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See our photo highlights from our
2007,
2008 and 2009 trips to Finland and northern Norway.
Day One: Saturday
This morning we will leave the UK and fly to
Helsinki before transferring to our flight to
Ivalo, Lapland. Here we will be met by our good
friend and local guide Harri Taavetti, who will
take us to our hotel, 70 kilometres to the north
at Kaamanen, where we stay for the next two nights.
Day Two: Sunday
We have chosen to stay at Kaamanen for one reason
– its superb feeding station and thus its birds!
A surprising number of species choose to remain
in these seemingly barren boreal forests
throughout the harsh winter months but finding
them is another matter! Like anywhere else, birds
are drawn to a food supply and there is no finer
place in Lapland than here. Our lodge at Kaamanen
has found notoriety in the last few years for
being probably the best site in Europe to see
Pine Grosbeak. These stunning birds (which are
more akin to a cross between a finch and a
crossbill) are typically highly secretive, but at
Kaamanen up to twenty birds visit the feeders on
a regular basis during the late winter. They are
very approachable and thus we have the prospect
of gaining some stunning images of this rarely
photographed forest denizen. We also have truly
outstanding photographic opportunities to work
with Siberian Tit, Siberian Jay, Great Spotted
Woodpeckers, ‘northern’ Bullfinches, both Mealy
and Arctic Redpolls, Greenfinches and Red
Squirrels. We plan to spend the whole day at the
feeding station safe in the knowledge that a
warming ‘cuppa’ and a bite to eat is just a
minute away! As night falls we have an excellent
opportunity to photograph the Aurora Borealis,
which can often give incredible ‘shows’ at this
latitude. Overnight at Kaamanen.
Day Three: Monday
As day breaks we will have another session at the
feeders before making the long drive north along
the Arctic highway into Norway. We’ll be stopping
for tundra landscapes and we’ll also be keeping
an eye out for both Elk and Reindeer and small
parties of snowy-white Willow Grouse. We also
have an excellent chance of seeing White-tailed
Eagle and possibly grey-morph Gyrfalcons. As we
reach Tana Bru we head off over some magnificent
mountain scenery to reach Batsfjord in the mid
afternoon, home for the next two nights.
Depending on our time of arrival there may be
time for some late afternoon photography of Arctic seaduck around the harbour.
Day Four: Tuesday
We plan to spend a full day photographing King,
Steller’s and Common Eiders in the harbour. In
March 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 we were treated
to some awesome opportunities from the series of
floating pontoons and the rocky shoreline, as the
birds here are very approachable and pretty
unconcerned with human presence! With spring
approaching many of the males will be performing
their courtship displays and the choral cacophony
of the eiders will fill the air! Long-tailed
Ducks are also present here in good numbers and
other photographic subjects include Kittiwakes,
Purple Sandpipers, Glaucous and Iceland Gulls,
silvery winter plumaged Black Guillemots, Ravens
and, of course, the charismatic boats and houses
so typical of a northern community. If sea
conditions are suitable we plan to charter a boat
for our exclusive use in order to ‘get in among’
the eiders – something we have achieved for the
last four years with great success. As the days
turn to night we’ll once again be looking
skywards and hoping for clear skies to see
nature’s most prized gifts illuminating the night sky.
Day Five: Wednesday
We will have another session with the seaduck in
Batsfjord before heading back over the fells
towards Tana Bru and onto the shores of Varanger.
Fringed by thickets of Mountain Birch, the blue
waters of Varanger Fjord and the surrounding
tundra represent what are probably the most
accessible examples of Arctic habitat on the
mainland of Europe. Arriving at the shores of the
fjord we will be struck by the sheer numbers of
seaduck bobbing offshore. We’ll make several
stops carefully scanning through the rafts of
Common, King and Steller's Eiders and take
advantage of any photographic opportunities that
present themselves. We’ll also be on the look-out
for the mighty White-billed Diver, their ivory
coloured beaks gleaming in the sun. Inquisitive
seals may interrupt their fishing forays to come
and investigate us – hopefully they will include
small numbers of true ‘Arctic’ seals such as the
Harp or Bearded Seal. We eventually arrive at
Vardo, our base for the next two nights. Our
hotel is situated right on the edge of the
harbour and it is not unusual to see King,
Steller’s and Common Eiders from the dining room!
Naturally we’ll once again be looking skywards in the evening!
Day Six: Thursday
This morning we plan to charter a boat to visit
the waters surrounding Hornoya Island which is
home to a huge seabird colony during the summer
months. At this time of the year the majority of
birds will be ‘loafing’ just offshore and thus we
have excellent opportunities to photograph birds
on the water and in flight. Subjects high on the
agenda will include more Common, King and
Steller’s Eiders (in recent years we have found
flocks of 2000+ Kings!), Long-tailed Ducks plus
Brunnich’s Guillemots, Common Guillemots,
Razorbills, Puffins, Shags and incredible numbers
of Kittiwakes. In 2009 we struck lucky on our
boat trip and were surrounded by a family party
of Killer Whales! Back onshore there will be more
options for photographing seaduck in and around
the harbour along with some usually very tame
Purple Sandpipers. The bright reds, yellows and
blues of the harbour buildings offer some
dramatic reflections onto the water for
photographing birds and there will also be an
opportunity to photograph Kittiwakes nest -
building on the harbour buildings themselves!
Day Seven: Friday
In the morning there will be some time available
for more bird photography in and around the
harbour. All too soon though, it will be time to
begin the return drive back into Finland, but
travelling through the glorious winter scenery of
the peninsula there will be plenty more
photographic opportunities as we hopefully pass
roadside Reindeer herds, Rock Ptarmigan and
Willow Grouse. We plan to return to our hotel and
the feeding station at Kaamanen in the late afternoon where we spend the night.
Day Eight: Saturday
We will have the whole morning to work with
subjects coming to the feeders around Kaamanen –
Pine Grosbeaks, Siberian Tits, Arctic Redpolls
and Siberian Jay should all be still in the
offering. Sadly, at around noon we must return to
the airport at Ivalo for our flight to Helsinki
from where we connect with our return flight to
London arriving in the early evening.
For those wishing to extend their holiday, we
have arranged a six-night extension to photograph
Golden Eagles at a baited feeding site, Black
Grouse at the lek (in snow!), Siberian Jays and
Dippers. There may also be opportunities with
wintering owls – in 2008 and 2009 participants on
our extensions were able to achieve stunning
photographs of both Hawk and Great Grey Owl.
Please contact our office in the first instance
if an extension interests you, as spaces are strictly limited.
Holiday Information
2011 Operating Dates
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Sat 12th March
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Sat 19th March
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COST
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£1995
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Single Supplement
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£150
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DEPOSIT
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£500
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Group Size - maximum 7 travellers
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Please note that we require a minimum of 5 paying travellers for this
trip to operate.
Need more Information?
No problem! We'd be delighted to discuss this holiday with you.
Please call us on 01950 422483 or drop us an e mail.
Click Here for
Our Travellers Fact File
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