Birding in the Land of the Midnight Sun

Finland & Norway — Spring 2018 (19 May - 2 June)

This was an intimate little group of only 6 guests traveling with BirdwatchingTrips with The Biggest Twitch. Our guides, Ruth and Alan, are very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. During our time in Finland we also had a local guide, Tuomas with us. Travelling the same route (mostly) was another birdwatching group led by Hannu, a well known Finish guide. Tuomas and Hannu frequently shared information about recent sightings making sure we never missed anything. Tuomas was brilliant at finding the target birds, never giving up.

Finland is the land of over 180,000 lakes as well as endless birch and pine forest and Norway the land of the fjords and mountains. We travelled as far as it is possible to go on the European mainland to visit Norway’s unspoiled Varanger peninsula on the edge of the Barents Sea.

As well as the numerous new species it was also wonderful to see so many familiar species in their breeding plumage.

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Base 1 (2 nights) at Manor Hotel in Messilä (near Lahti)

Day 1 (19th May): Paul, Shirley and I arrival at Helsinki airport and meet rest of group and our local guide, Tuomas Seimola. We drive to Lahti area where we spend two nights at . The first evening we have a lovely meal opposite the old Hollolan church followed by a walk to the edge a lake.

Day 2 (20 May): Birding around the Hauho-Lahti area starts with a wryneck in the garden of the hotel. Then we set off for the day. Tuomas had arrange for us to meet with various local bird ringers to join them on their regular survey. First we met Perti, a very experienced ringer who has studied Ural Owls in particular for some fifty years. The eggs had not yet hatched in this nest box but it wasn’t going to be long before they did. The female owl did not seem to mind being checked out by Perti. Next we met up with another local ringer and this time a tiny European Pygmy Owl nest box. We were very lucky as we found the male bird nearby and enjoyed super views of this pint sized owl. We then set of to a lake where we see a white backed woodpecker poking it's head out of it's next hole. After lunch we have a walk around Tuomisto near Lahti were we cme across some cute fox cubs.

Base 2 (1 night) at Cumulus Oulu

Day 3 (21 May): We drive on to Oulu birding en route. On the way we stop at a roadside cafe with a large number of bells. After dinner we set off for our evening with owls. Another local expert took us to the nest of a great grey owl that he was monitoring. The female bird was in small birch tree nearby staring at us with those yellow eyes. Our ringer friend was going to ring a brood of Tengmalm’s Owls as part of his on-going studies of this species. The five chicks were quickly, measured and ringed and popped back in the box. We saw a total of 5 owls that evening - Great Grey Owl, Tengmalm's Owl, Short-eared Owl, European Pygmy Owl and Hawk Owl! Quite an experience.

Base 3 (3 nights) at Sokos Hotel in Kuusamo

Day 4 (22 May):We drive on to Kuusamo, birding en route. We have great views of another Hawk owl. Hawk Owls ignore people pretty much and this particular pair had set up home on the edge of a farm house garden right next to a country road! Next we set off for a nature reserve at Liminka on the Baltic Coast. We then stop of at a golf course for a view of a black woodecker that is nesting there. We have great views as we sit and enjoy our coffee.

Day 5 (23 May): We spend the day birding around the Kuusama area and had great views of Siberian Jays. We spent the morning walking up through the forrest behind the ski slopes. and the afternoon by a lovely lake. We have a late evening walk and enjoy the Sunset at Pajuniemi.

Day 6 (24 May): Another day around Kuusamo. Some of us get up very early for a lovely misty walk around a lake. We spot siberian tits here. After breakfast we go in search of Red-flanked Bluetail. We walk a trail up the mountain to livaara. Some of us insist of walking all the way to the top where we have a great view. In the late afternoon Tuomas gets a report of a three-toed woodpecker sighting and we set off in search of it. We have great views.

Base 4 (2 nights) at Hotell Ivalo in Ivalo

Day 7 (25 May): We drive on to Ivalo, birding en route. We cross the Arctic Circle at Tonkopuro and a while later we stop for a walk up to a lovely mountain plateau near Saariselkä. We check into our hotel which is next to the river.

Day 8 (26 May): We spend the day exploring the area. Before lunch we stop off at some Reindeer pens and then drive up a mountain. We have lunch at what we've nick-named the the Grosbeak cafe. It's actually called Neliän Tuulen Tupa. They have feeders outside the dining area and we can watch the birds through huge window. In the evening we go off to a viewing tower somewhere near Veskoniemi. This is our last night with Tuomas.

Base 5 (3 nights) at Rica Hotel in Vadsø

Day 9 (27 May): Drive to Vadsö birding en route. We have to drop in on the Grosbeak cafe on our way past. On the way we need toilet stops and they find us some rustic looking ones next to a lovely lake. We have been told there may be some doterel up the mountain just past Utsjoki thet we descide to check out before crossing the border into Norway. We are rewarded by 4 of them in a little group. We have lunch at a big supermarket and I try some liqurice ice cream. It's surprisingly nice. It's time to cross the border, 'home' at last. We hit Varangerfjorden near Nessby and have a little wander before we drive the last stretch to Vadsø. After our excellent evening meal we have a walk around a small lake, Dammen, on Store Vadsøya.

Day 10 (28 May): After a morning walk around Dammen we set off along the Varangerfjord towards Vardø. We stop at the river Skallelva where there are some interesting decorations on some of the houses and boat sheds. In Vardø we have some lunch before we are due to visit the nature reserve on Hornøya. This is just a 10-minute boat trip from Vardø harbour.

Hornøya is the easternmost point in Norway; a 0.4 sq.km island surrounded by the vast expanse of the Barents Sea. Hammered by winter storms and bathed under the summer’s midnight sun, it is one of the most extreme places in northern Norway. We are limited to a small area near the landing point. There are birds all around and you can almost touch them. The noise is deafening and the smell. Then, as if it couldn't get more atmospheric, it looks like a storm is coming in and the sky darkens.

Day 11 (29 May): Today we continue birding along Varangerfjord. We drive along the road from Vardø towards Båtsfjord stopping at various points on the way for birding and photos. (Group photos at Næringselva and Skjåvika and the view at Persfjord on the way back)

Base 6 (2 nights) at the Polar Hotel in Båtsfjord

Day 12 (30 May): We drive to Båtsfjord birding en route. The road takes us along Tana river and we stop at Tanamunningen before driving over the mountains to Båtsfjord. Just before we start the descent Ruth spots a snowy owl, a first for her and most of the rest of us too.

Day 13 (31 May): We drive over the mountains again hoping for another glimpse of the snowy owl. We eventually find it but a very long way off. We go down into Kongsfjord and continue towards Berlevåg where we have lunch.

Base 7 (1 night) at Hotell Ivalo in Ivalo

Day 14 (June): We drive back to Ivalo birding en route. We get a long look at the snowy mountains as we head for Tana river and back into Finland.

Day 15 (2 June): I have a last walk around the area before we need to set of for the airport to fly back to Helsinki at mid day and then back home.

It was a great experience with lovely company and brilliant birding, a trip I would highly recommend.