Mute Swans at Töölönlahti

A young Mute Swan spreads it's wings at Töölönlahti. Nikon D90, AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED. ISO 400, 210 mm, f/5.3, 1/640 s.

Mute swans nested in the Summer at Töölönlahti and one can see them almost every day there. I've only once spotted them at Eläintarhanlahti, the next bay. They are very tame and easy to shoot. This is just one of the many photographs.

Bird Competition: #20 Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

From Birds 2013

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), Nikon D90, AF-S DX VR Nikkor 55-300mm 4.5-5.6G ED, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 s, ISO1600

Today was an interesting day in nature. A cold, crispy weather (-12 °C is not something we see every day in March in Helsinki) and sun was shining brightly. In a local wood I found a woodpecker, the only time I've been able to photograph this common bird when it's neither flying nor pecking a tree. So while this quite noisy and there are too few pixels per bird it was a nice experience.

Suddenly crows started to warn about something. I couldn't see anything and they calmed soon down. When I started to move a big bird which I was unable to identify flew away from a tree only five meters or so from me. The crows started the uproar again.

The sunday night was crowned by aurora borealis which I unfortunately missed by fifteen minutes or so. I found one spectacular image at Google+.

The Excitement of Rarity

From Birds 2013

A mallard peforming Pugachev's Cobra? Nikon D90, AF-S DX VR Nikkor 55-300mm 4.5-5.6G ED, ISO200, 1/400 s, f/8.

Birders are after rarity which is not always a good thing. Animals are disturbed which can be fatal especially during the nesting time. The photographical downside is that we have a lots of pictures of rare species and few of common species.

Are common birds dull? By no means, no! There's hardly more common bird in Helsinki during Winter than mallard and I think they're fascinating birds. One can photograph them, study their behaviour and be sure that they don't care about you at all.

Bird Competition: #30 Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) and #31 Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)

From Birds 2013

A mute swan (Cygnus olor) and a common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) meet, Helsinki, Finland. Nikon D90, AF-S DX VR Nikkor 55-300mm 4.5-5.6G ED, ISO200, 1/800 s, f/5.6.

Southern Helsinki has some areas where the sea is not frozen even in February and they offer an easy and quick way spot birds. Fifteen minutes in a bus, fifteen minutes shooting and back by the bus again. This time I spotted common mergansers, common goldeneyes, a pair of mute swans accompanied by a young whooper swan and of course, in a Finnish Winter, great and blue tits.

Bird Competition: #28 Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa)

From Birds 2013

#28 Great grey owl (strix nebulosa), Nikon D90, Nikkor AF-S DX 55-300 mm, 240 mm f/5.3, 1/60 s, Kannelmäki, Helsinki, Finland, 2013

I've always been interested in trekking, nature and wildlife including birds but I wouldn't say they're a hobby to me. However, in January a long time friend of mine asked me if I'd like to have a competition with him. Which one would be able photograph most bird species in 2013? Neither of us is an active birder. The competition is not very serious and not even the real point. The fun and shooting is.

The rules are simple: a bird must be identifiable, alive and non-domesticated.

From Birds 2013

Nikon D90, Nikkor AF-S DX 55-300 mm, 280 mm f/5.6, 1/60 s, Kannelmäki, Helsinki, Finland, 2013

The owl is 28^th bird species photograph this year. The owl attacked something in the snow immediately I shot the main picture.