Finland & Norway - Northern Owls & the Arctic
Saturday 30th May to Wednesday 10th June 2009
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This
tour combines Arctic Norway's dramatic scenery of fjords, coastal tundra and
uplands with the vast taiga forests, lakes and marshes of Finland. These
breathtaking landscapes are largely uninhabited - except by the thousands of
birds which make these northern territories their summer home. Huge colonies
of seabirds line the rugged cliffs, whilst in the forests the silence is
broken only by the song of Bluethroats, Redwings, Wood & Broad-billed
Sandpipers, and the eerie drumming of Jack Snipe. Timed to coincide with the
height of the breeding season, this holiday will offer you the chance of
seeing 200 bird species - an exciting possibility, especially for a European
destination. Our specially-designed programme encompasses the famous
Varanger Peninsula in Norway, plus three areas in southern, central and
north-eastern Finland which host a particularly impressive variety of
birdlife. We commence our tour in Helsinki, in search of southerly species
such as Wryneck, ThrushNightingale, Great Reed & Blyth's Reed Warblers, and then move on to the Bay of Liminka at Oulu, on the edge of the Gulf of Bothnia. Here, less than 150 km from the Arctic Circle, the internationally-famous wetland reserve of Liminganlahti lies on the migratory flyway of thousands of waders, cranes and wildfowl, including Velvet Scoter and Smew. In the forests around Oulu, we shall look forward to going out on an ‘owl prowl’ in the company of our experienced Finnature guides, who will be aiming to bring us close to Tengmalm's, Pygmy, Ural & Great Grey Owls. Near the Russian border at Kuusamo, amidst taiga forest, lakes and bogs, we shall keep a sharp watch for Hazel Grouse, Three-toed Woodpecker, Hawk Owl, Siberian Tit and Siberian Jay; the bogs and fjells may hold Bean Geese and Little Bunting, and there's also the chance of seeing Red-flanked Bluetail! Norway's Varanger Fjord and Peninsula then offer a complete contrast - an Arctic environment of low fjells, tundra, coastal marshes, bogs and craggy sea cliffs. In summer, this ‘land of the midnight sun’ is home to a stunning variety of
birdlife: White-tailed Eagles, Gyr Falcons and thousands of seabirds including Brünnich's Guillemot haunt the coastal cliffs, and on the sea are vast flocks of Common Eider, with smaller numbers of Steller's & King Eiders. Arctic pools attract Red-necked Phalarope and Red-throated Diver, with Ruffs never far away. The tundra and fjells near Batsfjord conceal a great variety of species, including Snowy Owl, Dotterel, Ptarmigan, Long-tailed Skua, Horned Lark, Snow Bunting and Lapland Bunting. The whole area is simply vibrating with birdlife!
Day
1: We fly from London to Helsinki and then transfer to our hotel. Our
two days will be spent exploring some of the region's splendid birdwatching
sites. Wetlands Transfer to our hotel. Our two days will be spent exploring
some of the region's splendid birdwatching sites. Wetlands hold Great Reed &
Blyth's Reed Warblers and Thrush Nightingale. The forests support an
impressive array of species, including Honey Buzzard, Wryneck, Black
Woodpecker, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Greenish Warbler. The coastal area
will provide us with an opportunity to observe migrating divers, wildfowl
and shorebirds.
Overnight - Helsinki
Days 2 - 4: On Day 2 we fly from Helsinki to Oulu (Gulf of Bothnia).
Here is the fabulous and internationally important wetland of Liminganlahti,
which is teeming with birds - Cranes, Whooper Swans, Wood Sandpipers, Ruff,
Little Gulls and Marsh Harriers. In nearby forests we hope to find Pygmy,
Tengmalm's, Ural & Great Grey Owls and Three-toed Woodpecker.
Overnights – Oulu
Days 5 & 6: We drive to Kuusamo, a marvellous birdwatching area of
taiga forest and hundreds of small lakes. We will explore nearby forests,
including that of Valtavaara, as well as lakes and bogs, in search of
breeding birds such as Bean Goose, Hazel Grouse, Capercaillie, Black Grouse,
Hawk & Eurasian Eagle Owls, Parrot Crossbill, Arctic Warbler, Bohemian
Waxwing, Red-flanked Bluetail, Siberian Jay, Siberian Tit and Little
Bunting.
Overnights – Kuusamo
Day 7: After breakfast we travel west to Ivalo, celebrating our
crossing of the Arctic Circle in traditional fashion with a drop of warming
liqueur, and watching for Broad-billed Sandpiper and Jack Snipe.
Overnight – Ivalo
Days 8 - 10: We travel northwards through Arctic Lapland, and,
following the Tana River, we arrive at Tana Bru, gateway to the Varanger
Peninsula. From here we drive north-west to Batsfjord, stopping to look at a
Gyr Falcon eyrie, which is located on a steep cliff. Further on, we visit
the inlet at Hoyholmen where we should see many shorebirds and flocks of
eiders. Passing through an area of majestic upland tundra, where typical
birds of this habitat are Black-throated & Red-throated Divers, Scaup,
Long-tailed Skua, Willow Ptarmigan, Horned Lark and Snow Bunting. On the
return journey through this superb tundra wonderland, we will look for
divers, Long-tailed Duck, Dotterel, Golden Plover, Ruff, Snowy Owl,
Red-throated Pipit, Bluethroat, Arctic Redpoll and Lapland Bunting. On Day 9
we’ll drive in the southern part of the peninsula, stopping to view cliffs
for Gyr Falcon and Rough-legged Buzzard. Tana Bru may well reveal
Black-throated Diver and Bar-tailed Godwits, and Nesseby Bay supports a very
localised small population of Shelduck, Velvet Scoter and usually some
Steller's Eiders amongst the Common Eiders. On Vadso Island the lovely
little nature reserve pool usually has many Red-necked Phalaropes and often
Wigeon, Pintail and other ducks. Temminck's Stints are normally present in
good numbers, along with Ruff and an Arctic Tern colony. From Vardo we'll
visit Hornoya and its massive seabird colonies. There are thousands of
Kittiwakes, Puffins, Razorbills and Shags and good numbers of Brünnich's &
Black Guillemots. Our travels will also take us eastwards to Hamningberg
where we'll search the coastal bays for White-billed Diver and King Eider,
and the cliffs for White-tailed Eagle. Goosanders and Common Eiders will be
an ever-present feature on the sea, supported by Common & Velvet Scoter and
Long-tailed Ducks.
Overnights - Batsfjord & Vadso
Day 11: We return to Ivalo with birdwatching en-route.
Overnight Ivalo
Day 12: We catch our return flights to London.