http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/ Finland 2005 en-us 2005-12-19T03:40:25+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003451.html Leaving my office Thursday afternoon, a Great Tit (Talitiainen) called out from the path. It was to be my last bird in Finland (for now, at least) ... Early Friday morning (Dec 16), I started my 26 hour journey home... jaredclarke 2005-12-19T03:40:25+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003446.html Wow – It really is hard to believe that 7.5 months have went by so quickly, and my Finnish adventure is drawing to close. For now, at least … While the main purpose of my trip was academic, I made... jaredclarke 2005-12-13T13:33:03+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003422.html I was recently told about a family of cranes that were still hanging around a nearby town in late November– weeks after the last of their kind should have left Finland, and facing an oncoming winter that I’m sure would... jaredclarke 2005-12-04T15:33:49+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003398.html I did it. I "finally" got up from behind my desk and got out birding. Trouble is, someone forgot to inform the birds ... Despite an extremely late night on Friday, I painfully rolled out of bed Saturday morning, fixed... jaredclarke 2005-11-27T12:34:53+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003373.html Excuses, excuses. Seems I'm having to come up with a lot of them lately. And here's the most recent -- I haven't been birding lately because I've either been poked away in my office or jet-setting around the world. Not... jaredclarke 2005-11-20T17:09:17+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003299.html I know, I know. I haven't posted in more than two weeks. That's because I have nothing to post. I haven't been out birding ... not even once. I recently spent a week in England, visiting a friend and her... jaredclarke 2005-11-02T17:56:39+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003235.html I shuddered Saturday morning after forcing myself out of bed and looking out my kitchen window. The winds had turned NW overnight, and dark rain clouds rolled in from the horizon. Cold and dreary ... But rain or shine, I... jaredclarke 2005-10-17T09:33:43+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003223.html 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... jaredclarke 2005-10-12T12:36:57+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003196.html Many birds, especially passerines, are getting scarcer each day here in the Kuopio area. While this is an interesting time for goose migration and eastern rarities, the "familiar" faces of local breeders are disappearing, and the forests seem eerily quiet.... jaredclarke 2005-10-06T15:40:25+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003155.html A Canadian, a Czech and a Spaniard get into a car ... No, it's not the start of a really corny joke. It's the beginning of my adventure this past weekend, taking a whirlwind tour of the Laplands. My travelling... jaredclarke 2005-09-27T10:51:44+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003128.html ... another slow one. Saturday was a fine day ... with the exception of a few isolated showers and one spell of "freezing rain", it was generally sunny with light winds. The unpredicatability of the weather here is very... jaredclarke 2005-09-19T12:03:02+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003093.html 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... jaredclarke 2005-09-12T11:24:51+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003085.html Monday morning this week was overcast and breezy -- I figured it was high time to check in on that raptor migration again. And ... I was thwarted once again. Despite the much better conditions than last week, all I... jaredclarke 2005-09-08T18:36:07+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003045.html The end of summer and first few weeks of autumn is time for raptor migration in Finland - which becomes obvious when one looks at the birds being reported on local newsgroups. This year has seen an unusually large invasion... jaredclarke 2005-09-01T15:22:42+00:00 http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/jaredclarke/archives/003001.html It seems my postings have become more and more sparse ... For obvious reasons, I guess. I haven't been doing much birding. The last few weeks have been split between working on my research at the university and enjoying a... jaredclarke 2005-08-26T15:08:33+00:00