September 12, 2005
One Sunday in September ...
This past weekend turned out to be a beautiful one for birding. Unfortunately, one of my other "hobbies" led to a late night out on Friday ... so Saturday was pretty much a bust. No regrets, of course!!
Sunday morning I joined some other birders at Siilamasuo -- an old abandoned garbage dump, which is now covered in grass and tall vegetation, producing great habitat for many birds. As has been usual for me lately, things were a little slow. The thick grass was alive, however, with common species -- such as Chaffinch (Peippo), Willow Warblers (Pajulintu), and Dunnocks (Rautiainen). The first fall Bohemian Waxwing (Tilhi) for the region was a nice sight, as was a Two-barred Crossbill (Käpylintu) - the most uncommon of the three crossbill species in Finland. A Black Woodpecker (Palokärki) was a fine addition to the morning. A Honey Buzzard (Mehiläishaukka) perched in a distant tree was interesting, and it later soared above my car as I headed out.
Next, I headed off on my own to the current dump, hoping to spend an hour with the gulls. Oddly, there were NO gulls when I arrived -- maybe because the garbage had recently been spread and buried, with nearby farm fields now providing better menus?? Opting instead to check the grassy hill above the dump, I was pleased to flush up my first Lapland Longspur (Lapinsirkku) for Finland, and listen to its unique voice. Lots of White (Västäräkki) and a few Yellow Wagtails (Keltavästäräkki) ran around the path in front of me, and two Willow Tits (Kuusitiainen) played on a nearby fence. Best of all, a migrating Bluethroat (Sinirinta) sat on an exposed perch, allowing nice looks at an uncommon and often elusive bird.
Later in the day, I joined two friends who were leading a group trip to the Maaninka farmlands. It was mostly a replay of my last few trips to the area, seeing many of the same birds as before. Of some interest was a very late Curlew (Kuovi) that appeared to be injured, and a straggling Golden Plover (Kapustarinta). The number of Common Cranes (Kurki) had decreased dramatically due to the widespread harvesting on the fields -- down from about 400 last week to less than 50. A few of the regular raptors were seen, including Eurasian Kestrel (Tuulihaukka), Eurasian Hobby (Nuolihaukka), and a female Northern Harrier (Sinisuohaukka). A Grey Heron (Harmaahaikara) flying over the road on the drive back was one of the better birds of the day.
This Lapland Longspur (Lapinsirkku) was quite nervous, but eventually allowed me to snap a few pics. (Click to enlarge)
Vesajöki, one of the farming areas of Maaninka which can provide great birding. (Click to enlarge)