What started as a joke ended up as a quest. Through living between Finland and Spain and travelling across Africa and Asia, I managed to find 1,000 bird species in 2024.

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 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.