30 March, 2008

The first flocks arrived

Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
Today's birding trip started quite late, due to fact that I had promised to take my sons birding with me. Last night was relatively warm, some 2-3 degrees Celcius and it had rained too, so the snow has started to melt fast - and the results are visible: big areas of snowless ground every here and there!

If yesterday there was only first scouts visible, then today had the first flocks arrived - we saw for example a flocks of 37 Northern Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus), 70 Snow Buntings  (Plectrophenax nivalis) and 14 Common Woodpigeons (Columba palumbus). In addition to those we dig up couple of Common Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and one Common Skylark (Alauda arvensis). At Jutikkalanharju we found 3 species of woodpeckers; 2 Black Woodpeckers (Dryocopus martius), 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers (Dendrocopos major) and the highlight of the day: Grey-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus). 

Good birding trip again! 

Nothern Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus)









































-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author

Olli Haukkovaara

email: olli.haukkovaara @ proton.me

Valkeakoski, Finland

No comments:

Post a Comment

The spring started - or not...

The temperature shot up quickly from the -25°C we had a couple of days ago to +2°C. I expected to see the first Herring Gulls of spring toda...