Seeing Red




With Lyra's 1st birthday imminent, my parents arrived in town for a week of festivities and Juhannus relaxation.

After feasting and celebrating the first joyous year of our little birder girl being with us, I snuck my old man out at points during the past week for various goodies that Irish birders don't get enough of.

We started with Laajalahti, where the Caspian Terns, Cranes and various waders put on a good show.



Common Cranes - always a treat for the discerning Irish birder.



Caspian Terns - midsummer monsters



A number of full summer Spotted Redshank, Wood Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover and Ruff were also on show.

We then moved on in search of the scarcer summer warblers.
A short way down the road, not far from our old place in Koivu-Mankka, we encountered Marsh, Blyth's Reed and River Warbler all singing in close proximity.





River Warbler - the creme de la creme of summer Nightsingers.





Blyth's Reed Warbler showed amazingly well.





Again, the oft quoted supercilium extending behind the eye is often subtle or not visible on many birds.





There are times when whitethroat is a more relevant confusion species for Blyth's Reed than other acros.






Blyth's Reed Warbler in song. 

Marsh Warbler is the most difficult of the acros to get a view of in my experience, but this one showed well for us.





Marsh Warbler - a great singer, but often hoors to see.


This is a more typical view of Marsh Warbler. I actually heard this bird mimic Grey Headed Woodpecker, a species I hadn't heard in their repertoire before. An array of species being copied here.

Thrush Nightingale provided no such challenge. Easy peasey in May/June.




Thrush Nightingale


The Suomenoja Slavonian Grebes put on a good show, feeding their cute fluffballs. 



Fluff






Of very little consequence to a visiting Irish birder was the long staying rarity, Little Grebe.



Little Grebe - Gripping stuff

We also took a few days enjoying the Juhannus atmosphere up at the Hämeenkyrö cottage.

A quick stop off at Tarastenjärvi dump en route produced the usual Baltic Gulls, 1 Heuglin's type and this Caspian Gull, though being closed, it was tough going from the fence. 







As well as the usual grassland species, such as Curlew, Whinchat etc, we had several Blyth's Reed Warblers, close encounters with Hobby, and Osprey and Honey Buzzards at Sarkkila.





This Wryneck was a welcome new species for the cottage list.

Returning south after Juhannus, we broke and decided to twitch the Red-Headed Bunting in Salo. It was a cracking bird in fairness. No regrets there, and it gave amazing views.





Red-Headed Bunting - Stunning


Evocative habitat shot. It went where the flowers were.




What a bird. Was good to send the old man home with a tick. Tickity boo.

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