Bird recording is a different way of enjoying birds. At the turn of March-April, it’s a good time to hear the owls hoot.
The pitch-dark forest on a March evening hides a silence that is hard to compare to anything else.
Only a faint breeze and the faint hum of the highway in the distance break the complete silence in Sipoonkorvi National Park.
Then a sound comes from somewhere, a chillingly primal cry.
The owl’s shrill call is a startling sound. There is something scary, even nightmarish about it, especially in the middle of a dark forest.
In the Helsinki metropolitan area saturated with sensory stimuli, just the quiet dark forest is an experience. An owl screeching in the dark elevates the experience to a class of its own.
– When you move alone, darkness and fear are strongly felt, but on the other hand, that is a big part of the beauty of this hobby. Moving in the dark forest is overcoming yourself and living with the feeling of fear.
Varkki has been birdwatching since the 1980s. During the Corona years, recording voices became his most important hobby.
Even in the darkness of Sipoonkorvi, Vark’s ridged ear distinguishes sea, tundra and forest geese, as well as whooper swans, in addition to the barn owl.
Recording the sounds brings a nice extra spice to the observation. Hannu Varkki carries with him a combination of an audio recorder and a directional microphone, but you can get started with much simpler equipment as well.
– Actually, you can go pretty far with a mobile phone. A good little accessory for it is a wind shield, because wind is often a recording artist’s worst enemy.
Recording is also a fun way to enjoy birds that differs from the mainstream. Facebook and Instagram are full of stunning bird photos, but only a few make high-quality recordings.
Hannu Varkki uploads his successes to the Xeno Canto website, where nature recorders from around the world share sound recordings of birds and other natural objects.
In the Helsinki metropolitan area, the best places to listen to owls are large and quiet forest areas, such as Sipoonkorvi and Nuuksio national parks.
The owls’ hoots can best be heard between sunset and sunrise in February, March, and April. The best evenings are calm and the starry sky creates an atmosphere in the evenings.
In Sipoonkorvi’s forests, the most familiar and sure to meet owl species is the barn owl, whose sonorous, high-frequency and slightly pulsating call is easy to learn to recognize. With a little luck, in these forests you can also hear the hooting of the screech owl or the barn owl, the whistling of the sparrow owl or the hooting of the highly rare barn owl.
According to Hannu Vark, the most important thing on an owl trip is to calm down and listen. It is good to stop at one place for at least five minutes.
– You can change your position a little and try to rub your ears in different directions. It’s good to be patient, you shouldn’t be in a hurry with these jobs.
You can inquire about good listening places and times in advance, for example by researching the observation service Tiira or by asking more experienced bird watchers for tips.
The same general rule applies to owl tours as to any nature hobby: nothing is certain. However, with the help of study, preparation, research, suitable circumstances and a little luck, you can eventually find yourself in a situation that will stick in your memories for the rest of your life.