Mild And Manky

The warm winter continues as the year and decade begins, but there's been some enjoyable birding nonetheless, in between the wet days.

As often happens at this time of year, I felt the urge to year tick the best bird in the universe, Hawk Owl. It's not been the best winter for owls, but as always, there's one of two Hawkies for the having.

I was lucky that there was one individual near the in-law's place, so it was a simple matter to align a visit for Lyra with them and a bit of superb owl watching.

The bird was present in a spruce by the car park when I arrived, but almost immediately did a close fly-by, giving great flight views, before heading to a copse in the center of the open area.

Hawk Owl - The best bird in the universe. End of.

Hawk Owl - 4K video - select maximum resolution in YouTube.

It was then on to Laajalahti, where, having seen Black and Grey Headed Woodpecker along with the owl, I rounded off the woodpeckers with White-Backed, Lesser Spotted and Three-Toed.

Three-Toed Woodpecker - a beautiful male. I can never get over that pollen colored cap. 

Three-Toed Woodpecker -  4K video - select maximum resolution in YouTube.

The woodpecker activity was fantastic, with several Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming. Always good to remind people that Great Spotted do drum early in the year.

Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming -  4K video - select maximum resolution in YouTube.

I then went to check the marina for Smew, but stumbled into a mini-twitch. This Velvet Scoter had apparently been present a few weeks over the Christmas period, allowing for decent views of a species that is usually a distant blob on the sea.

Velvet Scoter - nice to be able to see detail on one...not that there's much.

Velvet Scoter -  4K video - select maximum resolution in YouTube.

A juvenile White-Billed Diver then popped up in Helsinki a few days ago. With it being a Finnish tick and a plumage tick for me (I've only seen adults/sub-adults in the past) we set out on a family trip to see the bird.

White-Billed Diver - the bird was unfortunately distant for phonescoping, but, with patience, viewing was reasonable. 

Grainy goodness

  White-Billed Diver - 4K video - select maximum resolution in YouTube.

White-Billed Diver is one of my favorite species, with good memories of the birds I've seen. My first was a bird in Dublin, found by my Brother off Skerries. Only Ireland's 7th at the time, it caused a major twitch the next day, and basically became most of Irish birding's archetype bird for building experience with them.

I was delighted to re-find the bird the next morning for a throng of assembled twitchers, picking it up in flight as it flew in from quite a distance out. 

My second individual was my first self-found bird in Sligo, found with my Brother in tow. After an enjoyable morning of watching geese, we scanned the sea in the hopes of a Velvet Scoter.

The face on Conor when I told him I had a White-Billed Diver and put him, the resident expert, on it through my scope.

"Hang on, it's got it's back to me. It's turning now. Turning...turning....yeah, it's a White-Billed...FUCK YA ANYWAY. I liked having that over ya."

There are those out there, morons mostly, who like to play pretend that White-Billed Diver only frequent deep water. This falls into the realm of those birding "old wives tales" which so often are more fiction and agenda than anything else. In this case, however, it is such an obviously ridiculous proposition that you wonder why they bother? There are, of course plenty of records of White-Billed Diver on very shallow water, in Britain for example, including estuaries and even inland streams/rivers. 

This Helsinki individual has taken up residence just off the beach of Pihlajasaari, in water between 2 and 10 meters deep (mostly in the 2,5-3 meter range).

Area frequented by the White-Billed Diver.

By comparison, the waters off Raghly are significantly deeper, ranging up to 72 meters. You would have to wonder why they bother.

From the Diver we paid a visit to nearby Eira for Two-Barred Crossbill.

This young male was the only individual present on the day, but gave amazing views. Toot toot.

Two-Barred Crossbill -  4K video - select maximum resolution in YouTube.

A number of Nordic Jackdaw were also in the area, including this very well marked individual. 

Nordic Jackdaw - look at that scaling.

Nordic Jackdaw -  4K video - select maximum resolution in YouTube.

Like most birders, I think, I enjoy getting a few decent birds on the year list in January, even though I don't actually pursue year lists, so I have been enjoying mopping up birds like Golden Eagle, Rough Legged Buzzard, Smew etc.

Great Grey Shrike -  4K video - select maximum resolution in YouTube.

This Great Grey Shrike gave good views on one of the colder days we've had, looking particularly beautiful in a fully frosted setting.

White-Tailed Eagle -  4K video - select maximum resolution in YouTube.

White-Tailed Eagle - one of many over the past couple of weeks. A few cold nights produced some limited ice on lakes and bays. White Taileds take advantage of this, sitting out on the ice and making sorties for seaduck who find their feeding areas reduced in size.

This Eurasian White-Fronted Goose has been wintering down at Storsvik. Probably not in too good condyif it is attempting to winter. That said, this is the winter to do so, and I've come across some big flocks of Whoopers doing the same.

Eurasian White-Fronted Goose -  4K video - select maximum resolution in YouTube.

A little bit of ice can help bring flocks of Goosander in close, though these were at espoonlahti where there's usually good numbers regardless. I do adore them though, especially when you get the very pinky males. 5-6 male Smew were also present in the bay, though distant and,bad is their habit, secluding themselves near reeds.

Goosander -  4K video - select maximum resolution in YouTube.

Otherwise, as always, I've been enjoying garden birding, with 2 Grey Headed Woodpecker, 8 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Goshawk, White-Tailed Eagle, Goosander and this Northern Treecreeper being highlights.

Northern Treecreeper -  4K video - select maximum resolution in YouTube.

This is what they should look like. Large, diffuse frosting in the upperparts.