Viikki fields and stuff with Julius 4.4.2019

Yesterday I had very pleasant walk with my son Julius in Viikki fields and surrounding areas. Julius was in stroller and basically he slept the whole time we were walking around for two hours.
Lots of birds in the area and I noticed that Thrushes have arrived. I had all five basic species of Thrush today (Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Redwing and Fieldfare). Tens of Skylarks singing and few Wagtails feeding in short grass. I picked many new species to my year list from the fields, including Common Ringed Plover, Common Redhank and Redwing.
I remember that I was thinking about Black Redstart something when I passed that famous red barn in the middle of the fields and there it was, a Black Redstart! Funny situation I thought and I forwarded the info about the bird into our alarm system. This species is always nice to find and it is one of those rare breeders in Finland.

Common Ringed Plovers.

Eurasian Skylark.

Backlit Black Redstart. Female or young male. 

I continued towards Viikki arboretum and I walked through the forest near by. I had Greater-spotted Woodpecker and always nice Grey-headed Woodpecker. I checked the bay from Hakalanniemi, but nothing interesting there.. Maybe a Goshawk for mention something.
I walked to Purolahti and there I had quite early Little Ringed Plover, loads of Eurasian Teals and some Canada Geese. Also lone White-tailed Eagle passed the area and went towards NE.

Distant White-tailed Eagle. 

Very distant Little Ringed Plover. 

I went back the same route and this time I found a pair of Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers from Hakala forest. Male was drumming and female did everything to ignore the male. Let´s hope they will breed there somewhere near. Pair of Stock Doves in the area too.
I stopped to the barn again, but no Black Redstart anymore. Also Julius woke up there, so we walked back home pretty soon after that.

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker. 

Great two and a half hours today of quality birds and sunshine. Roughly 40 species today and almost forgot to mention, that Black Redstart was my stroller tick number #230!

-Tom