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Which airport for northern Finnland ? (1 Viewer)

albatross02

Well-known member
Hello,

which is the best start point for northern Finnland ?
I want start somewhere in the north and continue to Varanger Fjord in Norway. The plan is 10 - 14 day tour in June.
I suppose July is not so good for bird watching than June ?

Thank You very much.


Best regards
Dieter
 
Lappland

Hello Andrew,

thank You for Your advice.
I found different flights to Oulu and Rovamiemi.
Some flights are also to Ivalo.
There even flights ( with one night stopover ) to Kirkenes in Norway.

I have no idea which are the best choice of airport in Finnland from the point of view of birding.


Best regards
Dieter
 
It depends a lot on what kind of trip you want and what kind of birds you want to see. For example, there are some really good wetland sites near Oulu, but most of the bird species occur in Germany, too. Kuusamo, which is located about 200 km from Oulu (or Rovaniemi), is a place that foreign birders often visit (most notably because Red-flanked Bluetail is easiest to find there). If you want to concentrate on the extreme arctic birds of Norway, flying to Ivalo or directly to Norway might be the best choice.
 
Hello,

thank You for the informations.
Some birds are possible to find in Germany like Capercaillie, but it is really hard to find.
Also waders like Sanderling are very rare.
Woodpeckers are also very rare especially Grey, Three-toethed and White-backed.
Owls, I saw one Tawny Owl in the last 5 years.
Of course the seabirds in Varanger Fjord should be very spectacular.
But I will see the different birdlife and the weather in north of Finnland is much better than on Barantsea, I suppose.

Finally I like wild flowers too.

How is used to travel in the north, I mean especially the accomodation ?
In the Alps I use mostly privat room like B&B.


Best regards
Dieter
 
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There are some good places to see waders in the Oulu area, but you need to visit them during migration (May and early June or after the beginning of July). There are also many good places to see waders in northern Norway (for example the delta of the Tana river and the chapel of Nesseby). Sanderling should be easier to see in northern Norway, and during the autumn migration (the sandy beach at Ekkeroya is a good place to see one).

White-backed Woodpecker is somewhat difficult, you would need to visit southern Finland, and even there the breeding places are not public. Grey Woodpecker is also difficult to find in summer, especially in northern Finland, where the population is low.

Short-eared Owl is the easiest owl species that you can find by your own in northern Finland, for the rest a guide would be easier. Don't expect the owls to be any easier to find in Finland than Tawny Owl in Germany (most are probably harder)!

Generally, if you want a versatile trip, I would recommend flying Oulu, visit the Liminganlahti area (and perhaps hire a guide to see the owls, if you can afford that), then drive to Kuusamo, and continue from there nortwards towards the Varanger area. Kuusamo should be a good place to find a Three-toed Woodpecker (although it's not too easy), and you should be able to see a Capercaillie somewhere (e.g. from the car early in the morning).

Here's a trip report:
http://koti.mbnet.fi/caligata/fin.html
 
Northern Finnland

Hello,

thank You for the advice.
Following birds are intersting
Whimbrel ( never saw in Germany, only in California and South Pacific )
Black-tailed Godwit ( I saw once )
Woodcock ( never seen )
Jack Snipe ( never seen )

Snipe ( saw twice )
Caspian Tern ( saw twice in California )
Artic Tern ( never seen )
Razorbill ( never seen )
Lesser-spotted Woodpecker ( saw once )

Wryneck ( saw 25 years ago )
Shore Lark ( never seen )
Spotted Flycatcher ( never seen )
Pied Flycatcher ( saw once 2 years ago )
Common Scoter ( saw once 2 years ago )

Velvet Scoter ( saw once 2 years ago )
Scaup ( saw once this year )
Spotted Eagle ( never seen )
Gyr Falcon ( never seen )
Ural Owl ( never seen )

Great grey Owl ( never seen )
Merlin ( never seen )
Willow Grouse ( never seen )
Temminck ( never seen )
Broad-billed Sandpiper ( never seen )

Red-necked Phalarope ( saw once at Mono Lake in California )
Siberian Tit ( never seen )
Rustic Bunting ( never seen )
Lapland Bunting ( never seen )
Ortolan ( never seen )

Scarlet Grosbeak ( saw once 2 years ago )
Pine Grosbeak ( never seen )
Parrot Crossbill ( never seen )
Siberian Jay ( never seen )


Best regards
Dieter
 
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Sorry for the delayed answer.

Whimbrel ( never saw in Germany, only in California and South Pacific )
It's a common breeder in Lapland and in Kuusamo. Try scanning fields and different kinds of open bogs.

Black-tailed Godwit ( I saw once )
Tens of pairs breed at Liminganlahti near Oulu. Visit the birdwatching tower at Virkkula, for example (a telescope and some patience might help).

Woodcock ( never seen )
Wait until dusk (something like 11 PM), the males start their displaying flights then (also early in the morning is good). It's a common breeder in the Oulu area, but becomes scarcer northwards.

Jack Snipe ( never seen )
It's often quite difficult to find, although it's relatively common in Lapland. The males display often at night, but they're not easy to hear.

Snipe ( saw twice )
A very common breeder in Lapland, if you know the calls you'll find one easily.

Caspian Tern ( saw twice in California )
It's possibly a bit difficult to find a Caspian Tern in June that far north. Try sea watching at the Oulu area, I don't know the exact breeding locations.

Artic Tern ( never seen )
It's a very common species in Lapland and at the Arctic Ocean. You can't miss it.

Razorbill ( never seen )
Should be easy to find at the Arctic Ocean. The island of Hornøya at Vardø is a good place (also for e.g. Brünnich's Guillemot), you can see the birds also from the mainland side if you cannot afford to visit the island.

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker ( saw once )
It occurs even in northermost Norway, but it's easier to find in the Oulu area. Hower, I suspect that it's not too much easier to find than in Germany.

Wryneck ( saw 25 years ago )
The species has declined very steeply during the last decades. You need to know the call if you want to find one. They don't call after late June.

Shore Lark ( never seen )
The species doesn't breed in Finland anymore. You can find it in Norway for example on the tundra or even along the main roads close to the shore (will perhaps require some luck, though).

Spotted Flycatcher ( never seen )
It's a very common species in entire Finland. Again, learning the call will make finding one easier. It breeds in all kinds of forest, often close to human settlement.

Pied Flycatcher ( saw once 2 years ago )
The same applies as for Spotted Flycatcher. Try looking for nest boxes, quite a big proportion of them are occupied by Pied Flycatchers.

Common Scoter ( saw once 2 years ago )
It breeds scarcely at small lakes in Lapland.

Velvet Scoter ( saw once 2 years ago )
For example the birdwatching tower at Vuotunki in Kuusamo is a certain place, but you can find this species at many other lakes in Northern Finland also. Common Scoter is much rarer in Kuusamo as a breeder, but in early June there are still migrants around.

Scaup ( saw once this year )
Breeds at small lakes in Lapland, but is quite scarce. You can possibly find some birds at the Arctic Ocean, too.

Spotted Eagle ( never seen )
Only one pair breeds in Finland and the location has not been disclosed.

Gyr Falcon ( never seen )
It's a very rare breeder in Finland, easier to find on the Norwegian side (but still scarce).

Ural Owl ( never seen )
You'll need a guide to show you that species.

Great grey Owl ( never seen )
The same applies as for Ural Owl. Chance encounters are pretty rare.


Merlin ( never seen )
It's a scarce breeder in Northern Finland. With good luck you might run into one. I don't know any certain breeding sites, and they vary from year to year.

Willow Grouse ( never seen )
It's quite common in Lapland, but often somewhat difficult to find. Before mid-July they call quite actively early in the mornings. You can also see one from your car crossing the road.

Temminck ( never seen )
It breeds for example at the Oritkari area in Oulu. Do not disturb breeding Arctic Terns and other birds.

Broad-billed Sandpiper ( never seen )
It breeds at bogs in Lapland, but is quite difficult to find. Knowing the call will help, but it's still difficult. Try scanning flocks of migrating waders if you find any.

Red-necked Phalarope ( saw once at Mono Lake in California )
You should be able to see this species. For example Matolampi in Kuusamo is a good place, but it can be seen on many other lakes also. Big flocks can be seen at the Arctic Ocean during migration (for example at Vadsø and Nesseby).

Siberian Tit ( never seen )
Try for example at the feeder at the cafeteria "Neljän tuulen tupa" about 15km north of Kaamanen along the road to Utsjoki. It can of course be found elsewhere, too.

Rustic Bunting ( never seen )
Learn the song and calls. It's somewhat scarce, and breeds often in boggy terrain (not on open bogs, forest is required).

Lapland Bunting ( never seen )
Walk along the tundra in northernmost Lapland.

Ortolan ( never seen )
It's a scarce breeder at the bif fields in the Oulu area. It doesn't occur in Lapland.

Scarlet Grosbeak ( saw once 2 years ago )
It's a common breeder in the Oulu and Kuusamo areas. Learn the song.

Pine Grosbeak ( never seen )
They sometimes visit the feeder at "Neljän tuulen tupa" (see above).

Parrot Crossbill ( never seen )
It's a somewhat nomadic species, and could be find almost anywhere.

Siberian Jay ( never seen )
The feeder at the parking place at Valtavaara in Kuusamo is a famous place, but it's relatively common in Lapland.
 
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Thank You very much for the very detailed information !

Best regards
Dieter

On top of CAU's excellent information, just to advise you you can hire a guide for 200 Euros from www.finnature.fi

Look at 'birdwatching trips for individuals', you have to pre-book these 8 hour trips that depart middle of the night from a motorway service station near Oulu. Mainly to see the owls. Looks like being a reasonable season so far they say, but it is hard to predict.

I also have a day to birdwatch my self and have hired a car. Hope to go to Liminghati to see possible Yellow Breasted bunting (but I realise may be a bit early).

Also hoping there are one or two Pallid harriers around when I go on 15th May.
 
I also have a day to birdwatch my self and have hired a car. Hope to go to Liminghati to see possible Yellow Breasted bunting (but I realise may be a bit early).

Or possibly a bit late...if it does still breed we'll not be hearing about it publicly but I suspect you are several years too late for this one...CAU will no doubt have better information!

br
Mark
 
Or possibly a bit late...if it does still breed we'll not be hearing about it publicly but I suspect you are several years too late for this one...CAU will no doubt have better information!

br
Mark
Ah,:eek!: quite likely i am out of date info wise. As long as i see a Great Grey Owl on the tour i will be such a happy man.

Anything extra like Pallid Harriers is fluctuational. Maybe i can find out nearer the time?
 
Mark is correct, the last Yellow-breasted Bunting record from Finland is from 2007 (one bird in Kitee). The species has literally disappeared from Finland (and declined very strongly in Russia, too), and nowadays the Finnish RC checks alls the records.

Pallid Harrier is a fluctuating species, with good luck there might be some twithcable birds in the Oulu area.

Dieter and others, check this site for further information about birding sites in Kuusamo:
http://www.kuusamobirds.net/en/sites.php
http://www.kuusamobirds.net/en/images/kartta.jpg

This site shows the locations of all the birdwatching towers in the Oulu area:
http://www.pply.fi/lintupaikat
It's in Finnish, but at least you see the locations.

Maybe you can decipher something from this poor Google translation (the map isn't visible at least on my browser, but the links below work):
http://translate.google.com/transla...&u=http://www.pply.fi/lintupaikat&sl=fi&tl=en
 
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Mark is correct, the last Yellow-breasted Bunting record from Finland is from 2007 (one bird in Kitee). The species has literally disappeared from Finland (and declined very strongly in Russia, too), and nowadays the Finnish RC checks alls the records.

Pallid Harrier is a fluctuating species, with good luck there might be some twithcable birds in the Oulu area.

Dieter and others, check this site for further information about birding sites in Kuusamo:
http://www.kuusamobirds.net/en/sites.php
http://www.kuusamobirds.net/en/images/kartta.jpg

This site shows the locations of all the birdwatching towers in the Oulu area:
http://www.pply.fi/lintupaikat
It's in Finnish, but at least you see the locations.

Maybe you can decipher something from this poor Google translation (the map isn't visible at least on my browser, but the links below work):
http://translate.google.com/transla...&u=http://www.pply.fi/lintupaikat&sl=fi&tl=en


Thats really useful information..........thanks again CAU. :t:
 
Hello,

I suppose it is not possible to start before 27 June.
Is it still interesting for bird watching ?
My plan is start in Oulu via Kuusamo to Varanger ( Norway ).

In Germany the best time is until begin of June and will start from middle of August again.
July and begin of August is rather a little bit boring.


Best regards
Dieter
 
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