sunshinecoastbirds: Europe 2023 Part 2 Birding Finland & Scotland

Hazel Grouse

Our trip to Europe was more about culture and aesthetics than chasing critters, as there aren’t too many in Europe that I’ve not seen. A few though remained sought after, with Wolverine and Ural Owl welcome additions to my lists (see following post). Another add-on was Taiga Bean Goose, a flock of which was spotted in fields from the train en route to Joensuu in central Finland. Finnish birders have established that this species and the recently split Tundra Bean Goose have different and well-defined migration routes across the country. Whooper Swan and Black-throated Diver were about but not as common as I expected.

Whooper Swan

We visited the delightful Patvinshon National Park (below) en route to the wolverine hides.

Apart from usual fare such as Great Spotted Woodpecker (above) a female Black Grouse was seen here.

After visiting the hides and heading north later, I came across a lek of about 8 male Black Grouse displaying in dense vegetation, but none offered a photograph.

We had three delightful days at a beautifully positioned lodge, Jongunjoen Matkailu Oy (above) overlooking a lake. Fieldfare, Redwing, Common Chiffchaff and Bluethroat were among birds that were active in scrub around the lodge.

Common Chiffchaff

Fieldfare

I hoped that numerous bushes choked with red berries offered a chance for Bohemian Waxwing, and this came good on the last day with a flock of 20 waxwings appearing (below), followed an hour later by a second flock of 55 birds. Clearly they were on a migration run. Conditions generally were relatively warm still in mid-September so most palearctic migrants had yet to head south.

After returning to Helsinki, local birder David Radnell (with me below) kindly offered to take me birding in the Espoo area, west of the capital.. David picked out a female Smew at the Matalajarvi wetland on the far shore; a pair had been present there for several weeks. This small migratory duck had long been on my wishlist.

Large flocks of migratory Barnacle Goose were about along with good numbers of local waterfowl including Eurasian Teal, Goldeneye and Common Pochard.

David had been tipped off that Hazel Grouse were seen recently in Espoo Central Park. I’d looked hard for this species in central Finland without success so hopes were not high as we entered the forest. It was very pleasing to spot a grouse within a few minutes of us getting to the park and a male bird subsequently performed nicely. Later at the University Aalto wetland, birds included Western Marsh Harrier and decent numbers of Ruff and Dunlin.

Hazel Grouse

We also scored a Common (European) Toad.

From Finland it was on to Scotland and after a pleasant few days in Edinburgh, to the village of Boat of Garten in the Scottish Highlands in the Strathspey region. We stayed in the pleasantly positioned Fraoch Lodge, where the proprietor was unfortunately as unhelpful as she was financially dodgy. Plenty of nice birds were about in the Caledonian Forests, including large numbers coming in to feeders.

Chaffinch & Eurasian Blue Tit

European Robin

The target though was Scottish Crossbill, endemic to these forests and the only bird species restricted to the United Kingdom. I spotted a likely candidate in the garden of Fraoch Lodge before encountering several small flocks in the nearby forest reserve. Common Crossbill was also present and easily distinguished by voice. A bigger identification challenge is posed by the Parrot Crossbill, with a call more like that of a Scottish Crossbill. After checking my recordings of alarm and other calls, it seemed to be the case that Scottish Crossbill was the most common species in the forest area I explored. However, the future taxonomic status of this bird is surely under a cloud.

Scottish Crossbill

We moved on to the Isle of Skye and the fabulous scenery of north-west coastal Scotland, hiring a “tiny house” in the hamlet of Flodigarry. From the house it was possible to watch seabirds close to the coastal cliffs below. While in bed I scored another tick as a Great Skua sailed past.

The following day we took a return ferry from the town of Uig to Lockmaddy. European Storm-Petrel was one of only two species of bird that I had seen dead (this one in Ireland) but not alive. That needed to be fixed. I saw about eight storm-petrels without difficulty on the return leg. I also had better views of another Great Skua.