week and second, hectic baby period coming into our family.

Yesterday an Scops Owl was found from Lammi, and that is interesting record. Only one previous bird in Finland back in 2011. I twitched that first on, but for some reason I´d like to go again. Maybe it stays a month calling every night, likethe last one.

-Tom