Summerhouse weekend in Hartola 21.8-23.8.2020

Only a week late... But here it goes.

Week ago we spend our free time in our summerhouse. It was nice change to go outside of the city and have some good food with my family. Also my mother, brother and sister were there, so we had nice gathering.
I bought a new UV-lamp for butterflies and it worked nicely. I was able to attract quite many species of moths and geometer moths during the weekend.
August is still summer month in Finland and slowly migration is starting. In Hartola I had only few nice bird sightings, but Black Kite near the road when we arrived was one of those. Also calling Pygmy Owl is always nice. Hobby couple had at least two chicks and adults carried lots of food for them during the weekend. Otherwise birds I saw were just common species like Chiffchaffs, Great-spotted and Black Woodpeckers etc.
Here is full set of pictures from the trip. Not much to tell this time, but at least lots of pics.

Beautiful view from our patio. 

Maybe my best butterfly of the weekend. The Black Arches, Lymantria Monacha.

Saltern Ear Moth, Amphipoea Fucosa.

Ear Moth, Amphipoea Oculea.

Large Thorn, Ennomos Autumnaria has very good camouflage. 

Hedge Rustic, Tholera cespitis.

Hepialus Gamma.

Beautiful Arches, Mniotype Satura. 

Fox Moth caterpillar.

Passport picture for Large Thorn. 

Peacock Butterfly, Aglais Io.

Brown Hawker, Aeshna Grandis.

Distant Hobby. We have pair nesting near by our cottage and they had two or three juveniles this year.

Black Darter male, Sympetrum Danae.

Great time and possibly the last visit to Hartola this year. I really could spend my all free time in a place like this.
Thanks for the company all. This weekend I´m working, but next one we are going to Loviisa again.

-Tom 

Greater-spotted Eagle. 17.8.2020

I was just arrived back home with my daughter Vilma when I got message of local Greater-spotted Eagle from Vanhankaupunginlahti. Normally these birds just migrate over the area, but for some reason this one stayed. I drove to Viikki refinery and I had idea that there is the closest spot where I can see the bird.
I arrived and finally an easy twitch. After few minutes the bird was flying above the bay and huge flock of Crows and other Corvids were chasing it. I was able to phonescope few distant pictures of the Eagle. I watched the bird about fifteen minutes and then it disappeared. When I left the bird came back to the same place, but I was already happy. I saw the bird pretty well with the telescope and my opinion was that it was maybe 2-3cy bird. Pure Greater-spotted Eagles are starting to be pretty rare, but this one looked good. I later saw some pictures and I think the bird was not hybrid of any kind, which is good of course.
Here is my poor record pictures of the bird.
Other species worth mentioning were two Goshawks, Hobby and at least one Marsh Harrier.

The bird was chased by Crows every time it was flying. 

Here you can imagine to see some contrast and features from the upper wing.

Poor and far.. Anyway what a bird! 

This photo shows nicely how far the bird was. Can you see the pylon from here?

Rest of the week has been just working and being home with sick kids. Great fun.

-Tom 

Recent birding and summer house visit. 10.8.2020

First day of August I had time to twitch Hoopoe from Oulunkylä, Helsinki. Bird was found day before and many birders saw it. Place was little bit challenging and bird was feeding between houses. I had to wait about half an hour before I found the bird from the tree and soon it took off, almost landed near me, but continued quite far away and I did not saw it again. We also visited the place with my kids later that day, but that time we did not even see the bird there..

The spot where the Hoopoe was relocated.

Same day I also visited Vanhankaupunginlahti where I twitched Little Stint to my year list. Bird so small in distance is not really a pleasure, but good bird here anyway. No bird photos that day... I was really hoping to get some of the Hoopoe, but no luck.

On 3rd I had small flock of Common Starlings behind our house and I took few pictures of those.

Part of the flock.

Juvenile bird.

On 7th we started our weekend trip to Loviisa where we have the summer house. Real surprise was three juvenile Hazel Grouse very near the road about 1km before our place. I was able to get one poor photo of the bird which jumped into a tree. Great start!

Hazel Grouse.

During the weekend I had nice mix of birds around the area close by. Once I had big flock of passerines and in the flock I had Willow Tits, Great Tits, Wood Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, lots of Willow Warblers, Goldcrests, Pied Flycatchers and one calling Crested Tit. Also two Great-spotted Woodpeckers in same place.

Juvenile Pied Flycather.

Male Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Willow Warbler.

And another. 

Common Sandpiper and White Wagtail.

We were able to made a quick boat ride and I took photos of this cool island full of Cormorant nests and when we came back an adult Goshawk was soaring over our beach.

Great Cormorant island. 

Julius was in charge and others just enjoyed the ride. 

Also loads of Dragonflies and butterflies flying around during the weekend. Brown Hawkers, Common Hawkers, Vagrant Darters, Downy Emeralds and the best species of the trip, Baltic Hawker.

Vagrant Darter.

Vagrant Darter.

Silver-washed Fritillary, Camberwell Beauty, Peacock Butterfly, Large White and some others are butterflies worth mentioning.

Silver-washed Fritillary.

Camberwell Beauty.

Two of these huge Common Toads were in our yard and I got this awesome picture of some kind of Grasshopper.

Some kind of Grasshopper. 

Common Toad. 

This week back at work and next weekend we are having nice party for Sanni´s sister, so good times. Also my favorite time of the year for bird watchin is coming, so more birding coming hopefully soon.

-Tom