Migration of geese passes by Rääkkylä Church on October 2, 2023. Photo: Jari Kontiokorpi / North Karelia Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment.
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On the 2nd of October 2023, an enchanting avian spectacle unfolded in the skies of Eastern Finland as over half a million Barnacle Geese (Valkoposkihanhia) initiated their principal migration, heralding the approach of the harsh Nordic winter.
The spectacle, while mesmerizing, was delayed by persistent headwinds and rainfall which inhibited their journey for a longer period than usual.
Eventually, with the moderation of weather conditions, the geese, originating both from Arctic breeding areas and local habitats in North Karelia, embarked on their remarkable journey southwards.
The scene near the Rääkkylä Church on the specified date was especially vivid, captured elegantly by photographer Jari Kontiokorpi. Onlookers witnessed gargantuan flocks seamlessly glide across the firmament, merging with local and even thousands of Bean Geese (sepelhanhia) along their path.
Notably, over 200,000 geese were documented in specific daily counts at Rääkkylä’s Oravilahti and Savonlinna’s Puruvesi, with the majority identified as Barnacle Geese. Additionally, substantial numbers were observed at Kitee’s Kyyrönniemi, Kontiolahti, and Tohmajärvi’s Nikunvaara, wherein approximately 174,000 and 53,000 migrating geese were recorded, respectively.
Before the main migratory event, local congregations of geese had reached their peak not only in central and northern parts of North Karelia but also in various regions of Finland. For instance, approximately 30,000 geese were recorded at Liperi’s Siikakoski on September 30th, 2023, according to BirdLife Finland’s Tiira bird information service.
Moreover, geese adorned with GPS transmitters provided fascinating data on their migratory patterns. On the morning of 3rd October 2023, six geese, five of which were in the area stretching from Liperi to Nurmes in North Karelia, and one in Joroinen in North Savo, were tracked within Finland. In contrast, nine were located in Russia, with some potentially having already migrated into Finnish territories. Remarkably, the fastest among them has already reached its wintering area in Germany.
The migration movement is meticulously monitored by North Karelia’s ELY-Centre and BirdLife Finland, employing not only the Tiira bird information service and weather migration forecasts by the Finnish Meteorological Institute but also location services for GPS-tagged geese from the University of Turku and the Natural Re
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
