The Flood-gate

Spring punched the clock overnight.

A shift to a southerly wind meant maarintorni was a new world this morning. It was actually warm! I can't believe it. You could actually FEEL the sun's warmth as opposed to trying to remember what it felt like.

In terms of birds it meant big changes.

A Bluethroat flitting across the reeds, had apparently been singing early in the morning. A Common Whitethroat was my second yeartick of the day, quickly followed by singing sedge warblers, magically having appeared from nowhere. Several Lesser Whitethroat were also singing.

The bay itself was choc-a-block with hundreds of common swift (compared to a few dozen yesterday).

I had a late start today, only arriving around 10.30, but I timed it well as within 20 minutes a ringtail harrier was called to our south. 

It was a tad on the distant side, and migrating rather than hunting. Nonetheless it looked like a good 2nd CY Pallid to me, so I did my best to nab some phone scoped footage/pics. Glad I did too, as there were no heavy hitter DSLR jockeys on the tower today, and the bird was close to being put down as an "either/or". These shots allayed the doubts.

Bigmac - 2nd CY Pallid Harrier - Dodgy phone scopage - yum yum

I also picked up a long tailed duck, a male, another good bird on patch. These are present in the thousands out on the open coast, but rarely come in to the bay. 

Male Long Tailed Duck - Patch Scarce

Soon after this an Arctic Skua was found heading south, another good bird away from the coastal islands.

Then the first Honey Buzzards of the year started to come through, really signalling that migration was under way again, and maybe this latest of late springs was finally entering phase 2. But then I picked up a lone Tundra Bean Goose headed south, which seemed to scream "I've had enough. Bring on sunny Spain."

2 Rook then put in an appearance, a bird which breeds up the west coast of Finland, but is very scarce elsewhere.

I was then forced to leave for a Mother's day dinner, happy with my lot. But on returning home and setting up the gear on the balcony I soon picked up another Rook as a garden list tick. 

I can't believe I'm talking about a feckin Rook either...

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