Finland – A Scandinavian Odyssey
1 – 8 June 2010
- Price per person: £1460
- Deposit per person: £400
- Suggested Flights: The low cost airline Ryanair run daily flights to Tampere from London Stansted
Finland has long been recognised amongst birders as a must visit northern European destination. All too many tours to the country are off-puttingly expensive so this tour seeks to remedy that whilst still providing the very best that the country has to offer.
The mysterious and romantic northern pine woodlands are an inspiring if rather daunting place to bird. Without help from local guides it would be possible to spend the proverbial ‘month of Sundays’ looking for owls and woodpeckers and yet still fail.
With our extremely able Finnish guides from Ornio our tour will take in virtually all of the Finnish specialities. The woodlands we visit hold 9 breeding species of owls (including Pygmy, Tengmalm’s, Ural, Great Grey, Hawk and Eagle), 7 species of woodpeckers (including Three-toed, Grey-headed, White-backed and Black), lots of waders, grouse (including Capercallie, Hazel Grouse, Black Grouse and Willow Grouse) and both White-tailed and Golden Eagles.
Much sought after passerines include species such as Red-flanked Bluetail, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Booted Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Siberian Tit, Siberian Jay, Nutcracker, Waxwing, Parrot Crossbill, Two-barred Crossbill and both Little and Rustic Buntings. We will search for as many of these species as we can and also allow time to visit any interesting rarities on the way.
The highlight of the tour for many will be the unforgettable night we will spend in a remote hide looking for that predator of the northern forests Brown Bear.
Being in the company of native Finns will give us a unique insight into the Scandinavian way of life and way of birding. Both are refreshingly different from what most of us are familiar with.
Day 1
Flights arrive in Tampere in the late in the evening so we will make the 2 hour drive to our accommodation without delay.
Night at guest house near Jyväskylä
Day 2
Today we’ll head north to the famous area of Kuusamo, home to many of our sought after target birds. We will make birding stops along the way to break the journey up and arrive in Kuusamo in the evening.
Night at Kuusamo
Day 3
We will spend whole morning at Iivaara Hill. This 470 metre hill is covered with old growth forest and this is very attractive to breeding birds. The whole area is good breeding area for a variety of eastern passerines and grouse.
During the evening we will explore Oulanka National Park and its surrounding forests. The Oulanka National Park represents the very best of natural habitats in the northern boreal forest zone and is an inspiring place to bird. Steep sided ravines and river valleys which traverse the park ensure that the landscape is unforgettable.
Night and evening meal at Kuusamo
Day 4
This morning we will bird the nearby Kuusamo Valtavaara hill. This place is justifiably famous for its Red-flanked Bluetails which we will make every attempt to see and hear well. After breakfast we will drive down to the Martinselkonen bear hide where we will have a lunch. We will spend the night in this comfortable hide where it is possible to see more than 20 individual Brown Bears with the closest ones being as close as 10 metres. Bring your camera! White-tailed Eagles, Black Kites and different gull species can also visit what has become known as ‘the bear restaurant’.
Night in the Martinselkonen bear hide
Day 5
After a truly unforgettable night in bear hide we will drive south and down to the area of North Karelia. We will make birding stops on the way.
Night and evening meal at Kitsi holiday huts
Day 6
Patvinsuo National Park is main our destination in North Karelia. This huge bog area is an internationally important as a mire conservation and research area, with old-growth forests and waterways with sandy shores. Whooper Swans, Common Cranes, Taiga Bean Geese, many other waterfowl, grouse and birds of prey inhabit the park. Later in the day we will drive down to Parikkala. Birding on the way.
Night at Parikkala
Day 7
We will spend the whole of today birding in Parikkala region. This gives us a great opportunity to mop up on any species that we might have missed during the tour so far. Our early morning will be dedicated to this.
One of our destinations is lake at Siikalahti. The lake is home to an exceptionally large number of nesting birds nesting as well as providing a migration stop-over for plenty of others. This ensures that the area’s reputation as Finland’s most valuable inland bird wetland.
Night at Parikkala
Day 8
This morning we will make the very early start as are targets are what are known to Finns as ‘night singers’. To us these are species such Blyth’s Reed Warbler, River Warbler, Bittern, Corncrake and Nightjar. After a couple of hours rest (or sleep for those who need it!) and lunch we will make the drive back to Tampere for late evening flights back to London.
One of our destinations is lake at Siikalahti. The lake is home to an exceptionally large number of nesting birds nesting as well as providing a migration stop-over for plenty of others. This ensures that the area’s reputation as Finland’s most valuable inland bird wetland.
Night at Parikkala
Due to the necessity to be as close to the birds as possible the accommodation we use will often be remote and with some shared facilities. Single rooms are available for a supplement of £150
The price includes all transport to and from Tampere, guiding, accommodation, breakfasts, those meals that are mentioned in itinerary, the night in the bear hide and the use mosquito hats.
This tour is run in partnership with our friends at Ornio, experts in Eastern Finnish birding.
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