Summer's End
After seeing Sociable Plover, Summer went pretty well with some nice birds popping up. Viikki, on the eastern side of Helsinki, has amazingly been the best location around for Caspian Gulls this season, with several frequenting a small waste centre there. Caspian Gull Of the several that have been here, this is the only individual I have managed to connect with this Juv season (though I have seen it again subsequently). My usual haunts in Tampere and Lohja have been unproductive in this regard. Arguably bird of the Autumn for me so far (after the Sociable Plover) has been this Juv Black Stork. Black Stork - a species I've always adored. And one I haven't encountered since Israel in 2015! A mega in Finland, it would normally be picked up in a Viz-Mig scenario, moving at height from some watchpoint. A bird on the deck, conveniently located along the route to our summer house was too good to pass up. Garganey - it was also nice to find a Juv Garganey whilst twitching the stork