Sotkamo Viltonvaara 2.6.2010

Yesterday I had again chance to go for Tarsigers. I chose Viltonvaara in Sotkamo because last year there were around 10 males. I got also company as my friend Teppo Helo joined me. He knows this area much better than me so it was a great help. During the morning we found altogether 8 males. We tried to catch four of them but only one came down from the canopy and this one we managed to catch. It was a 2nd cy male.

The light conditions were very poor and I wasn't able to take photos with my camera. So Teppo took all the photos this time and he kindly let me publish them here.


First I tried to take photos of the male we caught but
soon I gave up because of the lack of light. © Teppo Helo


Red-flanked Bluetail (Tarsiger cyanurus) 2nd cy male.
Summer 2010 male number 7. © Teppo Helo


The breast and head pattern. This bird doesn't have much
dark markings in the breast. © Teppo Helo


The pattern of wing. © Teppo Helo


The tail pattern. © Teppo Helo


The pattern of MaCs. One of the inner feathers in the lowest row
shows a little blue in the outer web. That's not very common
because normally there are no blue in MaCs at all in 2nd cy males.
© Teppo Helo


The colour of the upper mandible. It seems that there are no
difference in the colour between the age classes anymore in
late spring. © Teppo Helo