15. toukokuuta 2017

Weekend in Vääksy 13.5.-14.5.2017

So we visited Sanni´s mother in Vääksy and what a great weekend we had. We took Sanni´s four year old niece with us and arrived to Vääksy before noon yesterday. Before we left I checke some local bird sightings and my main target was Red Knot which was found few days earlier near my mother in laws place. Inland observations of Red Knots are very rare and this was also quite early individual.
When we arrived the bird was easy to see from a little pier.

Red Knot.

My Swarowski and the place. 

So, very good stroller tick for me! Also around 30 Yellow Wagtails were quite impressive sight. Later girls went to bed and I continued to Pirppula shore to look if some migrants would show up, and they did.
Almost first bird I found was smart looking Blue Throat. Bird was hiding under a rowboat and was impossible to photograph.. Good bird anyway. Also lots of Willow Warbler, some Pied Flycatchers, Great-spotted Woodpeckers, calling Great Bittern, some Common Sandpipers, Wood Sandpipers, Little Gulls, Red-breasted Grebe along many Crested Grebes and male Marsh Harrier.

Male Pied Flycatcher.

Female Grea-spotted Woodpecker going into her nest. 

Willow Warbler.
Later evening we had more relatives visiting us and we had good time inside and outside.

Vilma having a good time outside.

Sunset from my mother in laws balcony. 


Today I had some time to spend with birds and I went to check if the Red Knot would show up little bit better. I arrived there and watched the bird with my scope when it took off and landed after long flight. I went to look at it, but nothing... I saw few Wood Sandpipers leaving, so maybe it went with those. While searching the bird I found my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year, but nothing else.. I left after 45 minutes search. Three Lesser Whitethroats calling around the area too.
Little bit later I checked Pirppula again and wanted to see if even more birds has arrived. Nothing really interesting in the bushes, but eight Willow Warblers in one tree was nice. Same pair of G-S Woodpeckers in the area and lone Pied Flycatcher.
I started to look the lake and I knew that today many Black Terns has arrived to Finland. I saw a small flock of Little Gulls, but nothing with them. I scanned the water and maybe ten minutes later I found it. A lone Black tern was flying very low towards South-West and it was clearly migrating. It didn´t care about other birds, it just continued and soon disappeared into the thermal ripple. Bird was adult and had clearly a whitish tail, black head and uniform light grey upper parts.
Always nice to see these. I don´t have many records in Finland of Black Terns, but in Estonia I have seen hundreds.

Peacock Butterfly.

There it was. Place where I saw the Black Tern.

Good stuff and new birds for the year list. Red Knot was stroller tick number 217!
Tomorrow I take Vilma and we will cycle to somewhere to watch some birds, so more posts coming soon.

-Tom

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