Gone birding, Fri, 7 Aug

I met Risto in the parking lot about 7:00 and we headed northwest of Suonenjoki, about a half-hour drive, to Lintojärvi, Lake Linto, for a bit of birdwatching. This area is on "peat land" and many areas were being harvested. If I understand correctly, the company was inspired to create habitat as part of the restoration process. We arrived and immediately climbed the observation tower for a look-see. And we saw birds. Lots of ducks, waders, warblers, and herons. Common Cranes were bugling all around us, and one gave us a nice fly-by to show off. Aldo Leopold loved the sound of cranes in the early morning on Wisconsin marshes. I bet it is just as good on Finnish peat lands. It was nice being up near canopy level and looking at warblers on their level. It certainly was easier. We then walked around this fairly large lake. The edge of it is reverting to birch and the intensely thick birch thickets were the haunt of the Robin. It sounds like our American Robin (and that's probably how ours got its name) but that's about where the similarity ends. Although they were chatting to us the whole time, I only got one so-so look at this rascal. And, being on peat land, it was a bit buggy. I can't say that I've ever had a mosquito bite me on the palm of my hand before. We birded until about 10:00 and saw 30 species, and I think 4 of those are lifers (I've lost my printed list of "seen" birds of Europe. I'll have to check the recycling bin in my office on Monday.)
I was a good boy the rest of the day and stuck to my office and work; although I did have a big bowl of ice cream with raspberry goop for afternoon coffee break. The photos today are of lupines. You can find these non-natives along nearly every road in Scandinavia it seems; part of one of those good-intended beautification processes. The come in blue and pink and white and all shades in between. Although most of them have gone to seed, a few optimistic individuals think that they can still beat the first frost!

Birds of the day (any of my birding friends still paying attention?): Grey Heron, Osprey, Great Grey Shrike (lifer), Robin (lifer), Lesser Whitethroat, Greenshank (lifer), Redshank, Wood Sandpiper (lifer), Jay.