Stealing Time

It was a busy weekend of socializing, meaning any birding I managed had to be snatched here and there.

With most of Saturday booked up with indulgent barbeque (the weather is too good not to partake in the Finnish obsession with grilled meat), I set out early for Porkkala. My targets were Red Breasted Flycatcher and Greenish warbler, both of which are now in (though Greenish are not in full strength yet).

I was successful with a few Red Breasted singing along the road at "moose meadow" but failed to find any singing Greenish (yet).

This beautiful male Red Breasted Flycatcher gave a wonderful performance, singing from stumps relatively low down for them, in an area of flooded forest. Absolutely stunning bird.

Red Breasted Flycatcher is one of those birds that I still cannot believe I get to see on such a regular basis, and is one of my favorite species here, especially when they look like this.

Red Breasted Flycatcher - not the most red breasted you can get, but still a little cracker. Always amazes me how small and warbler-like they look as they zip low through the woods between perches.

What a superb little song.

I then made my way north, stopping at Sundsin, thinking it likely that it would now have Red Backed Shrikes on territory. It didn't take long to find a pair, with a particularly showy male enjoying the morning sun. This bird gave the best views I've ever had of this species as it happily sat absorbing some rays. His lady was not so co-operative, nest building in a bush nearby.

Red Backed Shrike - Male - How gorgeous are these?

Also singing at Sundsin was a single Wryneck, though he was highly mobile and impossible to see.

I then moved on to Saltfjarden, however it was reasonably quiet in terms of raptors.

A superb Short Eared Owl did make an extremely close couple of flybys on the tower though, so close in fact that it was impossible to video, and I only managed a snippet. It was enough to get a couple of reasonable screenshots.

Short Eared Owl - any day you see an owl is a good day.

Otherwise the best of the rest were the typical breeders. Yellow Wagtails were singing nicely from the paddocks, as were numerous Whinchats. 

Whinchat

Yellow Wagtails - we get an array of head patterns here in Finland, ranging from blue to ashy. They don't seem fussy with mixing and matching. 

Other breeders in evident abundance were Common Rosefinch singing "Pleased to see you" from any suitable scrub area, as well as Blyth's Reed Warbler and Icterine warblers.

The rest of the weekend was spent with food and beer. Heartburns a killer (I'm old and infirm), but worth it, with my Tequila, Lime and Chilli marinated Chicken going down well. Long live Grilli.