Best of Finland & Arctic Norway 5/17/2025-6/2/2025

https://ebird.org/tripreport/386375

Early spring in Finland and Arctic Norway is always a delightful experience, made even more special by our fantastic local leaders, Pirita and Yari. Together with a great group, we enjoyed non-stop wildlife excitement here in the rugged landscapes of Scandinavian Lapland, or, as it is now generally known, Sápmi. Taiga forests, lakes, majestic hills, remote tundra, offshore islands, and intricate coastlines cut by massive fjords all teemed with birds singing, displaying, and building nests at the start of the region’s brief but intense summer season.

Spectacular Arctic scenery © Andrew Whittaker

Displaying male Ruff © Andrew Whittaker

After a wonderful pre-trip focused on mammals, we started the main tour from a base in delightful Oulu. Here we embarked on the quest for a first set of avian treasures, the charismatic owls of the North. We began with the much-wanted Boreal Owl, which popped up to look at us from its nesting hole. Next up was a heavyweight, in the form of a massive female Great Gray Owl peering down at us from the huge Eurasian Goshawk nest she had taken over. A real bonus, and a first for the tour, was a shy orange-eyed Eurasian Eagle-Owl at roost. But the prize for cutest of them all went to a diminutive and obliging Eurasian Pygmy-Owl that perched low and right out in the open!

Eurasian Pygmy Owl © Andrew Whittaker 

In between our successes with the owls, we visited the famous Liminka Bay Wetland Reserve on the Gulf of Bothnia, where we enjoyed a scrumptious lunch and visited the fabulous exhibits. A gorgeous male Bluethroat stole the show as we explored the reserve. From the tower overlooking the bay, we watched displaying male Ruffs, exotically adorned with colorful head plumes. We had great scope views of a fine variety of waterfowl, and the shorebirds we tallied included summer-plumaged Black-tailed Godwit, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Eurasian Curlew, Common Ringed Plover, breeding-plumaged Dunlin, and Broad-billed, Wood, and Common sandpipers. Magnificent White-tailed Eagles soared overhead. While we were in the elevated blind, it was hilarious to see Pirita divebombed by a displaying Common Snipe.

Ural Owl © Andrew Whittaker

Strolling through the delightful woodlands nearby rewarded us with two wonderfully confiding male Hazel Grouse, a migrating Hen Harrier, Stock Dove, Eurasian Treecreeper, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Common Chaffinch, and Yellowhammer. Searching through a damp forest tract produced a lovely breeding Gray-headed Woodpecker and tiny Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. We visited another Ural Owl nest site for better views.   

We also paid brief visits to a couple of lakes, where we found our first displaying Great Crested Grebes, Common Crane, Common Scoter, Western Yellow Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer, and a Whinchat. A huge concentration of some 700 Whooper Swans were fattening up before continuing the northbound migration. We ourselves continued northeast, on to Kuusamo and Ruka, where we enjoyed meeting up with several feral Reindeer in a snow storm. Owning Reindeer here is an important marker of status—we also learned over meals that they taste really good.

Iconic Siberian Jay © Andrew Whittaker

Over the next two days around Kuusamo, we explored extensive taiga forest, hills, and lakes. We quickly located a magnificent male and a few female Western Capercaillies and some exquisite Black Grouse; fresh roadside snow hosted frantic flocks of hundreds of feeding Eurasian Siskins.

A picturesque forest trail through snow-covered hills made for a fabulous Christmas-like scene, but sadly, we found no Santa Claus. We were met here, though, by beautiful Siberian Jays, feeding Willow Tit, and a stunning male Eurasian Bullfinch. Our main objective was harder to come by, and it took a second visit for us to finally locate a wonderful male Red-flanked Bluetail. We also had fantastic studies of the black-bellied subspecies of White-throated Dipper feeding young in a moss nest beneath a bridge across the rushing crystal-clear stream.

Lake Vuopunki offered great looks at summer-plumaged Red-necked Grebes, Velvet Scoter, Taiga Bean Geese, Garganey, Brambling, and three tame Bohemian Waxwings. Smew were less conspicuous this year, but we enjoyed many excellent studies of summer-plumaged Little Gulls, some delicately pink beneath, as they fed daintily on insects.

As we continued north into the heart of Lapland, we celebrated crossing the Arctic Circle in style, with a toast. To my amazement, I spotted several good-sized flocks of migrating Common Mergansers and Arctic Loons—the loons totaled no fewer than 110 birds! At a brief afternoon lake stop, we stepped out of the vans to an incredible serenade from several hundred Whooper Swans. Spring was definitely in the air, as several pairs were displaying with frantic head shaking and noisy squabbling. Best of all here was a majestic Great Gray Owl on a fence post in a roadside field: what a delight, and a trip highlight for many as we enjoyed fantastic scope views.

Great Gray Owl © Andrew Whittaker

Once in Ivalo, we set out to explore the barren hilly moors—and bingo, I located one of my favorite European shorebirds, a stunning pair of Eurasian Dotterel. As is typical of this species, they were very confiding, and gave excellent close studies. A distant Golden Eagle, spotted by Pirita, also offered nice looks.

Spectacular Eurasian Dotterel © Andrew Whittaker

The next day’s route took us into the land of the midnight sun, to the rich coasts of the Barents Sea and the lovely fishing town of Båtsfjord. We were spellbound at the sight of five magnificent male Ruffs dancing around a female, barely twenty feet off the roadside. A truly unforgettable encounter!    

We entered Norway and followed the impressive Teno (Salmon) River, sections of which flow between spectacular banks covered with 20 or 30 feet of melting ice. We steadily gained elevation and left the treeline behind to enter a spectacular wintery scene of fresh snow and ice contrasting with blue lakes. As we passed through this Christmas scene, we quickly located smart winter-plumaged Rock and Willow ptarmigans, while stunning summer-plumaged Eurasian Golden Plover, Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and Lapland Longspurs vied for our attention.

The small fishing town of Båtsfjord is located on an inlet of the Barents Sea. As always, we enjoyed great hospitality and a marvelous cod dinner here before searching through the gull flocks and locating our first Long-tailed Duck, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and Black Guillemot.

After the next morning’s great breakfast, we continued northeast to a sheltered bay with a great mix of shorebirds, including Purple Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, and many Common Ringed Plover. Passing back through the highlands, we encountered a record number of Rock Ptarmigan and our first displaying Bar-tailed Godwit amid spectacular new vistas of bogs, Dwarf Birch, and Pygmy Willow. Along the coast, we found a striking male King Eider among the Common Eider while we enjoyed large flocks of summer-plumaged Red Knot on the rich tidal bays. Short-eared Owls hunted over the lush roadside grass where Tundra Bean, Pink-footed, and Barnacle geese grazed. A big surprise here was a flyover vagrant Black Kite. After a truly bumper day of birding, we drove through the impressive tunnel to the hidden island of Vardo.

As usual, our boat trip to famous Hornoya Island was a genuine trip highlight, the sea brimming with thousands of murres and a constant cloud of auks circling the pier in an incredible spectacle. Everyone was amazed at just how tame the seabirds were—and so happy to get incredible photos and videos using just phones! Emerald-eyed European Shags were everywhere, while cliff ledges were loaded with Common and Thick-billed murres, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and delightful Razorbills. Naturally, the comical Atlantic Puffins stole the show.

Atlantic Puffin © Andrew Whittaker

We had two joyous days to explore this magical Norwegian tundra. Newly arrived Long-tailed and Parasitic jaegers were forming pairs, tiny Temminck’s Stints were dancing in butterfly-like display flight, and a smart Red-throated Pipit gave us in-your-face views.   

Magnificent views were enjoyed of a very responsive Red-throated Pipit © Andrew Whittaker 

Our exciting excursion to Hamningberg, known as the very end of Europe, was scenically breathtaking and a geologist’s dream, with fault lines, raised beaches, and amazing rock formations. Here we enjoyed Northern Gannet, Graylag Goose, Great Cormorant, Arctic Tern, Ring Ouzel, and more stunning Bluethroats and Northern Wheatears. Other goodies included Greater Scaup, nesting Eurasian Oystercatcher, and Common Redshank.

A stunning singing male Bluethroat entertained us during our picnic © Andrew Whittaker  

Retracing our steps south, we watched colorful Red-necked Phalaropes spinning on roadside pools—and spotted one of my most-wanted raptors, the impressive Gyrfalcon: what a bird! The next day around Ivalo, Pirita worked his magic and found us a much-wanted Gray-headed Chickadee, which gave great studies. We also had nice studies of Spotted Redshank, Eurasian Jay, and several nervous Smew before we drove on to the Rovaniemi.

On arriving in Helsinki, we were met by Jari, our expert local birding guide, for the drive to the delightful Hotel Nuuksio. Spring had fully arrived, and Espoo and the surrounding area offered us superb birding in diverse habitats ranging from estuaries, reedbeds, meadows, and lakes to rich broadleaf forests and mature boreal woodlands. Among the new migrants we encountered were several neat warblers.

Wooded parks echoed with the magical songs of one of Europe’s best songsters, the Thrush Nightingale. Even the territorial males are normally skulkers, but we finally managed to scope one singing right out in the open.

We visited several reserves with abundant and approachable wildfowl, marveling at superb views of cute families of Common Pochard and Common Goldeneye. Overhead, flocks of screaming Common Swifts hawked for insects. One observation platform offered great looks out over the marsh at good numbers of shorebirds, including several Little Ringed Plover. Other interesting observations included Gray Heron, Common Moorhen, Caspian and Arctic terns, and Western Yellow Wagtail. Common Reed and Sedge warblers were very obvious along the nicely kept paths, and a Great Reed Warbler sang its heart out but kept out of sight. A close breeding-plumaged Horned Grebe was truly superb.

Woodlands were in full leaf, haunted by colorful Eurasian Goldfinch, Common Redstart, Coal and Great tits, Tree Pipit, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, European Greenfinch, and Common Rosefinch. Warblers were challenging but fun to see, from the lovely Wood and Icterine warblers, Eurasian Blackcap, Garden Warbler, and Greater and Lesser whitethroats to the Greenish Warbler; all were responsive and in full song. One of the top finds was a daytime Tawny Owl, which, thanks to my secret method, gave us terrific looks.

Tawny Owl © Andrew Whittaker

Pre-breakfast birding trips were again another great success, as we managed truly mega views of a Corncrake and of the unusual Wryneck. Other noteworthy finds were Red-backed Shrike, Spotted and Pied flycatchers, and, finally, good looks at a singing Blyth’s Reed Warbler.

Jari and I also gave a banding demonstration near our forested hotel, explaining how mist nets work and how to band and process the birds. In-hand views of male Goldcrest, European Robin, and Chiffchaff were much appreciated. Around the hotel, a Common Cuckoo played with us, but we did manage brief looks at Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Red Crossbills.

This truly superb trip through two scenically stunning countries with a great group of folks was a pleasure for me. I am already looking forward to my return. Together, we enjoyed a large cross section of wonderful Scandinavian specialties. I sincerely hope we cross paths again, birding on one of my many exciting VENT tours worldwide.

SEVEN FAVORITE BIRDS

1. RUFF

2. EURASIAN PYGMY-OWL   

3. BLUETHROAT

4. GREAT GRAY OWL

5. ARCTIC LOON  

6. SMEW

7. EURASIAN DOTTEREL  

A complete list of the birds recorded on our tour can be found at: https://ebird.org/tripreport/386375?welcome=true

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