Finland Long Weekend

14th-17th March 2015 - Helsinki

 

Thanks to the good people of Bongariliitto (the Finnish twitching/birding society) I just made a brief visit to Helsinki. I was invited to their 30th anniversary meeting to give a presentation on the identification and taxonomy of Isabelline and Brown Shrikes; of course I also managed to fit in a few days birding. Thanks to Kari Haataja, who very generously gave up his time to show me around, I had a splendid three days. No owls sadly, and no Three-toed Woodpecker (though I did hear it) but five White-tailed Eagles, a couple of Black Woodpeckers and some fascinating gulls were real highlights.

 

Great Grey Shrike - seen every day, always good value.

Snow Bunting

Hooded Crow - ubiquitous

Searching for Three-toed Woodpecker - at least I heard it.

White-headed nominate caudatus Long-tailed Tit

Jackdaw - race soemmerringii sporting a white necklace.

The fine art of shed watching

Waiting for the White-tailed Eagles

Still waiting, Janne Aalto demonstrates the famous 'Finnstick'.

My first White-tailed Eagle - seriously un-tickable views.

That's more like it.

White-tailed Eagle - a young bird.

That's as close at it came.

The Bird Tower at Kirkkonummi Saltfjärden - how about one of these on the Exminster Marshes?

Whooper Swans heading north.

And I thought I had issues with dodgy Herring(?) Gulls - more on these later.

Thanks again to Kari and everyone at Bongariliitto; and as for the species I didn't see, that's just an excuse to go back some day.

Jackdaws

18th April 2013 - Topsham

 

We've got Jackdaws nesting in our chimney pots. Actually it seems they're mostly just dropping sticks down the chimney but I guess they know what they're doing. And they are lovely birds, fun to sketch in watercolour, no need to worry about colour - Payne's Grey and a touch of Cobalt Blue. I like the way the pale eye looks in the black face, the top of the iris in shadow but there's still a highlight on the surface of the cornea.