Hel Hath No Birdies

Over the past week there's been a big uptick in the number of Spring migrants coming in to the country.  In Finland, the vast majority of species are migratory by necessity. Few birds can tolerate the cold, especially the kind of cold we've had this past Winter and these tend to be the forest species that take shelter in woodland and make use of garden feeders.  And so the same feeling you get as a birder further south, seeing those first swallows and wheatears returning, applies equally for us here with those first Starlings, Skylarks and Woodpigeons which suddenly appear in March. Woodpigeons going over the house. March Viz-mig at it's finest.  Last weekend we took advantage of the first wave of birds, feeling sorry for them being forced to deal with fields still covered with snow. A quick family trip to Degerby produced Stock Doves, multiple Common Buzzard (including a good Steppe Buzzard candidate), takes of Skylark, Lapwing and a flock of some 30+ Snow Bunting. Star of...

Warming temperatures after prolonged snow and subzero temperatures are a recipe slippery, neck breaking conditions as ice pack roads and paths become skating rinks. Spiked boots are essential for outdoor activities, but at least we can shed a few layers as we start to feel actual heat and power in the sun. I made my way to Villa Elfvik this weekend, as I fancied catching up with White-Backed Woodpecker for my year list.  I had made a couple of attempts for this bird last year, each ending in failure with what can be a surprisingly secretive species.  This time, however, I was pleasantly surprised as I rounded the corner of the villa itself, to hear the fantastic long and distinctive drum of this species emanating from the small patch of forest between paths. Nevertheless, it did take some time to actually locate the bird, as it was highly mobile, performing a drumming circuit in the area and getting a bit of flak from several Great Spotted Woodpecker, also in drumming mode. On...