FINLAND IS A LONG COUNTRY

Whoopers in the stubble

Last weekend I spent in the Oulu area on the west coast of Finland, some 600 kms north of Helsinki, where I gave a slide presentation on Saturday. The mornings and evenings I spent birding the low-lying fields and shores typical of this area. The Finnish west coast is arguably the best birding area of the country, particularly during spring migration, when big numbers of birds make a stopover in this area, waiting for spring to arrive in their breeding grounds further north. In northern Finland wintry conditions still prevail, with up to 70 cms of snow and with lakes still under ice, thick enough to carry a truck and with conditions still too harsh for northbound migrants.
This spring has been long and cold all over the country and nothing much has advanced for the last four weeks. During warmer spells the forests of southern Finland are filled with song from Chaffinches and trushes, but as soon as the cold weather sets in birds flock again and the forest goes silent. Around Oulu the situation was different. Very few migrants had arrived, mostly large birds only, and smaller birds, like Chaffinches where moving around in big flocks. Thrushes, Meadow Pipits and White Wagtails were very few on the ground and waders and ducks, for which this area is best known, were missing completely. There was still some snow lying in ditches and along the forest edge and all lakes where covered in solid white ice. Even the Baltic Sea itself was still covered by a thick layer of ice and fishermen drove out on the sea in their pick-up trucks. It was an unexpected sight to watch the first Caspian Tern heading north in these arctic-looking conditions, with no open water in sight.
But big birds were around, and in numbers. Practically every stubble field had flocks of geese, swans and cranes, often in mixed flocks, numbering in their thousands, all waiting for spring to warm up allowing them to move on to their breeding grounds. Some decades ago the first week of May used to be the peak season for these birds, but due to global warming they now arrive several weeks earlier. It was an amazing experience to stand by the frozen sea watching flocks of geese, swans, lapwings, cranes and Rough-legged Buzzards heading north along the coast, some very low, almost skimming the ice. Especially on Sun the 23rd of April conditions were perfect for migration, sunny with some light winds. The morning was dull and foggy but the sun soon burnt the mist away and the light conditions became superb for flight shots, thanks to the intense light bouncing up from the ice and patches of reflecting snow. For a bird photographer, at least for me, nothing matches the reflected light from expanses of snow and ice, although the desert light can be almost as good at times.

Taiga Bean Geese over snow

White-fronted Goose is seen less often in the area

Northbound Whoopers over the frozen sea