Some birding and day trip to beautiful Cagliari 23-7-24.7.2017

On 23rd I took whole morning for birds and that was really awesome. I started before sunrise and my target place was Porto Conte area and I was trying to get my self walking on a slopes of Monte Doglia (463m from sea level). I parked my car and started to walk on a sandy road upwards when I noticed a small animal walking. I stopped and raised my binos, Wild Boar piglet! I knew that if there is a small one, there has to be a bigger one too and took only few seconds when I saw the big one! I slowly turned around and walked back to my car. Phooh, those animals could be dangerous! I can handle a piglet, but the bigger one is in another weight class.
I continued driving and had few stops where I had flock of Barbary Partridges and some Yellow-legged Gulls..

One Barbary Partridge from the flock.

Cicada. 

I continued again and this time I stopped when I saw a small Sylvia-warbler crossing the road. I watched the place and suddenly I had male Marmora´s Warbler and maybe two juveniles near me.
I must say that I panicked and took randomly photos of birds and almost all of my pics are crap..
Birds disappeared quickly and I never found them again... Had the call too, so no Dartford´s Warblers.

This is possibly one of the juveniles. 

Adult bird. 

As you can see, not so good stuff...
I tried to relocate the birds but all I found was more and more Sardinian Warblers and big spiders.

Huge spider. About 4cm long and net was about 1m wide.

Juvenile Sardinian Warbler.

And again.

After this place I went to check what time the nature reserve opens the doors, but that was at 10 aclock so too late for me.
I made some stops and then decided to check Lake Baratz about 20km from there.
Nice flock of Spotless Starlings on my way and when I stopped, I noticed some cape named Belvedere Porticciolo. Another Marmora´s Warbler, some Red-veined Darters, some lizard and great views.

Belvedere Porticciolo.

Southern Gatekeeper.

Red-veined Darter female.

Red-veined Darter male.

Spotless Starlings.

Lizzard sp.

I finally arrived to Lake Baratz and it was super hot already. I walked to the lake and noticed huge numbers of Dragonflies going here and there. I think that there must be around 2000 Long Skimmers patrolling around the lake. Impressive sight. Lone Broad Scarlet male among the Skimmers.

Long Skimmer male.

Broad Scarlet male.

From the lake I found huge numbers of Coots, some Common Pochards, lots of Red-crested Pochards, Little Grebes, Grea Crested Grebes, Little Egrets, lone Marsh Harrier, Grey Heron and Squacco Heron. I have never seen so many Red-crested Pochards in one place.
Also Cetti´s Warbler around. Great place!

Distant Red-crested Pochards.

Squacco Heron.

It was so hot, and because I forgot my waterbottle into my car, I had to leave. I continued back towards Alghero and I drove about 20 different small roads before I finally found my first Balearic Woodchat Shrike! Bird was sitting on a wire and when I stopped it disappeared... Great.
Anyway, great tick for the future.
Finally my last place was near the Fertilia airport. I drove a small road and noticed big butterfly. Quickly out and amazing Swallowtail butterfly near me. For a second I dreamed about the Corsican Swallowtail, which is ne of the rarest butterflies in Europe, but this was "just" normal Swallowtail.

Swallowtail.

Swallowtail.

Later we had great day as a family and we visited Capo Caccia near Fertilia and had gelatos after god food.
Yesterday we had reat day in Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia. It took about three hours to drive there, but it was really worth it.

Streets of Cagliari.

Some old monument. 

We visited all the famous sites and this was maybe one of the day trips ever.
During the drive I had two Woodchat Shrikes, two Red Kites, lots of Kestrels and Common Buzzards.
After spending the day in beautiful city, it was great the end it with this view near our hotel.

Home beach.

Today we are going to see little city called Bosa and tomorrow maybe Stintino area.
More stuff coming later.

-Tom

First few days in Alghero, Sardinia. 19.7-22.7.2017

So, we arrived to Alghero last Wednesday around midday. Sunshine, 35 degrees and heat is what we were looking for, and we found it.
I´m always thinking about birds when we travel and this time I red about local endemic species like Marmora´s Warbler and Corsican Citrilfinch. Molton´s Warbler, Tyrhenian Spotted Flycatcher and Balearic Woodchat Shrike are interesting too, and new species to my list of course.

Without the pole this pic is perfect. It shows Country, Island and county in same picture. 

First few days we have mostly been at the beach. Vilma is enjoying the sun and water, Sanni loves sunbathing and I´m just looking around if I could find some birds from the city and from the beaches.
Our hotel is near a famous Maria Pia forest and behind that is awesome beach. I checked the forest one day when my ladies were asleep and easily I found lots of Tyrhenian Spotted Flycatchers, Sardininan Wablers, Firecrest, some Chaffinches and other common birds.
I took an effort to photo the Flycathers and here is some pics of this clearly larger subspecies.

Look at that bill! It looks more like a Shrike than Flycatcher. 

In Finland Potted Fly is small bird, here it is clearly bigger and stronger looking bird.

Adult.

Juvenile.

There has been lots of discussion about giving the full species title to this subspecies and I must say, without being any kind of expert, that at least in here, it is different birds than "normal" Spotted Fly back home.

Chaffinch.

Somekind of Lizzard in the forest.

Clear blue ocean behind the trees.

Outside my targets I have seen hundreds of Spotless Starlings, lone Alpine Swift, lots of Tree Sparrows, Italian Sparrows, three Bee-Eaters, lone Shag and lots of Yellow-legged Gulls.
From the butterfly world I have seen Hummingbird Hawk Moth, some small Blues, some fritillarys, lone Cleopatra Butterfly and somekind of big moth flying.
From Dragonflies there has been Blue-eyed Hawker and some species of Darter family.

I found this juvenile Woodpigeon from the park. Funny looking fellow. 

Finally yesterday I got my rental car and tomorrow morning I´m heading to Porto Conte natural park area to find my missing Marmora´s Warblers and other goodies.
More stuff later.

-Tom

Ultimate twitching day. 14.7.2017

Thank god I´m on vacation. Ari Kuusela found Steppe Eagle from Topinoja dump and after long waiting, this rare species was in reachable distance from home.
It took me less than two hours to drive and when I arrived to Turku, where the dump and bird were, it was sitting on a sandy bank.
This was maybe my easiest twitch ever. People told me where to look and then I spend 45 minutes just watching the bird sitting.. I hoped some flight show from it, but nothing.

Steppe Eagle. 

Little bit closer.

And again.

Topinoja dump. Bird was sitting behind all the garbage. 

Great bird and new species to my Finnish list.
During the visit we got a message of Pratincole species from Joroinen, but I just passed it first.
When I arrived back home the situation was "worst" possible. This Pratincole was either Oriental or Collared and both are mega rarities in Finland, with only seven records of Collared and zero records of Oriental!
I talked with Jände, my uncle and of course this was bad situation at home. Sanni waited some shopping with me and when I had to cancel that, well, things were bad..
We started at four a clock with Jände and after three and a half hour drive we arrived to Joroinen.
The bird was just sitting on a field and lots of people watched it. About 100 people saw it that night and few more next morning before it disappeared at 8:45am next day. 

Oriental Pratincole.

Oriental Pratincole.

Oriental Pratincole.

Oriental Pratincole.

What a great find. We had pleasant 50 minutes at the site and it was nice to see old friends.
Lots of discussion about the ID of the bird in facebook, but I´m sure that this is the real thing, real Maldivarum. Some of the foreign experts are sure, so why not.
If the rariteis commitee will accept this as a Oriental Pratincole, it will be a new species for Finland and only 15th for Western Palearctic.
We will know more later after the RC meeting in the near future.
We left the site and after long drive I arrived home at midnight.
Thanks Jände for great company, this was super fun. Also two new species to my FInnish list in a single day is rare. Now the number is 332
Congrats to the finders of the bird.

-Tom

Wedding weekend in Tampere and quick twitch 1.7.2017

Last weekend we had Sanni´s best friends wedding in Tampere. I had my mothers car, Vilma with my mother and Sanni already in Tampere, and Siberian Stonechat waiting me in Ylöjärvi, near Tampere.
I Started before nine a clock from Helsinki and took me about 2 hours to reach Ylöjärvi. Some people were waiting the bird and they told that it was seen about 20 minutes before I arrived.
I looked the field where the bird was seen but nothing in 15 minutes. Only Whinchats with their fledlings.
I took a little break and rested my eyes when I suddenly noticed a bird quite near the road and boom, there is was!
Handsome Siberian Stonechat male sitting on a branch. I took some photos and enjoyed this long waited lifer. First for me in Finland. I have seen these in other countries, of course, but it is quite rare here in Finland and especially in Helsinki area where I live.

Siberian Stonechat.

Cropped photo. 

This on going week I have worked all the time. 84 hours in one week is killing me, but my annual vacation starts next Monday, so lots of time after this week. During my nights I have seen some moths including this awesome Bedstraw Hawk Moth (Hyles Gallii).
8th of July I twitched European Serin from Viikki, which is annual, but rare here in Capital area.

Bedstraw Hawk Moth.

Next week I will start my summer vacation and I´m off next four weeks. We are going to Italy starting 19th for two weeks, so more post coming later.

Tom