The 50 minute Finnair flight to Oulu from Helsinki whisked us away from the edge of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic with a myriad of small islands, and north to the 6th largest city in Finland, all of 130,000 in population. Both fields and forests were evident on descent, with the Gulf of Bothnia stretching away towards Sweden to the west, while flat, coastal lands filled the views inland. As we neared our landing at the small, modern airport, I was struck by the way in which the low-rise apartments and commercial buildings seemed to be surrounded by evergreens, as if they had been built to accommodate the forest rather than the other way around.


Flying in to Oulu
Our Finnish guide, Harri Tavetti, joined our guide and friend Hugh Harrop, from Shetland Wildlife Tours, and whisked our group away in surprisingly comfortable, 4WD VW vans, 7 passengers in each, with the 6 in back on facing bench seats for 3. We were 16 in total, 13 Brits, 1 Welshman, 1 Finn and me. It turned out to be a truly fun and congenial group, which always adds so much to any birding trip.
In less than 10 minutes we arrived at our small, comfortable, birder-friendly Hotel Vilihuoto, right on the shores of Liminka Bay. There were life birds in the garden for me (hooray!), such as the Pied Flycatchers nesting in birch boxes, while Curlews burbled their melancholy calls as they drifted overhead. The effects of the northerly latitude were already quite evident: twilight lingered, even at 11 PM . The 50ºF temperature was perfect for sleeping, after a hearty dinner of reindeer-mushroom soup, salad bar, roast chicken, “cheesy” rice (with a hint of nutmeg), and crepes for dessert. Yum. My room was spotless, with a TV (which, as usual for me, remained unused), mini-fridge, tea/coffee gear, hairdryer, and small but workable bathroom with shower (no curtain, but well drained and a squeegee to assist). I was able to phone Bill, as throughout Finland, using my MCI Worldphone Card, with absolutely no problems and a clear connection – after all, Finland originated Nokia and remains a leader in communications technology.

The next day allowed for a real sleep-in, much appreciated for me especially, as Finland is 7 hours ahead of the US East Coast, and despite my lazy day at Kew Gardens in London, I still had some jet lag adjustment to do. However, the relatively late start, at 8AM, did nothing to diminish a wonderfully busy, long and productive day of birding.

First up was this superb display by a male Capercaillie, the largest member of the grouse family in the world. While Bill and I had been fortunate to catch in-flight views years ago in the Scots Pine forests of Speyside, Scotland, here at last was the bird in all its goofy glory, clicking, belching and bellowing away in its defense of a patch of forest understory packed with berry scrub and heather. It must be said, he did seem to be focusing on Harri and his camera’s long lens, making more than one charge at him, and requiring serious attention from Harri in order not to be nailed!


Path in Oulu forest

 Our other primary goals that day were owls, and we succeeded brilliantly with 2 out of 3 species. Both the Great Grey Owl and the Ural Owl were, simply, awesome, and thanks to local knowledge and networking, we were able to approach nests of both with great success.

What a thrill it was to see the massive, dome-shaped head of this Great Grey Owl female sitting tight on her nest in a large deciduous tree amongst the evergreen forest. This species is known to favor the abandoned nests of the Northern Goshawk, and she sat, as you can see, well down into the haven she had chosen to raise her brood, eyeing carefully our approach and that of Harri, as he worked carefully around the immediate area searching for the male, who was no doubt keeping a vigil close by. We did not succeed in seeing him this day, but for starters, it was tough to beat this encounter!


My first view of a Great Grey Owl!


Great Grey Owl female on the nest

Typical Finnish scene, a cabin by the lake


Down the lane


A neat and tidy Finnish farm

 The scenery around Oulu as viewed on that first day gave me a feeling that I was going to enjoy the 2300 miles we ultimately traveled by road on this trip. Finland is loaded with lakes (officially, 180,000 of them!) and rushing streams and rivers, with mile after mile of evergreen and birch forest, which is easy on the eye. So too were the rural farm scenes, revealing a general air of tidiness and quiet prosperity, and the sense that these people fit snugly and comfortably into their land.

One stop at a smaller lake gave us terrific views of Little Gulls, whose neatly defined black heads (and black, black eyes), scarlet legs and black underwings make them a very snappy gull indeed. Finland is at the western edge of their range and it was a treat to see them in such numbers.

A bit later in the day, after a lunch stop at a local petrol station (where surprisingly good hamburgers and hot buffet dishes with salad bar were on offer), we caught up with the Ural Owl, at about 24”, another impressively large member of the Strix genus (which also includes Great Grey and Snowy Owls). This bird had a nest with 2 young, almost ready to leave their nest in the open rafters of a log-cabin-like farm outbuilding. The parent chose to hang back in the screen of nearby pines and budding birches, but was nonetheless a powerful presence.
Little Gulls

Spot the owl!


Ural Owl (approx. 2’ tall)


Ural owl nest site, in open rafters of a log farm building

Dinner that evening was an excellent reindeer steak served with scalloped potatoes. There were many jokes about Rudolph, of course, and someone had to sing the song as well, but it really was delicious, lean yet flavorful meat! Reindeer is a plentiful protein in Finland, and is versatile too, as I later discovered with a delicious reindeer stroganoff. Later that evening, we scored a Eurasian Pygmy Owl, which obliged us by flying in to a tape of its call. While I had seen several other Pygmy Owls in the genus Glaucidium before, this was one with which I had not yet connected. As with the Great Grey Owl (though not the Ural Owl), these species can be seen in N. America, even within the lower 48, though generally only during the wintry months in the depths of the northern Midwest forests. I was far happier seeing them in the relative warmth of a Finnish spring (perhaps 45ºF).
What a great start to the trip this day had been! There were great birds, and plenty of time to observe and photograph them, lovely scenery and fun companions – for me, the stuff of the most successful birding trips.

The next day began with a chilly, if sunny, interlude along the coast, scanning for waders and waterfowl, while Marsh Sandpipers offered their display flight overhead. There was a cold wind blowing, and I began to think about digging out my long unders… That wind also served to power the turbines of a nearby wind farm. An older version was seen along one of the many roads we traveled in the Oulu area.


Eurasian Pygmy Owl (6 – 8”)

Hugh & Harri scanning for waders


Wind farm on the shore at Oulu (wet field stubble in foreground)


Old windmill


Three-toed Woodpecker
Having successfully located a handsome, male Three-toed Woodpecker, we headed for another Great Grey Owl nest site. This time, we scored with stunning views of a male, who posed impassively for quite some time as we studied and photographed him from various angles. As with most owls, the male is smaller than the female, and yet, now seeing the whole length of the bird, I was totally smitten with this species, surely the most impressive owl I’ve ever seen.
Great Grey Owl male #2


Path through the forest, returning from Great Grey Owl site

Fishing in the evening, Oulu area


Boreal (Tengmalm's) Owl nest box, listening for chicks

 That evening, a visit to a nearby lake provided this peaceful scene. Clearly fishing is a favorite pastime in Finland, with its abundance of clear, cold lakes and streams. Though we struck out that night in our nest-box watch for a Boreal (AKA “Tengmalm’s) Owl, our group really began to relax and get laughing as we waited 1 ½ hrs. for the male to deliver a late-night supper to his brood. While chicks could be heard peeping in the nest box, in response to Hugh’s imitation of a marauding Pine Martin, the determined female sat tight and never did pop her head out to “repel all boarders”.
The next morning, we visited Limingahti Wetlands Reserve, where the wind was really blowing under gray, threatening skies. Having donned my long unders, I was still chilled, even inside the hide. Even Harri had to confess that this had been an exceptionally cold, late Spring. However, the sun slowly reappeared, and after a stop in a nearby cemetery where Black Woodpeckers (about the size of our Pileated Woodpecker) were nesting, we next headed northward to Kuusamo, a long, scenic drive through miles and miles of forests with increasing bits of snow and ice-bound lakes as we progressed. I was impressed by the well maintained cross-country ski and snowmobile trails, and could see the visible traces of those which utilize the winter lake ice to get from point A to B. I was later to find a map indicating the extensive network of these trails throughout the country. In the towns, these trails often run alongside the roads, utilized in the warmer months by roller-bladers with poles, as a substitute for cross-country skiing. Reindeer began to appear with more regularity, grazing along the roadsides, where they seem to know that the grass is always greener.
Black Woodpecker


Black Woodpecker feeding young


Many Reindeer in Lapland have collars


Plenty of snow still in the woods at the end of May

Stokos Hotel, Kuusamo

 Our very comfortable hotel in Kuusamo offered heated bathroom floors, a most welcome surprise in this colder area near the Russian border. I had been concerned about being cold at night, and imagined I would miss our heated mattress pad, but every hotel on the trip was quite snug and warm, and hot water was never lacking. In retrospect I realized that if you were running a hotel in this neck of the woods and achieved a reputation for chilly rooms, you wouldn’t be in business very long!
Across the lake from our hotel, we watched in the superb evening light as Red-throated Grebes gave their raucous calls, which failed to disturb the Arctic Terns roosting nearby. Muskrats were abundant and busily plowing through the waters. We spotted an Arctic Hare munching away in the back garden of a nearby house. At this time of year they can be mostly grey, or a mixed grey and white, but there is no missing their size and long, long legs.


Arctic Tern, evening reflection


Arctic Hare in summer pelage

Oulanks is a trans-border park (Finland-Russia)


Red Squirrels come in various colors in Finland


Views of frozen lakes from the hilltop at Valtavaara National Reserve

 Oulanka Park was our initial stop the following morning, where we searched in vain for the Orange-flanked Bush Robin (known to the Brits as Red-flanked Bluetail). Alas, not a sign of this migrant, which probably had not yet arrived here on the very western fringe of its range, due to the cold weather and dearth of insects which are its food. However, there was a reindeer mother and young calf nearby, and a Red Squirrel which always evokes the “Cute!” response from all. Here these squirrels can be almost all grey, or a mix of red and grey, but the tufted ears are unmistakable and big contributors to the “cute factor”.
Traveling on through the borderland forests that day we found a cooperative pair of Siberian Jays, before stopping at a charming old schoolhouse for a delicious lunch of salmon chowder, salad and freshly baked bread. I found the bread throughout Finland and Norway to be truly outstanding, especially the hearty rye and whole grain varieties, always freshly baked too. After lunch we found these Bohemian Waxwings, which are closely related to the Cedar Waxwings we see in Highlands.
Siberian Jay


Bohemian Waxwing


Bohemian Waxwing

Little Bunting takes flight


Wood Sandpiper display I


Wood Sandpiper display II


Wood Sandpiper display III


Curious moose across the lake (AKA “Elk” in Scandinavia)

 An early evening at last gave me a good 8 hours of sleep, so I was recharged and ready to go back towards the Russian border again the next day. That afternoon, another lake stop produced great photo ops for both Little Bunting and a displaying wood sandpiper. A couple of male Smews put on a great show across the lake, providing excellent scope views. As they were busy chasing a female, we saw them in flight as well, but, for me at least, photography was in the too tough pile. There was a very curious moose or two that I managed to catch in the scope. They are called “Elk” here for some reason, and they seem quite shy, no doubt because they are hunted. Nonetheless, we saw several throughout the trip. They are certainly large, if not especially intelligent-looking! However, the true highlight of the day was our second try for the Boreal (Tengmalm’s) Owl, and this time we gave it our best shot. The site was another nest box, which was clearly active as we could hear the chicks. Our two hour wait was rewarded with excellent views of this diminutive, yellow-eyed owl, which came in and perched with its prey for several minutes before making a lightening-fast dash to deliver it to the nest, and then zoomed off again. It arrived exactly at midnight, which prompted me to paraphrase Wilson Pickett: “You’ve got to wait ‘til the midnight owl…” (I know, groans all around.)
However, the true highlight of the day was our second try for the Boreal (Tengmalm’s) Owl, and this time we gave it our best shot. The site was another nest box, which was clearly active as we could hear the chicks. Our two hour wait was rewarded with excellent views of this diminutive, yellow-eyed owl, which came in and perched with its prey for several minutes before making a lightening-fast dash to deliver it to the nest, and then zoomed off again. It arrived exactly at midnight, which prompted me to paraphrase Wilson Pickett: “You’ve got to wait ‘til the midnight owl…” (I know, groans all around.)
Tengmalm’s Owl

Crossing the Arctic Circle


Town scene, Sodankyla, Finland


Signs we don’t often see at the grocery store

 I had to sleep fast that night, even with a late, 8:30 breakfast, but we were off to the north again this day, with lunch en route to Ivalo. We stopped upon crossing the Arctic Circle for photos and a quick cup of hot chocolate. Having gotten word of a Northern Hawk Owl nest near Sodankyla, south of Ivalo, we dashed up the road to meet Pekka, the local man who was monitoring the nest and had kindly agreed to take us out to it before he had to go back to work late that afternoon. The town of 10,000 is modern, neat and seems to have just about anything one could want by way of stores and facilities.

Our rendezvous went smoothly and we were soon walking through a forest clearing with a pair of the owls screaming overhead. As it turned out, Pekka is an owl bander (“ringer” to the Brits), and we were privileged that sunny afternoon to watch as he put a band on the first chick to leave the nest in a large old Aspen nearby. Being this close to such a creature is always a moving experience, and you can see by the photo how delighted I was! A hawk owl feather was discovered and it was given to me for being the one to travel the farthest to see it. We all thanked Pekka profusely and did a “whip-round” (translation: passed the hat) to support his work with the owls, as bands are expensive and there is no pay involved in this “hobby”.
Northern Hawk Owl fledgling


Banding the chick


Northern Hawk Owl parent keeps an eye on activities


Northern Hawk Owl near its nest hole

Typical bog scene, breeding grounds for Broad-billed Sandpipers, Jack Snipe and others


My Ivalo hotel room looked out onto the river (Ivalojoki)

 After a quick stop at a boggy reserve, we zoomed on to Ivalo for a night. As we advanced northward, we seemed to hit a slightly warmer area than Kuusamo, finding the lakes free of ice and more buds on shrubs and birches. The trees were beginning to get shorter and thin out as we got further along into the Arctic. Fields had become less common, and seemed to be primarily for silage for reindeer. Hedge-rows of birches and willow scrub provide much needed windbreaks.
The morning temperature was 40º, and by now I was donning 4 layers each day. As birding often involves standing about for long periods with no activity to generate heat, even a moderately cold day can be chilling, and we were headed for NE Norway, where I knew it would be even colder… However, the sun was with us again, thankfully, making our stop at a log cabin café along the way most enjoyable. Here we had great views of European Greenfinches and handsome Bramblings, as well as a glimpse of young male Pine Grosbeaks. Pressing on, we stopped short of the border to stock up on “supplies” for our stay in Norway, as beer, wine, snacks and just about everything else is very, very expensive there. I really appreciated this advance logistical planning, and priced a few items out of curiosity while shopping. Both a quart of milk and 6 eggs were US$4 each! Wine, as throughout the trip, was especially dear, but there was no problem chilling it – just leaving it in the van with the doors open did the trick nicely.


European Greenfinches and Brambling


Try saying this one three times, fast


Tana River, border between Finland and Norway

Thaw begeins, high fells above Batsfjord, Norway


Long-tailed Skua (“Jaeger”)


Ruffs displaying

 A picnic lunch stop by the Tana River, which defines the border in NE Finland, provided great views towards Norway and its still very frozen hills. We lost the evergreen forests as we headed on, and eventually even the small birches disappeared. Heading up onto the fells, we entered the land of ice and snow, though the roads were quite clear and there were some bare patches of tundra to be seen. We got our first taste of the amazing amount of bird life up there that afternoon, and we returned on subsequent days to watch Red-necked Phalaropes, Eurasian Teal, Ruffs in the process of “ruffing” (displaying – a constantly amusing dart and dance routine as these male birds, with their bizarre hair-dos, vied for any and all nearby females), Temminck’s Stints, Long-tailed Ducks, Arctic and Long-tailed Skuas, Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings. Despite the apparent collapse of the Lemming population, we even saw a pair of Short-eared Owls patrolling the tundra patches, thus marking the 6th owl species for the trip – not bad!!
During the next few days we traveled from Vardo, all along the coast of the Varangerfjord and peninsula, through dramatic scenery and small villages, enjoying the breeding plumaged waders and ducks along the shore. A special sighting was the Steller’s Eider, which is one of the world’s rarest sea ducks. We also found a male King Eider, though he was dubbed “Prince Eider”, as he was in immature plumage, lacking the startling colors of a full, breeding male. I was now donning 6 layers each day, including 2 sets of long unders, and still found myself wishing for more. Hot-hands and Toastie-toes (chemical warmers) were truly helpful in staying in contact with extremities! I think I was never as cold as this even in Antarctica, but the birds were more than worth the shivers.
Batsfjord, Norway


View from my window, Batsfjord


This thawing pond in the high fells is a breeding site for Red-necked Phalaropes, Long-tailed Ducks, Ruffs and others


Willow (Red) Grouse, male & female


Eurasian (“Common”) Teal


Common Mergansers (“Gooseanders”) on ice


House by the fjord


Bumblebee on Purple Saxifrage


Barnacle Geese


“Tundra” Bean Geese (A. fabilis rossicus)


Common Eider males & females


Steller’s Eider male & female (Common Eiders in background)

Bearded Seal

 One morning we zoomed to a nearby town having heard that a Bearded Seal was hauling out on a pontoon dock. We arrived to find him swimming around the bay while two men readied their small fishing skiff and headed out for the day. Eventually, the obliging seal pulled himself up and proceeded to have a nice, long roll about, scratching its back no doubt, before settling in for a morning snooze. He seemed quite unafraid as we quietly, slowly approached. I think the resulting photo speaks to his general nonchalance!
A particular joy for me on this trip was the opportunity to see many wading and shore birds in their summer, breeding plumages. While I had seen all of the species in other parts of the world, they never looked as spiffy as they did here, on their breeding grounds.
Dunlin and Little Stint


Common Ringed Plover & Ruddy Turnstone


Purple Sandpipers


Red-necked Phalarope pair


Red-necked Phalarope


This tiny bird spends most of its life in the open sea

Signs we don’t often see (entering Vardo, Norway)


Fish drying under nets to prevent gulls from dining


no caption (this is possibly my favorite photo!)


The boys roam the tundra


Spring willow scrub, Varanger Peninsula


Rush hour for reindeer


Here’s to ewe!


Vardo, Norway, at 11:23 PM

 As we traveled roads along the coastline and hills of virtually the entire peninsula, there were many memorable scenes. Of course, the sun never really sets at this time of year at latitudes above the Arctic Circle, so “nights” are short, to say the least!
Our final afternoon was a memorable outing to the seabird cliffs at nearby Hornuya Island. It is not often that one can approach these nesting birds so closely, as often the only views are from Zodiacs, thus photography is difficult. But on this occasion, as you will see, the birds were close and easy to shoot, and I had a lot of fun in the all-too-short 2 hour visit, just observing and taking photos with my little point and shoot. Long lenses would have been wasted here.
A short boat ride from Vardo to Hornuya Isl.


Seabird nesting cliffs, Hornuya Isl.


Common Murre


Kittiwake nesting area


Black-legged Kittiwake

There were a few Atlantic Puffins at home


Atlantic Puffin


The Razorbill is one sharp bird!


Razorbills & Kittiwake (note chrome yellow gape on Razorbill)


Common Eider on her eiderdown-lined nest


Shag on its nest


Bronzy-green on breeding plumage of the Shag


Not every nest succeeds – Murre egg

 How to convey the special scene? The camera can’t catch it all, and the noise and even the smell of these seabird colonies provide the bass notes and overtones for what is truly a symphony of the senses. I wish for every birder and lover of nature the chance to experience such a spectacle.
Leaving the island we spotted a Yellow-billed Loon (“White-billed Diver”), which, though seen before through the scope, was actually close enough to photograph. This banana-billed beauty is a truly Arctic denizen and was a life bird for me.
Vardo, Norway


Yellow-billed (“White-billed”) Loon, immature

Iceland Gull in Vardo harbor


Huurti Gruta, coastal cruise ship


Kittiwakes nesting in Vardo

 After coming into the inner harbor, we discovered a perched Iceland Gull, another lifer which, confusingly, doesn’t occur in Iceland. Tossing bits of left-over sandwich bread worked wonders for bringing this snowy gull in for photo ops.
As we drove southward, we bid farewell to the White-tailed Eagles patrolling the coastline, had one last glimpse of the Bearded Seal at his morning nap stop, and headed down to Finland once again.

A stop at a known Gyrfalcon nest proved successful on this, our second try for this very large, far northern falcon. Within 5 minutes, one was spotted soaring the length of the riverside cliff tops. We found a fine male Ring Ouzel there as well, fulfilling two more targets for me on this trip. One last, cold stop atop the fells nearby gave us excellent views of the stunning Eurasian Dotterel, a species in which roles are reversed. As with the Red-necked Phalaropes, it is the female who sports the most vibrant colors, and who does the choosing of mates. Once she has laid her eggs, she is off and running, while the male does the heavy lifting, brooding and raising the family. By slowly getting flat down on the tundra, I was able to view these lovely birds virtually face to face!


White-tailed Eagle

Red Squirrel

 Another stop at the log cabin café for hot buns straight from the oven gave me the chance to get this close photo of a Red Squirrel. Even though I had to shoot through the paned window, I think it turned out well.
Harri and Hugh prepared for the relaxing evening in Ivalo by posing with the local brew, and we zoomed on in for the night, a last dinner together before the 3 hour drive to Rovaniemi airport the next morning. Though it was snowing lightly when we left Ivalo, the sun was out and the temperature was balmy in Rovaniemi. In Helsinki, it was over 80º!

Guides hard at work on local brew


Leaving Rovaniemi

 Our Finnair flights were on time, so with smooth connections through Helsinki, I was back in London by 8PM.

This trip had proved to be all I had hoped – and more, as I’d never expected to be able to do as much photography. The group was congenial, our leaders were excellent, and the birds outstanding and obliging, especially the owls! Finland, especially, was a lovely place to travel, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in nature and scenery. The Finns may seem a bit dour at first, but Harri had an excellent, dry wit which we all enjoyed. Hugh has an endless enthusiasm and great expertise with these birds, and since I like to blame him for getting me started in birding, it was a special opportunity to bird with him again. It had been more than 11 years since I’d first looked at Dunlin with him in the Shetland Islands, and peered through his scope, my initiation into real birding. Of course I had been keeping notes on birds I’d seen during our travels for many years, but Hugh’s guidance and encouragement were the genesis of my subsequent passion for all avian creatures.


Great Grey Owl, photo by Hugh Harrop