European goldfinch

I took a bike ride with my parents last week and we happened to see this little beauty! I have not seen this bird before in my life! It is called Europen goldfinch or goldfinch, Tikli in Finnish. I am sure if I tried to pronounce this name it would come out as European Goldfish...!

We do not have very colorful birds in Finland so seeing a bird this colorful was very striking. (also my dad was a little envious that I happened to have my camera with me and he did not! Since this bird is relatively rare around here...)

I was trying to figure out what seeds the bird was eating, but I did not yet solve that mystery...

Rough-legged buzzard

 Last weekend my dad noticed a hawk flying above my parents house and I of course ran and grabbed my camera. My dad is into bird watching, so with his help its always so much fun to try to recognize the birds we see. I remember going on bird watching trips with him since I was a little girl, so getting more into it now has opened up a whole new world for me.

This bird of prey is called a Rough-legged buzzard or Rough-legged hawk or piekana in Finnish. My dad pointed out that this species should not be in our area in the middle of the summer, they only pass by in the spring or in the autumn, so this one must have just decided to hang around for some reason...

Moss and Gentle Forest Flowers

 

It has been a while since I last posted pictures on my blog. I have been finishing my summer studies for the past couple of weeks in a mad rush!

 Here are some more pictures from the Seitseminen national park where we visited a few weeks back.  What amazes me in the forests is the diversity and the ever changing landscape. You could visit a forest a hundred times and you would still find things you have never seen there before.

Forest Spirits in Seitseminen Natural Park

I must say the forest is a magical place beyond imagination. Protected, ancient forests such as this 400-year-old forest in Seitseminen National Park are extra special places that ought to be respected. Fortunately we do have forests, such as this one, still standing and keenly visited by people from all walks of life.   There is definitely a difference between a natural, old and diverse forest and a commercial forest. I just wish we would have more protected forests like this one.

Me and my family visited the forest this week and there was so many people there admiring the beauty of the forest and just generally spending their day in nature. This to me confirms that the Finnish nature is still in the hearts of the people.

I took some pictures in the forest, but I was being attacked by the mosquitoes so it was a bit hard to concentrate! (by the way, I have been using fresh lemon as a natural repellent for mosquitos and it does work! I just had not taken enough care when applying it prior to entering the forest...)

What I was especially drawn to in the forest was the quirky natural formations, that to me look like forest spirits.I do have a vivid imagination, but I am sure others will see them too!

Have a great Sunday evening!

Snow in June

When I am abroad, people always ask me "Does it snow in Finland in the summer?". I always laugh and say no. This time, however, I was wrong!

 I could not believe my eyes when it started snowing last Tuesday morning 17th June. So after my initial shock I of course ran upstairs and grabbed my camera. I don't think I have ever seen snow in June before. I am almost certain of it. So I have not had much practice on focusing the camera on snow flakes like this, it was suprisingly hard! But like I have said before, I do like blurry Photograps, so lucky me! :)

I am hoping the weather starts to warm up again, since this summer solstice was nothing short of freezing cold! Apparently it was the most coldest midsummer in 30 years...!

Summer solstice Magic from Rautavaara

It is a magical time of the year, the midsummer solstice. In Finland we have many traditions regarding this special time, usually involving wild flowers and such... So in the spirit of some Finnish midsummer magic I am posting a few pictures I took last weekend in Rautavaara, Finland.

In these pictures there are some exquisite (a word my art teachers loved to use!) lingonberry flowers, arctic star flower and 'northern Labrador tea' or wild rosemary.

Finland is so incredibly beautiful!

Magical weekend to you all!

My parents Garden in June

 

 

   

Last night I was exploring my parents garden and the beautiful flowers blooming there some of which would be considered 'weeds', but I find them beautiful anyway.  

Perhaps next time I will introduce the beautiful Kale, too!