When the snow started to melt and the sea started opening up, we became bird watchers. It was fairly common for us to daily identify a new bird or two. We were fortunate enough to be in walking distance to a protected bird area. We didn’t have a bird book so we relied on the Merlin Bird app. We would take a photo, put it in the app and up would come some options. The following photos are grouped mainly by size starting with the smaller birds and ending with the larger ones.
White Wagtail
Great Tit
European Greenfinch
Common Chaffinch
Brambling
Yellow Hammer
Common Red Poll
Eurasian Red Squirrel that was feasting on seeds under the bird feeder
European Pied Flycatcher
White Breasted Barn Swallow
Northern Wheatear
Breeding Male Northern Wheatear
Little Ringed Plover
Arctic Tern
Redwing
Fieldfare. The fieldfare and Redwing started migrating thru Kemi in large flocks.
Fieldfare
Eurasian Jackdaw
Hooded Crow
Black Headed Gull
Mew Gull
Northern Lapwing
Rock Pigeon
Ruff
Wood Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Common Redshank
Spotted Redshank
Common Greenshank
European Golden Plover
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Great Crested Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Smew Duck. only saw this duck once and very briefly
Male and Female Common Golden Eye
Male Golden Eye
Male and Female Green-winged Teal Duck
Male Green-winged Teal Duck
Male and female tufted Duck
Male Tufted Duck
Eurasian Wigeon
Female Eurasian Widgeon
Mallard
Red Breasted Merganser
Male and Female Common Merganser
Male Common Merganser
Eurasian Curlew
Graylag Goose
Graylag Goose and Whooper Swan
Whooper Swan
We got to watch this pair of Whooper Swans on a daily basis. We saw them land when there was barely any open water. They staked out their territory and chased off any other swans.
It was rare to see them out of the water.
They spent a lot of time eating.
We were hoping to see their young but alas we had to leave Finland before that happened.
Always took opportunities to check out birds and our overnight stay in Amsterdam didn’t disappoint .
Common Wood Pigeon
Eurasian Moorehen
Eurasian Blackbird
We never stop enjoying watching and learning about the lives of birds!