The H5N8 virus was detected in sick and injured birds in February and early March this year, including in a swan found dead in Helsinki's Eläintarhanlahti park and a goshawk sent to Korkeasaari Wildlife Hospital from Kumpula. Several birds infected with avian influenza have been found in Uusimaa this winter.

Ascension Thursday, a Finnish holiday, was unforgettable for Keeri Sjöblom, 13, who lives in Kimitoön, a maritime municipality in southwest Finland.

Various species can be spotted in different parts of the country till early October due to warm weather in the south.

The Finnish researcher says the source of southern Finland's unusually slippery roads and messy snow this winter is very likely due to warm air from the sea.