A trip to Kazbegi five years ago marked my first experience watching birds abroad. Highlights include wallcreeper, Caucasian snowcock, and flocks of migrating kites, buzzards, sparrowhawks, chiffchaffs, and wheatears

September brought the opportunity to look for long-awaited species, with dotterel and northern bald ibis as highlights. Bee-eaters, wheatears, flycatchers, honey-buzzards, or whinchats become usual sights for some days.

Photographic hides are an attractive option for birdwatchers visiting Cat Tien National Park. Nearly-endemic Germain’s peacock-pheasant is readily seen, along with other specialties such as Siamese fireback or green-legged partridge.

During a one-day stopover in Manila, a visit to La Mesa Eco Park allows us to connect with Luzon and Philippine endemics without leaving town. Star birds include ashy thrush, western hooded pitta and stripe-sided rhabdornis.

On a quest during a trip through Sabah (Malaysia), we contacted seven of the eight hornbills of Borneo: oriental pied, black, rhinoceros, bushy-crested, wreathed, wrinkled, and the mythical helmeted hornbill.

A full-day stopover in Dubai provided good time to explore the city under the scorching sun. City parks provide Indian rollers, purple sunbirds, gray francolins, and shikra, whereas stunning white-cheeked terns fish in the Marina.

Despite a strong spring drought, the interior of Alicante is vibrant. Rufous-tailed rock-thrush, tawny pipit, pin-tailed sandgrouse, stone martens, and Lataste’s vipers are some specialties found with friends and family during June.

My last days in Helsinki are coincident with the arrival of thousands of migrant birds and the vegetation green-up. Scenic walks with friends result in European otter, red-breasted flycatcher, corn crake, and much more.

I am currently birding in Norwegian Lapland with friends. Unfortunately, a recent oil spill is affecting numerous seabirds. We notice its impact mostly on common and thick-billed murres, Atlantic puffins, and black-legged kittiwakes.

I finally managed to spot all nine owl species in Helsinki after two years, from the large and rare great gray owl to the minute Eurasian pygmy-owl. Here, I gather the stories of all these finds.