London with my friends. 10.3-13.3.2022

 We had our long waited trip to London with my best friends! My pal Otto had two shows  during the weekend and it was good reason to go to my first gig abroad with him. Simo, Aarno, Antti, Oula, Ville and few others with us. 

We arrived on 10th with Simo and Antti before other came day after. Walking around Chelsea area, having beer in the park, food at the pub, football, some birds too, cause the weather was super nice and sunny. We also visited Harrods and some other tourist places of course. 

Exiting Carrion Crow.

First winter Back-headed Gull.

Local Squirrel. 

Ringed Parakeet.

Coot with the nest.

Egyptian Goose.

On Friday our group was together and we had short visit to Spital Fields and pub of course before diner with Otto. Fron there we took Übers to the Electric Brixton where the gig was. Amazing night with 2000 people, good music and friends. Back at the hotel way too late, or too early at 6.30 am. 

Wild night.

We had our private balcony at the venue. 

I had only three hour sleep and we had quick breakfast before touring the Big Ben and those areas. Later afternoon a football game at the Millwall stadium the Den. Great atmosphere, crazy fans and pretty good game against Middlesborough FC from the Middlands. 0-0 was the final result. We also visited Wembley Park and some outlet area after the game. 

Big Ben under renovation.

Antti, Aarno and flags.

Millwall stadium.

Next show at the evening, but this time I was way too tired to stay up all night, so me and Aarno headed back to hotel around 3am. Sleeping was nice. 

Sunday was slow, nothing really exiting. On our way to Heathrow we visited Westfields shopping mall, biggest I´ve ever seen.. Some shopping for the kids and to the airport. 

Not too many "wild" birds this trip. Garganey was surprisingly common, loads of different gulls, lone Wagtail, Robins, Common Buzzard, Tufted Ducks, two Common Pochards, Showeler male, lots of Goldfinches, Ringed Parakeets, Carrion Crows and something like that. In Hyde Park I had Black Swan, Wood Duck, Red-breasted Geese, Mandarin Duck, about ten Egyptian Geese and tens of Moorhens. 

-Tom 

February.

 Most of the time this month was boring, very snowy and I worked a lot. Only few highlights and I can mention Long-eared Owl from Espoo on 20th while I was drinking beer with my friend and Great Gray Owl from Mellunmäki, Helsinki on 23rd also that morning I had Grey Heron flying over Maunula when I was heading to work. 

We had very harsh winter this year and about average 60cm snow all over the Helsinki. Here is my single highlight shots from February.

Great Gray Owl sleeping.

-Tom

Slow birding and flying mousetraps.

Finally last Saturday (29th) I had some time to visit few places to see couple of long staying birds. First I went to check if the Rough-legged Buzzard would show up, and it did. Distant bird was sitting on a tree and watching some people passing it with horses. It must be pretty used to people, because it just sat there when someone rode like 10 meters from it. 

Anyway pretty rare here during the winter months and worth to visit any day.

Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Rough-legged Buzzard and a rider. 

Flying mousetrap.

Handsome male Bullfinch.

Later I drove to Hietaniemi cemetery and just before the major blizzard really hit Helsinki I found my target species, the Northern Hawk Owl. Very smart bird, but damn it was high up in the tree and there was simply no light for any good photographing... 

Northern Hawk Owl.

Bird was sitting very high and was not really photogenic. 

Many other common birds were seen too and adult female Goshawk is always a memorable bird to see. Loads of Greenfinches, Bullfinches, House Sparrows and Blackbirds around. 

Yesterday and today we got about 35cm of snow in Helsinki, so I´m not really too excited to go there and watch birds, but one thing is sure, little by little the days area longer and soon I have some daylight after work and the is really something I wait. 

Maybe more birding in near future, if we don´t get anymore snow.. (please). 

-Tom

Slow start for the year of 2022

 I have been working like crazy past few weeks. Almost all the weekends I just have rested to be ready for the next week. Finally on 8th I was able to go out and damn I got some quality birds to my list. 

I started from Espoo where I went to see Common Kingfisher. It is not a common bird here, but I know a place which holds at least one bird almost every winter. I parked my car and soon I met Matti Rekilä and Ira Teräspuro there. They told me that the bird was seen 15 minutes earlier about 150m from the place I was standing. Matti also mentioned something about Water Rail, but I was pretty busy to go and see the Kingfisher. 

I walked along small ditch and quite soon I found the bird sitting on a reed. I was showing me the wrong side, and when I moved a bit it took off and landed near by. I was able to take some photos, but nothing really good this time. 

I walked back and people told me to check the ditch from there. Water Rail was feeding there semi openly, before it took off and walked behind some collapsed woods. Great winter species here! 

Common Kingfisher.

What a smart looking bird. 

And again.

Water Rail.

After these nice birds I left, but I remembered that there was update of Black-throated Thrush from Latokaski, Espoo. I checked the google maps and only 9 minutes to the place, nice. 

I drove there, parked my car and went to the place. I knew the exact spot, cause we tried this same bird last year with my kids... o luck back then. 

This time took me about 2 minutes to look at the right place and bird was in the bag! People were running and walking around the area, but no one else checked the yard... I told to some people where to watch and I left. It was pretty far away, no really chance to take photos, so only these record shots this time. 

Black-throated Thrush.

Bird was originally found 13th of December and it has stayed there since. 

Great day and god species! This was nice start for my year and more birding coming, sooner or later. 

-Tom