Welcome to Birdquest

FINLAND
Including Arctic Norway & Estonia

Birdquest's Finland including Arctic Norway & Estonia birding tour is a classic European birdwatching journey. Our Finland, Arctic Norway and Estonia tour has the most comprehensive coverage of any birding tour to the region and is the perfect way to see the many specialities of this beautiful part of the world, including those wonderful owls.

Friday 30th May - Friday 6th June 2014
(8 days)

Estonia Pre-Tour Extension from Tuesday 27th May (3 days)

Lapland & Varangerfjord Post-Tour Extension to Thursday 13th June (6 days)

Leaders: Hannu Jännes and assistant

Group Size Limit: 12

Tour Category: Easy for the most part, occasionally Moderate

Finland is certainly THE place in the Western Palearctic for owls, with many being staked-out at nests in the spring, such as this gorgeous Tengmalm's (or Boreal) Owl (Pete Morris)

Finland and adjacent Arctic Norway have many avian specialities, most notably the northern forest owls, and rank as one of the Western Palearctic’s classic destinations that you simply have to visit if you want to see all of the region’s specialities. As many of the most sought-after species are very localized, or thinly spread over enormous areas, local help is essential if one wants to see the more difficult species. Seeking out the scattered specialities of the region takes time and this, combined with the high cost of living, makes a really effective tour to Finland and Varangerfjord, the finest birding area in the Norwegian Arctic, expensive compared to shorter tours to southern and eastern Europe. While the high cost is certainly a drawback, it is one that is far outweighed by the experience of seeing some of Europe’s most exciting birds amidst the wide-open spaces of the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’.

This tour is very carefully timed so that we will be visiting Finland and Arctic Norway early enough to give us a superb opportunity to see owls and other resident forest specialities, and at the same time avoid the plagues of mosquitoes that torment the visiting birder once the warmer weather sets in, while being late enough to catch late-arriving summer visitors.

We shall begin our journey through northernmost Europe in the Finnish lake district of the south-central part of the country. Here we should find a fantastic suite of owls, including the magnificent Great Grey Owl, Ural Owl, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Tengmalm’s (or Boreal) Owl and Eurasian Pygmy Owl, as well as the late-arriving Blyth’s Reed Warbler. Heading further north, we will pause at Oulu, visiting the forests and marshes at the head of the Gulf of Bothnia where we have another chance for owls if we missed any further south. Our next port of call is Kuusamo, situated near the Russian border at the southern edge of Finnish Lapland, where we shall be wanting to encounter the huge Western Capercaillie, Black and Hazel Grouse, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, the lovely Northern Red-flanked Bluetail, Greenish Warbler, Siberian Tit, Siberian Jay, Pine Grosbeak, Parrot Crossbill (a Western Palearctic endemic) and Rustic and Little Buntings.

During the optional post-tour extension we shall explore Finnish Lapland and famous Varangerfjord in northernmost Norway. Lapland, the only easily accessible Arctic region on the mainland of Europe, is one of those magic places which every birdwatcher should visit. Here the sun never sets for months on end, fuelling the spectacular, but all too brief explosion of life that makes the Arctic summer so special. A wilderness for man, the vast forests, bogs, fells, tundras and wild coasts of the far north are home to countless birds which here seem to lose their fear of humans.

From the Kuusamo region we travel northwards through the forests and rugged fells of northern Finland, where we should see the fearless Northern Hawk Owl and will also look for other specialities including Jack Snipe and Terek Sandpiper.

Eventually we shall reach the Arctic Ocean at Varangerfjord in northern Norway, spending some time exploring this scenically superb, bird-rich region before we have to drag ourselves away from the Yellow-billed Divers (or Yellow-billed Loons), King and Steller’s Eiders, White-tailed Eagles, Gyr Falcons, Long-tailed Skuas (or Long-tailed Jaegers), Brünnich’s Guillemots (or Thick-billed Murres) and Arctic (or Hoary) Redpolls. All in all a veritable feast of special birds awaits you in the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’.

During the optional pre-tour extension we will cross the Gulf of Finland to Estonia, one of the newest and smallest members of the European Union. Here we will admire Great Snipe at their fascinating lek and also search for Lesser Spotted Eagle, Citrine Wagtail, River and Marsh Warblers, and European Penduline Tit.

Birdquest has operated tours to Finland and Norway since 1982, and to Estonia since 2005.

(Note: The above is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed, day-by-day itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)

Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels are of normal Birdquest standard throughout. Road transport is by minibus. Roads are mostly good.

Walking etc: The walking is mostly fairly easy, but there are also one or two fairly long walks, and walks are sometimes over uneven terrain. The long daylight hours tend to result in regular long days in the field.

Climate: Rather variable. Temperatures range from cool to warm in southern and central Finland but are generally cool or cold in far northern Finland and at Varangerfjord. Sunny periods alternate with rainy, overcast weather (and it may even snow at higher altitudes in the north).

Bird Photography: Opportunities range from quite good to good.

Part-Tour Option: Subject to space being available, it is possible to take just the Lapland & Varangerfjord section of this tour (starting at Kuusamo and ending at Ivalo). Please contact us for further information.

Tour Price: (provisional): $3220 Helsinki/Kuusamo. Pre-Tour Extension: $1360. Post-Tour Extension: $2770 (ending at Ivalo). Price includes all transportation (including Helsinki-Tallinn-Helsinki ferries for those taking the pre-tour extension), all accommodations, all meals, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.

Single Room Supplement: (provisional): $340. Pre-Tour Extension: $122. Post-Tour Extension: $292.

Deposit: 10% of the tour price (excluding any single supplement).

Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.

The fantastic Great Grey Owl is always one at the top of most people's wish lists! (Hannu Jännes)

The splendid and highly sought Northern Red-flanked Bluetail (or Northern Orange-flanked Bush Robin) just strtches as far east as Finland as a breeding species (Pete Morris)