Finland in May (1 Viewer)

[lostinjapan]

Hi there

Myself, Dan-the-man and Steve Babbs are looking to go to Finland in late May, between 23-28 May and are looking for one other member, preferably a driver.

We are ostensibly looking for owls and will hire a guide for a day to try and see Hawk Owl, Great Grey Owl, Pygmy Owl, Ural Owl and Tengmalm's Owl.

We will spend the rest of the time looking for other specialities- Siberian Jay, Siberian Tit, Hazelhen, Three-toed Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Blyth's Reed Warbler and Red-flanked Bluetail among others.

Please PM if interested.

Cheers

Sean

 

[Steve Babbs]

Hi there

Myself, Dan-the-man and Steve Babbs are looking to go to Finland in late May, between 23-28 May and are looking for one other member, preferably a driver.

We are ostensibly looking for owls and will hire a guide for a day to try and see Hawk Owl, Great Grey Owl, Pygmy Owl, Ural Owl and Tengmalm's Owl.

We will spend the rest of the time looking for other specialities- Siberian Jay, Siberian Tit, Hazelhen, Three-toed Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Blyth's Reed Warbler and Red-flanked Bluetail among others.

Please PM if interested.

Cheers

Sean

Sean you've got my dates wrong! Hope you can make them or we may be looking for two teams!

 

[peedee]

Hiya Steve,

I did Finland / Norway in 2009 and saw all the birds on yr list bar hawk owl (bad year for them) and w b woodpecker. We hired a guide twice, once in oulu for g g, ural and pygmy owl, 3 toed pecker, blyth's reed, and again in kussimo for tengs , bluetail, hazel and willow grouse, sibe tit, black pecker, etc. The tengs was reported to be one of only 2 known nesting pairs during 2009. I had 9 new birds, 7 of them were shown to me by finnature, my team of 7 did not see any of these species at all again during a 13 day trip. Using guides is essential.

see J dempseys account below. Best regards, Paul Derbyshire


http://birdblog.merseyblogs.co.uk/archives/2009/06/ill_sleep_when.html

 

[Steve Babbs]

Long time no see Paul.

Although I'm generally not keen on hiring guides, I do realise sometimes they are essential and this is one of those times.

It looks like I won't be going with LostinJapan and Dan-the-Man due to the fact that our holiday times don't really overlap enough - they have had some response so I guess they'll still be going, I've tired contacting Sean but I think he may have just gone away - but I would be interested in teaming up with others. I'm available from 28 May to 5 June my priority is seeing the owls, in Oulu but apart from that I'm flexible about length of trip and what we do. Heading up to Kuusamo would be an obvious choice and/or staying in a hide for wolverine/bear. PM me if interested. Sean and Dan should still have a place, as I won't be going with them, if that week is better.

Cheers

 

[Steve Babbs]

Anyone?

 

[orniodesigns]

This hide is best for wolverine and there is bears too

http://www.eraeero.com/wb/pages/english/erae-eero.php

Midnight picture from there last summer:

 

[Steve Babbs]

crash

That's the sound of me falling off my chair in envy!

What's the best months for wolverine and bear?

 

[Jos Stratford]

crash

That's the sound of me falling off my chair in envy!

What's the best months for wolverine and bear?

Bears anytime from late spring to autumn - pay your bucks, can't miss them. Wolverines no particular time I believe, but a far greater degree of luck required. Saw mine in the depths of winter.

 

[PJN]

Finland is one the of the best places in Scandinavia for seeing predators. I´ve been there a couple of times.
Best time of year is during summer June and July, where there is light evenings and early mornings.

This videos was shoot first week of July 2008, some of the recordings is done 3-4 am in the morning.
http://video-film.no/snutter/uwol4.html
http://video-film.no/snutter/bjorneland.html
http://video-film.no/snutter/ulv-i-bjorneland.html

This place is at the eastern part of Finland, near the Russian border.

 

[orniodesigns]

If the site has lots of bears you will not see wolverine.
This place I told has atleast 4 families of wolverines, one living 300m from the photographing site. Wolverines are best when they bring their cubs in July.

Some of the places have also visiting White-tailled Eagles or Black Kites.

 

[Lee Evans]

Ornio

Many of my regular guides in Finland are either working full time now or are utilising their time doing other things, so do you by any chance have details of any guides currently willing or able to show Tengmalm's, Hawk, Ural or Great Grey Owl this year? Ural continues to be the really difficult one to find so any contacts you have in the south (Tampere region) would be most helpful.

I saw Wolverine at a site very close to the displaying Swinhoe's Snipe of a few years back - but once it saw us, it was off like a flash.

Furthermore, I've not heard much about Pine Grosbeak flocks in southern Finland this winter - have there been many?

 

[Farnboro John]

crash

That's the sound of me falling off my chair in envy!

What's the best months for wolverine and bear?

The guys we went with reckoned at their site Wolverine was sometimes more regular than bear in mid-summer. I had my doubts but as we got fine views of both, I was clearly mistaken!

John

 

[Farnboro John]

BTW we tried quite hard to get hold of Era-Eero as a result of Jon Hall's result with them, but failed despite e-mails in both English and Finnish.

I'd be interested to know how others have got on.

John

 

[orniodesigns]

This time of year it is impossible to know where the owls will breed after 3 monts. Most likely we will have Ural owl and Tengmalm's Owl in our nest boxses in Eastern Finland. Usually there is also Great Grey Owls breeding some part of the region. Situation near Tampere is not so familiar to me.

Right now is good time for Hawk Owls and Pygmy Owls. There is nearly 20 wintering Hawk Owls in Southern part of Finland. Pine Grosbeaks are not very numerous but there is flocks in Eastern part of Finland in spruce forests.

 

[Steve Babbs]

I presuming it maybe getting late to sort out a guide. Anyone who fancies next year send me a PM.

 

[MarkHows]

I presuming it maybe getting late to sort out a guide. Anyone who fancies next year send me a PM.

Steve,

I have just been booking guides, hide and trips etc. does not seem to be any problems getting them. Let me know if you want a good guide.

Also if you have any gen you can share particularly mammal / I can offer anything I know.

Gosney has just brough out two guides to Finland which are going to be usefull, worth getting those



Mark

 

[Lee Evans]

Mark

I would be keen on contacting the guides you have; all of the guys I have contacted don't seem to be doing it anymore (Have got jobs, young families, etc)

Best wishes

Lee ([email protected])

 

[lostinjapan]

I am in the process of finalising guides & dates. Unfortunately we have planned for 25-30 May, which is too early for you right Steve?

At present we have 3 people interested including myself as 1 person dropped out this week. I suspect another may also drop out as total costs for the trip look to be around £500 for 5 days from 25-30 May. If he does drop out we may extend by 2 days from the 23rd, which would be around £600 for 7 days. with a possibility of going on the 23rd.

If anyone else is interested please PM me as we could do with 1-2 more people to help reduce costs.

Many thanks once again

Sean Minns




Thanks to all who have contributed here with information or PM'd me privately.

 

[Steve Babbs]

Steve,

I have just been booking guides, hide and trips etc. does not seem to be any problems getting them. Let me know if you want a good guide.

Also if you have any gen you can share particularly mammal / I can offer anything I know.

Gosney has just brough out two guides to Finland which are going to be usefull, worth getting those



Mark

Mark

I haven't really got any gen as I have completely failed to get any response to my appeal for someone to go with, so I'm presuming it'll have to wait for another year. But I'd be very interested in yours, especially any mammal gen.

Cheers

 

[MarkHows]

Steve,

a trip report will be posted indue course.

Mark