Ring Ouzel 29.4.2022

 Finally weekend! I ended my day at the office around three pm and I went to pick up kids. This time we headed to Malmi to have some groceries for Mayday and of course some balloons. Julius picked Pirate ship ballon and Vilma took Hello Kitty balloon. Sanni was waiting there and we had sushi. 

After shopping I dropped my family to home and I drove my self to Viikki to see Ring Ouzel, which had been there all day. Bird was easy to see, thanks to other birders and I stayed about an hour there helping people to see the bird. Ring Ouzel is scarce migrant in our capital area and couple of individuals every year. 

Here is poor record shot and a video Here 

Male Ring Ouzel.

Male House Sparrow is awesome looking bird. 

Also Common Tern to my year list from that trip.

-Tom 

Ferruginous Duck. 28.4.2022

 Yesterday after day at work I started to rive towards Salo, and lake Omeno at there. During the day I got messages of Ferruginous Duck from that place and it was a new species for in in Finland. 

Finally clock was 15 to four and I left. In an hour I arrived and short walk to the site. Bird was hiding and it was seen about an hour before I arrived. People told that there is a flock of Common Pochards behind the reeds and the bird was seen with those. 

So we all waited and waited. At least four local Red-throated Divers, Tufted Ducks, White-tailed Eagle, Marsh Harrier and around 20 Common Pochards before my target bird came and showed it´s typical features like white eye, white under tail,  mahogany-brown head and darker back. Very handsome male bird it was! 

Here is a very poor record shot of the bird. distance was some hundred meters, so nothing good even this time. 

Ferruginous Duck.

Here is a link to my video of the bird --> Ferruginous Duck

Anyway bird was my species number #350 in Finland! Nice number and 50 more to go to my target. Some easy birds still missing. 

-Tom 

Slow day at Vanhankaupunginlahti 22.4.2022

 I had finally a day off during the weekdays, so I dropped kids to daycare and headed to Vanhankapunginlahti. Sun was shining and weather was beautiful. I first stopped at Keinumäki tower, and I met few people there. We got message of Black Kite, but it´s route went little bit too North, so no luck with that... We had One migrating Black-throated Diver, but nothing else too exiting. 

Next and final stop was at Hakala tower. I spend almost six hours there, but the migration never really started that day. Two Black Kites were informed from Espoo flying East, but both went from North side too.. I had two migrating Rough-legged Buzzards, some local migrants like Greenshank, Common Ringed Plover, Showeler, three Great-white Egrets and that was basically it. Hunting Osprey gave us some good show, at least three different Marsh Harriers around. Basic spring species. 

Here is few photos from the day.

Rough-legged Buzzard with some Hooded Crows.

Female Marsh Harrier.

Osprey.

Another Rough-legged Buzzard. 

I was almost at the car when I heard Lesser-spotted Woodpecker calling near by and I found a pair chasing each others, so maybe they are breeding this year near by there. Female had ring, but my photo was not good enough to get the info from it. 

Male Lesser-spotted Woodpecker sleeping.

Female. 

Good day, but I was expecting more. Maybe later.. 

-Tom

A day with my daughter 21.4.2022

 I had amazing day with my little girl Vilma at 21st of April. We had to drive to Porvoo for Vilma´s passport, so we dropped Julius to daycare and we started our drive. Official business was handled in 25 minute and I told Vilma that i´d like to visit a bird watching tower near by at "Ruskis". IT was ok for her if she could watch some cartoons from my phone.. 

There was already some people at the tower when we arrived and I knew Markku and Biti Ojala, but others were not familiar for me. 

It was still very cold and lots of ice around the bay, but I was able to finds some ducks like Tufted Ducks, Wigeons and lots of Teals. Also few Smew around. Distant White-tailed Eagle, few calls of Great Bitterns were nice. At some point I noticed a small snipe feeding pretty openly and when I watched it with telescope I was watching a Jack´s Snipe! Normally these little waders are hiding very effectively, so this was a bit surprise. Maybe it had just arrived and needed some food quickly. I got some video of the bird. 

White Wagtail in Porvoo.

After Ruskis we stopped at MC Donald´s and then we drove to Kulosaari, and more specifically to Furuvik to twitch long staying male King Eider! 

When we arrived there was handful of birders looking the bird, but it was gone. I let Vilma play at the sandy beach and I watched the sea. Finally after half an hour watching I found the bird from very far away behind of the doc. not really the way I wanted to see the bird, but at least something.

Vilma at the beach. King Eider about behind her, about 300m from the shore.

We had ice cream break at Jollas and during the eating I heard my first Common Chiffchaff from other side of the road we were standing. 

Next stop was Vanhankaupunginlahti where we visited Lammassaari log path. We stopped in every watching site and Vilma was very hapy to see lots of Frogs singing around the path. I was very happy when a guy next to me told that there was a Black-tailed Godwit at the meadow. It had to arrive at that moment, cause we scanned the area many times and suddenly the bird was there. Anyway, great bird and pretty scarce here in Helsinki area. Vilma got lifer from that bird too.

Singing Frog.

Always nice to see these dudes. Sign of spring. 

Black-tailed Gotwit.

After this we had to drive back home and pick up Julius from daycare. Awesome time with Vilma and she is already so big! School starts this year, so lots of new things fro both of us! 

-Tom