Owls again 28.11.2020

 Yesterday I had little time to go to Vuosaari and twitch Northern Hawk Owl from there. Las two visits were unsuccessful, so I had to see the bird this time. Tyron informed me that the bird is still there and I was only seven minutes away. Lots of photographers around when I arrived and bird was easy to see. It was nice to see Tyron and Ella at the site too. I spend half an hour there and got some decent record shots of the bird. 

First it was behind the branches, but soon it moved to a better place.

Northern Hawk Owl.

That mean stare! 

Easy place near the road and photographers can watch it from the path. 

Great bird and shame that I did not see any hunting this time. Some people have seen that the bird is very effective hunter. 

When I drove back home I stopped at Kivikko ruderate and I checked the small area. Zero birds and I left in 15 minutes...

Kivikko hotspot.

Later I was at home when our local Whastapp-group told that there is Eagle Owl and Tengmalm´s Owl in Viikki! Sanni was leaving to work so it was with the kids kind of twitching again! 

We packed our stuff and soon we were walking to the place where the bird was seen. Quite many searchers and I heard that nobody from that group had seen the Tengmalm´s Owl. We walked around small area when I heard somebody saying "there". I went closer with kids and there it really was, a Eurasian Eagle Owl. It was hiding and all we saw was its belly! I think it was a miracle that someone even found it from that small spot it was showing... Here is my nature photograph of the year of it.

Mighty Eagle Owl! 

It was inside of that tallest tree in the middle. About 8 meters above the ground.

Kids were having good time and they played with sticks, especially Julius. Later we had nice time in one playground nearby. Good day and good birds. 

I was hoping that I could do some birding also today, but it has been raining most of the day either sleet or water, so not much motivation to go out. Vilma went out with her friend. Maybe more birding next week. 

-Tom 

Glaucous Gull 23.11.2020

 On Sunday we were having great time in activity park with my family and my mother when I saw a message of local Glaucous Gull from Kivenlahti, Espoo. It was too late for me to go, but I was optimistic that it could stay. Next morning (23rd) I took my camera with me when I left to work and soon after sunrise Johannes Silvonen informed that the bird is still there. I had busy day but finally at 2 pm I arrived to Kivenlahti, Espoo. I saw a birder and I stopped him to ask if the Gull is still there. He told me to look a small platform about 500m from the doc and there it was. Very far, but anyway there it was! I got some poor record shots and after 15 minutes I left. 

For some reason Glaucous Gull, maybe the climate change at the arctic region, has been very hard to find from here in recent years. I just read that at the 80s and 90s there has been flock of many birds quite regularly. 

Here is picture of the distant bird.

Way too far...

-Tom

New week, mostly Owls. 15.11.2020

 From the weekdays not much to tell, except on Wednesday somebody found Great-grey Owl from Suutarila! I was no at the office because of annual self defense course so I missed it. Next day there was only one late update of the bird and it was already dark when I noticed that. 

On Saturday 14th I had couple of hours time and I was hoping that I could relocate the Great-grey Owl from the same spot. I drove to the site and started to look around. Area was huge, real needle in a haystack kind of situation. 

This does not really give the true picture of the forest, but finding a Owl from place like this is really lucky.

Anyway I continued and at some point I noticed a guy photographing something. I went to ask if there is something interesting and he just pointed an big Owl in a the tree near by. Ural Owl was sitting on a branch and looked us! Wowzers! I have had many problems this year to connect with this species and finally it was there. I saw one in Kaisaniemi earlier, but no camera, no binoculars or anything. This time I was better prepared. 

That stare!

Ural Owl.

It also tried to sleep, but every time it heard something and checked the surroundings.

Wow, what a bird. I spend about half an hour there and other guy waited his friend when I left.

I continued my search of that other Owl from different part of the forest. I was walking around the deeper part of the forest when I noticed some kind of alarming from Blackbird and some Blue Tits. I came from behind of a tree and Pygmy Owl took off very near me and disappeared quickly behind the bushes and trees... Great. Always a pleasure to see this species, but I was hoping little bit more than a twinkling. At this point I was pretty sure that I can´t find the Great-grey Owl, so I walked to my car and went back home. 

I went "in" to that area and I found Pygmy Owl.

Today at 15th I had some plans with my friend Tyron in Vuosaari. We were suppose to meet and together watch Hawk Owl and Pygmy Owl in Porslahti. Tyron was there earlier and told me that no sign of either, so I started from Kallvik. I walked around the cape area, but nothing really interesting around. I had maybe eight Great-spotted Woodpeckers, two White-tailed Eagles, some Tufted Ducks, Long-tailed Ducks and other common birds. 

Cape Kallvik. Weather was nice.

Juvenile Mute Swan.

Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Some Goldeneyes.

Later I sent message to Ty that I´m still coming to Porslahti to see if I can relocate the Owl. Tyron joined me and we walked around quite large area without any Owls... It was about 20 meters before my car when young boy, maybe 12 years old told us that he just saw the Pygmy Owl very near by. We went to check and there it was! It was sitting on a branch and watched us straight to the eyes. Thanks to that young man, who ever you were! 

Pygmy Owl.

One of my favorites.. So cool bird which can take prey twice the size of itself! 

I send the info of the Owl to a local whatsapp group and more people came. Like many times, when there is enough noise and disturbance, the bird leaves and this happened here again. Luckily I got these proper pictures before that.

Great end for my weekend and it was nice to catch up with Tyron again. Maybe something coming again next weekend with him. 

New week coming and hopefully more good birds with it! 

-Tom 

Weeks are running 9.11.2020

 Like the topic says, days and weeks are running and we are heading to winter time pretty soon. Last week and this week I have had very few opportunities to do any birding, but two times I have been searching an interesting bird with out any luck and today I twitched very late Yellow Wagtail from Vuosaari during my day at work. Normally I don´t run to see Yellow Wagtail here in Finland, but when there is one in November, there is always a possibility that the bird could be Eastern or some other interesting subspecies! 

Last Saturday I took kids and with my mother we tried to find Ural Owl from Etelä-Haaga. Bird was seen day before, but no luck there. Only there species of Tits, Jay, Bullfinches and other common birds around. Good time anyway for kids to play in the woods. 

Ural Owl place with kid and my mother.

Sunday we had Fathers day and I got alarm of Hume´s Leaf Warbler from Tuomarinkylä, Helsinki. With my family we had nice effort, but no luck here either... Anyway the bird was re-identified as a Yellow-browed Warbler later, so no problemo there! Lots of birders were after the bird when we arrived. 

Goshawk nest in the woods of Tuomarinkylä.

Birds was seen in the top of these trees.. Hard work.

Today I had to work again. My day started from Tuomarinkylä where I had to visit first thing at the morning. It was a good visit. When I turned my car to the place I saw Tengmalm´s Owl sitting on a branch. I tried to go little closer, but it took off and disappeared behind the buildings. I had to continue my work, so no time to search the bird. Later I was driving near the city center and I noticed an alarm of Yellow Wagtail, I decided to go. About an hour later I arrived to the scene and met Pekka Komi there and he kindly led me to the place where the bird was landed. We found the bird and I got some record hots of it before it took off again back to the meadow. Shame that it was "only" Western Yellow Wagtail. Nevertheless I had my first one in November ever! Congrats to the finders. Here is few pictures of the bird. 

Western Yellow Wagtail.

Somehow my camera settings were totally wrong to this situation..

Hiding effectively! 

Hopefully more birding activity in the near future and of course who does not want to see any rare birds? I certainly do! 

Laters,

-Tom 

Weekend with kids and nice start for November. 1.11.2020

 Today I had day full with kids, we visited Haaga to see my old friends from school times with their kids and we also had nice time in Haltiala, where Vilma had pony ride and I had Arctic Redpoll, so all good there. Later afternoon we picked Sanni from work. We dropped Vilma and Sanni to shopping mall and with Julius I went to twitch a local Hawk Owl from Kyläsaari. 

With the sleeping boy in the stroller I had to walk very muddy road and cross several large pools to see the bird and even got some poor record shots of the bird too! It was already very dark and evening was close when I watched the bird. Afterwards the stroller needed to clean with water... Anyway good day, some good birds, good start for the new month. 

Domestic Sparrow, female.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk.

Northern Hawk Owl. Pretty hard place to get any good pics.

One-eyed Hawk Owl.

More birds hopefully next week!

-Tom