Wayward Pines - Update

January 21st 2018

Saturday began with a planned trip to Porkkala. Up to 3 Three-toed Woodpecker had been present there during the week and that seemed as good a place to start as any.

On the way down, just past Järsö, I stumbled across a large flock of Yellowhammer right by the road. The flock was conveniently located just at a little-used turn off, below a stand of young pines, providing a little bit of cover, so on a whim I decided to stop and check through them. 

I have been on the lookout for Pine Bunting since I moved here, but getting views of flighty flocks of 'Hammers is not exactly easy. 

I came close in 2016, when we came across a distinctive looking bunting in Myrans. However we lost that bird and never saw it again. Gutting.

Pulling the car up above the field, I scanned through the closest 'Hammers feeding just through the trees, and in a couple of minutes, there, just below the trees, was a female type Pine Bunting.

Those who are already aware of me finding Pine Bunting this weekend will be saying "FEMALE?? I thought it was a male????".

The bird I was looking at...was a female. I scoured through the features as this bird fed a few meters away and it looked really good. REALLY GOOD.

I was debating whether to risk getting out and trying to phone-scope it, when a passing car spooked the flock, making the decision for me.

I knew it was going to be tough. The flock was mobile, constantly flushing to various trees, splitting and roving when disturbed by every car, walker and annoying Great Grey Shrike. 

After about 40 minutes the flock settled in an area of relatively flat, open snow about 100 meters from me and I started scanning through them. And suddenly there, right in the middle of the flock, facing me, was a cracking MALE PINE BUNTING. WHAT. THE. F***!!

Panic ensued. I was a mess of multi-tasking ineptitude, as I tried to pull my mittens off with my teeth (It was -6), whilst trying to get my phone out from a closed pocket, and still trying to keep an eye on the feeding bird. Just as I managed to get the phone up to the scope, focus and hit record, the flock again bolted, retreating to the trees behind me. 

A bout of violent Tourette's passed quickly enough (getting more zen in my old age) and with realizing there were two Wood pigeons on the wires beside me. I had remembered seeing something about a couple braving the winter in the area, so was nice to pick them up, as we won't see the real migration of them until March.

Woodpigeons - Not very in season right now.

I sent a quick pic of the pigeons to herself, stuck in work in the city...and then casually mentioned I had seen a Pine Bunting.

The phone rang immediately.
The conversation ran along the lines of "What are you on about now, dipshit? They are a mega in Finland. Don't come home without a photo...and you're driving me out there tomorrow."

".....Yes dear."

Another birder pulled up, asking about the pigeons and whether I had seen the Stock doves which should have been with them.

I was a little unsure of whether or not to tell in regards to the Pine Bunting. Extra eyes are good, but extra bodies can often be a hindrance. I decided in favor of extra eyes. I don't think he was too trusting of the sighting, seeming more focused on the pigeons.

I followed the flock into another field and eventually they landed down on the deck and there was the male right at the front of them. I managed a snippet of video and a couple of records shots before the flock flew again.

Male Pine Bunting - Amazed I got anything at all to be honest. The snow plays havoc with focusing and colour balance.

I turned around and the same birder was there, now with a companion. I called them over and the hunt began. I put the news out, and within the next hour about 60 birders were on site.

The bird was seen several times, but never for more than a minute at a time, though most birders saw it. A wintering Lapland Bunting was also picked up, which was a nice surprise.

Sunday morning went as Sundays tend to go in our house. Lazily. A desired early start was abandoned in favor of a comatose lie in and luxurious coffee imbibing. 

This worked out well for us though, as the Yellowhammer flock had moved, and the bird was only relocated just before we arrived at the new site.

A short walk across a field put us in the middle of the assembled twitchers. Straight away we managed to see the Lapland Bunting and a Pygmy Owl sitting off on some pines kept watch. A few White Tailed Eagles floated over. Very pleasant "twitching" experience, if you can call it twitching when it's your own bird.

Big twitch, Finland Style. Always fun to cause a little mayhem.

Eventually the flock shifted around in the trees, and we managed to get some good, prolonged, head on views of the Pine Bunting, before the birds again returned to the field.

Pine Bunting - Again, amazed I managed anything.

It was interesting to hear from birders on site, that the Finnish rarity committee went full Nordic Nazi on Pine Bunting a couple of years ago, throwing out all females on record, as the risk of hybridization is considered so high and undetectable. 

Currently the Tarsiger total, which states this would be the 12th record for Finland, does not yet reflect this decimation, so this would be the 7/8th for the country.

Edit: Actually I was misinformed, and the 12th number is actually correct.

That assumes that this bird, too, is "pure", and unfortunately views over the past two days, for me, could not eliminate such a possibility, having never gotten a good look at the wings.

However, speaking with an experienced, international ringer who has spent time with these in Russia, the feeling was very much "Where do you draw the line on what is a hybrid and what is simply a mess of clinal intergradation?".

This was very much the feeling obtained carrying out research online too, where despite papers and publications taking the hard-line approach, birders were perhaps stretching the acceptability of birds with a little yellow in the primaries...

I'm not sure how I feel about that. Feels a little too "Thayers Gull" for me maybe. On the other hand it's very much a case of ignorance is bliss, and I should probably never think of the issue again. Guess there's no rush to make my mind up. It's only a bird. Only a tick. A self found, lifer tick!

We decided to carry on with the original plan and nab a Three-toed Woodpecker. A few minutes later we pulled into the car park at Porkkala and Hanna picked up a male Three-toed straight away. 

Three-Toed Woodpecker - Cracking bird, and completely oblivious to all passing traffic.

A brilliant weekend in beautiful crisp conditions.... I never did re-connect with that female bunting...maybe next weekend.

Update: 13/02/2018

Yesterday images emerged of the male Pine Bunting, taken on the 23rd of January by Jussi Murtosaari , which had not been publically available previously. The last image is the best so far of the wings, showing no yellow on the primary fringes, so it seems the hybrid question is now settled and the bird, was indeed, a pure example (so far as visuals can tell such things) of Pine Bunting.

They are also rather nice shots in and of themselves, it has to be said.

 

 

Pine Bunting - Self Found Tickage!

Thanks to Jussi for use of these images.