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 companions were non-birders, so this was far from a birding trip. In fact, I drove straight through many habitats where I would normally have made a short detour to search for Capercaille, and I had to restrain myself from asking them to “watch out for Hawk Owls” as we sped through cut-overs!! Nevertheless, it was a great trip with lots of amazing scenery.

“Ruska” is the Finnish word used to describe the magical colours of autumn, especially in Lapland … when the leaves turn shades of red, gold and brown. While the trees north of the arctic circle had dropped many of their leaves in the last few days, it still made for an unforgettable experience.

Our journey began on Saturday morning, as we headed to Rovaniemi — the gateway to Lapland, sitting on the very edge of the Arctic Circle (“Napapiiri”). We spent the afternoon visiting the official Napapiiri crossing – which, with scores of souvenier shops and restaurants, just oozes shamelessly of “tourist trap”. (Not that it wasn’t worth the visit — some of the best Lappish handicrafts can be found in those shops, and the “real” Santa Claus even has an official village there!!).

On Sunday, we continued north to the small town of Inari — the unofficial centre of life and culture for the “Sami” people, who have lived in Lapland for thousands of years. At a latitude of 68.54 N, it is a great example of true northern Europe (and, in the Canadian scheme of things, is further north than Inuvik, Nunavut). The Siida Museum was an informative and very attractive place to visit, and our hike to the Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church (9 km return) was a great taste of the local landscape.

While not doing any “real” birding, I did encounter a few of my favourite northern boreal species during the hike — two Parrot Crossbills (Isokäpylintu) twittered from the treetops, a couple small flocks of Siberian Tits (Lapintiainen) flitted about, a Willow Ptarmigan (Riekko) skulked in the underbrush, and four Siberian Jays (Kuukkeli) dropped in to check us out. One Golden Eagle (Maakotka) on the drive up was my only new species for the trip, and unfortunately I dipped on a few of the other species I had hoped to encounter.

Monday was a dark, dreary and sometimes drizzly day — making the scenery on the long drive home a little less spectacular. A few strategic stops, including one at the Urho Kekkonen National Park, only made me wish I had more time to explore the amazing wilderness areas of Lapland. With the exception of many roadside Ravens (Korppi), Magpies (Harakka), Eurasian Jays (Närhi) and one Black Grouse (Teeri), birds were pretty scarce. Although other wildlife was also scant, the girls did get to see their first Reindeer (Poro) and Moose (Hirvi) during the journey.

We had clocked 1750 km by the time I got home … a long but worthwhile trip. Lots left to see up there — next time, I guess!!

A Willow Ptarmigan (Riekko), trying its best to be invisible. (Click to enlarge)

The colours of “Ruska” reflecting off the waters in Inari … (Click to enlarge)

Lots of interesting landscapes in the Laplands, such as the old forests which have grown up around the erratic boulders left by glaciers. (Click to enlarge)

… 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 reminiscent of back home!!

I spent a few hours walking the Jälä fields – a farming area just north of the city which attracts a variety of passerines this time of year. I spent most of my time trying to turn some of the many Meadow Pipits (Nittykirvinen) into something a bit more interesting, but without any luck. One Skylark (Kiuru) and a handful of Northern Wheatears (Kivitasku) was as close as I got …

The most exciting bird was a Rustic Bunting (Pohjansirkku), which made a brief appearance near a small patch of forest at the far end of the fields. It was a bit of a “coup” for me, as it was one of the few species I had missed in my trips up north earlier this summer!! Also of interest was my first Jack Snipe (Jänkäkurppa) which flushed up from a wet field, along with a few Common Snipe (Taivaanvuohi).

I tried to round out my Snipe list on Sunday, trudging through the wet fields of Haminalahti in search of Great Snipe. Alas, not a stir.

Sunday was a much cooler, windy day … and my trip to Siilimasuo was pretty much a bust. With the birds keeping to the thick vegetation, scaring up the Chaffinch (Peippo) was the best I could do. I decided to try some Newfoundland-style alder-bashing (well, “willow”-bashing in this case!), but my “pishing” only attracted a few Willow Warblers (Pajulintu), European Robins (Punarinta) and Dunnocks (Rautiainen).

I’ll have to try and sneak off again some early morning later in the week …

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)

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 could find were a few small raptors — a handful of Kestrels (Tuulihaukka), Sparrowhawks (Varpushaukka), and two Eurasian Hobbies (Nuolihaukka).

Today, I joined two friends for a full day of birding in nearby Rautalampi — a great area of wetlands and farmfields, where some interesting birds have been reported lately. It was a windy but relatively nice day — the temperature slipping over 20C at midday. Unfortunately, it was also a slow day for birds.

If the Finns take their birding seriously, they take their coffee breaks even moreso. Back home in Newfoundland, a “break” means chugging some warm coffee and devouring a sub from the PCS corner store while driving between birding spots. But NOT here. No siree …

Here, a coffee break is something sacred. The first mid-morning break involves finding a civilized place to sit down, drink coffee from a mug instead of directly from the thermos spout, and a healthy lunch of fruit and homemade sandwiches. A little later, closer to noon, a coffee break can be something much more complex. Today, it involved packing our things into a picnic shelter next to the birding tower (Yes — coffee breaks are so important here that the birding society has even built a shelter just for that purpose). This time we pulled out all the stops … started a fire, kicked back, enjoyed coffee, homemade juice, salad and more sandwiches. Most important was the makkara (Finnish sausage) — roasting sausage over the fire is a staple of any Finnish summer outing. Boy am I going to miss makkara when I have to go home …

As for birds, it was indeed a bit slow. The tail end of shorebird migration consisted of a handful of Ruffs (Suokukko), 2 Dunlins (Suosirri), a Common Ringed Plover (Tylli), and a Greenshank (Valkoviklo). The mediocre highlight was my first Black-bellied Plover (Tundrakurmitsa) for Finland. We did manage to note a few songbirds moving about — notably Crested (Töyhtötiainen) and Willow Tits (Kuusitiainen) flocking together, increasing numbers of Eurasian Jays (Närhi), and a Brambling (Järripeippo).

A few raptors were on the move — the most noteworthy of which were a Rough-legged Hawk (Piekana) migrating southward and a Northern Goshawk (Kanahaukka) seeming to enjoy the wind.

I also had my first experience with a “Moose Fly” (Haematobosca alcis) — which has been expanding westward into Finland the last few years and is now a regular part of late-summer birding. They are ugly little buggers and, while they generally don’t bite humans, they do like to get in your hair. Almost makes me want to shave my head and stop peeing in the woods …

A typical makkara roast. Mmmmmmmmmmmm … (Click to enlarge)

A Moose Fly … Cute, eh? (Click to enlarge)

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 of Red-footed Falcons (Punajalkahaukka) to Finland, with 250-300 reported in the month of August — most in the last week or so. On Saturday, I got a message about one being watched in Riistavesi (~30km NE of the city), but by the time I made it out there it had disappeared. While waiting around in hopes of it returning, I did get to see five Common Buzzards (Hiirihaukka), and a great family of Whooper Swans (Laulujoutsen) nearby.

I’ve been busy this week, and this morning was the first chance I had to check out the raptor migration for myself — so I headed out to the agricultural area of Maaninka, where a good variety can be seen on a good day. Unfortunately, weatherwise, this was TOO good a day … sunny and very light winds. Such days are not conducive to raptor-watching, and the best we could muster up were a handful of Eurasian Kestrels (Tuulihaukka) and Sparrowhawks (Varpushaukka). In fact, at most good vantage-points the closest thing to raptor we could find was a dragonfly or two!! Just goes to show how important the weather can be to birding — I’ll have to keep my eyes on the forecast and head back for the next breezy, cloudy day.

Besides raptors, we did manage to see a few other interesting birds — including three late Curlews (Kuovi), five Golden Plovers (Kapustarinta), and my first Grey Heron (Harmaahaikara) for Finland. Grey Herons are not common breeders in Finland, and are observed here mostly in late summer.

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 short holiday (albeit birdless). Late last week, I left to visit Stockholm for a few days. To make the trip even more interesting, I travelled by cruise ship across the Baltic Sea — leaving from Turku and returning via Helsinki. It was a great trip, and I was both inspired and humbled by the beauty and history of the Swedish capital. (For more details and pictures of the trip, feel free to visit my website at http://jaredclarke.20m.com)

The only birds of any interest on the trip were noted from the ferry — a few Great Black-backed Gulls (Merilokki) amongst the other more numerous larid species, two flocks of Long-tailed Ducks (Alli), and a White-tailed Eagle (Merikotka).

Earlier in the week, I did make an evening trip to Hamminalahti – where I was entertained by a pair of Eurasian Kestrels (Tuulihaukka) at very close range. A Northern Harrier (Sinisuohaukka) also made a pass or two over the nearby meadows, and another large raptor escaped unidentified. Lots of Greenfinches (Viherpeippo) and Barn Swallows (Haarapääsky) were on the move, and one Whinchat (Pensastasku) posed briefly on a wire.

A slight change of pace this weekend, as I headed NE to the Kuhmo region to watch Brown Bears (Karhu) on the Russian border. After arriving in Tarvius and meeting the group and tour guide, we made the short trek to the “hide” shortly after 5pm. It was a great evening – we had amazing looks at 6 different bears throughout the evening and night, although the local wolverine failed to make an appearance. (For tour info, check out www.wildbrownbears.fi)

Unfortunately, after arriving in the hide and setting up my camera gear, I realized that in my morning rush I had bought the wrong film!! Stuck only with the option of using my digital camera, I ended up being unable to capture any good pics — despite the great evening light. Digiscoping was completely useless … anyone familiar with the practice knows that it requires far too much light, and it is nearly impossible to photograph anything moving. Besides, the bears were actually too close for digiscoping — I could hardly even fit a full headshot into a frame!! Despite my photographing woes, I enjoyed the bears fully, along with the company of a nice Finnish couple, two interesting Dutch guys, and a great tour leader (who also happened to be rather cute).

Just as exciting as the bears, we had a close encounter with an adult White-tailed Eagle (Merikotka), which at one point soared as close as 10m in front of the hide, affording spectacular views!! (Again — impossible to get a photo).

After a relaxing morning at the lodge (breakfast, sauna, a swim, and great conversation), I took my time on the 300km drive home, enjoying the beautiful day and stopping to explore a number of places. It paid off … I saw a Great Grey Shrike (Isolepinkäinen) on a farm road near Kuhmo, and some other interesting birds such as Bohemian Waxwing (Tilhi) and Parrot Crossbill (Isokäpylintu). Raptors on the trip included a Black Kite (Haarahaukka), two Common Buzzards (Hiirihaukka) soaring over the lake as I enjoyed my morning swim, and two Honey Buzzards (Mehiläishaukka) circling a hilltop when I stopped to stretch my legs in North Karelia.

A great way to spend the weekend …

Digiscoping the bears resulted in poor “half-head shots”, like this one … blurry and hardly worth keeping. (Click to enlarge)

Using just the digital camera, heavily cropped images like this were the best I could do. Pretty disappointing. (Click to enlarge)

Digiscoping only works for cooperative critters that stay still, like this Hooded Crow (Varis). (Click to enlarge)

… Or this Great Grey Shrike (Isolepinkäinen). (Click to enlarge)

Despite the fact that it has generally been quite pleasant lately, the weather seems to be getting the best of me whenever I decide to venutre out birding …

Late last week, I went for an evening stroll to a park near my flat – mostly to stretch my legs, but also in hopes of seeing a Grey Heron which had been seen there the day before. It was a bright and sunny when I stepped out my door. I guess I didn’t see it coming, sneaking up on me from behind as I walked down the quiet sidestreets. In fact, I didn’t notice it until I reached the farthest point of land in the park — a dark, menacing cloud closing in fast. I accepted my fate, knowing I couldn’t outrun it if I wanted to. I was in the kind of mood to get rained on anyways … Bring it on.

The sky darkened, and the birds became eerily silent. It started as a low rustle in the leaves, and grew to dull roar as the trees began to tremble and the wind whipped dust around my face. I could even hear the rain rushing towards me across the lake!!

The sky had already started to brighten by the time I got home … wet and heron-less, but surprisingly refreshed!!

After having to work on Sunday, I took advantage of the overcast weather in the late afternoon to watch the gulls at the local dump. By the time I had set up and began to scan through the 300+ gulls, the sky began to darken and the rain started. After another 20 minutes of heavy downpour, my “this is probably just a shower” theory was soundly defeated and I slogged my way home, with only one juvenile Heuglin’s Gull (L.f. heuglini; Selkälokki) to show for my troubles. Despite watching the birds flush a number of times, the only raptors were a Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Varpushaukka) and a Northern Harrier (Sinisuohaukka).

Taking advantage of a more flexible schedule and bright skies, I scooted off this morning to “Musti” – a large man-made lake (a mining pit reservoir, actually) which can be excellent for shorebirds. Unfortunately, my luck was not much better as strong winds and harsh light made for less than ideal viewing conditions. While the variety and number of shorebirds was less than I had hoped, I did manage to scout out my first Sanderling (Pulmusirri) for Finland. The vast majority of birds were once again Ruffs (Suokukko) and Wood Sandpipers (Liro), with a few Common Greenshanks (Valkoviklo) and Dunlin (Suosirri) thrown in for good measure. One Curlew Sandpiper (Kuovisirri) and a pair of Northern Wheatears (Kivitasku) proved to be the only other interesting species.

A Common Redshank (Punajalkaviklo) admires its own reflection … (Click to enlarge)

A Common Ringed Plover (Tylli) just hanging out … (Click to enlarge)

A poke around a few of the shorebird hotspots in nearby Siilinjärvi last evening was sure indication that shorebird migration is well underway in Finland.

While there were no rarities, a number of the usual suspects were milling around the mudflats in good numbers. Wood Sandpipers (Liro) were especially abundant, but one location saw them outnumbered by Ruffs (Suokukko). Also making a strong presence were Common Ringed Plovers (Tylli) and Temminick’s Stints (Lapinsirri). A few Dunlin (Suosirri), Curlews (Kuovi), Common Sandpipers (Rantasipi) and Common Greenshanks (Valkoviklo) rounded out the majority, while Common (Punajalkaviklo) and Spotted Redshanks (Mustaviklo) added some spice.

Especially interesting was the chance to see a few of these birds up close and personal while being ringed at Raasio. Amazing how small these critters really are …

Unlike most of my previous “Tara experiences”, this one did not involve a cute girl …

For Finnish gull enthusiasts, “Tara” refers to the Tampere dump – a virtual mecca for larophiles. I made my pilgrimage on Saturday, spending ten full hours scouring through thousands of gulls with one of Finland’s resident experts.

It was great opportunity to study approximately 3000 Herring Gulls (Harmaalokki; of the northern argentatus race), with lots of all age classes present. More importantly, “Tara” is maybe the best place in the world to see the nominate fuscus form of Lesser Black-backed Gull (“Baltic Gull”; Selkäloki), of which there were close to 1000 present. Additionally, a good number of other forms of this species were present for inspection – while most of these were probably heuglini (“Heuglin’s Gull), there were a few which were more typical of the western race graellsi, and at least one which was a candidate for intermedius. (See why I love gulls ?!?!)

The definite highlight, however, was a juvenile Caspian Gull (Aroharmaalokki) – which is quite uncommon in Europe. Two Great Black-backed Gulls (Merilokki) were also uncommon but regular visitors to the area. Loads of Black-headed (Naurulokki) and Common Gulls (Kalalokki) rounded out the action.

As the day proceeded, the gulls were kept increasingly nervous by a pair of Northern Goshawks (Kanahaukka) prowling for lunch. Just before hitting the highway for home, we were surprised with a visit from a much more exciting hunter – my first Black Kite (Haarahaukka). It put on quite a show, soaring very close to us and causing havoc with the gulls and crows.

Earlier this past week, I spent a morning checking out some shorebird migration in nearby Siilinjarvi. Among the 11 species seen, I was especially pleased to find two Curlew Sandpipers (Kuovisirri). Flocks of Dunlin (Suosirri) were moving through in full force, and there were good numbers of Temminick’s Stints (Lapinsirri) at two locations.

Some of the “wild and crazy” action at the Tampere dump … (Click to enlarge)

A horribly digiscoped picture of the juvenile Caspian Gull (Aroharmaalokki) … all the regular excuses (Click to enlarge)