Nightsingers

The past couple of weeks have generally been spent enjoying the staged arrival of "Nightsingers".

Garden listing has been good too, with Waxwing, Brent Goose and Wigeon all added to the tally.





 Waxwing is still a bizzare bird to me when you see them at this time of year. At least 2 birds were present, taking a quick break on their way north.


The birding phenomenon of conducting an "Yöretki" , a night trip in search of those dusk or nocturnal singing species, is something lacking in Ireland and quintessentially Finnish.

We really should be chancing our arm more in Ireland for this purpose, as there is arguably everything to play for in finding species such as Great Reed Warbler, Savi's, River, Marsh warbler and Nightingales if we did so.

I started out on Friday evening at Laajalahti, nabbing Broad-Billed Sandpiper and Little Stint for the year.

Bad weather all day had dropped a large number of birds into the bay, with a few hundred Ringed Plover present, several Little Stint, 25+ Temminck's Stint, 20 Dunlin and 12 Broad-Billed Sandpipers.


Crisp. 


Broad-Billed Sandpipers. Easily one of the best waders going. I love seeing these arrive back every Spring.



Temminck's Stints too are little gems.

From here it was on to Iso Huopalahti for some Nightsinger action. It was a little on the cold side, but nonetheless I encountered Thrush Nightingale, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Corncrake, Icterine warbler and Common Rosefinch.

A plague of Common Swift, a species that still does well here, were blotting out the sky.



The Nightking - Thrush Nightingale

On Saturday I started out at Suomenoja, finding my first Marsh Warbler of the year and enjoying the usual Slavonian Grebes.


Slavonian Grebe

I then moved on into the woods around Hvitorp in search of Icterine Warblers, finding 2 singing males at my usual sites, along with 1 Greenish warbler and 1 Red-Breasted Flycatcher.


Icterine Warbler - Incredible song

I moved on to Stora lonoks for the evening where I enjoyed good views of singing Great Reed Warblers.



Great Reed Warbler - Giant Crunchers


Great Reed Warbler - It can take time to pick these guys out, despite their song and size, but a bit of patience pays off.

Other good birds in the area included Hobby, Osprey, Bittern, Black and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and swarms of Swift.


From here it was on to Masala, where I encountered more Thrush 'gales, Common Rosefinch, Whinchat, Blyth's Reed warblers, an impressive 9 Corncrake and 2 Spotted Crake. Great birding all round.

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