Hel Hath No Birdies

More geese today in snowy conditions, primarily Tundra Bean Geese and Russian Whitefronted Geese with a couple of Pink Footed geese thrown in. Pink feet are, after Lesser Whitefronted, the rarest of the grey geese, but reasonably regular. Still always nice to see. Let's take a moment of silence to pity these poor honkers in that weather. I realize they've been dealing with, likely worse, for millenia, but still... Pink Footed Goose The variation in both species of Bean Goose, as I said before, is immense and it's always good to take stock of birds in a flock if you can take the time. Tundra Bean Goose A pretty standard Tundra Bean, perhaps a bit more colour in the bill than the classic field guide depiction, but the shape is pretty on target, short, deep based and scowly. The neck is short and the forehead high, lending a square shape. Run Rabbit, Run Rabbit, Run Run Run. Photo-bombed Tundra Bean Goose. The deep based bill, particu...

Spring in Finland is a completely different ballgame to spring in Ireland. Firstly, it is more severely craved, like a pregnant woman and pickles, Trump and his morning twitter time, or a garda and a school of nursing event in Copper Face Jacks, it cannot come soon enough. Alas, the Finnish weather often has other ideas. Even as I write, it's the end of April, and it's once again, snowing...again. AGAIN! It really is snowing...again The first signs of spring are birds. Birds which birders in potatoland wouldn't necessarily associate with spring. For us here its the return of birds which, through necessity, have been absent all winter. Birds like Lapwing, Woodpigeon, Stock dove and Skylark all make their first appearances in March, providing welcome songs in what would have been a melody free wasteland all winter. But for me, the real excitement comes in the form of geese. Suddenly, as the snow begins to melt away (theoretically mind you) and the stubble fields ...