Hanko 26-27.1.2013

What a nice weekend we had in Hanko.
On my way to Hanko i saw Grey-headed Woodpecker, Hazel Grouse, some Black Grouses and one Great Grey Shrike. We started the meeting about at one a clock in afternoon and lot of good decisions were made.
I don´t actually what happened, but soon the clock was something like 6pm. Time flies when you have something interesting and important on going.
Soon we had super nice sauna and rest of the evening was just hanging with the super nice people and i really had super time!
I went little bit too late to bed, after midnight, so next morning was little hard.
We took a part of Finlands biggest birding event, backyard watch. Last year over 15000 people took part of this event. I guess this year was at least that good.
Place where we stayed had little bird feeding in their yard so that was our place. First birds were Blue and Great Tits. Soon some Black birds and Bullfinches came to eat some seeds.
From the yard you could also saw some open sea so we tried to check it also.
Petteri and Janne saw some duck swimming in open spot, so we went closer and we found some Goldeneyes, Mallards, many Mew Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls.
We noticed some Herring Gull movement quite near and soon Petteri yelled, Glaucous Gull, Glaucous Gull!!
Beautiful 2cy bird flew near our place. After Glaucous Gull we had lonely Whooper Swan and that was third year-tick for me on this trip. Nice ending.

Our chairman Kalle Larsson shows some things there.

Relaxed atmosphere of the meeting.

After birds we continued the meeting and finished it after noon. Many good things also today.
Soon after meeting i start to drive back home. I had driven about 15min when i saw White-backed Woodpecker from the car window. Fortunately, i was stopped and i was able to look it trough binoculars. Nice male bird! Always nice to see this scarce Woodpecker.
Thanks to Janne, Visa, Kalle, Juha, Ina, Annika, Heikki, Jösse and Petteri for good company. And thank you all for warm welcome to join in this great people.
Hope we have more these nice meetings in the future.
So, that was my weekend. Hear you soon.

best.

-Tomppa-

Quick twitch. 25.1.2013

I woke up late afternoon because i was working all night. I checked some sightings from Helsinki and one jumped above others. Four Twites very near where i live.
It was already late afternoon but i was lucky with the light. Sun was still shining a little bit.
I arrived to Jätkänsaari and soon i found some other guys watching some birds. I asked them what they see and they told me there is two Shore Larks.
I saw Shore Lark earlier in same place but this time i got little bit better photos. Soon we saw flock of four birds coming on our direction, but we did not see them landed. I continued walking with some older guy and i was actually quite happy with these four birds we saw flying but other guy said that he did not saw any evidence that these four birds were actually the Twite flock.
So we continued our search and just before i decided to leave, some guy yelled that the flock was very near.
I took my camera and start to walk, but flock jumped in the air. I got only photos of flying birds, but you can ID Twite from the photo :) That was the major point.

Twite. 

One Shore Lark.

Two Shore Larks.

Twite was my year-tick number 60 and good specie here in Helsinki. Not my first but not many sightings.
Tomorrow i go to Hanko, so hear you soon.

Best.

-Tomppa-

Slow. 23.1.2013

Sorry for lazy posting.. I´ve spent most of the time inside and that´s normally means less birds.
There is full winter in Southern Finland, not much birds and very cold.
One day i saw Eurasian Eagle Owl from my car window and it has been best bird recently.
Im just hoping this winter will be over soon :)
Next weekend we have board members meeting of  Finish twitching association in Hanko and i hope i can check some places before and after the official parts. Im quite excited about this boardmember thing and i hope we have nice weekend there.
So maybe some text from the Hanko comes later.
Today i walked to my car and i saw Brambling in Ruoholahti! That was weird sighting, but it looked happy in House Sparrow flock.

So, i try to be more active and that´s a promise.
Here is a photo of Ruoholahti, place i live. Hope it gives you some spring feeling or something else.

Sunset.

Best.

-Tomppa-

Winter. 15.1.2013

I did some birding again today. Weather was bad. Cloudy, dark and only few birds.
I start from Etelä-Haaga and i successfully twitched White-throated Dipper. Nice year tick for me. Impossible to photo but i saw the bird twice before it went under the bridge and disappeared.

Dipper place in Haaga.

Next target was Rock Pipit in Viikki. I arrived there and there was few other birders also. On my way i called to Jari Linjala and he came later there with skis. I spend about hour there and no bird...
Jari continued he´s skiing and i started to walk to my car.
On my way to my car, i saw some bird flying along little ditch. Bird came closer and there it was, Rock Pipit, at last.. It went trough the lake where it´s normal place was. Also two Black Woodpeckers in the area. Second year tick for the day!
After Viikki i went to Seurasaari to check normal feeding places. Many Black Birds (25), Blue Tits (40), Great Tits (30) and few Coal Tits. When i walked back to my car some older guy told me about European Robin in one feeding place. I went there and there it was. Nice winter specie, although it has become semi common winter bird recent years.
Other birds in the island was Black Woodpecker (voice), Little Woodpecker (year tick), two Great-spotted Woodpeckers and Goshawk.

Black Bird.

Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Little Woodpecker painting in Seurasaari.

Blue Tit and Feral Pigeon.

Sorry about boring post. Normal species only in the photos.. I still have few days off work so maybe something coming soon, before my weekend in work.
I have now seen 56 species in Finland in 15 days. I have to save few species for the rest of the winter!

Best.

-Tomppa-