Area description:

Kirkkosalmi is an inland lake with reed beds, which was once raised from the sea. On the northeast side of tower, Kirkkosalmi's back end opens, is where Kirkkosalmi's largest reed beds are located. To the west of tower, you can see the Kirkonkari area. In recent years, attempts have been made to restore the meadow banks of Kirkkosalmi near the tower, on both sides of the road, by mowing reed beds. The soil masses next to the road come from dredging related to Kirkkosalmi's renovation. The water area has been deepened by dredging and thus efforts have been made to prevent overgrowth of the strait.

Breeding birds:

In front of the tower, in Kirkkosalmi's back end, 14 species of waterfowl nest, and their number in pairs is about 150. The biggest specialty, the gadwall, can be seen quite easily from the tower. A pair of swans settled in front of the bird tower to nest in 1994. There are 9 species of waders nesting and their number of pairs is about 130. Kirkkosalmi is one of the best nesting places for Eurasian coots in our province. They nest in 10-15 pairs in Hailuoto. Nowadays, 1-2 Eurasian bitterns blow in the reed beds of the area every year. The newest addition to Hailuoto's avifauna, the bearded reedling that thrives in the reeds, has been seen a few times in the vicinity of the bird watching tower.

The most abundant breeding species:

Northern shoveler, greylag goose, mallard, Eurasian wigeon, Northern pintail, tufted duck, Eurasian coot, Common snipe, Eurasian curlew, Northern lapwing, Common redshank, Common gull, Common reed bunting and Sedge warbler.

Rare breeding species:

Gadwall, swan, garganey, Common shelduck, Common pochard, Jack snipe, Green sandpiper, Common crane, Spotted crake, Eurasian bittern, Western marsh harrier, Hen harrier, Merlin and Eurasian sparrow hawk.

Migratory birds:

At the new bridge, the ice is often the first to melt in the whole of Hailuoto. It is often here that the first dabbling and diving ducks and coots are seen. In April, hundreds of swans, geese and other waterfowl can gather on the edge of the lake in the water area on the back end side of Kirkkosalmi. 500 mallards have stayed there at one time.

Kirkkosalmi Bird Watching Tower is one of the best places in the Oulu region to watch the spring migration of birds of prey. On the best migration day, 900 Rough-legged buzzards have been seen there. On beautiful Spring days, you can almost certainly admire the circling of the golden eagles and white-tailed eagles from the tower. Their total number in most springs is several dozen. In recent years, the number of peregrine falcons has gratifyingly increased, and during the Spring a dozen of them migrate through Kirkkosalmi.

Casual species:

Black kite and pallid harrier, marsh sandpiper, white-throated dipper, common moorhen, water rail, corn crake, grey wagtail, arctic warbler, common grasshopper warbler, bearded reedling, twite and yellow-breasted bunting. The rarest species observed in the Kirkkosalmi back end are the snow goose, the greater spotted eagle and the red phalarope.

Source: https://www.pply.fi/harrastus/lintupaikat-ja-tornit/pohjois-pohjanmaan-linturetkiopas/linturetkiopas-hailuoto/