2006 Tour Narrative
Our drive northwards on day one got off to a good start when a bird that both Dick and myself independently thought looked like a Waxwing flew across the road and perched at the top of a pine. Upon stopping we quickly realised it was actually a Parrot Crossbill, a bird that we don’t often encounter on this tour and, due to their highly nomadic ways, a difficult one to actively look for. Over the next hour we were treated to great views of four Parrots, singing, feeding and displaying - an exceptional performance! A little further on, an unfortunate Mountain Hare road casualty had attracted a couple of Siberian Jays and provided an opportunity for extended, close views. Siberian Jays are not rare in Lapland but they can be surprisingly elusive at this time of the year, so seeing this pair of bloodied little carnivores so well on our first day might have spared us some anguish later on! They weren’t the only birds we saw stuffing their faces that morning; on a small roadside pool some way up the road we pulled in to look at a stunning pair of Smew and were amazed to see the male struggling with and eventually swallowing a substantial frog, a feat that any heron would have been proud of.
Our principal base in Norway is the fishing town of Vardí¸, at the eastern extremity of the legendary Varanger peninsula. Vardí¸ is almost the most northerly outpost in Europe where it is possible to experience a truly arctic environment and at the same time - literally - enjoy the modest comfort of hotel accommodation. Those of us who found it difficult to sleep in the bright night could look out the bedroom window at midnight and admire a bunch of Steller’s Eiders hauled up on the rocks below. Most of the birds up here are on or over the sea, but there are exciting landbirds too, such as dapper-plumaged Lapland Buntings, the occasional pair of Horned Larks foraging quietly at the roadside, pink-rumped Twite and Snow Buntings in their striking breeding plumage singing from rocky outcrops. Numerous Arctic Skuas stood watch from prospective nest-sites, always on a slightly raised mound or ridge, while even more impressive Long-tailed Skuas flew past us several times, always “going somewhere’, or so it seemed. We devoted quite a bit of time to searching for White-billed Divers, which in spite of their large size can be difficult to locate when there is wind disturbing the surface of the sea. Our first one was rather distant, so it was most satisfying to later see a few more, much closer to the shore, and be able to appreciate the truly magnificent appearance of these birds. Sights like this were almost enough to make us forget about the low temperatures and strong wind that characterised this year’s visit to Varanger, but at least it didn’t rain!
The roadside meadows attract migrant flocks of (mostly “Tundra-type’) Bean Geese among which there are usually one or two Pink-footed Geese, but the single Barnacle Goose we saw with one flock was a bonus, especially for the North American members of our party (as it arguably had better credentials than the semi-feral birds that we would later see in Helsinki).
There was still too much snow-cover on the Kungsfjordfjellet for Dotterels to have taken up residence but the scenery here was spectacular, and we did see some very nice Willow Grouse. The drive back to the hotel that evening was enlivened not just by a few Moose, which we have come to expect, but by the surprise of encountering our first Hawk Owl as it emerged from a birch forest and shot across the road between our vehicles. Fortunately, it perched on a nearby telegraph pole for a short while before melting back into the forest. Disappointingly, the Gyrs appeared to have abandoned the traditional nesting site this year but we did enjoy excellent views of Ring Ouzels and Rough-legged Buzzards while looking for them.
On our journey south through Finland we could see a gradual change in scenery all the way and as the habitat changed, so did the birds. With the first significant increase in temperature we suddenly started to see Bluethroats performing their ecstatic song-flights just over our heads. The Dotterels that had not yet arrived at their breeding site in the still snow-covered Norwegian fjells were waiting for us a few hundred km further south. Their exceptional beauty prompted one participant to say “If I don’t see another bird today, I’ll be happy”, a bold statement to make at 8 o’clock in the morning!
Slowly but surely the birds we all wanted to see showed up on cue, though inevitably some required more effort than others. Having tried to lure out a Hazel Hen at numerous sites without hearing so much as a half-hearted response Dick and I were beginning to grow concerned. Perhaps it was due to the very warm spell of weather prior to our arrival having brought forward the breeding cycle, but the elusiveness of these birds was more typical of how they usually are in mid-June, when the territorial behaviour of the males is much less pronounced. But then we had a real stroke of luck: a pair of Hazel Hens foraging on a forest track near Kuusamo provided us with views of a lifetime, crossing the track in front of us and the male then displaying in full view, only a few metres away!
In previous years we have seen particular Ural and Great Grey Owls occupy the very same nest sites in alternate years, separated by only a few hundred metres, but this year they had moved even closer together. Locating the magnificent Great Grey was not difficult, but the Ural Owls had already left their nest and it was likely that they and their mother would have been well concealed in the vicinity. Luckily, Dick located the perched female and we were able to watch these two wonderful owls simultaneously!
Our day in the south with Dick’s good friend, Pekka Pouttu, had an almost magical quality from beginning to end. The first bird he took us too was a magnificent male Capercaillie, which greeted our quiet arrival on its patch of forest with robust indignation. Had one of us shown any hint of fear it would more than likely have become more “physical’ and gone for us with its strong wings and sharp bill. When the time came for us to withdraw, Pekka kept it occupied and skilfully managed to avoid either us losing face or it losing its dignity! This was followed by good views of Black Woodpeckers, Pygmy Owl, a curious pair of Spotted Crakes and Wrynecks before breaking for a superb lunch at a secluded restaurant where between courses Pied Flycatchers provided entertainment in the large apple tree by the front door. In the afternoon we were taken to see Red-necked Grebe, Crested Tits, Grey-headed Woodpecker and had excellent views of a magnificent Eagle Owl before ending with an intimate observation of a superbly camouflaged female Capercaillie.
Killian Mullarney
Updated: October 2006