Weekends That Were - May 2019

European Trip ; May-July 2019

Day 1 & 2 – Monday 20.5.19 & Tuesday 21.5.19

Mr P took me to the airport and we said goodbye just before 20.00. It took me an hour to check-in for the Etihad flight leaving at 22.35.

The luggage allowance thing has always bewildered me.

How come one can take 46kgs (2 x 23) to the states and Canada, but only 23 kgs (so far as I know) to Europe? What’s the difference? Have they got more ‘stuff’ in Europe so you don’t need to bring more? Is it because, in most cases, the bags have to be manhandled several times on the European journey, but only twice crossing the pacific? 

Why, Mummy, why?

On my ticket it has always stated that my luggage allowance was ‘1 x 23Kgs’and ‘30kgs including hand luggage’. So I have always adhered to that – obviously. 

My hand luggage is always my smaller Macpac backpack with my optics (camera, bins, scope, rechargeable batteries and a few other bits and pieces that I can’t put, or don’t trust to be, in my check-in, and comes to 7 kgs almost exactly) and the ‘free’ personal item of my lap top bag in which I cram my Mac Air, iPad Light, iPod, iPhone, E-Reader, cables and external hard drive.  It usually weighs in at 5 kgs.

I had wondered how much it would cost to take an extra bag of, say, 10 kgs, but despite ringing Etihad (couldn’t get through their IVR) and contacting the company I had booked through (refer the question to the airline….) I had failed to get an answer.

So I asked the chick on the check-in desk.

Surprise, surprise! My allowance is actually 30 kgs PLUS 7 kgs carry-on PLUS 5kgs personal item!

Happy days!

With stuff to bring back from Dublin this time and my Mum intending to send presents home for at least two of my grandsons whose birthdays occur in July, all I have to do is buy another bag and I can bring another 10 kgs home!

I had been struggling a bit to minimize the weight in my check-in bag, knowing I would have this ‘extra stuff’ to try to bring back, but with camping gear and, especially, the tripod, I had only managed to reduce it to 20 kgs. All good now, though.

I got my tobacco in duty free ($15 a pack as opposed to $42 a pack on the street) and a coffee and enjoyed my last cigarette before settling in to await the boarding exercise. 

This adventure involves another 16 international flights and 4 internal domestic flights. Ireland, Finland, Spain and Norway. It’s going to be a busy two months!

As I prepared to join the check-in queue (I always leave it to the last moment as I can’t see the point in rushing on to a seat I’m going to be sitting in for the next 13 hours, any earlier than I have to) when I heard my name called. Not over the PA, but by an ex-work colleague, Eileen Redmond, whom I hadn’t seen in more years than I care to remember! Smallish world, made even smaller by the fact we were both getting the same Etihad flight towards Ireland. (She however was going via London so we’d just share the first leg to Abu Dhabi.) We exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes, as you do, then she moved on for a short walk before boarding – and I went for a last cigarette.

Health conscious – that’s me!

The flight was OK. I got an aisle seat and managed to get 4 or 5 hours sleep, despite the huge woman two rows back and one row over who coughed and coughed then coughed some more. I started to worry about catching something, but finally figured the whole passenger manifest of 400+ would need to be quarantined if she was infectious.

Abu Dhabi was a nightmare. Hundreds of transit passengers from several flights all crammed into a narrow corridor to be pushed through a security screening process. It took an hour just to do that. I mean I appreciate their security, but surely we had all been screened somewhere else before we boarded whatever flight we arrived on? Then again as most appeared to be from the Indian subcontinent, maybe its better to be safe than sorry…..

We left on time and arrived in Manchester after a rather tedious, boring, dragged out flight during which I couldn’t sleep and my arse started to ache from sitting so long. I had a window seat and there were a number of empty seats throughout the plane, but my companion stayed with me and although he was a nice guy, it didn’t give me much room to stretch out. I know I could have changed seats myself, but I kept hoping he would and by the time I realised he wasn’t going to, the empty rows were full of people lying stretched out asleep.

Manchester. 

Jesus Christ on a bicycle, I’ll never go through Manchester again.

Typical British inefficiency started as soon as we left the plane.

They stopped us before we even got off the thing you walk off the plane on – the skytunnel thing- me-bob? We all stood there like morons for 15 minutes before, inexplicably, they let us continue through to the almost empty airport. No explanation, no apology. Maybe it’s a union thing? 

Then it went from bad to worse.

The 20 or so of us who were transiting to another flight were diverted off down another corridor to a security check. A single scanner manned by two people who ‘processed us’ – again a complete security scan procedure. 

A glacier moves faster.

Then it went from worse to farcical.

The 20 or so transiting travellers were advised to take a seat in an area of seating for 4 and had to wait another 10 minutes before the single immigration officer turned up. 

They said they’d had to ‘call her’ – WTF??

She then started processing us each, manually, before, finally, we moved on into the main lounge area of the airport. 

This is all sort of OK – until you need to get to a gate to get another flight – some people were flying to Dublin at 16.20 and it was after 16.00 before they got out to find their gate. 

In my case I had an hour to wait before they even released the gate no, then I had 20 minutes to get to it and board before it lifted off.

It was so inefficient, so time wasting and only added stress to people who, in most cases, had already been scanned multiple times and had been travelling for 24 hours, some with little kids. 

You have to remind yourself that, yes, this IS the UK!! 

It really is!! 

It's MANCHESTER! Not the Outer Bleeding' Hebrides!

Cause it feels like somewhere no one ever goes......

Hmmmmm I can't think of any place like that actually...... 

Maybe some remote village in Bhutan or Outer Mongolia?

Then again......

I suppose you can’t really expect much more from a country that can’t agreed to a major decision like Brexit despite having two years to think about it……

When I did walk out to the plane – Aer Lingus Regional – I found it was propeller driven. 

I haven’t been on a prop plane since I flew to the highlands in PNG. It was like a joy flight. We were so low I reckon if I’d waved at the window, people on the ground would have waved back.

It’s always an adventure when you book through Skyscanner….

However, 55 minutes later we landed safely at Dublin airport. I collected my bag and headed for……a coffee.

Then it was out across the skywalk, into the elevator, down one floor to ground level, out of the elevator, pushing my trolley, to get the Aircoach.

I had a handful of 50 Euro notes from my previous trip.

I approached the dude to buy a ticket and was quoted 16 Euro return to Stillorgan. When I offered him the 50, he told me he didn’t have any change. 

Again I say, WTF???

So………. back into the elevator, up one floor, out of the elevator, across the skywalk, back into the airport and the coffee shop and ask the barista dude to break the note..........

‘You’ll have to buy something to get change’he says.

‘I just bought a coffee from you 10 minutes ago!’I say.

‘Sorry’ he says ‘I can’t give you change unless you buy something’

‘Jesus f……….g Christ’ says I‘What’s the cheapest thing you’ve got?’

And bought a 45 cent chocolate.

Then back across the skywalk, into the…..well, you get the picture…..

Welcome to Dublin.

The Aircoach arrived a few minutes later (they run every 15 minutes) and an hour or so after that I disembarked and walked the 10 minutes to Mum’s place draped in 32kgs of baggage.

Day 3 – Wednesday 22.5.19

I slept well and was up at 6.30 - mainly 'cause I was hanging out for a coffee and I didn’t see any point in lying on. According to the app on my phone it had been daylight since 5.30 so….

It was 8.30 before Mum put in an appearance and we had breakfast.

Then I had to arrange insurance so I could drive Mum’s car.

It took a bit of messing around - what with ringing her insurance company to be told I’d have to ring her insurance broker, to being transferred three times - before I got to Anastasia who was very helpful and rang me back 40 minutes later to tell me they could add me to Mum’s insurance for up to 30 days at no cost.

We did that after I’d sent her photos of my (Australian) driver’s license and agreed I would ring her again on June 21^st to arrange another free month’s worth of insurance…

Mum and I then went to Dundrum shopping center where we got a free loan of a wheelchair from Shopmobility and I spent the next couple of hours pushing her round the shops and having lunch.

Then it was back home so she could have a snooze before instructing me on clearing out the back shed…..

We didn’t get to the shed as planned. By the time Herself had woken up it was a bit late and she was keen for dinner. Didn’t do much for the rest of the evening, Herself watched Coronation st & Emmerdale at maximum volume and I hid in the dining room and tried to concentrate over the noise. 

Day 4 – Thursday 23.5.19

Awake at 5, up at 7. Breakfast at 8.30, then we tackled the shed. 

It really wasn’t a big job but it took a while as ‘we’ decided where stuff should be put back to economise on the limited space.

After morning tea I took Herself to get her hair done. Dropped her off and headed down to Dundrum shopping center where I picked up a couple of things to take to Finland – sugar sticks, museli type bars – and bought 3 more cheap t-shirts.

Picked her up an hour and a half later with her new hair-do and home again.

I spent the rest of the afternoon researching bird locations in Finland and talking to Mr H in Belfast finalising details of the upcoming adventure.

Birds? A nice pair of Dunnocks feeding on the back lawn, European Blue Tits and House Sparrows on the peanut feeder, the usual Common Wood Pigeons, Jackdaws and Rooks around the place, Common Blackbirds singing and a Grey Squirrel ran up the back path and over the fence while we were busy at the shed.

Trip List: 12

Day 5 – Friday 24.5.19

We went out for breakfast to the local GAA club and then I took Herself to the Community Hall so she could vote in the EEC elections and a referendum on divorce in Ireland. While I waited outside an old guy passing in towards the centre smiled at me and said 'I'm off into the den of thieves' - I couldn't agree more, either here or at home.

During breakfast we had agreed that I would take myself down to Kilcoole to check out the Little Tern colony. Mr H had suggested it and I thought it sounded worthwhile.

It was midday before I got away – not the best time to go birding, but it was a lovely day, 16 degrees, sunny, warm (yes, warm), a small southerly wind – very pleasant.

I got to Kilcoole by 12.30 and headed down the beach. Very different from my last visit in February. Virtually no duck, of course, just a few Common Shelduck and a pair of Northern Mallard. 

Waders – a good flock (approx 60) of Dunlin in summer plumage, a couple of pairs of Eurasian Oystercatcher and one pair of Northern Lapwings. A pair of Common Buzzards circled distantly and a few Common Skylarks showed along the sandy track.

Common Skylark 

Dunlin

I got to the Little Tern colony after about 30 minutes, just before The Breaches. I was impressed with the effort put in to protect the colony and improve breeding success. The photos probably tell all – including the electric fence presumably to ward off Foxes.

There were plenty of birds in evidence – some visible sitting on numbered nest sites.

Little Tern  

Little Tern - spot the two birds!

Common Ringed Plovers were also taking advantage of the increased security, with at least two pairs with mobile chicks.

Common Ringed Plover

The visit brought back memories of coming down here as a lad and finding the Little Tern, Oystercatcher and Ringed Plover nests on the beach when no one else seemed to know or give a shit about the colony. Strange to think these birds are probably the descendants of those we saw 50 years ago. And not a lot had changed as far as the local environment was concerned.

On the return walk I flushed a Northern Wheatear which was a bit of a surprise bird on the coast at this time of year.

Back at the car park a Song Thrush was in full voice – I taped it's song quite successfully – and a single European Goldfinch perched up nicely.

Song Thrush 

European Goldfinch

Kilcoole
24.5.19 (12.30-14.30)
1	32	Great Cormorant	5
2	45	Little Egret	6
3	47	Grey Heron	1
4	66	Mute Swan	2
5	70	Common Shelduck	4
6	72	Northern Mallard	3
7	123	Common Buzzard	2
8	188	Common Ringed Plover	6
9	190	Eurasian Oystercatcher	6
10	200	Northern Lapwing	2
11	213	Dunlin	60
12	270	European Herring Gull	6
13	275	Great Black-backed Gull	5
14	297	Little Tern	150
15	301	Common Guillemot	2
16	312	Common Woodpigeon	10
17	382	Common Skylark	5
18	385	Barn Swallow	10
19	393	Meadow Pipit	2
20	411	Winter Wren	2
21	463	Goldcrest	1
22	472	Common Stonechat	1
23	473	Northern Wheatear	1
24	504	Common Blackbird	5
25	507	Song Thrush	1
26	546	Reed Bunting	1
27	579	European Goldfinch	1
28	581	Common Linnet	40
29	602	Common Starling	30
30	612	Western Jackdaw	10
31	614	Rook	10
32	615	Hooded Crow	2
33		Cabbage White	1
34		European Rabbit	1

I headed a little further down the coast to Newcastle and the East Coast Bird Reserve. It was pretty quiet but I added a few woodland birds to my trip list including a Great Spotted Woodpecker, which was nice.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

There were several brightly coloured nest boxes erected through the area - at one I watched a European Blue Tit feeding well-fledged young.

European Blue Tit feeding young

		Newcastle (14.30 - 15.30)
1	47	Grey Heron	3
2	72	Northern Mallard	2
3	163	Common Pheasant	1
4	237	Eurasian Curlew	1
5	360	Great Spotted Woodpecker	1
6	416	Dunnock	2
7	486	European Robin	2
8	504	Common Blackbird	6
9	507	Song Thrush	3
10	517	Coal Tit	1
11	518	European Blue Tit	4
12	520	Great Tit	2
13	573	Common Chaffinch	4
14	595	House Sparrow	2
15	602	Common Starling	5
16	608	Common Magpie	5
17		Common Blue	1

Got home by 16.30 and out in the garden an hour or so later I found a Hummingbird Hawk Moth Macroglossum stellatarum feeding on one of Mum’s plants. I think this is the first one I’ve seen since the ‘70s……..

Hummingbird Hawk Moth Macroglossum stellatarum

Trip List: 44

Day 6 – Saturday 25.5.19

I had had no intention of doing any serious birding in these first few days, choosing, instead, to spend time catching up with Mum and doing a few odd jobs around the place as penance for living overseas – and never being here, as a good son should.

However, Mum insisted I get out and do something so I decided to take a run to Tacumshin in Co Wexford. Several ‘good’ birds had been seen in recent days/weeks. The Spotted Sandpiper I saw in February was still at Ferrybank and now in summer plumage, a Squacco Heron had been seen from the ‘High Carpark’ at Tacumshin itself and a Red-footed Falcon had been seen in that area somewhere. It seemed like a worthwhile effort as all would be worth seeing, especially the Falcon, although I wasn’t very optimistic.

It really turned out to be a clear case of ‘should have been here yesterday’……. 

I left home at 5.45 and hammered down the M50 in the sewing machine my mother calls her car. Ahhhh give it its due it did run along well at 120/130 kms/hr, but it was like travelling on a skateboard.

The traffic was almost non-existent and I reached Ferrybank on the north side of Wexford harbour at 7.15 – a good effort.

I searched the rock wall and strips of exposed beach for an hour but came up blank. I did see a couple of Common Swifts overhead, a trio of Black-tailed Godwits in summer plumage and a few Sand Martins hanging around their nest holes in a clay bank behind the beach - not something you see every day nowadays.

Ferrybank Co Wexford
25.5.19  (7.15-8.15)
1	32	Great Cormorant	1
2	45	Little Egret	1
3	70	Common Shelduck	2
4	190	Eurasian Oystercatcher	15
5	235	Black-tailed Godwit	3
6	237	Eurasian Curlew	4
7	267	Black-headed Gull	20
8	270	European Herring Gull	20
9	275	Great Black-backed Gull	4
10	289	Sandwich Tern	1
11	312	Common Woodpigeon	10
12	345	Common Swift	2
13	382	Common Skylark	1
14	383	Common Sand Martin	2
15	385	Barn Swallow	5
16	393	Meadow Pipit	1
17	411	Winter Wren	2
18	504	Common Blackbird	3
19	579	European Goldfinch	4
20	581	Common Linnet	10
21	602	Common Starling	5
22	615	Hooded Crow	2

Hmmmmm OK, I never was very successful on a twitch, so it’s not unusual. I hoped it didn’t set a precedent for the rest of the day.

I headed through Wexford town and down the Rosslare road turning off at Killinick where I grabbed a coffee and pain o chocolate at the service station before hitting the narrow, twisting, confusing roads towards Tacumshin. 

And got lost. 

Of course. 

I always do.

Luckily I had brought my iPad with my favourite mapping app, MapsMe, and I fired that up, picked what I thought might be the right place and followed the directions there.

It was, in fact, exactly the right place – the High Carpark – well named as the rough parking area provided a view over the eastern end of Tacumshin. There was a birder out on the far bank of the wetland. He was heading back so I decided to wait. While I did, I scanned but there was nothing apart from Mute Swans, a Grey Heron or two and a few Northern Mallard flying past.

When he arrived back at our cars we chatted, of course, as you do.

The Squacco had been seen right in front of where we were standing, BUT had last been seen on Thursday night (36 hours ago) – after the current westerlies had blown in.

The Red-footed Falcons (4 in one day) had last been seen on Tuesday – 4 days ago. 'But', he said, 'there’s three guys over at the White Hole where a couple of European Hobbys have been seen and that’s where the Falcons had also been. Maybe try there?'

I thanked Paul Kelly whom I now realised was the well known photographer whose photos featured regularly in Irish birding circles. He said he recognized my name – but I think he was just being polite.

I reset my mapping and drove the 10 minutes to the west side of the wetlands to the White Hole.

Three birders, as described, were coming back to THEIR car, so, again, I waited.

I knew one of them, Noel Keogh, father of Niall Keogh, he of the-Bermuda-Petrel-off-the-Irish-coast fame. The other two I didn’t know, but they were very friendly and immediately invited me to join them at a nearby bank to ‘see the Hobby’. Seemed like an offer I couldn’t refuse as I hadn’t seen Hobby in Ireland before, so followed the three dudes a short distance in the car, then along a grassy bank where we set up ‘scopes and chatted while we waited for the bird to appear. It did and we got pretty crappy views of it spiraling high before heading off to God knows where.

I hung around a bit more and chatted, but by 11.20 I was thinking I should head home. I had wanted to re-visit Carnsore Pt, as I always do, but had run out of time - I'll make sure I get down again in July.

So I headed off in my 'skateboard' and hammered home at the speed of light or thereabouts (God, I'd love to have my Pajero on the M11/M50) arriving back at Mum’s around 13.30 – in time to help her change her bed linen and wash and hang it out. (The sheets etc are just too much for her handle alone.)

Tacumshin (9.30-11.30)
1	45	Little Egret	1
2	47	Grey Heron	5
3	66	Mute Swan	200
4	70	Common Shelduck	20
5	72	Northern Mallard	10
6	145	Eurasian Hobby	1
7	200	Northern Lapwing	2
8	213	Dunlin	50
9	267	Black-headed Gull	30
10	270	European Herring Gull	50
11	275	Great Black-backed Gull	40
12	393	Meadow Pipit	5
13	416	Dunnock	1
14	430	European Reed Warbler	1
15	472	Common Stonechat	1
16	602	Common Starling	30
17	612	Western Jackdaw	40
18	614	Rook	30
19	615	Hooded Crow	5

Yep – it really was a ‘should have been here yesterday’ kinda day, but nice to be out and about and I did meet some really nice guys.

Trip List: 52

FINLAND

Day 7 (F1) – Sunday 26.5.19

So the first adventure starts.

Up at 5, out of the house bang on 7. I walk up to the Aircoach bus stop with 30 kgs of gear hanging off me.  A bus arrived at the stop as I did. I had planned to get the 7.15, this was only 5 past, he was running a few minutes late, but I got it anyway.

At the airport at 8.00. I headed for Mackers for a coffee and sent a txt to Mr H to let him know where I was. He joined me 20 minutes later.

At 8.50 we were at the Finnair check-in and then the fun started. 

Mr H hadn’t checked in on line and as a result they were unsure for a few minutes as to whether we could fly or not. They had overbooked the flight – standard practice according to them and, as a result, were not sure if they had seats for us. I threw a hissy spit and we ended up with two seats together anyway. 

We boarded along with half the population of Japan and enjoyed the exit seats with the extra leg room – amazing what they can do when they try!

The flight was 3 hours but we arrived in Helsinki 5 hours later due to the time difference.

Then the fun continued.

We queued with the whole population of Europe, Japan and South Korea, it seemed, for ages to get to the automatic passport control machines. My passport failed to pass muster and I had to queue again briefly to have it processed manually.

Then we made our way to the bag collection area and managed to wrestle our three check-in bags out of the crowd and up to the departure gates. When we tried to check-in at the automatic machines we couldn’t get them to work because we didn’t have a seat yet…….

Jesus Christ!

Once again manual intervention sorted it BUT we were only on ‘Standby’ for the Oulu flight because again they had overbooked, blah blah blah…

F..k me.

We made our way to the gate. It took us 20 minutes of stiff walking to get there. Helsinki is not a big airport but its spread out in a long two story building with no ‘islands’ for planes to dock.

Getting there we asked for seats to be assigned, but were told we’d have to wait and see. The flight was scheduled for 19.00, but was delayed, initially, until 19.25. We eventually got seats but not together, and the prop driven plane finally departed at 19.45.

We got to Oulu at 21.00 and I waited for the baggage while Mr H sorted the car. 

We drove away at 21.45. Bear in mind it’s still bright daylight even though its quarter to ten.

Mr H had picked a campsite about 20 minutes away on the coast for our first stop and we reached it to find it all closed up. Well, the reception was all closed and we couldn’t get the car through the barrier so we parked outside and carried our stuff in to a grassy area behind reception where we pitched the tents, had a coffee and went for a short walk. The sun was going down at 23.15.

We didn’t see much, it was all very quiet. A roding Eurasian Woodcock over the camp site was pretty cool though.

We hit the sack around 11, it was about 9 degrees, damp and chilly, but dead still and very quiet.

Day 8 (F2) – Monday 27.5.19

After an OK sleep, Mr H woke me at 5 and, after another coffee, we broke camp, packed everything into the car and drove away to park nearby and go for a walk.

Plenty of Redwingsand Fieldfares, Pied Flycatchers, dozens of Willow Warblers(they’re going to be the bane of our lives this trip), a Common Snipedrumming overhead, the Woodcockagain, Reed Buntings, Common Whitethroat, Siskin, Common Swifts, a Lesser Spotted Woodpeckerand at least 3 singing Garden Warblers, although we didn’t actually manage to see any of them. We also had a t least three singing Common Rosefinch’s one of our target birds. Mr H managed to pick one out in a birch tree, but it flew before I could get onto it so he ticked it, but I didn’t.

We headed for a wetland area – Virkkula (don’t ask me how to pronounce it) and visited two hides there. The first was a 300 meter walk and we had good views over the shallow water of hundreds of Whooper Swans, Garganey (my first since the 70’s), Common Cranes, Western Marsh Harriersand more drumming Common Snipe. A good scattering of ducks on the water, but best of all two Ruffs – one male in breeding plumage – really amazing looking.

Ruff (male)

Back to the carpark and we decided to try another hide. A bit of a drive, then a 700 meter walk along a low three-planks-wide boardwalk across the marshy ground and through the reed beds to the second ‘tower’.

Pied Flycatcher

We had much the same birds here adding Sedge Warbler, Great Crested & Slavonian Grebes, Barnacle Goose and 3 White-tailed Eagles to the trip list.

We left and drove back into a nearby village to go to the supermarket and stock up on food for the next few days, then we headed east, the 220 ks, towards the Russian border, to Kuusamo. I was very, very tired and started to nod off at the wheel, so Mr H took over after about 100 ks and I slept for a while. Along the way we saw our first ReindeerRangifer tarandus – 3 animals on the side of the road. We saw a couple more later with red collars around their necks, but the first group were ‘clean’ so we’re assuming they were at least semi-wild.

The roads were pretty quiet. Maximum speed limit 100 kms with regular 80 and even 60 k speed limits. It rained for the second half of the drive and the weather overall looked pretty gloomy.

We stopped off at another supermarket to get a second gas cylinder and had a coffee before heading north out of town towards another Mr H-chosen campsite.

Between the town and the camp site we stopped twice beside roadside lakes (there are 170,000 lakes in Finland apparently but most don’t have much on them – presumably too acidic) however, on one we had a single male Velvet Scoter, showing well a 100 meters off shore and at the second a pair of Smew.

Velvet Scoter 

Smew

This campsite, too, was deserted, but we drove in among the birch and pine trees and set up camp, after some debate, beside a wooden picnic shelter thing where we could sit, cook and eat and update our lists and blog in some comfort. At least we weren’t paying any camping fees! Facilities were pretty minimal but Mr H found a basic toilet set off in the bush so at least we didn’t have to dig a hole with our non-existent spade.

We sat around for a while then went for a wander. It was pretty quiet but we spent some time trying to find a singing Brambling only to have it fly off without being seen properly. We added Willow Tit, Spotted Flycatcher, Common Redstart and Lesser Black-backed Gull (the Baltic subspecies) to the trip list before sitting down to eat, do the log, write this up and crash early. Mr H is snoring in his tent as I type and I’ll be there myself in a few minutes despite it being totally bright at 21.30. We plan to get up around 4 to make the most of the morning tomorrow. It was about 5 degrees, damp, still, cold – fingerless gloves, beanie and Gortex jacket on as I typed.

Day 9 (F3) – Tuesday 28.5.19

Mr H woke me from a deep sleep at 3am. It was, of course, daylight. Not really the full blown daylight one is used to when one wakes up, more a dull, grey kind of light. That may have been partly ‘cause the sky was leaden and misty, but daylight it was, never the less. Neither of us had seen any darkness.

We had a substantial breakfast then set off north in the car. We stopped a yet another lake that we had heard had breeding Black-throated Divers on it and, sure enough, a beautiful pair were sitting about 50 meters off shore – stunning! Especially when the male started calling and semi displaying – Wow!!

Black-throated Diver

A bit of video...

https://youtu.be/P6tis1RnhRs 

We turned off the next side road and drove about a kilometer or so before pulling in at a small carpark (Valtavaara) at the start of several trails up and down the hillside. We saw two Mountain Hares on the way – but different from any Hares I had seen before. Mostly a light smoky grey colour with white soles to their hind feet and white backs to their ears – really cute but quite astonishing as they bounded away through the fallen timber and scrub along the roadside. We were to see several more pairs during the day.

We decided to walk down the road to a track (Konttaisjarvi - Blue trail) that promised some good birds and headed that way. It was quite cold, very damp and misty under the trees. The light was shit for photos but there wasn’t a lot to take photos of to start with.

Mr H heard a Red-flanked Bluetail singing off to one side and we went off-track in that direction. It was infuriatingly frustrating trying to locate the Robin-sized bird in the tall pine trees and we staggered along the narrow root-strewn track in pursuit. I, of course, couldn’t hear it at all so was no help whatsoever.

Suddenly, a movement to my right and I turned to find a Siberian Jay perched up 6 feet away! I called it to Mr H’s attention and we held our breath as it hopped and flew around us. It was unnecessary to be so careful as it turned out, as several times during the next hour or two one or two birds would come to check us out and fearlessly come very close providing ample opportunities for photos.

Siberian Jay

While we were chasing the Bluetail, Mr H said he could hear a Song Thrush going off, but we didn’t bother trying to find it, as we were otherwise occupied.

Eventually we dropped down onto the original track and headed further into the forest still tracking a Bluethroat singing somewhere up ahead. This brought us close to the Song Thrush – still going off – so we went to see what was happening.

Mr H located its rough presence and, as he looked for it through his bins, spotted a Great Grey Owl low down in a thick tree about 20 meters away. As he started to call it, it flew, out and down the slope into the distance. It wasn’t a perfect view but certainly perfectly tickable!

Wow!! Owl no 1 in the bag!

We didn’t see much else in the forest but did eventually locate a singing Red-flanked Bluetail about 150 meters away at the extreme top of a tall pine – a European tick for me.

Back to the car and we debated whether we would walk another trail. I suggested that with the forest so quiet and the weather so shit we should drive the side roads instead and see what turned up.

We set off up a narrow, graveled track and first up was a pair of Brambling which were nice to see. Next up, a lifer for Mr H – a female Black Grouse. We watched it for about 10 minutes before we moved on and it flew off and found 3 males further up the road. Another 2 males ’perched up’ well enabling prolonged views, followed by a very close female with a second female companion we didn’t even see till we drove away. 

Black Grouse (female)

Our driving continued without much more success so we headed back to camp.

We were both pretty tired so had a coffee and a rest before driving the 30kms into Kuusamo. Along the way we ‘found’ a lake on the right swarming with Little Gulls in full breeding plumage. I took about 50 shots of them swooping over the lake, but nothing really worthwhile keeping, unfortunately – they were really beautiful with their light grey wings, black head & underwing, red legs and clean white underparts – very delicate.

At Kuusamo we picked up some bits and pieces and spent some time over coffee while I sorted my photos, then we headed south. There were some spots recommended for a couple of species we needed so we started checking these out.

Cutting a longer story shorter, we eventually added several new birds to our trip list including Bohemian Waxwing, Red-necked Grebe, Willow Ptarmigan (Red Grouse is now a subspecies) and Common Cuckoo. And we did get our two main targets – Little Bunting and Rustic Bunting – both thanks to Mr H’s incredible hearing. (Both lifers for Mr H)

Bohemian Waxwing

We had 2 Little flitting around responding to playback and 1 Rustic sitting up nearby on a lake shore . Neither were photographical, but acceptable views never the less.

We had lunch by the lake then headed for another spot where Pine Grosbeak was alleged.

It was a bit of a drive, including 18 kms along a pitted clay road, but we got there anyway and started to head the 2.5 km hike up the hill. After about 300 meters we re-assessed our action. Might sound silly having driven all that way, but we figured we’d have a good chance at the PG closer to home and in easier conditions and we were both feeling pretty drained anyway, having been up for 12 hours at this stage today already, so……we turned back.

And lucky we did!

Such a difference little things can make!

Walking back through the scattered pine trees a bird broke cover without any work from us – a Northern Hawk Owl!! 

Owl no 2 was in the bag!

It perched up really well enabling photos, video, playback (to see what it would do – it didn’t carry on too much and we didn’t prolong it) and lengthy discussion regarding its plumage and appearance. It was brilliant!!

Northern Hawk Owl

A little bit of video.....

https://youtu.be/3dTaqebQPz4

2 Owls in one day? Are we good or what!! Ha ha Ha ha….

The drive back to Kuusamo was much quicker and enjoyable and we retired to another coffee shop to download the photos and replay the incident.

I don't think one can come to Finland and not take photos of Whooper Swans and Reindeer so...

Whooper Swans 

Reindeer

Then it was ‘home’ and a lazy couple of hours until dinner time – Elk meat and vegies! well, when in Finland……..and bed by 21.30.

Finland List – 99     Lifers – 4    New European – 2

Day 10 (F4) – Wednesday 29.5.19

Our day started at 4 – and rain. The latter continued through the day, sometimes heavier, most times just a light drizzle. We had known it was coming and had made plans to manage our day around it.

We started off driving some of the roads and tracks we had tried before, targets Capercaillie and Hazel Grouse. We got nothing apart from a few European Hares.

European Hare - Finland style.

On the move

https://youtu.be/EFPISRhW_DM

Looking at the map Mr H suggested we try a National Park, Oulangan Kansallispuisto, about 20 kms away and off we went. It was a slow drive getting there as a long stretch of the road in was under construction with the appropriately slow speed limits.

It was a waste of time anyway. The habitat was pretty degraded and the trees too small and overgrown to support either of our targets. We headed back and up to our carpark of yesterday. We walked the same track and checked the Grey Owl tree hopefully – but nothing. It didn’t appear to be a regular roost either – no droppings or pellets in evidence. The forest was particularly quiet and we returned to the car in the drizzle a little dispirited. A pair of confiding Siberian Jayswhom we could almost hand feed were engaging.

We returned to camp and crashed for a couple of hours as the rain continued.

After lunch we headed in towards Kuusamo and checked a couple of lakes on the way. We did see a pair of Red-necked Grebes, Little Gulls, Smew, Goldeneye, Tufted Ducksetc but little else exciting – so to speak. We added three birds to the trip list – Common Greenshank(1), Long-tailed Duck(3) and Sand Martin(40 or so hawking over a lake). We also saw a Wood Sandpiperdisplay flighting and landing on the top of a pine tree – weird!

Ending up in Kuusamo we filled up with fuel (Euro 1.41/litre = Aus$2.28), had more lousy coffee and then checked a couple of other lakes before heading home, an early dinner and bed in preparation for an early start tomorrow when the weather was predicted to be sunny and dry. 

Finland List – 102   Lifers – 4   New European - 2

Day 11 (F5) – Thursday 30.5.19

We dragged our sorry asses out of our warm sleeping bags at 2.30am. Into the grey ‘night’ light. Not dark, by any means, but not pure daylight either. After breakfast we left the campsite at 3.45 and headed up the road and onto the side road.

By 3.48 we had one of our main target birds – a male Western Capercaillie strutted off the roadside into the bush!  Wow! What a big black motherf….r of a bird! Impressive.

Awake now and excited we drove the same track as previous days, (the first turn off left after the carpark for the Valtavaara trails). Not a lot for most of the drive, apart from 6 male Black Grouse all over the road at a junction half way along. One determinedly chasing the others off, tail raised, head down, until they realised we were there and they all flew off.

We drove a dead end track in hope – but nothing overly exciting apart from a Willow Ptarmigan right beside the car – basically a Red Grouse with white flecks in the feathering. Good view, but not a major tick!

Back to the carpark and we set off up the trail directly opposite, up the hill/mountain. This time our targets were Pine Grosbeak and Parrot Crossbill.

It was a steep at times climb, but not very long. At one stage a rope had been staked alongside the track to aid walkers. 

Trail to the top (actually coming down!)

Land of Lakes

We didn’t see anything like either of our targets, although a flock of Common Crossbill flew unseen overhead, and descended the hill past a birding tour group heading up. The guide didn’t look happy when we said we’d seen nowt. Their target seemed to be Red-flanked Bluetail and we told him where we’d had them two days ago.

We headed back to camp – it was all of 8am by now – and after a short rest and coffee, headed off for the area behind the skiing ‘mountain’ where we hoped for the Grosbeak and/or Three-toed Woodpecker. My phone told me it was 3 degrees – but felt like minus 3….

Once again we failed in our quest and driving around the mountain ended up back at the carpark again. This time we walked the same trail as Tuesday (Great Grey Owl day) but the wind had picked up and, although it was dry and tending to sunny spells, was very difficult to bird.

By the time we’d walked back to the car, we were, once again, shagged and headed back to camp for lunch (at 10.30) and a sleep (for 3 hours). The wind by now was ferocious and cold but the sun was shining. Jeez if we had the sun and no wind it’d be a huge day.

We didn’t do much for the rest of the day except some planning discussion for the rest of the trip. The wind continued to blow and the sun continued to shine, but birds were almost non-existent.

We cooked dinner at 6 – canned reindeer and beans – and crashed early.

Finland List – 105   Lifers – 5   New European - 2

Day 12 (F6) – Friday 31.5.19

We got up again at 2.30am, had a quick coffee in a very cold, windy, rainy morning and headed out on the road again.

We drove the same track, saw two Black Grouse males briefly and, right at the end of the side road, a female Western Capercaillie. Unfortunately we only saw her at the last moment and she flew before we could get the bins on her.

Back to camp by 4 and back into bed. We slept on and off till 8.30, then it was breakfast and pack up. It was very cold, very windy and drizzling throughout – a thoroughly miserable morning.

Packed up the wet tents and out of there by 10.

A 220 km drive and one stop for coffee saw us back in Oulu at 13.00. We went to a park, Lintulampi, in Oulu following recent EBird reports of Three-toed Woodpecker and Pygmy Owl, but saw neither – still raining gently and blowing strongly. We did see a breeding pair of Slavonian Grebes on the lake and 2 Red Squirrels to add to our trip list.

We tried some coastal lagoons where Terrick Sandpiper was reported but the wind was so strong it was blowing the sea spray across the road. We did add Eurasian Oystercatcher and Common Ringed Plover (one of each) to the trip list.

We ended up at Virkkula again, as on last Tuesday, but declined the option to walk to the tower and sheltered in a picnic hut for lunch.

Then it was time for the airport and running the Finnair gauntlet again.

In fact it was very easy this time and we bag dropped without any hassle. The plane was only two thirds full so that was probably why it went so smoothly.

An uneventful flight saw us back in Helsinki airport 55 minutes later – God, it’s a hopeless case.

We got our bags then had to walk for miles to get to the rental car guy in the car park. It was a small company Mr H had rented from – they only had 5 spaces in the car park - but it was very confusing finding him. We did, eventually, and after a prolonged description of why, where and how we managed to get on the road for the 400 km drive to the Parikkala area far over in the east of the country on the Russian border. It was 20.30, sunny, clear and relatively warm (17 degrees) as we left Helsinki and headed east at a respectable (legal) 120 k/hr. We saw our first Grey Heron of the trip as we left the airport! All those lakes up north and no herons? Weird. Maybe its too cold?

We stopped at a garage/market and re-stocked with basic food and had gigantic burgers & coffee before heading on. Along the way we saw several roding Eurasian Woodcocks over the pines.

The sun disappeared at 22.30 but the twilight persisted only getting sort of dark after midnight.

On an 80km stretch of road a female Elk trotted off the verge into the trees as we blasted past.

We got to the campsite at 01.30, it appeared completely deserted. We picked a spot in the middle of a field, set up the tents by the car headlights and I had my first shower and shave since leaving Ireland last Saturday – bliss! Then we crashed.

Finland List – 108   Lifers – 5   New European – 2

Day 13 (F7) – Saturday 1.6.19

We were up at 8 to a sunny, warmish, bright morning. We found a complete kitchen set-up with electric kettle, microwave, hotplates, fridge and utensils beside the toilet and decided to move the tents down to camp beside the building after breakfast.

We went for a walk in the deciduous woodland around the campsite. A number of Garden Warblers were singing but they were frustratingly bloody difficult to see. We gave up after about half an hour and headed off in the car to an area 10 minutes away – an arboretum – where Spotted Nutcracker had its only presence in Finland.

We couldn’t find any though and despite the excellent mixed habitat the birds were pretty few and far between. Possibly because it was later in the morning, we thought, the continuing high winds didn’t help the matter either. We did have fleeting glimpses of a Garden Warbler and good, but brief views, of our first Blyth’s Reed Warbler.

Leaving there after a couple of hours with photos of several butterflies and Bumblebees, mostly unidentified, but one was a Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni, we headed back towards Parrikala with the intention of sussing out an area for our future endeavours.
Most now IDENTified......

Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum 

Green-veined White Pieris napi

Map Butterfly Araschina levana

Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne

Brimstone  Gonepteryx rhamni (a bit worn out)

Along the way we stopped off at another supermarket place and bought dinner meals to cook in the microwave – and had a cup of coffee at a small bar/café. The coffee here is all pretty shit – its drip filtered, they don’t seem to know what a skinny flat white, extra hot is….

The area we were looking at was right along the Russian Border – literally. 

We stopped on the side of the road and walked a few meters into the trees looking for stuff. As we turned back to the car a heavily marked van pulled up and three heavily armed border police all dressed in black got out. They must have seen us on video from somewhere cause they drove from the border post and back to it after they left us. They were very friendly but quizzed us as to who, what and from where in excellent English. They gave us a brochure outlining the signs we should understand so ‘we wouldn’t make any mistakes’then wished us well and drove back from whence they came. As we’re planning on driving the same area very early tomorrow morning we were sure to describe exactly what we were doing and when we intended doing it. Don’t want that dude using his taser on us any time soon…..

The Blue post is Finland - the Red post is Russia

Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi 

We continued on along the road to within 100 meters of the border and then turned away ending up at Siikalahti Nature Reserve. 

Northern White-faced Darter Leucorrhinia rubigunda 

Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis

Water strider sp Gerridae sp

Common Whitethroat

We had lunch before walking into the reserve and looking for stuff.

Best ‘stuff’ were 3 Eurasian Hobbys and a Eurasian Otter, but no new ticks. There were heaps of dragonflies and I took pictures which I will probably never identify the subjects of, but I have now made my best guess - happy to be corrected…

By the time we’d finished there we were feeling a bit knackered so headed home and just chilled for the rest of the evening.

Finland List – 119   Lifers – 6  New European – 2

Day 14 (F8) – Sunday 2.6.19

We got up at 2am. It was raining. It had been raining since about 22.00 the previous night and showed no sign of stopping. It was a pretty miserable morning.

However, we headed out and down to the roads near the border. We drove along slowly, stopping every now and again so Mr H could put his ears to use. 

It continued to rain.

He heard a number of birds but they were pretty few and far between. Things like Grasshopper Warbler (1) and Corncrake (1) were exciting, but invisible and not close. At several locations nothing was singing.

We finally admitted defeat and headed home – it was still raining when we crawled into the soaking tents and slept on and of until 8.30am.

It was still drizzling after we had breakfast but we decided we needed to press on and try and see something. Donning all the wet gear we headed back to the Arboretum and walked around there for a while. But we got nothing but wet. We assumed the rain and dull conditions were putting the birds off any activity.

It was all a bit depressing. We didn’t have a lot of time to spare and losing almost a complete day’s birding was a disaster. 

Driving on we stopped at a service station and filled the car, then had coffee.

By the time we’d finished that it looked like it might be easing, but it didn’t actually cease until midday. It still remained cloudy and dull but spots of sun started to appear and the birds started to pick up.

We spent the next two hours stopping randomly on quiet side roads at potential habitat spots and had some luck.

At one stop we had several Blyth’s Reed Warblers singing and managed to get excellent views of a couple.

Blyth's Reed Warbler

Just up the road from there we pulled over and Mr H heard a Common or Scarlet Rosefinch singing. We’d heard – and he had seen one – on our first day, but I hadn’t so was keen. It was a bird I thought we’d see easily, they seem to be everywhere according to EBird. I suspect now that most records are of them singing. We did end up seeing this one, 150 meters away across a field perched up right on top of a birch tree. It didn’t hang around when we started to approach closer, but it was an identifiable tick.

A third stop produced a brief but good view (finally) of a Garden Warbler responding to playback. We also had a Lesser Whitethroat and an un-locatable singing Rosefinch there too.

At our final stop a pair of Northern Goshawks showed – one in flight disappeared and the perched up one vanished too before we could get the scopes out of the car.

We headed home to sleep in preparation for what we hope will be a big night tonight. When we arrived back at our campsite we found both tents taken down and piled in a damp heap, tent pegs everywhere, even my washing line had been thrown on the pile. Obviously the owner didn’t like us camping outside what she considered the camping area – a large sloping field.  We had camped close to the kitchen and toilet and there was no one else around anyway. 

To say I was unhappy would be an understatement. If she’d approached us and instructed us to move, we would have, but to take our tents down when we weren’t there? That’s f…..d.

That’s Finnish hospitality for you. 

I will be expressing my disappointment before we leave tomorrow….

We moved the tents 100 meters into the ‘camping’ field, had lunch and settled down to sleep the rest of the afternoon away.

Our campsite - before the 'destruction' 

The kitchen area and our car - Renault Clio

We had been going to ‘rest’ till 20.30 but by 18.30 we were awake so got up and watched a TV download on my iPad, had dinner and were on the road at 20.30.

We had just reached the area we wanted to drive and were coasting gently along an unsealed track across farmland when MR H called an Owl flying across in front of us. We watched until it landed in the forest, turning once to drop to ground briefly, before vanishing into the trees near a farm house. Ural Owl – our third Owl this trip, a lifer for him and a new European species for me. We drove to the farm buildings which seemed to be deserted, although it was 23.00 and maybe everyone was in bed - it was a twilight, not dark at all – and tried playback, with no response.

We birded through the night until after 1.30am visiting several locations close to the border. We heard more than we saw, needless to say, including at least two lifers which I didn’t claim as they were unseen – Thrush Nightingale & Spotted Crake. We did have one very vocal Great Reed Warbler at Siikalahti Nature Reserve that we did see flitting through the reeds which was, of course, a lifer for me. 

We also heard Great Bittern(5),  Common Crane(1),  Black-throated Diver,  Black Grouse, Common Cuckoo(10),  Common Snipe,  Blyth’s Reed Warbler and Corncrake(3). We saw several roding Eurasian Woodcock and on 4 occasions we had one standing in the road in front of the car for an extended period.

Eurasian Woodcock - @ 11pm 

Eurasian Woodcock - x car headlights after midnight

It was an amazing experience and we got home tired, but happy. We didn’t manage to locate any Marsh or River Warblers, which was a bit of a disappointment, but we felt we’d done quite well.

Finland List – 128   Lifers –8   New European – 3

Day 15 (F9) – Monday 3.6.19

We woke at 8, groggily had breakfast, broke camp and were on the road by 10. Unfortunately (and probably much to Mr H’s relief) I didn’t get the chance to share my thoughts with the owner of the caravan park, the tent-taker-downer, as she was sat in her office with her wig on, on the phone, ignoring me, until she opened her window and I dropped the keys into her meaty claw with the strongest look of disdain and disgust I could muster on my face. 

I doubt she noticed.

Heading south 200 kms, we stopped for coffee once and arrived at our next campsite (Vaalimaa Camping site) at the top of the ‘gulf’ of Finland, once again right beside the Russians.

All along the smaller side roads - the motorways have 'Elk-proof' fencing

We set up camp and went down the road to a tower right beside the border. From this tower it had been reported that Greater Spotted Eagles could be seen circling the Russian forest, where they have a breeding site.

One of the many towers along the border

We didn’t see any but we did see a Honey Buzzard, 3 European Hobbys, a Common Kestrel and a White-tailed Eagle. These towers are excellent view points, well constructed and high enough to see over the surrounding trees. We discussed starting a bird list for Russia, but abandoned the idea as frivolous…..

Mr H playing the Russian border guard 

Me acting the dick

As we descended from the tower a Black Woodpecker put it in a confiding performance. I managed to get some shots but they weren’t brilliant.

Black Woodpecker

We drove along the unsealed well-maintained border road for several kilometers sussing out potential sites for a night visit. At the end, back on the main road, we headed for a spot where an old hotel was located, another tower and potential Warbler site.

As we drove in Mr H said ‘that sounded like a River Warbler’!

God bless his ears. The bird was calling, like a Grasshopper Warbler, 150 meters away from the track. Fifty meters from it and I still couldn’t hear it. After a lot of work waiting and looking, and playback - and thinking it might be a Lanceolated, the call is very similar - Mr H had two fleeting glimpses, but it took him another 30 minutes to get me onto the bloody bird. Thank God I did see it, it would have been a real piss off if he did and I didn’t.

Anyway we ended up with pretty good views of it perched up singing, but intervening branches denied my camera.

We walked out to the tower beside the old hotel, overlooking an extensive marsh/wetland area. We didn’t see a lot, despite its great potential – a single White-tailed Eagle and a male Garganey were best birds.

Back at the car Himself remarked on a singing Thrush Nightingale and, as it was still daylight, he said, maybe we should try to see it? He’d seen it before and we’d heard quite a few on this trip, but hadn’t actually seen it in the flesh (hence I hadn’t ticked it) - so we started stalking it.

It took us over 30 minutes to get close enough to the continually singing bird, perched up in a birch tree. It was surprisingly difficult to actually spot despite its loud voice that even I could hear. In reality it’s wasn’t much to look at (apologies to all TNs), but its song was really cool. I was very happy with the view, photos and video and can tick that one off very satisfactorily.

Thrush Nightingale

Singing........

https://youtu.be/aS9tJYFApto

We headed ‘home’ and crashed at 17.30. 

At 20.00 we got up again, had dinner and headed off up the road. Over the next 3 hours we re-visited the places we had been in the afternoon. We didn’t have quite the same success as the previous night in Parikkala, but did have very close calling Corncrakes,  2 River Warblers and various other previously seen/heard species, adding European Nightjar and European Reed Warbler (both unseen) to the trip list. We tried for all the Owls at several spots without any success.

We were pretty knackered by the time we’d finished and crashed as soon as we got back, just after midnight.

Finland List – 136   Lifers – 10   New European – 3

Day 16 (F10) – Tuesday 4.6.19

Dragged our sorry asses once again into the daylight at 7am. Had breakfast and headed off to a new area to check it out.

Another tower, another wetland, another White-tailed Eagle. Sigh.

We did add Northern Pintail and Common Redshank to the trip list and sat in contemplation for a while, both quite drained.

As we walked back to the car we met a local birder whose English was very good. We chatted for a few minutes and then gently interrogated him re species-still-to-be-seen. He gave us a location close-by for Greenish Warbler and we went there, but didn’t find it. Being on the coast itself though we did add Eider Duck and Great Black-backed Gull to the trip list and saw a heap of Goosanders, Goldeneye, Great Cormorants, Barnacle Geese and Great Black-backed Gulls.

We headed home then at 12 and crashed – again - for the afternoon. 

We didn’t last all that long – it was very hot in the tents. 22 degrees and only a small breeze. We put up the tarp beside the car and sat in the shade until 18.00, then headed out again. This time we went to a tower along the border to the north. 

On the way we drove up to the actual Vaalimaa, Finnish/Russian border crossing and checked out the Zsar outlet shopping center just inside it. – specially designed, no doubt, for visiting Russians.

At the tower we sat in the evening sun for a while listening to a Great Bittern booming away in the nearby marsh. We had a Western Marsh Harrier, a distant European Honey Buzzard, an even more distant Common Buzzard and a Black Woodpecker flew overhead, while a couple of Common Cuckoos called in the background – very pleasant!

Heading back from the tower along the unsealed road, a bird flew up from a small tree on the passenger side of the car and headed off across an open field. ‘Grey-headed Woodpecker’ he cried and we watched as it landed briefly in a copse 150 meters away. Then it flew right across the field and down to a small grove of trees bedside the road 100 meters away. We grabbed the scopes and headed down the road on foot, but couldn’t locate it.

As Mr H put it – a classic case of  ‘out of the arse, pulling’. 

On then to the tower closest to camp but half an hour there produced nothing of interest so we went on to camp, dinner and crashed at 10, another Great Bittern lulling us to sleep.

Finland List – 141   Lifers – 11  New European – 3

Day 17 (F11) – Wednesday 5.6.19

Up at 5 to a bright, warm, clear, still morning – Finland at its best, the Great Bittern still calling. Got coffeed up and headed down to the Greenish Warbler locale. Hung around, listening, watching and using playback – all to no result. We returned home Greenish Warbler-challenged.

A bit of breakfast and broke camp to leave at 8.00 to drive the 195 kms/2 hours to Helsinki, stopping only for fuel.

Our campsite at Virolahti - after we took the tents down.....I forgot and Mr H refused to put his back up....

Arrived at Vanhankaupunginlathi – yeah, good luck with that! Luckily also known as Vikki, on the outskirts of Helsinki, it turned out to be surprisingly good. Parked up and headed out towards what was reported to be Citrine Wagtail country. Only a few breeding pairs in this one Finnish location apparently.

Within the first 100 meters we had a Redwing on nest in the back of a children’s cubby house in their play area. I really wanted to see its eggs, but, in the end, didn’t have the heart to disturb her.

Redwing

50 meters further on and an Icterine Warblerwas belting out a tune just above our heads!  Yahhooo – lifer no 12 for me! 

Icterine Warbler

Further along the track Yellowhammers were very confiding – in fact all the birds at Vikki were quite comfortable with human association, for a change. It seems to be a very popular walking/cycling area and was quite busy despite being mid-week.

Yellowhammer

Just before we got to the Citrine Wagtail area Mr H heard a bird, God bless him, and we turned down a narrow side track to spend 15 minutes or so watching, but only getting glimpses of, a singing Marsh Warbler. Brilliant! But very poor, basic, views.

No sign of any Citrines here, so, after a suitable period of scanning fence posts and muddy areas, getting our best  (scope) to date of a coloured up Common Rosefinch, we headed back to the car finding another Marsh Warbler on the way - this one much more obliging and sitting up well, if only briefly, in the open for a few seconds at about 5 meter range. Much more satisfactory – a real skulker and absolutely no photographic opportunity!

Back at the car we drove to another access point to this huge area of wetland and walked about a k and a half along a well constructed and maintained boardwalk to another location popular with Citrines. 

Once again we failed to find any, seeing only 4 or 5 Yellow (Blue-headed) Wagtailsin the fields, but scoring really well on crippling views of a singing Common Rosefinch (good views at last!) and I realised I hadn’t taken any pictures of Fieldfare– so I did.

Common or Scarlet Rosefinch

Singing......

https://youtu.be/J2Y3a27xbmo

Fieldfare

		Day 11
Vikki, Helsinki
5.6.19 (10.00-13.00)
1	10	Great Crested Grebe
2	32	Great Cormorant
3	47	Grey Heron
4	56	Canada Goose
5	57	Barnacle Goose
6	60	Grey Lag Goose
7	72	Northern Mallard
8	74	Eurasian Teal
9	78	Eurasian Wigeon
10	140	Western Marsh Harrier	1
11	167	Common Crane	1
12	188	Common Ringed Plover
13	224	Common Redshank
14	267	Black-headed Gull
15	269	Lesser Black-backed Gull
16	270	European Herring Gull
17	275	Great Black-backed Gull
18	277	Common Gull
19	287	Caspian Tern	2
20	312	Common Wood Pigeon
21	313	Stock Dove	4
22	360	Great Spotted Woodpecker	1
23	382	Common Skylark
24	393	Meadow Pipit
25	397	Yellow Wagtail	5
26	400	White Wagtail
27	426	Sedge Warbler
28	429	Marsh Warbler	2
29	433	Icterine Warbler	2
30	441	Garden Warbler
31	442	Blackcap
32	443	Common Whitethroat
33	444	Lesser Whitethroat
34	453	Willow Warbler
35	456	Wood Warbler
36	469	Spotted Flycatcher
37	471	Whinchat	1
38	486	European Robin
39	488	Thrush Nightingale
40	501	Fieldfare
41	504	Common Blackbird
42	506	Redwing
43	507	Song Thrush
44	518	European Blue Tit
45	531	Yellowhammer
46	546	Common Reed Bunting
47	573	Common Chaffinch
48	585	Common Rosefinch	4
49	595	House Sparrow
50	602	Common Starling
51	615	Hooded Crow

Back to the car by 13.00, packed the bags, had a quick coffee/lunch and headed off to the airport. Dropped the car in the car park successfully and walked the half kilometer to the bag drop area. 

Helsinki is an airport to avoid and Finnair along with it. 

Just total chaos - I’ve never seen a busier airport. It was like trying to swim up a salmon choked river. The only place I have seen so busy was the central station in Tokyo at rush hour….

We had checked-in on-line so just had to do the self-service bag drop, but that was still a nightmare. Anyway we managed it and headed through security, then walked the next half kilometer to get a coffee. We were still 20 minutes from our boarding gate and so at 15.15 we headed off in that direction for the 16.00 flight to Dublin.

Flight was fine – in fact the staff were very pleasant, it’s just the organization that stinks.

Landed Dublin at 17.30, took a while to get Mr H’s second bag, then we found it, off the conveyor on the floor – someone had dropped it off and didn’t tell anyone. Dashed outside, him running, me pushing the heavily loaded trolley behind (luckily it was Dublin airport and not Helsinki or we’d have been f….d) His Belfast bus home left at 18.00, luckily, too, it was delayed by a few minutes and we said our goodbyes before he hopped aboard and was gone.

I got my Aircoach at 18.25 and walked the kilometer or so down to home with my 40 kgs of bags hanging off me by 20.00.

First European Adventure done!

Final Tally: Finland List – 144   Lifers – 13  (12 for Mr H)  New European – 3

Day 18 & 19 - Thursday 6.6.19 & Friday 7.6.19

Back in Dublin. Didn't do any birding. Didn't do much, but unpack, wash clothes, tidy up notes and photos, help Mum, rest - and re-pack in preparation for the next european adventure. 

20.5.19

Trotter

Mr D had suggested Trotter so I picked him up at 6.15 and headed that way.

It was a fairly average Trotter-type morning with little to excite and minimal bird activity given the environment. We did notice a number of Yellow-faced & White-throated Honeyeaters in a mixed flock with Rainbow Bee Eaters and Rufous & Golden Whistlers, interspersed with several Eastern Spinebills – a regular winter visitor to this area and always nice to see.

Other than that it was pretty quiet. We retired, as usual to The Lodge, p.k.a. Belesis, for breakfast.

11.5.19

Minnippi (in daylight)

Mr D picked me up at 6 then Mr P at 10 past and we were on site very soon afterwards. A cold morning, as a weather front had pushed through overnight – the coldest morning so far this year, I think, at 13 degrees.

It turned out to be a good morning, although we didn’t see several of the usual, commoner birds.

The lake was pretty much as it has been lately – covered in hyacinth (water lilies) providing a food source for a number of Duck, Jacanas and Egrets. 

The M1 track was quite birdy, for the first time in a long time. We had a mixed flock of several Australian Golden Whistlers (all female or imm males), Rufous Whistlers, Brown, Yellow-faced and Scarlet Honeyeaters, a single Fan-tailed and two Shining Bronze Cuckoos, Grey Fantails, a Leaden Flycatcher and a Rose Robin– my 4^threcord for site.

I know I've featured Fan-tailed Cuckoos on the blog before - but this one sat up very well in the early morning sunlight....

The Avenue was quiet, but we had a flock of about 20 Chestnut-breasted Mannikins in the grass.

Back at the lake, much the same as seen from the far end, plus 8 Magpie Geese and 6 Grey Teal – been a while since we’ve seen the latter here.

A Whistling Kite showed up above the Airfield and along the track – 2 imm Spectacled Monarchs were only my second site record (my first was with Mr P on 20.9.15). Heaps more Whistlers and Grey Fantails at one point all tied in with a flock of Silvereyes – a regular bird-wave.

Butterflies? Evening Brown, (Airfield Track) and White-banded Plane and Blue Tiger along the concrete path on the way back to the car.

White-banded Plane Phaedyma shepherd (male)

We retired to The Lobby, previously known as Belesis, for breakfast – it has recently changed hands and just avoided being destroyed in a fire that completely decimated the small shopping centre next door including the Spanish café, now all a bare patch of concrete. It was very quiet there – unusually so – but the menu was exactly the same, the food also and the coffee volcanicly hot - once they got the hang of it.

6.5.19

Minnippi (at night)

Mr P and I agreed to spotlight Minnippi. We haven’t always had a very successful spotlighting trip to Minnippi but thought we’d give it a go for the Nightjar I’d seen during daylight a couple of weeks ago.

In short it was a bit of a waste of time despite it being the perfect night - still, warm, clear and quiet. 

We only had 1 Common Brushtail Possum and 1 Common Ringtail and a single Tawny Frogmouth perched up on the Airfield Track. We did find some sleeping butterflies which we took photos of and await confirmation ID from Mr B in the museum.