Previously common in southern and central Europe, the egret has also spread to northern Ostrobothnia. Storks have also been seen in the centre of Oulu.
The all-white bird, which slightly resembles a crane, has been seen here in a few individuals before, but this autumn, for example, flocks of more than twenty have been seen in Liminga Bay.
In the Oulu estuary, there is a heron on Rommakonselkä and Hartaanselkä, and a stork has also been seen in the direction of Kuivasjärvi.
Hohtola says that in early summer a pair of birds was also spotted in Muhox, apparently nesting, although no actual nesting has been recorded.
According to Esa Hohtola, the reason behind the phenomenon is the increase of the species in its main areas.
– The bird population has increased so strongly in Europe that it can now also be seen as a sudden increase in the peripheral areas of its range, says Hohtola.
In addition to the great egret, exceptionally large flocks of red-footed hawks have been observed in the province during the summer. Usually, this peregrine falcon has been an occasional summer visitor. Hikes are seen every few years, but Esa Hohtola estimates that the August hike was a bigger phenomenon than usual.
A single little Canada goose is also a rarity, which has now been found for the second time at the Virkula bird tower in Limingan bay. The bird is originally a North American species.
_Follow what’s happening near you. Read more news from Northern Ostrobothnia._
There have been a huge number of insect infestations on trees this year. Insect infestations that occur in the summer are often only detected in trees at the end of the year, when the trees brown and dry out.
According to 2020 estimates, there will be 745 000 hectares of forest land in south-east Finland. Archive photo. …
The Ullatieva supplementary area contains an old, mainly natural, ancient forest. The pine trees are between 100 and 200 years old and some of the trees are even older. The area is home to a rich variety of species.
The Ullatieva nature reserve is located at the headwaters of the Ounas River, on the ridge bank between the lakes. …
Low rainfall has caused water levels to fall in both sea and river basins. Boaters in particular need to be careful when navigating shallow waters.
The prolonged drought has lowered water levels in different parts of Finland.
Water levels have fallen in rivers, lakes and sea water.
In south-west Finland, for example, water levels are at record lows, especially in river basins.
– Sea water levels have dropped by up to 50 centimeters from their normal height. That’s already a fairly rare reading. Not every year is the water level this low.
Surfaces falling across the country
According to Triipponen, water levels are falling in other parts of Finland as well.
– I don’t know the exact situation nationally, but in southern Finland the situation is similar everywhere.
Low water levels are a disadvantage especially for boaters. Stones may appear on familiar waterways that have not previously been considered.
Triipponen describes the situation as atypical, but not particularly exceptional.
– Some water bodies have been record dry, for example in Kiskonjoki. Elsewhere, this is more of a normal effect of climate change.
There is also no immediate relief for the water bodies, even if it starts to rain now.
– There is such a lack of moisture in the soil that the first 20 millimeters of rain are absorbed directly into the ground. The rains somewhat normalize the soil situation.
In mid-September, the surface of the Mansikkalahti beach in Kotka was very low. …
Mining in shallow seas, scientists say, puts sustainability objectives at risk. In the Baltic Sea, ore mining is a new industry.
Exploitation of seabed ores may be closer than perhaps previously thought.
The Swedish company Scandinavian Ocean Minerals has applied for a permit to dredge ore from the bottom of the Bothnian Sea in the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone.
The aim is to collect iron manganese sediments, which, according to Finnish research, are abundant along the coast of the Bothnian Sea. The sediments have a high metal content and are therefore of interest to the mining industry.
Sediments have been mapped in Finnish marine areas in connection with the VELMU inventory program for the diversity of underwater marine life.
More deposits have also been found in the Gulf of Finland, where the Russians studied them at the beginning of the millennium. However, this did not lead to commercial exploitation.
The iron manganese deposits in the Baltic Sea are estimated to contain the largest cobalt reserves in Europe. …
The drought of the last three weeks in particular has had a critical impact on water levels. A southerly air flow starting today will bring relief.
The water levels of inland and sea water have been surprising and worrying Finns throughout the rest of the summer.
For example, the shoreline of Hamina’s Pitkienhiekki sands has receded several metres, revealing barges and rocks. On Saimaa, on the other hand, residents have speculated that the low level of the lake is not simply the result of artificially lowering the water level.
Niittyniemi says that the last three weeks in particular are the reason why it is so dry now.
– It is normal that towards the end of summer the water levels drop and the fall rains starting in August correct the situation.\n Now we are still waiting for the autumn rains. It was really rainless from August.
Sea water level half a metre below zero
An exceptionally low level of sea water has been observed in Etelä Kymenlaakso as well as on other beaches in Finland.
According to Niittyniemi, the total water volume of the Baltic Sea is currently small due to the low runoff. In addition, the north wind pushes the water away from the coast.
– The surface is minus 50 centimeters. According to meteorologists, the reading is relatively rare, only once in 10 years is it this low.
Relief from the drought is expected in a couple of days, when the wind turns to the south. However, it will take a couple of weeks for the sea level to stabilize.
– Rain is the only thing that will fix this situation, but even a small amount of rain will not change the situation. Because the trees still have leaves and the ground is like a dry sponge, runoff does not occur right away, says Niittyniemi.
Saimaa has its own rhythm
Rainfall accounts for water level heights. In the southeast, this year’s precipitation was concentrated during the snowy season.
– Few may remember that there was a lot of snow in the winter for a long time, almost a record amount in the southeast corner. Since then, the amount of precipitation has started to decrease here, says Niittyniemi.
Water bodies of different sizes react differently to low rainfall. For example, Saimaa has its own rhythm for when the water rises and when it falls.
– Now in the middle of September, the surface of Saimaa is 10 centimeters lower than normal. People’s knowledge of the exceptional lowness is due to the fact that in the next few years, Saimaa’s water level has been above average. There is still 40 centimeters to go from the current situation to the lower limit of the normal value.
According to Niittyniemi, large inland waters are therefore not exceptionally low at the moment.
In small bodies of water, on the other hand, the drought appears faster. For example, at flow points, the lack of water can be dramatic.\n In rivers and small streams, it may also have an effect on the spawning of migratory fish.
– If the water is warm and scarce at the same time, the situation is bad for the fish.
Niittyniemi reminds us that water level fluctuations are part of nature. In lakes, the exposure of shores has its own effect, for example, on shore vegetation and species.
– On the other hand, if the water gets really low, for example in lush lakes, the risk of lack of oxygen increases.
_What thoughts did the story evoke? You can comment with the Yle ID on 14.9. until 11 p.m._
The Värriö research station clearly shows signs of northern climate change. The climate at the research station in Salla is similar today to what it was 300 kilometres to the south just over 40 years ago.
Signs of climate change are most evident in the Arctic and the northern coniferous forest belt.
– The pace of change is so rapid here and there is no end in sight at the moment, so there is nothing to do but worry, says Mikko Sipilä at Värriö research station.
The atmospheric scientist bases his concerns on international studies and observations made at Värriö research station over the past 50 years, among other things.
– The temperature has risen here in December by four degrees in about 50 years, and the tree line has been getting higher and higher. The snow-covered period has shortened by three weeks in the last 40 years, Sipilä lists the changes in the climate of the Värriö area.
Finland’s expertise in atmospheric research is of an internationally high standard and has received worldwide recognition. At the Center for Atmospheric Science, very sensitive measuring devices have been developed, and researchers’ research articles have been published in a large number of prestigious scientific journals in the field.
The Värriö research station is located near the Russian border. In the picture, the opposite Nuorttitunturi is crossed by a border fence, with Russia on the right and Finland on the left. In the lower right corner you can see the measuring towers of the research station. …
In some places, more sightings have been reported than last year. However, they only give an indication of the number of ticks. Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalomyelitis, on the other hand, have so far been much less frequent than last year.
– I never thought there could be so many.
When he lived in Vaasa, Uhlgren didn’t come across many ticks. During his eight years in Turku, he has been bitten by them in fifteen summers.
The warm late summer kept the ticks active, and the Punkkilive.fi website, run by the University of Turku and pharmaceutical company Pfizer, received almost 3 000 sightings from the Turku region in August alone.
However, overall there are clearly fewer entries from the Turku region and the capital region than last year.
On the other hand, further north in the Vaasa, Kokkola and Oulu regions, more sightings have accumulated than last year.
According to him, it’s because we’ve learned to live with ticks: vaccinations have also been taken outside of Uusimaa, Northern Finland and Åland, and tick checks, tick removal and monitoring of symptoms are familiar.
Field surveys confirm the findings
More than 74,000 tick sightings have been recorded throughout the country so far.
Last year, September was a busy reporting month, and observations were still made in November. Researchers are also interested in how long the ticks’ active season is.
– Inevitably, there is a connection between things, but tick life also correlates with the population, meaning that a lot of observations come from places where there are a lot of people.
Field surveys, however, seem to confirm what the observation map tells. For example, many sightings have been reported in Kumpula, Helsinki, but only a few in Seurasaari. Field surveys have given similar results regarding the number of ticks.
The chief administrative physician Heikki Kaukoranta from Vaasa also believes that the number of ticks can vary greatly locally, but remain in the dark on the map.
– Maalahti, with 5,500 inhabitants, may have the same number of ticks as Vaasa, with 66,000 inhabitants, but there are fewer notifiers.
On the other hand, both Sormunen and Uhlgren believe that some people have lost the urge to report their findings.
– How much do the people living in the archipelago even report, because the tick is already like a mosquito – a part of everyday life? ponders Uhlgren.
Do some attract ticks more than others?
Arttu Uhlgren does a lot of boating, and woodpeckers are always welcome from the archipelago. He got his first tick in Mariehamn, and then it was still terrible.
– I got a bit of a feeling that this is where it will die now. Now I’m already used to ticks, but such a number (57) is disturbing, says Uhlgren.
An exceptional tick avalanche hit Jungsfruskär, near Åland. There were two friends and a dog on the nature trail; their balance is a couple of ticks per man and five in the dog.
Uhgren has experience over the years that punks don’t seem to care about others.
– I have a strange way of attracting ticks. If you and your spouse are in a mushroom, I also collect ticks.
Only once has Uhlgren had to take a course of antibiotics, when one tick had managed to avoid the daily inspection. The tick situation still does not limit his movement.
Even long trousers don’t always help, but the ticks will crumble from the legs to the bottom of the boat after the trip, describes Arttu Uhlgren. …
