Well ... I may not have seen the Red-flanked Bluetail, but it sure was a great trip.
Following work on Friday, I drove to Suonenjoki (~50km SW) and met up with Hannu. A few hours of birding in the immediate area proved to be quite productive ... The most stunning bird being Yellow Wagtail (Keltavästäräkki) on a farm field with a number of Golden Plovers (Kapustarinta). In Rautalampi, we had amazing views of a Ural Owl (Viirupöllö), as the male stared us down and gave clear warning hoots, even snapping his beak to scare us away from the nearby nest box. I tried to take pics, but the light was dim and the owl was getting quite perturbed (Ural Owls are infamous for aggressive behaviour near the nest, and have been known to maim people on occasion!!), so we felt it best to retreat.
Also near Rautalampi, we saw a total of 5 Short-eared Owls (Suopöllö), getting very close to one for breath-taking looks. Across the field were 5 male Black Grouse (Teeri) displaying and fighting. Quite the show!! Other highlights were a calling Great Bittern (Kaulushaikara), a Rook (Mustavaris), and point-blank looks at a number of Wood Sandpipers (Liro). We were still birding in decent light at 11:00pm!!
We drove overnight to Keuruu, where the Bluetail had been reported. After a quick nap, we walked in to the site and made a steep climb to the heights enjoyed by this species. A few hours of trekking around proved fruitless. It was a large area, with very tall trees. If the bird wasn't singing, it wasn't going to be found. My first "bongaus" was a bust. I'll have to score Bluetail elsewhere ...
After dropping my friend Hannu back at home, I decided to do some birding on my own in the Suonenjoki area. Happy I did ... random stops produced very close looks at my first Bluethroat (Sinirinta), Bullfinch (Punatulkku), and Hazel Grouse (Pyy).
Sunday morning I set out on a return trip to nearby Raasio, where the cool winds kept everything pretty quiet -- far less shorebirds than I saw there a week earlier. But my first Common Pochard (Punasotka) was a bit of a consellation.
And then I watched the big hockey game. Ugh. I don't even want to talk about that.
Posted by jaredclarke at May 16, 2005 09:40 AM