Not just one, but two Pallid Harriers!

Roni, scoping the Pallid Harriers

Today I did a new raptor trip with Roni. We started from fields of Metsä-Paavola and Käyrälä, saw there 3 Hen Harriers (Circus cyaneus), Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), 2 Eurasian Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) and Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus). Not a bad start, but did not find the one we were looking for. Yes, we tried to re-find the Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) we saw yesterday, to get even better look at it and get perhaps also some photos. The Pallid Harrier was here yesterday evening, but not now, perhaps it was again few kilometers north from here.

So we headed to fields of Kurisjärvi. At first the place looked empty, but soon we saw first Kestrels, in fact 7 of them and then a harrier... yes, there it was again, the juvenile Pallid Harrier. But it was still too far for getting good quality photos, shame. It flew around the fields and landed. We lost it for about 10 minutes, but suddenly it popped up again, with another harrier following it. I thought first that the other one is Hen Harrier, but when I took another look at it, I noticed immediately that we had not only one, but two juvenile Pallid Harriers! Cool! And it was in fact Roni, who first realised that those hawks looked exactly the same. Not bad from 10 years old birder!

In addition to Pallid Harriers and Kestrels, the fields of Kurisjärvi offered us also a Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) and Marsh Harrier. Not to mention all other smaller birds...