FINLAND & NORWAY, May 26th – June 8th 2007 by PMCallagher Introduction Although this holiday was always going to be hard work (and expensive) for a lone birder, I’d rate it as one of my best trips ever, besides fulfilling a long-held ambition to go birding in the arctic circle. I managed to see eleven of my eighteen target birds during 13 days, with the crucial help of Finnature’s 2-day owl tour at Oulu. Surviving in Finland Not unusually for this time of year, I enjoyed two weeks of glorious weather: cloudless skies with virtually no rain. Mosquitoes were only a mild problem at a few sites. previous visitors had recommended taking wellies but I was unable to fit these into my luggage, but got along fine with walking boots. There are plenty of eateries in Finland (many garages have a café attached) but these often close early around 6 or 7pm. Norway was a bit more difficult for finding places to eat, so I ended up cooking at the campsite kitchen. Information and Maps Good local information is critical: there is a national rare bird news service for Finland on the internet at www.tarsiger.com which should definitely be checked before going. Many local birders are contactable by email and can give vital up-to-date news. I ran into visiting birders from other countries who were keen to exchange info, particularly at the Valtavaara layby (Kuusamo) in the morning. I also ran into other birders staying at the Vestre Jakobselv Camping (Varangerfjord). At the Peurasuvanto Holiday Village 50km north of Sodankyla, the owner, Olavi, is a bird guide and usually knows what’s about. There are also a few nature centres: the centre at Liminka Bay might be useful, but was shut during my visit. If you’re heading up Route 4 through Lapland, then the Koilliskaira Nature Centre at Tankavaara (9am-6pm) might have some info on local sightings. I chose not to buy “Where to watch birds in Scandinavia” but to rely on other people’s trip reports for site details. However, no birder travelling up Route 4 through Lapland should be without the excellent “Birdwatching in Sodankyla” booklet, a detailed guide to the birding sites in this Municipality, many of which are just off the main road. An English language version was on sale at Peurasuvanto Holiday Village and at Koilliskaira Nature Centre. For maps, I recommend the Freytag&Berndt 1:500,000 road map of Finland (ISBN 37079-0579-9, £7.95). If you are spending any time in Kuusamo the local 1:100,000 Genimap (ISBN 951-593-033-2, €18), is essential. This can be bought from the big tourist information centre just south of Kuusamo, opposite the Citymarket and the Prisma supermarket. Likewise if you are staying in Oulu, you will want the 1:100,000 Genimap for there, though as it happened our Finnature guide gave us each a free tourist info map of the area with birding sites marked. For Norway, you will need at least the 1:400,000 scale ‘Veikart Troms og Finnmark’ by Statens Kartverk (ISBN 82-7945-042-4, €16) which covers the Varangerfjord area. (I made the mistake of also buying the genimap

1:800,000 map of Lapland and northern Norway, which is far too small a scale to be of any use). I was soon to regret not thoroughly revising my bird calls/songs before I left the UK particularly redwing, fieldfare, bluethroat, ortolan and rustic bunting! Roads and Travel The distances involved seem rather intimidating, covering as they do an area roughly as big as the British Isles including Shetland. However, I found the major roads a pleasure to drive, and coped easily with the distances over the course of a fortnight. Flying to Tampere rather than Helsinki cut out several hundred miles travel, unfortunately cheap flights to this airport have since stopped. The minor roads are gravelled and much slower, so a lot of time is lost travelling locally between birding locations and your campsite; a planned itinerary is called for, to minimize this problem. The main hazard comes from reindeer or elk: be sure to slow down if you see these anywhere close to the roadside. Technically there is a ‘priorite adroite’ system on some Finnish roads but nobody seems to bother with it, except in Norway; also in Norway, zebra crossings have priority (not the case in Finland). Many of the garages have only 24hr automatic credit-card pumps, but after I discovered none of these would accept my card, I was careful to top up regularly. (Fill up before Norway - petrol is much more expensive there). I saw very few police patrol cars. Speed cameras are present as far north as Rovaniemi. Leaving Rovaniemi north on Route 4, there’s one camera in the next village to catch out the unwary; after that you can floor it. Strategy If you’ve chosen not to do a guided trip, Finland presents a huge strategic challenge. Late afternoons in the woods were very quiet, so early mornings are vital (in fact many locals advised me to sleep during the day and bird overnight!) Perceived wisdom is that the only time to visit Finland is the end of May / beginning of June, for several reasons: the owls are still ‘staked out’ at their nest sites; the mosquitoes are less troublesome; and most of the passerines should be singing and obvious. Timing is crucial because some songbirds clam up very abruptly, depending on latitude and proximity to the coast. In the tundra, try to catch the ‘snowmelt’, the exciting time when all the birds are setting up territory. Going in May has some drawbacks though: Arctic Warbler only arrives around the end of the first week of June, while Siberian Tits are brooding and incredibly difficult. Also, a lot of the campsites don’t open until early June, and there’s a risk of getting caught up in belated winter weather. My Finnature tour at Oulu was fixed for 1st/2nd June in the middle of my fortnight, so I was forced to take a slightly illogical route, travelling northeast to Kuusamo and then doubling back towards Oulu before going north again to Norway. Travelogue Saturday 26th May Departed Stansted Airport 17:50, arrive Tampere 22:30 local time. Slept overnight in the car near Orivesi.

Sunday 27th May Drove from Orivesi northeast to the Wild Brown Bear Lodge at Vartius near Kuhmo, taking roughly 8 hours to cover the 600 miles. Met Ari at 5pm and went to the hides. At 1am, the darkest hour, a Wolverine appeared, and remained for 1 hour sniffing out the hidden food morsels until I accidentally startled it. I soon fell asleep, though apparently the Wolverine returned again at 3am. Monday 28th May In the morning I checked out the nature trail leading from the lodge - not much here. At 10am I left for the Kuusamo area, arriving around 1pm. At the Information Centre just south of town I enquired about campsites, but the campsite at Ruka was closed until 4th/5th June, so I chose the Juuman Leirintaalue campsite at Juuma (€6 per night), in order to be close to both the famous Valtavaara layby and the Oulanka National Park. This campsite was alive with woodland birds including Willow Tits and Crossbills, and next to an attractive lake. [The only other campsite apparently open at this time of year, at Rantatropiikki just north of Kuusamo, east of Route 5 (€16 per night), had a few visiting birders to swap info with.] In the evening I drove to the Oulanka park centre and I walked north from here, but not much doing birdwise at this time of day. Tuesday 29th May I arrived at the famous Valtavaara layby at 3.30am, to find no other birders present. Nothing seemed to be on the feeders, so I headed up the steep track to the south in search of bluetail. An hour later I had reached the summit and heard four singing Red-flanked Bluetails, with nice views of two. Returning to the layby at 5.30 I found many birders arriving including Italians, Dutch, Finns and a camper van-load of Hungarians; nobody was having any luck with sibe jay or sibe tit on the feeders, just the usual Great Tits and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. However there was a singing Bluetail audible to the north of the layby (this finished singing around 6am), and a Hazelhen calling to the north. I headed up the wooden stairway, no sign of the hazelhen but I did see a ♀ Red- flanked Bluetail well from here. I had read about some birders seeing Siberian Tit at the village of Oivanki near Kuusamo, and headed there next. There followed a dismal 2-hour stomp around the pine plantations, but I then found three very confiding Siberian Jays, quite near the hotel area. The rustic bunting site at Iivara The latest news was that a Rustic Bunting had been seen singing regularly at the start of the Iivaara trail southeast of Kuusamo the previous afternoon. After an hour’s drive down gravel tracks the bunting

didn’t show, though another Siberian Jay flew across the road en route. Wednesday 30th May Following yesterday’s advice, I spent and hour 5-6am driving the gravel roads north of Juuma in the hope of a Hazelhen by the roadside, but only saw Black Grouse. Returning to Juuma I walked the circular Pieni Karhunkierros trail: very pretty but few birds. After a sleep in the afternoon, I headed southwest of Ruka to find the bird tower at Lake Antinpera. The approach road was closed but I parked and walked the last 2km to view the lake from the tower, seeing plenty of Black Grouse but little else. A Muskrat swam out below the tower to provide some entertainment after a rather quiet day. Thursday 31st May After a late start, I was packing up my tent when a local birder turned up. His English was rather stilted but he seemed to be onto something, and it turned out he’d found Calypso Orchids, a very rare local plant, just a short way from the campsite. I bade farewell to Kuusamo and headed off in the direction of Oulu. This took about 3 hours, not including a stop at the migration site of Hirvisuo Bog, which was utterly devoid of birds; the clear blue skies just weren’t bringing migrants down. I managed to find a campsite at Kempele -‘Kempele Camping’, signposted off route 847 north of Kempele, Calypso Orchid, Juuman Leirintaalue (entrance track next to a Shell garage), €7 per night; a nice site with a bit of a mozzie problem. It didn’t officially until June 1st, however the owner allowed me to stay. I missed the large Nallikari Campsite at Hietasaari in Oulu (14 € per night), and then found out, too late, that a Terek Sandpiper had been lingering on the beach here! Friday 1st June I rendezvoused with a group of birders at the ABC service station, Tupos at 2am for the first night of our Finnature guided tour. Our guide Jaako took the five of us on a long drive north towards his owl site, but en route we spotted a different Great Grey Owl by the roadside! It put on a terrific show for 20 minutes, catching and eating a vole before flying into the woods. With extra time in hand, we made for the Hawk Owl site. A family of three Hawk Owls were showing as we arrived, and at our next stop a juvenile Tengmalm’s Owl was helpfully sticking its head out of the box for us; apparently this one had refused to show for the tour group on the previous night (probably due to windy conditions) so we could count ourselves lucky. The male Pygmy Owl did not respond to tape luring, and Jaako had to resort to opening the nest box for a quick look at the sitting female. We finished with a check on the local Dotterel fields: no dotterel, but a singing Ortolan Bunting and a stunning male Common Rosefinch rounded off the morning at 10am. After a siesta I headed to Liminka Bay in the afternoon, stopping at the famous Nature Centre to find the building closed. A male Garganey was showing from the hides. I

decided to take the long drive to Tauvo, an area that had been recommended for migrants and many different species. Though the habitat looked good, I only saw a Red-backed Shrike and a possible view of a disappearing Capercaillie. I returned to Kempele campsite, to be awoken at 11.30pm by a calling Corncrake! Saturday 2nd June After doing so well on Friday, our Finnature group reconvened at the more civilised hour of 3am and headed towards Siikajoki. First stop was for an Eagle Owl that had set up territory in the pine forest, but it didn’t show: the only owl we missed. Our second objective was Ural Owl. Jaako knew of a female standing guard near an occupied nestbox. We had to be on our guard too as this can be a very aggressive bird in defence of its young, but luckily she flew and landed in full view, basking in the morning sunlight for us. The Three-toed Woodpecker nest hole was next. A spot of tape-luring soon drew the male Ural Owl near Oulu in, and some even saw the female as she poked her head out of the hole. Nearby, Jaako tapelured for Hazelhen, Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, and Wryneck, without success. The pine plantations produced more good birding: Red-backed and Great Grey Shrike showed up, a Black Grouse was still lekking, and then one of the group spotted an amazing Black Woodpecker which drummed on the metal bracket of an electricity pylon before flying off (negating our need to visit the black woodpecker nest hole!) For the remainder of the morning we stopped off at some places around Liminka Bay, pleasant enough sites but no surprise birds. I returned to the campsite for a couple of hour’s kip, then at 2pm I hit the road north, following Route 4 north through Kemi and Rovaniemi. At around 9pm I stopped at a closed campsite near the village of Aska, south of Sodankyla; it seems common practice to camp in these closed sites. Paradoxically, now that I was inside the Arctic Circle with the sun staying above the horizon, it was actually warmer at night! Sunday 3rd June Heading off early again at 5am, I stopped north of Sodankyla at Petkula Bog; sadly no broad-billed sandpipers but an Eagle Owl was calling somewhere in the distance. I was forced by lack of fuel to pause at Peurasuvanto, but this was an area I wanted to explore anyway. There were rumours of Siberian Tits here (in fact they visit the feeders behind the café in winter, but not in the spring). I wandered back down the road and pursued a ‘sip’ call which turned out to be a female Rustic Bunting. Returning to the café for breakfast, I ran into the owner who told me of a Pine Grosbeak which was regularly visiting the bird table outside the Neljan Toulen Tupa café along the road north of Kaamanen. I headed off at 10am (now that the petrol stations were open) and duly found

the café, where after an hour’s wait the Pine Grosbeak flew in – an unexpected bonus bird for me, and also for the Hungarians who turned up again on their way back from Varangerfjord in their van. Continuing to Vadso in Norway, I arrived around 7pm. In contrast to Finland, Norway was under heavy overcast which continued for most of the time I was there, but mercifully no rain. Please note that there is NO CAMPSITE at Vadso, whatever other reports might say; the nearest one is at Vestre Jakobselv, 18km to the west. It opens on 1st June and is probably the best location to be based, costing 115 NKr a night for a tent. It’s about 1hr 15mins drive from Vardo. Alternatively about 40 mins drive to the west, a campsite was open at Tana Bru (east of the bridge), though this of course places you even further from Vardo.

Pine Grosbeak, Neljan Toulen Tupa café

Monday 4th June I’d heard there was a 9am boat from Vardo to Hornoya Island, an essential site for Brunnich’s Guillemot, so decided to head there first thing. I made one stop en route, to scan the channel at Vadso, and picked up a Steller’s Eider here. Waiting on the dockside at Vardo as 9am came and went, I was becoming increasingly worried that I might be in the wrong place; but of course I’d made the classic mistake of forgetting to change my watch to Norway time after leaving Finland. In the meantime a passing birder pointed out a lone Brunnich’s Guillemot in the harbour, negating my need to go to Hornoya. But I decided to go anyway, which was maybe a poor decision in retrospect; the island is extremely similar to most seabird colonies back home. In my two-hour visit, I did obtain much better views of Brunnich’s, and from the boat everyone saw the King Eider which had been frequenting the harbour for the last few weeks. In the afternoon I headed up the winding road towards Hamningberg, an area famous for picking up Nearctic rarities over the years. The rocky landscape en route was stunning and, although birds were thin on the ground, I did add Snow Bunting and a confirmed Arctic Redpoll to the trip list, plus plenty of Red-throated Pipits (but was disappointed to find no café at Hamningberg!) Arrived back at the campsite at 8pm. Tuesday 5th June Headed to the famous Gyrfalcon site along the Tana River, arriving at 5.30am. After 2½ hours the birds wouldn’t show so I decided to try again later, and in the interim explore the road towards Batsfjord, in the vain hope of relocating a Snowy Owl that had been seen at “the high point” some days previously. Though the thaw was well underway, this was the first place I’d encountered snow still lying, and it was truly magical. Long-tailed Skuas and Lapland Buntings were setting up territory, and migrating Ruff and Dunlin dropping into pools where Red-necked Phalaropes were puttering about, with

Shorelarks feeding by the roadside. The amount of running water prevented exploration off the road, but as the birds were pretty confiding this didn’t matter. I continued to Batsfjord, a commercial port with an attendant gull flock. The café was closed, but mercifully the garage here serves hot dogs! I returned to my Gyr site for another two hours vigil. They still wouldn’t show, so I headed back to Varangerfjord to check out the waders and duck. Varangerbotn had recently held an American Wigeon but this seemed to have gone, but at least the Red-necked Phalaropes at Nesseby were always reliable. Wednesday 6th June I had one last bash at the Gyrfalcon but failed again; another group of Brits who arrived just as I was leaving did connect with the bird after I’d gone. Heading back towards Finland at 11am, my second Hawk Owl of the trip appeared by the roadside en route. I arrived at the Tankavaara reserve, south of Ivalo, around 5pm. The woods here were quiet, but I decided they’d be worth a look the following morning, as I still needed several woodland species such as Hazelhen, Parrot and Two-barred Crossbill and most importantly Siberian Tit. I headed south to the Peurasuvanto holiday village to rent a cabin for £30 a night – luxury after spending 10 nights under canvas! Thursday 7th June Returning to Tankavaara at 6am, I followed the 6km ‘orange’ trail around the fairytale pinewoods. Although birds such as Bluethroat were more active, it was rather disappointing – not a single crossbill sp to be had (possibly now too late in the season). The observation tower here provides an awesome view, but no raptors in evidence, only Common Cranes on the marshes. I left and made for the hill of Pyha-Nattanen near Vuotso, in a fruitless search for Ptarmigan (another option for this species might be Kilopaa Hill, well to the north). Further along the same road is Lake Sompiojarvi. I’d been told this is a good birding spot and so it was, with Waxwings, Peregrine, Spotted Redshank and White-tailed Eagle. Sadly the local Arctic Warbler didn’t seem to have arrived yet. By lunchtime I was suffering real sleep deprivation and was compelled to take a fourhour siesta. In the evening I headed south to the Ylapostojoki River and scanned Lake Vajunen, but as so often with Finnish lakes there was not a bird to be seen. Friday 8th June Starting at 5am, I searched for the Little Bunting which was reported to sing near Peurasuvanto, but with no luck. A second visit to Petkula Bog produced nothing. I carried on to the ski lift station at Luosto and walked south along the forest trail for an hour in a last ditch effort for Siberian Tit, then drove to the start of the Rykima Gorge trail. Walking a short distance into the woods, I ran into a ‘mugging party’ of 3 Siberian Jays scrounging for food. Even better, following up a desultory tapping sound produced a Three-toed Woodpecker bashing away at a tree. At my very last site I’d struck lucky! It was already 9.30am so I had to hurry south to Tampere to catch my flight, arriving just in time for check-in at 9pm.

Site Guide Most of my birding was in four ‘regions’: the Kuusamo area, the Oulu area, the Sodankyla region, and Finnmark (the most northerly part of Norway). To avoid becoming lost, I tended to stick to well-marked tourist trails through the woods, though this might not have been the best tactic for seeking out shy species! (Be warned that getting lost in the wilds of Finland is a real danger, and a compass is a vital piece of kit.) BEARWATCHING: Wild Brown Bear Lodge, Kuhmo There are two major bearwatching venues in Finland, both located some way off the regular birding trail. Both require that you sit in the hides all night from 6pm-7am, thus forfeiting most of the following day’s birding. The site I visited was called Wild Brown Bear Lodge, run by Ari Saaski (details on the website www.wildbrownbear.fi) . This site is very close to Vartius on the border with Russia. To get there, head along Route 89 from Kajaani, and close to the Russian border at Vartius, the site is signposted down a track to the right (south). Cost is €160 for one night. I was in a photography hide, a small shed overlooking the area where salmon is put out to attract the bears. There are more comfortable, cheaper hides further back on the hillsides. At 1am a Wolverine showed up in front of the hide and fed for an hour – definitely one of the highlights of the trip! It apparently returned at 3am but I had nodded off. Also while I was asleep, the others saw a large owl species flew over, most likely a Ural owl as these are known to nest along the nature trail somewhere. In the morning I went for a look along the nature trail and feeding station at the lodge, but didn’t see much. In late May Brown Bears are very territorial so it’s a bad time to see them here (late June to August is apparently best). However, during the same week, at another bearwatching site, run by Markku Maata at Martinselkonen about 50km NE of Suomussalmi, a group of British birders told me they had fantastic views of 9 Brown Bears. KUUSAMO AREA: Visiting Kuusamo is essential if you want Red-flanked Bluetail, and one of the better areas for the rarer Crossbills, Siberian Tit, Rustic and Little Buntings and Eagle Owl. The main sites are: Valtavaara Layby and Feeding Station The most famous site at Kuusamo, named in various reports as “Konttainen parking lot” or “Virkkula road layby”. Head north on E63 from Ruka and take the road on the right towards Virkkula, the layby is on the left near the top of the ridge. The bird feedings station is reputed to attract a superb selection of birds including Siberian jay and Siberian tit, Three-toed woodpecker, Common rosefinch and Hazelhen. I saw none of the above in several hours’ wait! The crowd of birders gathering in the layby probably didn’t help in this respect. We did hear a calling Hazelhen to the north. The track to the south heads up a very steep, rocky slope, and it was along this ridge that I heard four Red-flanked Bluetails (two of them viewable). The track to the north has a wooden stairway which is far easier to climb; I saw a feeding female Red-flanked Bluetail from here, also there were at least two reported sightings of a pair of Pine

Grosbeaks from the top of the slope. The birches along the road are reputed to hold Greenish Warbler some years. Oulanka National Park I only visited the national park centre once, in the evening, and walked the trail to the north which was rather birdless; the riverside trail to the south is supposed to be better. I also spent a long morning doing the circular Pieni Karhunkierros trail, a walk of ‘only’ 12km which takes in a section of the 80km Karhunkierros trail. Some fantastic scenery but nothing more exciting than Waxwings during six hours in the forest. There were plenty of crossbill flocks in this area although I failed to find any Parrot or Two-barred Crossbill among them. The Juuman Leirintaalue campsite can be recommended for the birdlife present in the woods and lakes immediately round it; it also has Calypso Orchids growing not too far away. I spent a lot of time driving the gravel roads north from here in search of Hazelhen but only saw Black Grouse and Willow Grouse. Antinpera Bird Tower Not many birds on my visit, but looks potentially good. Head north from Kuusamo on route 5, then after about 8km take a right towards Rukajarvi. Look for the Matusuontie on the right, take this road and pass through the village of Matusuo, then turn left onto the track towards the bird tower. This track was closed when I got here so I had to park and walk the last 2km. There were bags of Black Grouse about and the usual Whooper Swans on the lake; also, a Muskrat put in an appearance below the bird tower. Iivaara To find this wooded nature reserve area, head south from Kuusamo on route 5, then take the road 866 left (east) and after 5km turn right (south) onto a minor road. Continue along this road for 15km until you arrive at a junction where 2 roads leave left, signed Iivaara with many wooden trail signs. Park here and follow the cycleway (right hand track) to the river bridge. The Rustic Bunting site is the birches on the other side of the footbridge. I only visited here once (and dipped), but the trail continues up into pine forest which is supposed to be good. However it’s such a long drive from Kuusamo that I wondered if there weren’t more accessible Rustic sites? Oivanki This is a small village west of Kuusamo that I visited solely on the basis of one report of Siberian Tits around here. The woods in the late morning seemed utterly dead, but I then stumbled upon 3 Siberian Jays inspecting a dried-out pond near the hotel. OULU AREA: Liminka Bay There are a number of scattered access points to the Liminka Bay area; most people head first for the visitor centre which is well signposted off route 813 near Virkkula west of Liminka. The centre itself was closed, apparently due to funding problems, so there’s some doubts over the future of this centre. It seems incredible that, in a country which

benefits so much from visiting birders, one of the few dedicated facilities might be allowed to perish like this! With the Finnature group I visited several other sites around the bay: Saarenpera was good, with a nice bay for waders with a backdrop of reeds and scrub for warblers, and also Selkamatala looked promising. But as so often on the trip, the fine weather was failing to down any migrants. Tauvo This headland is apparently a hotspot for land and water bird migrants about an hour’s drive southwest from Oulu. Dotted with holiday homes and crowned with two wind turbines, it’s not the most attractive of areas but the habitat looks good for a passing migrant or two. On a sunny afternoon, I saw one Red-backed Shrike and a possible flushed Capercaillie. SODANKYLA AREA: Sompiojarvi Lake This looks like a cracking site, the bird tower has a superb view across the marshy edges of the lake although it’s not possible to walk around the lake at all. I had White-tailed Eagle, Peregrine, Red-necked Phalarope, Waxwings, and Spotted Redshank here, but was too early for Arctic Warbler. It’s south facing so morning or evening visits might be best. A path leads northwards on the other side of the road, into the pine forest. To find the lake, go to the village of Vuotso about 60km N of Sodankyla on route 4 and turn right (east) on the Sompiojarventie, not to be confused with the Sompiontie nearby. I found the lake about 25km down here on the right, certainly worth a look if you can spare the diversion on your journey. Tankavaara Nature Reserve Tankavaara stands at the westernmost tip of the vast Urho Kekkonen national park which stretches all the way to Russia. It’s a gorgeous area of Lappish pinewood but, like most of the woods, hard work to find anything. A few Bluethroat and cranes were the only highlights. Tankavaara is well signposted off route 4 a few km north of Vuotso in Lapland. It is right next door to the Lapland gold panning village and when the gates to this are closed, the reserve can still be accessed by the other entrance just to the south. The visitor centre is open 9am-6pm. Three concentric nature trails run through the woods, the longest is 6km and visits a bird tower from which there is a fantastic view east over the wilderness. Peurasuvanto village About 50km north of Sodankyla on route 4, the tiny village of Peurasuvanto is a convenient stopover with some nice riverside birch woods. Little bunting is reported to breed most years south of the bridge; I bumped into a female Rustic Bunting 1km south of here. Ospreys regularly breed along the river. The café and chalet site is owned by Olavi, a local birdguide. Petkula Bog (Lake Ilmakkijarvi)

This place is reputedly fantastic after a Spring storm, but I failed to see a single bird on the marsh or from the tower, in two visits. I did however hear an Eagle Owl calling on my first visit. It is situated 35km north of Sodankyla right alongside route 4 and thus surely worth a quick stopover for any passing birder. Look for the layby on the right (east) and then take the track west towards the tower. Luosto Nature Trail / Rykima Gorge Trail I spent an hour on the Luosto Nature Trail without seeing much but then had 3 Siberian Jays and a Three-toed Woodpecker on the Rykima Gorge Trail.. To find Luosto’s nature trails, drive north along route 4 from Rovaniemi, about 20km before Sodankyla at the village of Torvinen, take the right turn signed Luosto. After 14km you arrive at the ski resort, drive up to the car park at the start of the ski lifts and walk. To find the Rykima Gorge trail, continue southeast from Luosto on route 962 towards Vuostimo for 8.5km. The car park you want is not the obvious layby on the right (with the notices with pictures of woodpeckers etc), it’s the inconspicuous turning shortly afterwards where you park among the trees. FINNMARK AREA: Varangerfjord The fjord deserved more time than I gave it; I only made a brief stopover at Vadso to get Steller’s Eider. I also visited Nesseby with its famous pools for Red-necked Phalaropes, and went to Varangerbotn. Varangerbotn now has two spanking new hides, although the whole area can be just as well viewed by parking a little further along the E75 and scanning down from the slope. To reach the hides, at the roundabout junction of the E6 and the E75, turn right (south) onto the E6 then immediately left into the museum car park. The path to the hides is at the back of the iron age village. This probably needs to be done on an incoming tide (checking tide times was another thing I’d neglected to find out before travelling!) Vardo / Hornoya Island Vardo harbour provided my first Brunnich’s Guillemot and also the only King Eider and Glaucous Gulls of the trip. Other birds reported in the harbour in the week before I arrived included Iceland Gull, 2 Ivory Gulls, Steller’s Eider and a summer-plumage Grey Phalarope. The Island of Hornoya was a seabird colony, actually very similar to those in the UK. It costs NKr200 (£16.88) for the short boat trip, and the first boat leaves at 9am from the harbour by the tourist information centre. Nice views of Red-throated Pipit and Twite on the island. Hamningberg The road to Hamningberg has produced numerous records of wandering Nearctic species. I spent an afternoon following the winding road through the blasted moonscape of rock, split occasionally by valleys with dwarf willow scrub and occasional beaches for waders. Although generally birds were a bit thin on the ground, the ‘background’ species consisted of Bluethroats, Arctic Redpolls, and Red-throated Pipits, so an interesting place.

The road to Batsfjord For me was the best site of the whole trip: Long-tailed and Arctic Skuas, Willow Grouse, Red-necked Phalaropes, Shorelarks and Lapland Buntings were getting ready for breeding season, whilst Long-tailed Ducks and many waders were passing through. Probably the rarest sighting was a Norway Lemming running across the snow, something I’d never expected to see. The area I visited was along route 890 from Tana Bru to Batsfjord, before it splits into the 890 towards Berlevag and the 891 to Batsfjord. The road ascends to a watershed near where some power lines cross, and shortly after there is a layby on the left with a yellow bin (the only parking area for miles around). I walked from here back up the road towards the power lines. The fact that I arrived during snowmelt probably accounted for the scale of bird activity. The town of Batsfjord was an interesting site with a scrubby river valley and gull flock around the port, though I didn’t add anything new here. Species List (plus reported sightings) Birds Gannet morus bassanus

2 sub-adults fishing off Hamningberg.

Cormorant phalacrocorax carbo

Common in Varangerfjord.

Shag phalacrocorax aristotelis

Many on Hornoya and nearby areas.

Whooper Swan cygnus cygnus

Regularly spotted on the larger lakes.

Shelduck tadorna tadorna

1 Nesseby, Varangerfjord

Mallard anas platyrhynchos

Common.

Pintail anas acuta

1 Hirvisuo Bog, 4 Virkkula, Liminka Bay.

Shovelor anas clypetea

1 Liminka Bay

Wigeon anas penelope

Commonly seen on lakes around Kuusamo, Oulu, and Sodankyla regions.

Teal anas crecca

Common.

Garganey anas querquedula

1 male, Virkkula, Liminka Bay.

Tufted Duck aythya fuligula

Common.

Eider somateria mollisima

Many flocks in the Varangerfjord area, c150 around Hornoya island.

King Eider somateria spectabilis

1 ♂ in the harbour at Vardo (reported regularly here in May 2007, but only present from mid-morning when I visited).

Steller’s Eider polysticta stelleri

1 ♂ at Vadso.

Common Scoter melanitta nigra

2 Varangerfjord; 1 Hornoya; 2 Hamningberg.

Long-tailed Duck clangula hyemalis 42 at Hamningberg; 4 Nesseby; 4 on pools along road to Batsfjord. Goldeneye bucephala clangula

Common on lakes at Kuusamo & other areas.

Goosander mergus merganser

Fairly common, flock of 27 migrating over Liminka Bay.

Red-breasted Merganser mergus serrator

Fairly common.

White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla

Total of 5 imms in Varangerfjord, all seen between Varangerbotn and Vestre Jakobselv; also 1 adult at Lake Sompiojarvi.

Osprey pandion haliaetus

1 ♀ on nest at Peurasuvanto the only one seen.

Rough-legged Buzzard buteo lagopus

2 hunting along Tana River valley; 1 on road to Hamningberg; 1 Varangerfjord.

Sparrowhawk accipiter nisus

1 along the road near Oulu.

Kestrel falco tinnunculus

2 cliff nesting birds along the Tana river valley; nesting in the middle of a herring gull colony, who ignored the kestrels but drove off any marauding ravens! Also 1 Pyha-Nattanen hill.

Hobby falco subbuteo

1 over the main road east of Oulu.

Peregrine Falcon falco peregrinus

1 ♀ over Lake Sompiojarvi, pursued by arctic terns.

Merlin falco columbarius

1 ♀ on the road to Batsfjord.

(gyrfalcon falco rusticolus)

Young birds were heard calling from the wellknown nest in the Tana valley. The adults can be away for up to six hours between feeds, so it can require some determination. Keep a good distance

away from the nest, the layby a few hundred metres along the road to the north is the place to watch from. Willow Grouse lagopus lagopus

1 on back roads north of Juuma; 1 on the road near Antinpera bird tower; 1 along the road to Batsfjord.

Black Grouse tetrao tetrix

Common roadside bird around Kuusamo early in the morning, and lekking sounds frequently heard.

(hazelhen bonasa bonasia) 1 heard calling at 6am north of Valtavaara layby; 1 heard calling at the start of Pieni Karhunkierros trail, Juuma at 5am. Many birders I spoke to at Kuusamo saw hazelhen by driving the backroads early in the morning, when the females take grit. My attempts at this just produced lots of Black Grouse. The trail south from Oulanka National Park visitor centre is reported to be good, and they are also present in the Oulu area but the breeding season here is much further advanced than in the hills, so they are more difficult. (Corncrake crex crex)

1 heard calling, 11.30pm near Kempele camping. On the extreme north edge of its range here.

Coot fulica atra

A few around Liminka Bay area.

Crane grus grus

1 in a field north of Oulu; 3 in Liminka Bay; a flock of 14 from the tower at Tankavaara woods; also heard calling on several occasions around Oulu.

Oystercatcher haematopus ostralegus Common around Liminka Bay and Varangerfjord. Ringed Plover charadrius hiaticula Common around Liminka Bay and Varangerfjord. Golden Plover pluvialis apricaria

Common in open tundra habitat, along the Batsfjord road and at Hamningberg.

Lapwing vanellus vanellus

Common.

Sanderling calidris alba

Several s/p birds along the Hamninberg road.

Purple Sandpiper calidris maritima 6 summer-plumage birds at Vardo. The unfamilar plumage threw me for a minute! Turnstone arenaria interpres

Common along rocky coasts in Norway.

Dunlin calidris alpina

Common around Varangerfjord.

Little Stint calidris minuta

Quite common around the Varangerfjord area.

Green Sandpiper tringa ochropus

Common in the marshy woodlands of Kuusamo.

Common Sandpiper actitus hypoleucos

Very common throughout.

Redshank tringa totanus

Common at Liminka Bay and Varangerfjord.

Spotted Redshank tringa erythroupus 1 s/p bird at Lake Sompiojarvi. Greenshank tringa nebularia

Common in marshy woodland habitat.

Black-tailed Godwit limosa limosa 2 at Liminka Bay, 2 at Nesseby. Bar-tailed Godwit limosa lapponica Lots in breeding plumage the Varangerfjord area. Curlew numenius arquata

Very common.

Whimbrel numenius phaeopus

2 birds flew over the Batsfjord road.

Woodcock scolopax rusticola

1 roding near Orivesi; 1 heard at Kempele.

Snipe gallinago gallinago

Several drumming in Kuusamo and Oulu areas.

Red-necked Phalarope phalaropus 12 on the pools at Nesseby; 8 on pools on the Lobatus Batsfjord road; 2 at Lake Sompiojarvi. Ruff philomachus pugnax

4 s/p ♂ dropped into the pools on by the layby on the Batsfjord road; 3 s/p ♂ at Nesseby.

Arctic Skua stercorarius parasiticus Single birds over Vardo; 1 over Hamningberg; 2 fighting with long-tailed skuas on the Batsfjord road Long-tailed Skua stercorarius longicaudus

Amazing views of many pairs nesting on the tundra along the Batsfjord road. Also at Vardo.

Black-headed Gull larus ridibundus Common both on the coast and inland. Common Gull larus canus

Quite common around coastal sites.

Herring Gull larus argentatus

Common around coastal sites, also at Vartius.

Lesser Black-backed Gull larus fuscus

Common around coastal sites, also Vartius.

Great Black-backed Gull larus

Common in the Varangerfjord area.

marinus Little Gull larus minutus

Singles passing overhead in the Kuusamo and Sodankyla areas; commoner around Liminka Bay.

Kittiwake rissa tridactyla

Huge colony on Hornoya Island.

Glaucous Gull larus hyperboreus

2 first-summer birds with gulls in Vardo harbour.

Common Tern sterna hirundo

Quite common in Liminka Bay, also Varangerfjord.

Arctic Tern sterna paradisaea

The commonest tern, frequent around Oulu and the Varangerfjord area.

Puffin fratercula arctica

Many nesting on Hornoya Island.

Black Guillemot cepphus grylle

Several nesting on Hornoya Island.

Guillemot uria aalge

Many nesting Hornoya Island, also Hamningberg.

Brunnich’s Guillemot uria lomvia 14 seen on Hornoya Island, also 1 regularly visiting the harbour at Vardo. Razorbill alca torda

Many nesting Hornoya Island, also Hamningberg.

Woodpigeon columba palumbus

Fairly common around Oulu, max flock of 8.

Cuckoo cuculus canorus

Common, heard everywhere.

(Eagle owl ) bubo bubo

1 heard calling distantly at Petkula Bog, 5.30am. Failed to see one that was holding territory near Siikajoki (not atall common around Oulu).

Great Grey Owl strix nebulosa

1 hunting by roadside, 60km north of Oulu, 3.30am.

Ural Owl strix uralensis

1 ♀ guarding nestbox near Siikajoki. Can also occur on the nature trail at the Wild Brown Bear Lodge.

Hawk Owl surnia ulula

1 ad and 2 young, north of Oulu, 4.45am, with the Finnature tour. Also 1 bird hunting around houses, close to yellow ‘Tana Bru 20km’ sign along route 890 to Batsfjord, 11am.

Tengmalm’s Owl aegolius funereus 1 juv. poking its head out of the nestbox, 6am, near Oulu. Attempts to tapelure the adult were unsuccessful.

Pygmy Owl glaucidium passerinum 1 ♀ brooding in nest box, north of Oulu. Earlier attempts to tapelure the male were unsuccessful. Swift apus apus

Quite common in all areas, including one at Varangerfjord well north of its normal range!

Black Woodpecker dryocopus martius

One on telegraph poles close to Vartti, southeast of Siikajoki.

Great Spotted Woodpecker dendrocopus major

Very common in all woodlands.

Three-toed Woodpecker picoides A pair at a staked-out nest hole near Siikajoki, tridactylus located by Jaako. Also 1 ♂ at the start of the Rykima Gorge Trail, Luosto, Sodankyla region. Skylark alauda arvensis

Several seen around Oulu.

Shorelark eremophila alpestris

At least 2 feeding on the roadside embankment, by the layby on the road to Batsfjord.

Sand Martin riparia riparia

Common; a large colony in road workings at Oulu.

House Martin delichon urbica

Occasionally seen around Oulu and Sodankyla.

Swallow hirundo rustica

Common in all areas.

Rock Pipit anthus petrosus

A few seen at Hornoya, Vardo and Hamningberg, 1 at Liminka Bay.

Meadow Pipit anthus pratensis

Fairly common around Oulu and in Norway.

Tree Pipit anthus trivialis

Several sightings around Oulu, fewer at Kuusamo and further north.

Red-throated Pipit anthus cervinus 5 on Hornoya Island, and common at Hamningberg, where it appears to replace meadow pipit. Pied Wagtail motacilla alba

Abundant throughout.

Yellow Wagtail motacilla flava

Very common, usually passing overhead.

Grey Wagtail motacilla cinerea

2 near visitor centre, Oulanka national park; 1 along the Pieni Karhunkierros trail; 2 singing by the car park at Luosto ski lifts.

Wren troglodytes troglodytes

Common.

Dipper cinclus cinclus

1 near Hamningberg – but flew away fast and high!

Waxwing bombycilla garrulus

At least 3, Pieni Karhunkierros trail; at least 2, Lake Sompiojarvi.

Dunnock prunella modularis

1 near Tampere; several near Oulu; 2 Tankavaara.

Robin erithacus rubecula

Several around Oulu; 2 singing in Kuusamo area.

Bluethroat luscinia svecica

1 between Tankavaara and Puerasuvanto; 2 more in Tankavaara. Fairly common in the scrubby valleys near Hamningberg; and elsewhere in Varangerfjord.

Red-flanked Bluetail tarsiger cyanarus

5 singing ♂ (2 seen) at Valtavaara and 1 ♀ seen. I didn’t visit any of the other sites for this species.

Redstart phoenicurus phoenicurus

Abundant in the pine forests.

Wheatear oenanthe oenanthe

Surprisingly, only 1 in the Kuusamo area; total of 6 migrants around Oulu; several more around Varangerfjord.

Whinchat saxicola rubetra

Total of 3 around Oulu; 2 in Norway; 1 singing at Puerasuvanto.

Song Thrush turdus philomelos

Several heard singing at Kuusamo and Oulu, but surprisingly shy and hard to see!

Redwing turdus iliacus

Abundant throughout.

Fieldfare turdus pilaris

Abundant throughout.

Blackbird turdus merula

2 in Oulu area.

Lesser Whitethroat sylvia curruca

1 singing from top of pine tree near Oulu.

Garden Warbler sylvia borin

Quite common in Oulu area, and Liminka Bay.

Whitethroat sylvia communis

A few in the Oulu area.

Sedge Warbler acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Several in Oulu area.

Chiffchaff phylloscopus collybita

3 heard in Oulu area.

Willow Warbler phylloscopus Trochilus

Abundant throughout.

Goldcrest regulus regulus

2 heard in Kuusamo area, commoner around Oulu.

Spotted Flycatcher muscicapa striata

Quite common, especially in the woods around Kuusamo.

Pied Flycatcher ficedula hypoleuca Abundant in wooded areas. Great Tit parus major

Quite common throughout.

Blue Tit parus caeruleus

1 Jooma; 1 Oivanki; total of 3 in Oulu area

Willow Tit parus montanus

Single sightings most days in the pinewoods of Kuusamo, Oulu and Sodanklya regions.

Treecreeper certhia familiaris

Total of 3 heard around Oulu; 1 seen at Tankavaara.

Great Grey Shrike lanius excubitor 1 seen at close to Vartti, southeast of Siikajoki. Red-backed Shrike lanius collurio

1 ♂ at Tauvo; 2 seen near Oulu.

Magpie pica pica

Very common.

Jay garrulus glandarius

1 near Orivesi, 1 near Oulu.

Siberian Jay perisoreus infastus Party of 3 at Oivanki, near Kuusamo; 1 along road to Iivaara from Kuusamo; 3 at the start of the Rykima Gorge Trail, Luosto. I drew a blank at the feeding station at the Valtavaara NR layby, often mentioned as a reliable site. The assistant at the Tankavaara reserve told me that you can walk all day in the woods without seeing these jays (as I’d already discovered), but if you stop and cook dinner, they magically appear. The Finns believe that the jays bring good luck and so feed them whenever they camp, and they’ve learned to home in on the campfires. So if you really want to see siberian jay, have a barbecue! Jackdaw corvus monedula

Fairly common.

Hooded Crow corvus corone cornix Common. Raven corvus corax

2 at Valtavaara; 2 at the Tana river; 3 Hamningberg.

Starling sternus vulgaris

Not at all common; small flocks in the Oulu area.

House Sparrow passer domesticus

Common around towns.

Chaffinch fringilla coelebs

Very common throughout.

Brambling fringilla montefringilla Common; commoner than chaffinch in the woods around Kuusamo. Twite carduelis flavirostris

2 on Hornoya Island.

Mealy Redpoll carduelis flammea

Many flocks near Kuusamo, occasional elsewhere.

Arctic Redpoll carduelis hornemanni 2 were positively identified at Hamningberg, and presumably most the redpolls buzzing overhead in Norway were this species. Goldfinch carduelis carduelis

A few near Tampere.

Greenfinch carduelis chloris

Quite common.

Bullfinch pyrrhula pyrrhula

Surprisingly common and easy to see around Oulu and Kuusamo.

Pine Grosbeak pinicola enucleator A good year for this species. 1 immature ♂ on the bird table at Neljan Toulen Tupa café, about 10km north of Kaamanen, Lapland. Also, a pair of grosbeaks were reliably reported on 2 separate occasions from the top of the ridge north of Valtavaara nature reserve, where they’re normally mythically rare. Common Crossbill loxia curvirostra Numerous and vocal around Kuusamo; Also a fews around Sodankyla, Tampere and Wild Bear Lodge. Siskin carduelis spinus

Quite common around Kuusamo, Oulu, Sodankyla.

Common Rosefinch carpodacus Erythrinus

1 gorgeous singing ♂ near Oulu, also 1 ♀ in bushes near Liminka Bay visitor centre.

Reed Bunting emberiza schoeniclus Fairly common around Oulu, occasional elsewhere including 1 singing near Hamningberg. Snow Bunting plectrophenax nivalis 1 summer plumage ♂ on the quay at Hamningberg. Lapland Longspur calcarius lapponicus

Several stunning s/p males singing near the layby along the Batsfjord road.

Rustic Bunting emberiza rustica

1 ♀ in woods about 1km south of the village of Peurasuvanto in Lapland. I also tried and failed to see the singing male at a well-known stake out at the start of the Iivaara trail, Kuusamo.

Ortolan Bunting emberiza hortulana Total of 3 singing males seen in the Oulu area. Yellowhammer emberiza citrinella Common in farmland habitat; Oulu and Kuusamo. Total species seen = 147 (+ 4 heard) Other birds reported during my stay: Diver sp. – I was surprised not to pick up any divers on the lakes or even at Varangerfjord or Hamningberg, where they are supposed to be easy. Bean Goose – Very surprised not to see these on any of the lakes. Smew, Scaup, Velvet Scoter – supposed to be common around Finland & Norway. American Wigeon – 1 reported at Varangerbotn shortly before I arrived. Capercaillie – a few reported sightings from other birders during my stay; all I managed was a probable female in the woods at Tauvo. Knot, Temminck’s Stint – supposed to be easy at Varangerfjord Terek Sandpiper – 1 reliably reported to be frequenting the beach in front of Nallikari campsite at Oulu, early June. Wood Sandpiper – Surely I should have seen loads of these? I only saw Green Sandpipers and Greenshank in what looked like perfect Wood Sand habitat. Grey Phalarope – report of 1 in full s/p in Vardo harbour for one day, first week in June. Pectoral Sandpiper – 1 reported from Vadso, last week in May. Iceland Gull – 1 reported from Vardo harbour, last week in May. Ivory Gull – 2 reported from Vardo harbour, last week in May. Little Auk – report of 2 seen off Vardo, last week in May. Snowy Owl – 1 reliably reported by birders along the Batsfjord road late in May. Lesser-spotted Woodpecker – failed to see one at Jaako’s site near Oulu.

Mistle Thrush and Ring Ousel – my failure to see either of these species can only be put down to the abundance of fieldfares flying around, in all habitats! Arctic Warbler – probably not arrived during my stay. Crested Tit & Coal Tit – Very surprised not to see either of these with the amount of time I spent in various pine forests! Siberian Tit – This species is very difficult to get in Finland in late May / early June, when they are on eggs. Olavi told me that during the winter, Siberian Tits visit his bird feeders at Peurasuvanto every day, however during the whole of May he saw them only 3 times. Your only option is to hand over your hard-earned cash for a guided trip, and even this will only get you the briefest of views as the birds change over. The species is in decline, which discourages local birders from giving away the nest sites. They become much easier again after post-breeding dispersal. Little Bunting – Nobody I met seemed to be having much luck with this species. Like Rustic Bunting, it shows a preference for wet habitat. I was given a breeding site at Kuusamo which I didn’t get time to check out, directions as follows: about 18km southwest of Kuusamo on route 20 towards Oulu, drive through the town of Kuolio and then the road passes between two lakes. Park in a layby on the left (east) and take a track west into the bunting area. I was also told they breed regularly south of the bridge at Peurasuvanto, and the ‘Birds in Sodankyla’ booklet mentions Petkula Bog as a likely place to hear them singing, but I dipped at both these sites. Two-barred and Parrot Crossbills – Not many people were having luck with these. I heard of one site which I didn’t get time to check out: heading north on route 4 from Puerasuvanto, after 73km you reach the village of Kakslauttenen, and not long afterwards a left turn (west) towards the remote village of Kuttura Guhtur. Travel along this road about 24km and two-barred crossbills are supposed to be in this area. Mammals Mountain Hare lepus timidus – very common in the mornings/evenings around Kuusamo and Oulu, including 2 regularly in the campsite at Kempele! Red Squirrel sciurus vulgaris – fairly common in the pinewoods, good views on the birdfeeders at Neljan Toulen Tupa café. Norway Lemming lemmus lemmus – 1 near the layby on the Batsfjord road; also a dead one being eaten by two long-tailed skuas, same location. Normally these are only seen easily during a ‘lemming year’. Field Vole microtus agrestis – 1 seen well along Tana river (the location rules out most other species of vole).

Muskrat ondatra zibethicus (introduced North American species) – 1 seen well from Antinpera bird tower, for 20 minutes. Red Fox vulpes vulpes – 1 seen during the day at Hamningberg, the one place where I’d hoped to see arctic fox! Stoat mustela ermina – 1 lucky individual survived passing between the wheels of my car near Tuopio. Wolverine gulo gulo – One very hungry individual at the Wild Brown Bear lodge, Vartius, near Kuhmo. Given the title of (honorary) bird of the trip! Elk alces alces – Only one sighting: a mother with her calf, in woods by the roadside near Siikajoki, spotted from our birdtour minibus early on the 2nd June. The animal seemed perplexed by the elk-proof fence blocking its path! (reindeer rangifer tarandus) – Domestic herded reindeer were loose all over the place. I did not try for the genuine ‘wild forest reindeer’. Butterflies Green Hairstreak – Very abundant in all the pinewoods. Large Wall Brown – 1 at a layby between Jyvaskyla and Tampere. Camberwell Beauty – Several reported around the boardwalk at Liminka Bay. Plants Calypso Orchid – around 20 seen in woods near to Juuma.

Approximate Budget € euros Ryanair return flight Stansted – Tampere

£ sterling 91.81

Airport Parking, Stansted

113.00

Car Hire from Tampere, Europcar

455.00

Fuel

417.57

281.44

8 nights camping

75.21

50.69

2 nights in chalet

80.00

53.92

1 night Wild Brown Bear Lodge

160.00

107.84

2 nights Finnature tour, Oulu

320.00

215.68

Boat trip to Hornoya Cost of Maps TOTAL:

© Copyright P.M.Callagher, 2007

(200 NKr)

16.88 30.87 1,417.13