"Hopelessly lost" is probably the best expression for it.
An extremely rare bird variety called Swinhoe's Snipe has been discovered in the Province of Northern Karelia in Eastern Finland. This is only the second sighting of the species in Europe, announced conservation organisation BirdLife on Monday.
The rarity aspect is not a product of the bird's threatened status, however - it is simply thousands of miles from where it should be at this time of year.
If BirdLife Finland’s Rarity Committee officially recognises the sighting, Swinhoe's Snipe will become the 453rd bird species encountered in Finland.
The locals in Tohmajärvi first spotted the rarity several days ago, on June 3rd.
Bird enthusiasts were given an opportunity to admire the distant visitor on Sunday night.
The known nesting areas of Swinhoe's Snipe (Gallinago megala) are more than 3,000 kilometres away in the vicinity of Lake Baikal in Central Siberia and in Northern Mongolia.
For the non-breeding season the species migrates to Southern India, South-East Asia, and New Guinea. The only previous sighting in Europe was in Russia some six years ago.
