The Bigg Bird Forum

Karwin · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2557 Location: 61N25E

Early spring, when landscape's still snowcovered with -10 - -20 C, Finnish birders cruise in the night listening owls. I did one such trip yesterday with kid. Starting just before sunset, as many owls are most active then. We drove on a ten kilometres radius, making stops every two kilometres (to not mix separate individuals. Usually owls can be heard one kilometer away, sometimes five). We did not use record players or whistles to attract the owls. At dusk we heard a Strix uralensis (ural owl) at close range Smile

Half an hour later we were in another location listening a Glaucidium passerinum (pygmy owl), who whistled one hundred metres away of us Smile

Unfortunately two unleashed Canis familiaris (dogs) started to approach us from a nearby farm house Evil or Very Mad

-The second most dangerous animals in Finland (after road-passing-elk) Exclamation

We heard that pygmy owl 1,5 kilometres away (especially on pygmy's voice it remarkably enhances the voice if you put your hands behind ears as "extra ears"). Then we passed again that ural owl place on our circular route - and saw it sitting on a pole in car lights. It took off and flew right ahead of us. Besides these, we saw on Felis catus (cat, passing the road. Unfortunately I missed it with my car Twisted Evil

) and Lepus europaeus (hare). This year seems to be a good one with owls in Southern Finland - here seems to be good amount of Arvicolidae (voles), too. Four years old daughter was happy with the trip, even though none of the birds were lifers to her Smile

Dawn · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2165 Location: Derbyshire

Nice one Karri, I'm sure she loved the trip ( I think I would have too Mr. Green

)

Ural Owl and Pygmy at 4 yrs old Shocked

Corinna · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 4142

Ural Owl...love it!!!

Dipped on Pygmy......

Owls in Finland....

I'm thinking 2007 trip to Finland......
must see......

Cool

Karwin · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2557 Location: 61N25E

Tonight on another route:
Aegolius funereus 3
Strix uralensis 2
Bubo bubo 1
Canis familiaris 20 At wits end

I don't like cats, and I think dogs should be banned, too Exclamation

(Trying to enjoy an eagle owl when a nearby dog is barking like an idiot). What are dogs good here Question

-In rural areas wolves tend to eat them.
-They keep their owners awake all night long as they are barking on the yard.
-Why are they barking Question

Because they are afraid of dark Exclamation

Here's no wolves around in my corners, only hemmetin spooky were-hares...
-Besides, big dogs running around the forests threaten human beings in there.

Once dogs were safeguards in north woods. Now they are a nuisance Evil or Very Mad

Luckily the mood was saved by car radio program that played in between the owl spots. Jori Hulkkonen - a guy who recorded last year with John Foxx - playing his favourites Applause

Owls hooting +tekno musik - a recipe for brilliant nite Cool

Karwin · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2557 Location: 61N25E

Just when I thought that owl season is over (only 50 % snow coverage) - right now right here Strix aluco & uralensis & Aegolius funereus heard in our yard Dancing

Esa · Joined: 03 Apr 2005 Posts: 1098 Location: N America

I leave the night for the owls. I am at home reading a book or cruising the internet.

Darren · Joined: 03 Apr 2005 Posts: 121

Hiya K

Interesting stuff. Its been a poor year for Asio flammeus here so I wonder what has caused the good numbers of voles in Finland?

ATB

D

Karwin · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2557 Location: 61N25E

Before greenhouse age begun in Finland (in 1987, according to Independent Reasearch Institute) four-year vole cycles occurred here. Late 80's & almost all the 90's voles had no peaks in S Finland due to the lack of sheltering snow cover. In the 00's we've had snowy winters - and the current vole peak started already two years ago, and they still show abundant around here. Last year the officials predicted that there will possibly be an outbreak of nephropathia epidemica ("vole fever") in autumn, and here was. Already one year ago the abundance of voles was also observed as abundance of owls & foxes around here, and this year here should be even more of these predators, who should put the vole stocks down, plus that also vole viruses should increase when here's plenty of critters around. Why has this vole peak been going on for so long Question

Well, it's also been noted that Sarcoptes scabiei var. vulpis (fox mite, that is fatal for canines) has been abundant here for some years. (Bird flu is fatal for birds, but it is highly unlikely that it would affect owls, as they live in forests and seldom are intact with waterfowl).

Karwin · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2557 Location: 61N25E

Three nights ago we had +2,7 C here. Three nights ago, too, I obseved here:
pair of Strix aluco (tawny owls)
2 Asio flammeus (SEO), different sites, one of them young
1 unidentified Asio, who passed me from three metres in the night
7 Cuculus canorus (cuckoos)
4 pairs of Cygnus cygnus (whooper swans)
4 Luscinia luscinia (sprossers)
1 Acrocephalus palustris (marsh warbler)
2 A. dumetorum (blyth's reed warblers)
1 Botaurus stellaris (bittern)
4 Scolopax rusticola (woodcocks)
several Tetrao tetrix (black grouses)
2 Crex crex (corncrakes)
1 Coturnix coturnix (quail)

Last week on same route in Hauho (Empty-Finland) also following ones:
Caprimulgus europaeus (nightjar)
Locustella naevia (grasshopper warbler)

Monday in neighbouring town: 2 L. fluviatilis (river warblers).

Karwin · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2557 Location: 61N25E

This year's abundants:
Caprimulgus europaeus
Porzana porzana
Rallus aquaticus
Also starring:
Coturnix coturnix
Locustella fluviatilis & naevia
Somewhat missing:
Botaurus stellaris
Owls (Aegolius funereus, Strix aluco & uralensis) still hooting (they usually stop in April) Exclamation

Last night I was binocularing a Falco subbuteo, who was catching insects above my house. Strange falcon - it is often seen preying nighttime here.

Below some midnight photos Cool

Drachenfach · Joined: 02 Jun 2007 Posts: 19 Location: Worcestershire

Karwin, your posts are doing wonders for my latin, but I had to look up Aegolius funereus. Tengmalm's, yes? And eagle owls, that must be an incredible sight to see one in the wild. I've only seen them at falconry displays Sad

I'd green with envy over the birds you post. My partner and I have plans to go birding in Finland in the next couple of years, but it's a long time to wait.

My nights are noisy with nothing but homo sapiens, sadly.

Karwin · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2557 Location: 61N25E

Drachenfach · Joined: 02 Jun 2007 Posts: 19 Location: Worcestershire

Kiitos

Karwin · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2557 Location: 61N25E

Karwin · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2557 Location: 61N25E

Two nights ago I found an interesting place some kilometres away from home. I have been counting local nightjars for 29 years and always observed them having separate territories. Now I found a place where at least six individuals were having a group display. Males kept singing about 50 metres from each other. They often flew over each others spots and there was no fighting whatsoever.