Yup. I said it. Crap luck.
As much as I love and enjoy birding here in Finland, I have been a bit frustrated with my "luck" since autumn has set in. I don't get out as much as I would like, and when I do I just can't seem to run into the birds. Maybe its a lack of birds, or just hitting the wrong places at the wrong time. Whatever it is, it's "crap".
My forays into the local forests looking for Siberian warblers which have been passing through Finland (and even showing up in western Europe in record numbers!!) have been for naught. Trudges through fields and meadows in search of unusual pipits and such have been useless. Visits to local wetlands and migration routes to look for geese have produced empty lakes and skies.
It's not all bad, mind you. The fresh air, fall colours and peaceful strolls have been amazing. And, despite my "down-in-the-mouth" attitude, there have been some fun birds, as well.
Taking advantage of a more flexible schedule the last few days, I've been chasing my tail a little more often. Friday morning I visited Musti and Raasio, two places where shorebirds gather earlier in the year, and geese sometimes frequent in fall. It was a ghost-town, with not a goose to be seen and no late waders. The only highlight was finally seeing a Merlin (Ampuhaukka) - a common raptor back home, but my first for this part of the world.
Before heading in to work on Sunday, I made my regular visit to Siilimasuo and the local dump. Except for a few Chaffinch (Peippo) and Great Tits (Talitiainen), both places were a bust. There was some fleeting excitement when I flushed up a pipit, but it turned out to be just a Meadow Pipit (Niittykirvinen).
Monday morning included my first visit to Puutossalmi -- a location on Lake Kallavesi, just south of the city, that is known in the area for its arctic migration. But with southerly winds prevailing for days, not much has been happening. One Great Black-backed Gull (Merilokki) and Black-throated Diver (Kuikka) were marginally notable, and a single flock of Barnacle Geese (Valkoposkihanhi) overhead was the only sign of migration.
Tuesday morning I visited the "bird lake" of Riistavesi. Again, no geese. Six species of duck were hanging out, including 6 migrating Common Scoters (Mustalintu), and four Whooper Swans (Laulujoutsen) honked their way across the sky.
This morning, a blanket of fog motivated me to abandon my plans to watch for migration and take a walk in the farm fields of Jälä instead. It was more birdy than I had predicted, although nothing too out of the ordinary. The highlight was a lone Horned Lark (Tunturikiuru) -- another common bird back home, but a Finnish first for me. One Reed Bunting (Pajusirkku), numerous Meadow Pipits (Niittykirvinen) and two Skylarks (Kiuru) flushed up from the grass, and a continual stream of Fieldfares (Räkättirastas) migrated overhead.
Fingers crossed ... something better HAS to cross my path soon. Right?!?!
Posted by jaredclarke at October 12, 2005 12:36 PM