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        (Swans in March)                                      (Louhela hill in September)                                        (The storks flying above Louhela)

Louhela hill offers a view over the Kurkela village landscape. The interplay of Kurkela River, the woods and the open fields give it a pleasant rhythm. Bird watchers have ample entertainment, especially during the migration seasons. The river delta is a preferred flying route and resting place for many water birds and birds of prey. The age-old trees in Louhela attract small birds to rest on the way to their final destination. The riverfront fields and pastures of Louhela still have the traditional open ditches. The local birds include the skylark, lapwing, whinchat, ortolan bunting and nightingale. Also the sparrow and starling, already fairly rare in the area, like the courtyard environment. The buildings offer good nesting places for wagtails, swifts and swallows. Staying overnight at the lean-to one can sometimes hear the nightly billing of the stork coming from kilometers away, accompanied by the nightingale and the warblers in the reeds.