Heatwave 2026
Really warm and notably humid weather of late has made for interesting birding. A White Stork near the house (though sadly didn't make an appearance over the garden) was a nice treat, enjoyed over the course of two days. White Stork - the real McCoy. None of your dodgy plastic Knepp pollution issues here like you have in Ireland. White Stork is still a rarity in Finland, though becoming increasingly regular and starting to colonize. I've found a few here in the past, but they're always a good bird to see. A weekend up in Hämeenkyrö meant another visit to Tarastenjärvi, but this time only a LBB type was present. Sub adult LBB type. At times this bird looked very blueish, something which can tempt you to say Heuglin's imo, but always difficult to say. It's been a raptor summer by all accounts, with various rare raptors such as Steppe, Greater Spotted, Booted and Short Toed Eagles and a Long-Legged Buzzard doing the rounds in the country, none of which I managed to see...