Trip to summerhouse with kids and twitching. 17.5-18.5.2020

So yesterday (17th) I took my kids and we visited our Loviisa summerhouse. We met my father and stepmom there and the idea was just prepare the cabin for next weekend when we are going there again for few nights. Because I had two kid and only two hands with me, I did not have quite many changes to see birds. When we arrived I heard Red-breasted Flycatcher at the parking lot and also one big Barnacle Goose flock had three Brent Goose with them. Great Bittern was singing constantly and while we drove the road to our house I had two Wrynecks and Woodcock, which took of from the road!

One of many Barnacle flocks. I counted about 2000 migrating Goose. 

This funny thing is Eurasian Treecreepers nest.

Lots of great memories from this place. 

Later afternoon the weather stated to look quite bad, so we left. At same time I got info about singing European Serin only 30km from our current location. I said to Vilma that if everything goes well and I get the stroller tick, they will get a reward. It was ok to kids and soon we arrived to Pernaja church. I took Julius to stroller and with Vilma we walked around the area. It took us about ten minutes to find the bird.
We followed the bird for some time and at some point Julius started to scream about going home and stuff, so we left. I got very good stroller tick and year tick and I bought raisins to my kids!

Pernaja church.

European Serin.

Shame that light conditions were a bit poor, so not any good images of the bird. 

From Pernaja we rove to home to have some pizza and kids were super tired after this long day.

Today (18th) I took kids to daycare and I knew that Matti Soini had found Pink-footed Goose at Viikki field, so I make a detour before going to work and quickly twitched the bird. I arrived with my bike and Jorma Wikholm was there with Matti and they showed me where to look. Even with binoculars it was quite easy to see the right bird and see some features. Great start for the day.
I continued and at the old refinery in Viikki I first heard Reed Warbler singing and after that a Spotted Crake called few times! What a morning!

The flock where Pink-footed Goose was found. Bird was in right end of the flock from this direction.

I had very sow day at work and rest of the day was just normal with my family, until I was putting the kids to bed when Peter Buchert found singing Little Crake from Vanhankaupunginlahti.
I promised to Sanni that I will handle the kids and check that they will sleep and go after that.
Took me about 40 minutes and both were sleeping and I rushed out.

About ten twitchers around when I arrived and more came. Finally after ten minutes wait the bird gave us short set and later I heard it couple of times. Not really a full song, jut parts of it. Somebody got even a photo of the bird.
Great ending for good day and most important thing, a lifer for me in Finland! Little Crake was my bird species number 340 in Finland. I have seen these in Israel, but really nowhere else.

The place where we heard the Crake. 

At this point I had singing Common Grasshopper Warbler. 

Before I left I went to listen if the Common Grasshopper Warbler was still present and it gave me a short song, maybe ten seconds and then nothing after that. I got little video of the song, but it lasted only few seconds cause I was slow. Anyway a good year tick too.

Great day and more later.

-Tom

Lammassaari with kids again. 14.5.2020

Yesterday I picked up my kids from daycare and together we went to Lammassaari to have some picnic. I always pack some juice, crackers etc for them and I might have a chance to look some birds.
Sun was shining, though there was huge clouds moving around the area and it looked that the rain might come any minute.
First new bird for the year came from the beginning of the log path. Corn Crake was "singing" near the path and Vilma was asking about this horrible sounds. I told her that it is just a beautiful song of the Crake. Soon I found a small flock of Common Swifts and that was my second new year tick.

Horrible picture, but my first Common Swift for this year. Later I had flock of ten birds. 

One Lapwing walked near the path, so I took photo of it.

We stopped in few places before the island and kids ate almost all the stuff we had. Second Corn Crake and at least three Thrush Nightingales were singing at little woods in the middle of the path.

From the island we watched the bay from smaller tower where you can go with stroller, but the water level was so high, that nearly all waders were gone. Only some Wood Sandpipers and lone Green Sandpiper. Also Terns, Gulls, big flock of Barnacle Geese, Cormorants, White-tailed Eagles sitting on their nest, Grey Herons and other common stuff.

Epic clouds passing the area. 

White-tailed Eagle nest.

Barnacle Geese..

Vilma walking in Lammassaari.

After the island we started to get back to our car. Kids were tired and it was real torture with them.. Anyway we made our way back, and we even met my old friend Jari Linjala and I was able to chat a moment with him. It was nice to see you!
At one point I had flock of Swallows and Martins and I found lone Sand Martin from the flock. Always nice species to see. Corn Crake was still singing and I think I head Common Rosefinch, but it was only one call and can´t be sure. Sedge Warblers were in full singing mode and we listened a moment of those too.

Reed Bunting is very common breeder in Vanhankaupunginlahti.

Good evening walk and two new species to my year list. Thanks for the company Vilma and Julius.
More birding maybe this weekend, if I can make a little evening watch somewhere near.

-Tom

Mother´s day special. 10.5.2020

Today was a mother´s day and that was the reason I was not able to go out this morning. I woke up earlier and with kids we made breakfast for Sanni and it was served on the bed.
Both kids made cards in daycare and I got some flowers. Good start for the day.
Later Sanni went to work so I took kids and we visited my mother.

We were outside all the time and we had some ice cream. I had my camera and binoculars with me so always a opportunity to see birds. Barnacle Geese had some migration and I saw five small flocks, maybe total of 300 birds. I also had one Bean Goose flock of eight birds. Even took a picture of it. Also my drone was with me today and I took picture of my childhood neighborhood. When I was a kid we were living in Etelä-Haaga and my mother is still living there.

Small part of Etelä-Haaga area. From here it is about 9 km to city centre. 

Bean Goose flock. 

Later we went to another playground and there I wa able to check some local birds. Robins, White Wagtails, Great Tits, Blackbirds, Fieldfares and two singing Pied Flycatcher males.

Male Pied Flycather. 

And another one. 

Male Robin. Bird was also singing a bit after I took the photo. 

And another Robin. Stupid branch ruined the photo. 

More birds next week.

-Tom 

Emäsalo sea watch 9.5.2020

Today I had very early morning and with my uncle we headed to Porvoo and more specific cape Emäsalo to have some sea watch. Arctic breeding birds like Bar-tailed Godwits, Divers, Common- and Velvet Scoters are migrating now with huge floks of Barnacle Geese.
We arrived at 6 am and there was alraedy some birders watching the sea. Yesterday was the day for migrants, so today I was expecting only a bit of what yesterday gave to some birders. For Example our friend Gustav Nordensvan counted over 200 000 Common Scoters migrating towards their breeding grounds!

Sea watch place. 

Anyway we had very enjoyable five hours and we counted very nice numbers of migrating birds. Unidentified large waders were migrating quite far a way and in those flocks we had total of 907 Waders. We also had 270 identified Bar-tailed Godwits and 66 Ruffs. Very nice numbers I think.
Barnacle Geese were other common species and we counted 1858 birds and some flocks far away, some Geese anyway.
Black-throated Diver had slow day and we had 10 birds and 42 unidentified Divers.
20 Velvet Scoters, two Scaups, lone Red-necked Grebe, Common Shellduck, Arctic Skua, unidentified Skua, two Sparrow Hawks and Osprey are somethin to mention too.
At some point Mika Ilari Koskinen joined us and we had good time together.
I also took my drone there and took some aerial pictures of the place.

Most of the Wader flocks went like this. Most likely Bar-tailed Godwit flock.

Bar-tailed Godwits.

Same flock.

Small flock of Barnacle Geese.

Emäsalo was really nice place and I will definitely visit there again. Only 40 minutes from home and you have very good sea watch place. Maybe next weekend. Thanks for the company Jände and Mika Ilari!
I got five new year ticks and my total is now 171.

-Tom