The cool, rainy summer has been tough for nesting pairs of birds, particularly in northern and eastern Finland.
For instance in Finnish Lapland, naturalists found that nine out of 10 pied flycatcher hatchlings had died in their nests at the Värriö research area in Salla.
BirdLife Finland reports that nesting has failed in many places in Lapland, especially peatlands and mires. There the chilly damp weather has taken a toll on species from cranes and whooper swans to peregrine falcons.
Birds nesting along the coast have fared better. Researchers believe that eider ducks and terns, for example, have had a successful breeding season.
BirdLife reports large concentrations of birds locally. For instance, in late July birdwatchers spotted more than 1200 great spotted woodpeckers flying over within one day.
Such heavy traffic of birds is a sure sign of preparations for autumn migration, which begins this month for some species.