Elk Hunt...

Yesterday (06/10) I participated in a local elk hunt which had been arranged by the University here. It was an invite for all the exchange students studying forestry from a local forestry company to go along and see something new and act as beaters in a driven shoot.

Early start at 6:00am and we were picked up at our student accomodation. Surprisingly there aren't many forestry exchange students studying here so it was us three from the UK and 6 Czechs who we had already spent quite a bit of time with.

No time for breakfast but it didn't matter because it was being provided for free at the hunting cabin in the woods. A nice big fire was already on the go and we met a few of the people running the shoot. Not long after breakfast the guests started to arrive with their expensive cars, expensive outdoor clothing and big guts, the usual sort.

After a briefing on the plan for the day we set off in the cars to the first location for the shoot dressed in our red caps and vests. The shooters made their way around to the other side whilst we beaters headed off to our position to create a chain of people through the forest which would drive the elk towards the shooters. We were provided with two wooden batons to create as much noise as we could whilst walking.

The horn blew three times and we were off, walking slowly, shouting, clacking our sticks and trying to keep equal distance between the person in the chain either side who was 150 - 200 metres away. After awhile due to the terrain it was impossible to see the person either side of you but I kept going through dense forest and swamp when all of a sudden I saw movement, a young male elk not 20 metres in front. We paused for a few seconds looking at each other and then he ran off towards the right with me wondering if he would still be alive in a few minutes time. I got to the end of my beat at a long clearing in the forest where a powerline ran through. Several others also made it but the chain had become a bit confused and some people weren't there yet. The few of us who were stood in a safe location and waited to see what happened, it was deadly quiet.

We stood there in the rain and cold for a good 10 minutes waiting for instructions and wondered where the others were when all of a sudden BANG! A shot rang out that must have been heard for miles and all of a sudden it became real and there were 5 more shots shortly after that. We all looked at each other wondering what had happened.

We got the order to move, down to the shooter's position to meet up with the others. The word was a large bull elk and a calf had been shot but it wasn't clean so they needed help finding them. Eventually we made it back to the road and the others who were all safe and accounted for. Turned out this group of shooters were useless and no-one had actually hit anything at all even though we had driven 3 elks out in front of them. A small part of me was disappointed after all our efforts but a large part of me was glad that these 3 elk would live another day at least.

We returned, soaking wet to the cabin for a free lunch and to dry off a bit around the fire. After eating we got ready for another shoot at a different location. Same procedure again but this time the gaps in the chain were smaller which made it easier. Walking through the forest clacking my sticks and I saw an interesting looking bird through the trees, it flew off before I could get a proper look but as I continued through the forest I saw it again with another one this time, it was two Hazel Grouse! So the day had suddenly become all worth it. The second shoot yielded nothing aswell, there weren't even any elk this time. But we finished up and headed back to the cabin again where we were presented with a gift for our efforts from the forest company. It was a very nice pocket torch, plus we got to keep the vests and hats as a little souvenir.

Finnish Bird List additions:
44. Hazel Grouse

Free stuff.

Hopeless Hoopoe...

According to Tiira, Birdlife Finland's bird observation system there had been a Hoopoe spotted in the South East area of the City of Rovaniemi at the start of last week and it had been regularly spotted all the way up to Friday morning (05/10). So having not been out properly in awhile due to other commitments I decided to go out on Friday and look for the Hoopoe, definately not a bird I expected to be seeing in Northern Finland in October.

The bird had been hanging around the Vennivaara neighbourhood in the Kylväjäntie-Villapolku area apparently which didn't mean much to be but I checked some maps and asked some people who already seen it and set off on my bike. The area is not too far from Jängislahti which I have talked about in previous blogs so I set off rather optimistic.

The weather for the last 3 weeks has been fairly miserable with lots of rain and combined with being busy with University it's been fairly quiet on the birding front so it was nice to be out, even though it was still raining.

I headed off to the Vennivaara area which I found fairly easy (seeing 2 Common Gulls and plenty of Fieldfare on the way) and I was told it had been hanging around people's back gardens and the park areas. So this is where I looked.....for nearly two hours! And surprise surprise I didn't see anything apart from a few Hooded Crows, Magpies and Great Tits. So by now I was pretty wet and getting cold and decided to give up. I took an alternative way back though through the residential area instead of going back to the main road and I am glad that I did.

I was cycling along one of the paths between the houses which always have plenty of trees either side when I noticed some movement up at the top of some pine trees. I stopped to have a look and it was 3 Redwings but there was something else up there too. Then 6 birds flew out of the canopy down to some rowan trees packed with berries in the garden below and to my delight they were Waxwings. A new bird for me that I have always seemed to have missed back in the UK when we get an influx. They were very close too, sometimes down to just a few feet. I watched them for 30mins and tried to get some photos, 14 in total I counted. As I was walking around this small path I noticed a lot of activity maybe 100 metres down the road at another back garden.

I walked down to the garden and it was alive with activity. There was only a small feeder with some peanuts but there were c20 Greenfinch, 4 Willow Tit, 2 fighting Red Squirrels and more Waxwings eating rowan berries all around me. It definately cheered me up after dipping on the Hoopoe and with the weather. Then sometime flew very close to my head and landed on the trunk of a tree 4 feet away. It was a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a bird I had never seen that close or well and it hung around too so I managed some photos of that as well. In the trees beside the garden there were 2 Treecreepers also so some nice additions to my Finnish List. Some pictures below.

Finnish Bird List additions:
40. Common Gull
41. Waxwing (Bohemian)
42. Great Spotted Woodpecker
43. Treecreeper

On the 27th September I also attended a presentation at the Artikum here in Rovaniemi for the publication of the new Rovaniemi Breeding Bird Atlas. Unfortunately the presentation was mostly in Finnish (no surprises) but some of the more important points were given in English also. But at the end there was a table with several copies of the atlas (a really top quality publication) and when I asked how much they were I was greeted with the answer "Just take one, they are free". To say I was surprised was an understatement but took one I did and some leaflets of birding sites in English.

Jängislahti again...

Just a quick post. Haven't been able to get out much this week because of other commitments but today (22/09) I took a ride down to Jängislahti again. It was quite cold and misty for the whole of the day. It was fairly quiet. On the way down to the site in a patch of roadside mixed woodland there was a lot of bird calls to be heard so I took the time to stop and check. There was a large group of different species including, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Willow Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Siskin and the highlight of the day 5 Brambling.

At Jängislahti itself there were plenty of Reed Buntings again, examined as many as I could but still can't find that Rustic. A couple of Whoopers, Wigeon and Goldeneye out on the water. A lone Fieldfare landed on the top of one of the Birch trees before moving on. There was also, surprisingly, two Swallows flying over the wasteland and marsh repeatedly.

On the ride back got some really good views of a Willow Tit a couple feet away which was nice, and that's about it!

Finnish List Additions:
36. Greenfinch
37. Brambling
38. Swallow
39. Shoveler

Northern Forests of Lapland Study Tour

The last week was spent in Northern Lapland on a study tour for University. There were roughly 30 of us (20 Finns, 7 Czechs and 3 Scots) and we toured around the Inari and Ivalo area viewing various aspects of forestry and land management. It was fairly quiet in terms of birds and wildlife mainly due to the vast scale of the areas we visited and the time of year but I managed to see my number one bird on my wishlist so it was definately all worth it.

Day.1 - An early start of 6.30am to make the bus at the University campus that was leaving at 8.00am. It was a cold start with frost on the ground from the previous night. Looking out of the kitchen window and there were two Mountain Hares feeding on the grass outside. They really were huge, the size of a medium dog almost. Our first stop of the day was  Sodankylä. On the journey North were Hooded Crows, Magpies, Reindeer and not a whole lot else really. We were hosted by two employees from  Metsähallitus (The Finnish Forest and Park Service) and were shown around various sites related to forestry and included a forest lunch of sausage rolls and coffee around an open fire.

Forest lunch.

A few White Wagtails were seen but not much else, but the weather stayed good for the whole day. In the evening we arrived at our accomodation which consisted of log cabins right next to Inari Lake. There were a couple of Goldeneyes on the water. Later that evening I went for a walk in the forest nearby and I flushed two noisy birds which I think were Siberian Jay but it was too dark to see them or follow them so I went back to the cabin.

Day.2 - We headed to Hotel Ivalo in Ivalo for a presentation by Metsähallitus on Natural Resource Planning in the area, which has to balance the needs of Forestry, Reindeer Herding, Recreation, Hunting and the cultural traditions of the Sami people. We then visited several forestry sites again in the afternoon but towards the end of our forest lunch when heading back to the bus we had a couple of visitors, Siberian Jays! Only got to see them at a distance for a couple minutes which was frustrating but at least I finally got to see them, my most wanted bird for this trip.

Distant Siberian Jay.

Day.3 - Was an early start as we had to pack up everything to leave this accomodation as were moving to somewhere new at the end of the day. During this day we visited the Sami Education Institute which offers courses for people to learn and continue the handicraft techniques of the Sami people including jewellery making and leather tanning. A short trip to Sajos the centre for Sami Parliament (they have their own) and then to Siida, the Sami Museum and Nature Centre. This was very interesting in terms of the nature side. Lot's of information displays on the environment and it's wildlife including lots on the bird life of the area. In terms of sightings there was not much to report as we were inside most of the day and the weather was rubbish. The best bird I saw was a stuffed Great Grey Owl. At the end of the day we headed to our new accomodation for the last two nights, 6 of us had a very nice cabin on the lake shore near to Lemmenjoki National Park. Unfortunately the weather was still rubbish so no chance to explore but the weather looked better for the next day.

Stuffed Great Grey Owl at Siida

Day.4 - This day everyone was looking forward to the most of the whole week. The weather was clear and sunny and we were heading into the heard of Lemmenjoki National Park by boat. Our first stop was the visitor centre where we were given a brief description of the park and what goes on in it. We then headed a couple km down the road to where the boats were. Two boats and 25km up river using the old gold mining route. The only other way in was to walk as there are no roads. We headed up river with some parts so still they seemed like lakes. I was keeping my eyes peeled for eagles but only a few goldeneye were seen. We stopped off at a lovely waterfall where a Red Squirrel made an appearance then continued on for the last few km to our main stop and a forest lunch before hiking to the gold mining area. Shortly after we left the camp I noticed something flying towards the group. It was a Siberian Jay coming to investigate what was going on and looking for an easy meal. It was then joined by another coming to within a few feet. We had to move on but they followed us from tree to tree for a couple hundred metres. Nothing else was seen that afternoon whilst we were panning for gold until we returned to camp which had no less than 6 Siberian Jay flying around and coming down near the fire place for scraps. Some landing not a metre away from my feet, a really great experience. I'm going to flood you with photos now as it is one of my favourite birds.

Siberian Jay (Perisoreus infaustus) - A true bird of the Northern Forest

On the return leg of the boat trip a Dipper was spotted amongst many White Wagtails and a lone Little Grebe and more Reindeer on the river banks. The National Park itself is really stunning and it was a really great day. Upon returning to our accomodation the sky looked fantastic with pinks, purples and blues and later on that night I got my first proper view of the Northern Lights (although I was a little bit too drunk to take a picture by then!)

Day.5 - The fifth and final day was mostly for the journey home but we had a planned stop in Levi on the way. On one of the single track roads an Elk was spotted at the side of the road which I guessed was a young male or a female. There were also shouts for a Willow Grouse but I didn't manage to see it in time. Upon entering Levi I spotted another Siberian Jay from the bus window and a couple Ravens overhead. A group of Whooper Swans was also seen at some point on the long road back.

Overall it was a really interesting week and was nice to get a chance to see a part of Lapland properly. In terms of wildife I didn't see much but what I did was really fantastic.

Koivusaari...

Yesterday (08/09) was pretty much a lost day due to a hangover from some Finnish blueberry brandy (don't ask) but today (09/09) I was feeling much better so it was time to get out again. The weather was sunny but quite windy and I decided to check out Koivusaari Nature Trail which consists of 3.5km of boardwalk around one of the islands in the Ounasjoki estuary just across the water from Jängislahti.

It was fairly quiet all around but I made my way around the circular route. Surprisingly even with the cold wind there were a lot of dragonflies about basking on the boardwalk. These were Black Darters I later found out when I returned home.

Male Black Darter - Sympetrum danae

Female

Carrying on a bird hopped out of the scrub on to one of the many log piles scattered about being used to upgrade the boardwalk. The bird was a nice Lesser Whitethroat a new bird for me and one I have not seen back in the UK.

Moving on again it was still fairly quiet apart from a few sheep but it was a really nice day with a proper Autumnal feel to it. Apart from a couple of Magpies the only other birds seen were Willow Warbler and another Bluethroat.

 

The island is a whole has some really nice habitat for birds and I imagine it is full of them during Spring and early summer but not today. There is a bird viewing tower on the island but I couldn't get to it due to parts of the boardwalk being removed. Still a good couple hours and another site I have now located for the future reference. Below is a selection of photos taken today. Heading up North to Inari tomorrow for a week, will report back next weekend.

 

Bluethroats...

This last week started off fairly wet with Monday and Tuesday mostly raining. From Wednesday onwards the weather really picked up with plenty of sunny spells. I was busy at the University most of the week taking part in the induction week so I didn't get the chance to go out which was quite hard when there was reports of Bluethroats, Rustic Buntings and Red-throated Pipits.

Friday (08/09) was pretty much free and the weather was sunny and clear from when I woke up so there wasn't much time wasted thinking about what to do for the day. It was time to get back to Jängislahti to see if I could find some more birds on my wish list.

I cycled down and reached the site at 12:00. There were a ringers on site but they were just loading the last of their equipment into their cars before leaving, maybe next time! I decided to walk the boundary of the wasteland and check us much of the scrub as I could. Quite a few Reed Buntings about and plenty of pipits in the field but hard to identify when flushed out and fly into the sunlight but there were definately a few Meadow Pipits.

At one point I decided to walk down to the river's edge when all of a sudden out of nowhere a male Hen Harrier glided right past me up and over the trees and I didn't see it again. First time I have seen one properly and wasn't expecting it! Was too slow for a picture of the bird but I took some of the view anyway.

I carried on and came to the furthest away point from the main entrance to the site. I heard something calling in the scrub nearby which just sounded different. I decided to wait and see if I could get a view of whatever it was. After 5 mins I saw a flash of movement. I tried to follow it through the thick vegetation when all over a sudden it hopped out on to the ground, it was a Bluethroat, superb and it was quickly followed by another. The two of them flew off and I walked in the same general direction. A larger area of scrub and there were Bluethroats all over it, chasing each other and darting in and out. I counted 11 in total getting some great views of another top bird on my list and of course a lifer. Managed some heavily cropped record shots only. There was also 18 Whooper Swans out on the estuary and a Sedge Warbler in the scrub also, a bird I didn't manage to see in the UK this year.

Bluethroat - Luscinia svecica

Sedge Warbler

I came to the end of the scrub and decided to retrace my steps back around. Plenty more unidentified pipits and Reed Buntings. I then went past the entrance to check out the area beyond it where most of the ringing takes place. A couple Willow Warblers were calling and spotted another Bluethroat darting around. There much to see and I started walking back when a small flock of Willow Tits landed in the birch trees nearby again another bird I have never seen back in the UK. I counted 10 in all.

I walked back to my bike where I spotted a lone Northern Wheatear was sat out in the open which was a nice finish to the day. By now it was really sunny and warm for the ride home!

Next week I am heading further North with the University for a tour of  the Northern forests around Inari, maybe I will get lucky with Siberian Jay or one or two owls, we'll have to wait and see.

First taste of Finnish birding...

Well I have made it to Finland. Been here since Thursday evening and thought I would write my first blog from here. I am staying in Rovaniemi and the city is really nice, full of Pine, Spruce and Birch in the town and as far as the eye can see and plenty of fresh water with two major rivers running through the centre. It was warmish when we got here but the temperature has dropped the last couple days with a chilly 8c at mid day today plus quite a bit of rain. Its been hectic getting accommodation sorted and trying the local beer but I've managed a bit of birdwatching already and it hasn't disappointed.

To start off with there was a nice addition to my UK life list when leaving my Dad's hotel to head off for the airport at 2am a Tawny Owl was spotted sitting in one of the roadside hedgerows giving a great view in the car headlights.

I have done a lot of research about birds and birding sites in the Rovaniemi area so I had a decent idea of where I am going to visit and what I can possibly see. I have registered with Birdlife Finland and their observation system Tiira (Finnish for Tern) which provides great info on sightings and locations. Upon checking it on the first morning (31/08) I saw that Nutcrackers were being reported all over the city and in one of the areas we were to pass when heading into the city for some shopping. Not 2km from the accommodation and there they were metres in front of me, 3 of them. Unfortunately I did not have time to watch them nor did I have my camera with me but I was definately going to come back. So less than a day in and one of my must see birds way sooner and way easier to see than I ever imagined. There were plenty of White Wagtails around the city and Hooded Crow and Herring Gull were also spotted.

On the Saturday (1/09) we decided to go to Ounasvaara Hill. This hill sits near the centre and is used heavily for recreation but is covered in Pine forest. Walking through produced Spotted Flycatchers, Goldcrest and 2 Ravens overhead, but otherwise was fairly quiet. Red Squirrels were also a common sight. After that I asked our Finnish friend who had been showing us around if she could take us to Jangislahti a site I had been informed about. Jängislahti is a wasteland area surrounded by broadleaves and scrub with areas of marsh near to the estuary of the theriver Ounasjoki and is one of the best sites to visit for birds. There are also regular ringing sessions held here. Unfortunately the only birds seen were Reed Buntings but I will definately be back, especially when I have purchased a second hand bike!

Jängislahti area in Rovaniemi

Exploring Jängislahti.

View of city from Ounavaara

Day 3 today (02/09) there was nothing planned which meant exploring and going back to the area where I saw the Nutcrackers. I left the accommodation to start the 2km walk to the city and the trees were alive with birds. Plenty of Great and Blue Tits and Siskins. In one of the gardens I passed I also spotted 2 Fieldfare and a lone Redwing.

I hurried on down to city whilst the weather was still fairly good to the Ounaspuistikko area to find the Nutcrackers. I wasn't disappointed. There were 5 there already flying in and around the pine trees hacking off the large cones that would drop to the ground so they could smash them open with their huge beaks for the seeds inside. I sat and watched them for a good 2 hours, still can't believe I've seen one of my most wanted birds so easily. I decided to collect some cones and see if they would come closer for some pictures. It worked and I got some great views of some really stunning birds. Some pictures below. There were also a couple of Red Squirrels feeding alongside them that weren't fussed about anyone who walked on by.

Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes)

Red Squirrel

A walk around another part of the city produced Tree Sparrow, Willow Warbler, Feral Pigeons, Black-headed Gull, Scaup, Goldeneye and Magpies amongst others.

So 3 days in and I have seen one of my most wanted birds from my Finland trip in decent numbers. Plenty more and plenty more places to visit and will hopefully have the time to keep this blog updated. I have also added a new page with a list of what I have seen.