Hel Hath No Birdies

Spring has come. We have detected this by pretty miserable weather over the past few weeks, but mostly by the obvious signs from birds. Woodpigeon and Stock Doves migrating back. Goshawks displaying. Passerines singing. And my favorite, Owls hooting. We have been enjoying Tawny Owls on our evening dog walks and even sitting out grilling on an open fire sussing out the various territorial contenders. Our bay in the lake appears to have 2 male Tawny and at least one Kewicking female, whilst our walking route has at least one Tawny and a singing Pygmy Owl. On Saturday came blue skies and glorious weather and it was time to get out into the countryside. We headed for Inkoo in the hopes of some early migrant Skylarks or Rooks. No luck yet with either of these, however we did come across an obviously paired up couple of White Tailed Eagle. Ah love. Sunday I managed a few hours around Saltis area, and exploring the Rilax (don't do it) road. Here I encounter...

Ural Owl is easily one of the most beautiful species available in Finland. One of the commoner species of owl breeding here, they are secretive in nature, often only detected in spring if you can get close enough to hear their soft territorial hoot at night.   Occaisionally, like most owls, we get a couple resident around the city in winter, though they can often be difficult to connect with, blending in against trees or buried in a spruce. Ural Owls are a very peaceful looking species, often described as having a "Dopey" appearance, though we know that they can be utterly ferrocious when protecting their nest. The Finnish name, Viirupöllö, translates simply as "Streaked Owl", an unimpressive name for such an incredible bird. This is my favorite kind of view of this species, really setting the scene of true finnish forrest, the quintessential wise, silent guardian of the woods. Like most owls, their intricat...