Western Palearctic Birding

 South West Finland, January 2007

Belinda and I only had 3 days and non-birding things to do such as an ice hockey match, shopping and sightseeing in Turku so birding time was limited. 

26 January 2007

Not much birding today, just an afternoon drive from Tampere down to Turku but 2 Moose en-route livened the journey. A quick walk through the woods on Ruissalo (a wooded island accessible by bridge from Turku city) produced just a few of the common woodland species and a Pygmy Owl calling at dusk but not seen.

 

Ruissalo 

27 January 2007

A morning shopping in central Turku and nothing much expected at all. Imagine my surprise to pick up a grey-phase Gyr gliding quite low over the city centre just off the main market square! No bins on me so luckily it was quite low over the tops of the buildings.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the wonderfully atmospheric Turku Castle and in the evening we met my Finnish friend Reija. With her we went to the Elysee Arena to see the TPS v Assat ice hockey match (which our team TPS won!) and then had a few beers and a meal when we eventually found a restaurant that had a spare table.      

28 January 2007

This was earmarked as a full day birding and it took some determination to get through the day in temperatures of -15.

We met Reija at 5am in Turku and made our way through the snow on the 2.5 hour drive to Hyvinkaa to the north of Helsinki. Delays meant we got to the site a little too late and missed the morning showing of the regular Great Grey Owl despite the best efforts of our guide Jouko. The best plan was then to amuse ourselves during to main part of the day and return in plenty of time for dusk. At Kerava (Jouko's home patch) we had great views of a pair of Grey-headed Woodpeckers at his feeding station plus Willow Tits, Crested Tits and a grey spangled northern Treecreeper before retiring to the warmth of a restaurant for a late lunch. Back at Hyvinkaa in the late afternoon we had a nice group of Waxwings before someone called Great Grey Owl and we were treated to some memorable views of what was my 600th WP bird!  

  

With Belinda at Hyvinkaa     

Hyvinkaa

29 January 2007

A day spent walking the beautiful island of Ruissalo where we had been staying at the highly recommended Villa Rauhala. A superb and unusual flock of 28 Bearded Tits pinged in the reeds by the frozen sea at Villa Rauhala started the day off well. Whilst walking the island Northern Bullfinch, Crested Tit, 2 Crossbills, 3 Whooper Swans, 5 Goosander and some incredibly approachable Red Squirrels where the highlights.

Frozen sea at the west end of Ruissalo

     

Red Squirrel, Ruissalo

Lonely hire car, Ruissalo 

Leaving Ruissalo and heading north for our flight home in the morning we'd booked a room at a farm come horseriding centre near Valkeakoski so we could make just a short drive to the airport the next day. We found it quite easily but also found it pretty poor! Our room was dingy and we shared a 'living room' and bathroom with what can only be described as a drunken and very weird bloke who for all intents and purposes was living there and not just visiting! In a curious way which I can't quite put my finger on it was a memorable night and very atmospheric. A walk through the deep snow to a sauna in a wood cabin only added to the feeling.

   

Our cabin near Valkeakoski