Portland Bird Observatory

25th May	After an uneventful journey from the UK, via Helsinki, there was enough time during the evening for a little exploration in the vicinity of the Airport Hotel, Oulu - where breeding species included Woodcock, Redwing (click here to listen to a recording of one in song), Pied Flycatcher and Common Rosefinch - and the adjacent shoreline
The view from the Airport Hotel just before 11 o'clock at night; a little later the sun did set for a while but it didn't get truly dark at all. Later in the trip, in northern Norway, it barely even got gloomy during the 'night-time' hours.
26th May	A full day exploring the Oulu area. The focus through the morning was the Siilkajoki area south of Oulu where a pair of Great Grey Owls at their nest stole the show. A visit to a Ural Owl nest box provided us with views of the male lurking amongst the foliage of a nearby tree but the female remained out of view in her out-sized box. The back-up list in this area included Wryneck and Ortolan Bunting. After lunch the forests east of Oulu came up trumps with Tengmalm’s Owl and Pygmy Owl at their respective nest-boxes, 2 Hazel Grouse and a variety of other woodland birds that included Crested Tit, Willow Tit, Waxwing and Parrot Crossbill, whilst the day’s tally was further racked up with a good selection of wildfowl and waders at Liminka Bay and an Eagle Owl late in the evening in the less than salubrious surroundings of Oulu rubbish-tip.
The Great Grey Owl nest... ...and a food delivery: Inhabitants of this nearby forest clearing included the likes of Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike and Ortolan Bunting: The Ural Owl nest box: The Tengmalm's Owl nest box and inhabitant:
27th May	On a day of what turned out to be mixed weather we woke to find it damping although still pleasantly mild. Three-toed Woodpecker had been an irritating bogey yesterday so was the morning’s priority. The first stop in the forests south of Oulo saw our quarry elevated still further up the wants list but a clearing in the forest did provide us with plenty of distractions: a wonderful Great Grey Owl ghosted across and perched in full view, two Black Woodpeckers performed a timely fly-past and Great Grey and Red-backed Shrikes were added to the tally, whilst the adjacent birch plantation held some splendid singing Wood Warblers. Our wait for the woodpecker wasn’t to be too long as Tony’s tape drew an instant response at our next stop and we were afforded great views of a female consorting with a Great Spotted Woodpecker. The rest of the day was spent visiting a succession of spots on the shore of the Gulf of Bothnia. Terek Sandpiper was our principal target but along the way we scored with, amongst others, two White-tailed Eagles and a Caspian Tern. After initially proving troublesome, a Terek Sandpiper eventually showed remarkably well – calling and display-flighting for several minutes right in front of us – at the species’ last breeding site in the area close to Oulu docks.
We hadn't appreciated quite how heavy-billed the 'Northern' Great Spotted Woodpeckers were until we had a closer look at this photo: The Three-toed Woodpecker: Migrants, including these high-flying Whooper Swans, were still on the move: Displaying Terek Sandpiper: Oulu itself wasn't particularly picturesque:
28th May	On what was to be a travelling morning we weren’t too inconvenienced by finding that a stiff breeze had sprung up overnight. Unfortunately both cloud cover and wind strength increased the further east we travelled towards Kuusamo - although that wasn’t enough to prevent us adding a pair of Taiga Bean Geese to the list at a strategic stop en route - and by early afternoon we reached our destination accompanied by sporadic showers. The afternoon’s exploration of points east of the town was enlivened by the sight of trees uprooted literally in front of our eyes by the now gale force wind, although we did score with a pair of Siberian Tits visiting a feeding station in the shelter of the forest before the onset of heavier rain curtailed birding for the day.
Despite the amazingly ferocious gale felling trees in our path... ...the feeding station in the relative shelter of the depths of the forest provided good looks at Siberian Tits... ...and Northern Willow Tits:
29th May	An early start in much better weather saw us head east from Kuusamo for a grouse-drive: a splendid lek of Black Grouse was followed by a female Capercaillie and, before long, 2 Willow Grouse. Rustic Bunting quickly became the new Three-toed Woodpecker by frustrating us at every opportunity but there was fine compensation when a Red-flanked Bluetail showed atop a distant pine in the hills not far from the Russian border in Oulanka NP. Visits to a number of wetlands - many hosting breeding colonies of Little Gulls and displaying Red-necked Grebes - punctuated our further quest (…unsuccessful!) for Rustic and Little Bunting that continued through the morning before we adjourned for a late lunch at a rustic restaurant deep in the forest where 2 Siberian Jays visited another strategically placed feeding station. As the day wore on the weather took a turn for the worse again and birding became more difficult, with the first of what were to be many Red-necked Phalaropes proving to be the pick of the evening birding.
The Black Grouse were quite a way off across the fields... ...but there were much closer views of Capercaillie... ...and Willow Grouse: The lakes in the area were full of displaying Little Gulls (click here to listen to a recording of them and here for a recording of Little Gulls and displaying Red-necked Grebes): Travelling 'off-road' was very easy on the network of well-maintained forest tracks and byways: We weren't entirely sure how the folk in this restaurant in the middle of absolutely nowhere make a living... ...but they did have compensation in the form of Siberian Jays visiting their bird feeders:
30th May	Having already seen most of the specialities of the Kuusamo area we had ample time to indulge in a prolonged quest for better views of Red-flanked Bluetail. This necessitated a steep hike through the forest but although at least three males were in fine voice (click here to listen to a recording of one of the males singing) at close range it proved to be remarkably difficult to get anything other than fleeting views of them. In increasingly pleasant warm and sunny conditions the rest of the day was spent roaming Oulanka NP; the raptor tally included White-tailed Eagle, Rough-legged Buzzard, Honey Buzzard, Goshawk and Black Kite (the latter a minor rarity for Finland), whilst we also added Black-bellied Dipper and Velvet Scoter to the trip list before the final port of call at Kuusamo rubbish tip provided us with a Siberian Gull and plenty of fuscus Lesser Black-backs (and click here to listen to the less than spectacular song of Brambling recorded during the day).
Bluetail country: Goshawk silhouette: Grey-headed Wagtail: Whooper Swans: fuscus Lesser Black-backs:
31st May	A last pre-breakfast attempt for Rustic Bunting close to the hotel finally came up trumps when a fine male showed within seconds - if only they‘d been this easy yesterday! Today’s long drive north from Kuusamo to Ivalo was made even longer by the necessity to take a detour westward to pick up Malcolm who was joining the group for the Norwegian leg of the tour. This duly done we did manage to break the 500km drive with stops for, amongst others, Broad-billed Sandpipers in full display flight over a roadside bog and a pair of delightful Dotterel atop the windswept hills shortly before reaching our destination.
Rustic Bunting: Typical roadside views on the journey north: The Arctic Circle: And you thought he lived at the North Pole: Displaying Broad-billed Sandpipers: The road northward...typically virtually deserted... ...and a potential hazard for road users: Pied Flycatcher: Red Squirrel: Golden Plover: Dotterel:
1st June	Having drawn a blank at a few potential spots for Little Bunting in the last few days we started the day in some boggy woodland outside Ivalo where at least three males were holding territory and showing intermittently (click here to listen to a recording of one of the males singing). With the Norwegian coast our eventual destination today was to prove a day of contrasts, both in landscape and climate. The first leg of the journey saw the forests we had grown accustomed to in the last week gradually thin out as birches began to replace the conifers. Our last two stops in Finland both provided encounters with a much-wanted species: Pine Grosbeaks were still visiting feeders at a roadside cafe and at Pappila where we stopped for lunch; both sites also attracted a constant processions of Bramblings and redpolls, the latter including the first few Arctics amongst a wealth of Mealys. By the time we crossed the border into Norway residual snow patches had become conspicuous on the surrounding hills and when we stopped for the first time a little later beside the Tana River it was immediately apparent that the temperature had fallen markedly. A Gyr Falcon eventually showed high over the river-side cliffs, whilst the river delta came up trumps with memorably prolonged and close views of a Long-tailed Skua. Before long we reached the shore of the fabled Varangerfjord where White-tailed Eagles verged on the commonplace, sea-duck were numerous offshore and a flock of Tundra Bean Geese provided additional interest. The final leg of the journey through increasingly barren tundra on the coast road to Vardo was undertaken in sporadic sleet showers which continued once we reached our destination and restricted birding to the formality of ticking off the Brünnich’s Guillemots that were bobbing around in Vardo harbour right outside our Hotel windows!
The feeders were being visited by plenty of Bramblings... ...a couple of Bullfinches... ...several Pine Grosbeaks... ,,,and a bewildering array of redpolls: Gyr Falcon high above the cliffs: Long-tailed Skua: Vardo looking momentarily picturesque in the evening sun
2nd June	A pre-breakfast seawatch from the headland outside Vardo revealed the wealth of birds feeding offshore and nearby a singing male Bluethroat put on a fine display. The day was otherwise largely taken up with covering the coast between Vardo and Hamningberg. White-billed Diver was the principal target and, although they required perseverance, three were found through the course of the day. Arguably even more impressive were the huge rafts of sea-duck encountered en route, whilst further entertainment was provided by the wealth of other typical tundra inhabitants that included Red-necked Phalaropes, Arctic Skuas (that were common enough to qualify as vermin), more Bluethroats and several dapper summer-plumaged Snow and Lapland Buntings.
Hamningberg: Typical Arctic coast settlements: Bluethroat (click here to listen to an edited recording featuring four different males singing): Displaying Eiders: White-tailed Eagle: Snow Bunting: Heading down across the tundra towards Vardo island: Scandinavian Herring Gull: Red-necked Phalarope: Brünnich's Guillemot in Vardo harbour
3rd June	An exciting morning saw us take the short boat trip to Hornoya island where the seabird colony was truly impressive: not only were the birds abundant but the spectacle was made all the better by the fantastic close views – both settled and in flight – that landing on the island permitted. Brünnich’s and Black Guillemots were plentiful amongst the masses of Guillemots, Razorbills, Puffins and Kittiwakes on the cliffs, whilst Steller’s and King Eider were found amongst an Eider flock in a sheltered bay on the east side of the island. The afternoon was spent working slowly along the coast from Vardo to Vadso: scrutiny of the wealth of sea-duck revealed a few more Steller’s Eiders, whilst the shoreline and adjacent tundra held Tundra Bean Geese, White-tailed Eagles, Red-throated Pipits, Lapland Buntings and a good variety of waders and gulls amongst other typical inhabitants of this barren landscape.
Boat trip to Hornoya island: Hornoya was absolutely stuffed with birds: Puffins: Shag: Northern 'bridled' Guillemot: Razorbill: Another Puffin: Black Guillemot: After failing dismally at photographing Brünnich's in flight we had a look at how they'd appear amongst distant flocks of auks on the water. They were a tiny bit less black above than Razorbill and easiest to pick out amongst Northern Guillemots by the whiter flanks (the Northern Guillemots were darker above and had much streakier flanks than the Southern birds we're used to seeing at home): Steller's Eiders: A sight you don't see very often in the UK - a finnstick in use: Typical tundra view: Lapland Bunting: Another White-tailed Eagle: More sights you don't see at home - breeding Common Gull lounging around on a rooftop... ...and Fieldfare breeding under the eaves: Arctic coast redpoll: Red-throated Pipit:
4th June	After a successful few days in Norway it was time to head south again as we reached the beginning of the end of the tour. A few unsuccessful stops for Shore Lark did turn up a couple of Willow Grouse, whilst our lunch venue just over the Finnish border at Pappila again came up with Pine Grosbeaks amongst the mass of redpolls and Bramblings. A comprehensive flog across the moorland high up on the nearby fjells produced a pair of Dotterel but no sign of any Ptarmigan and on the journey back to Ivalo it wasn’t altogether surprising that we failed to fluke across a Hawk Owl at any of the stops made in likely looking habitat.
A little while wandering around Vardo harbour before we left provided opportunities to have a closer look at the wing patterns of Scandinavian Herring Gulls: ...and to have a closer look at Arctic Terns: Snow shower at Vardo - we'd just received a message to say there was a 29º heatwave at home: A look for Twites and the like produced another image for the redpoll gallery: A last look across the tundra: Nesseby Church, a famous landmark beside Varangerfjord. The view across Varangerfjord from behind Nesseby Church; just two days later, from this very same spot, visiting British birders spotted a vagrant Soft-plumaged Petrel - a totally amazing record and, in the circumstances, utterly gripping!: The feeding station just back over the Finnish border: A few more minutes with the redpolls gave us more time to concentrate on the Arctics: ...amongst the dozens of Mealys: Yomping around for miles after non-existent Ptarmigan did produce a nice pair of Dotterel:
5th June	Another long day traveling all the way back to Oulu saw us make yet more stops in the forlorn hope that a Hawk Owl might pop up out of nowhere but it was not to be. Towards the end of the day there was enough time to have a scout around Oulu: a nice selection of wetland birds were logged, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming, the rubbish tip Eagle Owls didn’t perform and we ended the evening in slightly surreal circumstances wandering around the plusher suburbs of Oulu listening to the song of a distant Thrush Nightingale that proved impossible to get close to.
More roadside scenery: Crane: Whooper Swan: Oulu at sunset:
6th June	With the return flight to London via Helsinki not due to leave until mid-afternoon there was plenty of time to have a look at some of the wetlands south of Oulu. Bird-wise there were few surprises but it was enjoyable to be able to have a more in-depth look at these sites than had possible earlier in the trip. The group total was 197 species, which is just short of the Birdfinders record of 199 for this tour. The weather this year was sometimes disappointingly dreary and cool and, although we endured a few sleet and snow showers in Norway, we were fortunate in avoiding any rain that really inconvenienced the birding, whilst biting insects - that can be nuisance at this time of year - were all but non-existent. All in all the tour was very successful: thanks to Toni’s perseverance and local knowledge we were treated to memorable encounters with virtually all of the regional specialities; only Hawk Owl eluded us after a widespread crash in vole numbers had seen this species abandon its breeding sites earlier in the spring.
Liminka Bay (where Yellow-breasted Buntings bred until a few years ago): Caspian Tern: White Wagtails: