norfolkbirding with chris mills
DAY FIVE: 30th May 2006 - Valtavara ridge nr Kuusamo then North to Peurasuvannon
We met our guide Olli Lamminsalo he was an excellent guide with an amazing knowledge o the Kuusamo area he can be contacted directly Olli.lamminsalo@koillismaa.fi & www.kuusamobirds.net
We drove around for first 2-3 hours making various stops, we added a few nice things:-
Bluethroat male singing and dispalying at 100am!!, 23 Bean Goose, singing male Common Rosefinch, Black-bellied Dipper, and had good views of 5-6 Moose, several Reindeer and many Arctic Hare.
Olli then took us to find our last Owl target species, we waited 30'0 feet from the nest-box as Olli scratched the trunk below, we had been wondering how we would all feel about seeing this last species only at the box - well it was worthwhile, the TENGMALMS OWL sat with it's head inquisteively staring out for several minutes before we left her in peace.
We then returned to the Valtavara ridge it was now around 4am, we arrived to a line of 20 or so birders, all with scopes pointing up the ridge - the bluetail was singing, but not on show. Olli suggested that if we wanted to see it well then we would need to walk up the hillside, none of us had a problem with this, apparently other birders were going to be happy scoping it at a 800m on the tree tops!
The effort paid dividends - after a 20 minutes of furious stomping up the hillside, the bird was clearly audible close by, several sweeps withn the bins and we were on to it, sat right atop the tallest trees, singing male RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL - EPIC!. Eventually we had really nice views, shortly before Olli alerted us to a female on ground level vegetation giving her contact call. We all crammed together as we had nice but fleeting views - apparently this was the first returning female of the year - the effort had been mor than worhtwhile.
We had just gotten abck to the road, when Olli was alerted via a mobile call that there was now a Pine Grosbeak in the same vicinity, there was nothing for it - back up the hill we went, unfortunatel this time we weren't so lucky and we missed it.
It was just 30 minutes later as we drove back down the hillside, I was to lay a real ghost to rest, a big black floppy crow-like bird crossed the pass, Oscar screamed "BLACK WOODPECKER" indeed it was, and it then landed distantly in a Scots pine, we scoped it and it eventually disappeared into a nest hole.
This resulted in an over celebration from me as I jumped on top of roadsise the sandwich tables, punched the air and yelled "BLACK WOODPECKER"!!!!! It echoed around the valley, anyone within 1/2 mile must have now known!
We searched below the area, we couldn't locate the Woodpecker, but did manage to have great flight views and eventually perched views of HAZELHEN
We were now just short of two targhet species, "the Sibes", Siberian Tit & Jay. Apparently the jays were giving everyone the runaround and very few had been seen, whilst Olli had some of his own nestboxes lined up for the Tits.
We arrived at Olli's wooded area, and we did have to resort to awaiting outside an occupied box, both adult SIBERIAN TIT eventually showing well. Olli dropped us back to where we had met up and we thanked for a wonderful nights birding.
We got a 2-3 hours sleep before taking the long journey north towards Norway, we would be stopping off over night nr Petkula marsh.
The journey resulted in 2-3 more Rough-legged buzzard, we arrived at Petkula late afternoon, it was a grey cold day now as we wandered out along the boardwalk to a raised platform, this area produced:-
2+ Rough-legged Buzzard, 12+ lekking Ruff, 2 Arctic Tern, 2 displaying Green Sandpiper, 7+ displaying Wood sandpiper, 2 fem Smew, 14 Common Scoter, 5+ Wheatear (presumably migrants), 2+ Greenshank sat on tree tops!
Further north along the road there is a set of crossroads, with a road off to the left bordered by wet grassland and bog, this area produced displaying Broad-billed Sandpiper, flying overhead and giving it's Sand Martin like rippled call.
The log cabins and food at Peurasuvannon Holiday village were excellent, Hilkka and Ola are birders www.peurasuvanto.com
or email info@peurasuvanto.com and gave us lots of tips for other areas, including a site for Pine Grosbeak which were to try the next morning.
DAY SIX 30th May 2006 - Nelian Tuulen Tupa en-route to Norway, Birkenes & Gaeonja tundra
The next morning consisted mainly of driving, the passage into Norway, was hardly noticeable without even having to stop at the crossing, a Merlin was added en-route. It was now getting progressively cooler, our next destination the Arctic tundra between Birkenes & Gaenja. We first tried unsuccessfully to see Gyr Falcon, a series of high cliffs on road 890 have in the past been an area for this species, but despite 2-3 hours of searching we were not ot see this species on this trip.
We made several stops in the tundra areas, just searching out areas that looked good, we did pretty well recording:-
7 Red-throated Divers, 8 Long-tailed Duck, 6+ Blue throat, 3 Shorelark, 6 lapland Bunting, 6+ Temminck's Stint, 2 Whimbrel, 20+ Northern Golden Plover, 10+ Willow grouse, 12+ Long-tailed Skua a host of other commoner species already seen on the trip.
Perhaps most surprising was a full dark phase adult Pomarine Skua sporting full spoons. Our journey now continued with the reaminder of the drive to Vernager Fjord eventually arriving there at 9PM
The next morning consisted mainly of driving, the passage into Norway, was hardly noticeable without even having to stop at the crossing, a Merlin was added en-route. It was now getting progressively cooler, our next destination the Arctic tundra between Birkenes & Gaenja. We first tried unsuccessfully to see Gyr Falcon, a series of high cliffs on road 890 have in the past been an area for this species, but despite 2-3 hours of searching we were not ot see this species on this trip.
We made several stops in the tundra areas, just searching out areas that looked good, we did pretty well recording:-
7 Red-throated Divers, 8 Long-tailed Duck, 6+ Blue throat, 3 Shorelark, 6 lapland Bunting, 6+ Temminck's Stint, 2 Whimbrel, 20+ Northern Golden Plover, 10+ Willow grouse, 12+ Long-tailed Skua a host of other commoner species already seen on the trip.
Perhaps most surprising was a full dark phase adult Pomarine Skua sporting full spoons. Our journey now continued with the reaminder of the drive to Vernager Fjord eventually arriving there at 9PM
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
DAY SEVEN 1st June 2006 - Veranger Fjord
We had now got back into a normal sleep pattern! The whole of this area is worthy of exploring, and we just drove along the coast road stopping regularly to scan through the birds.
Pikkuuskitsu Harbour area
60 Arctic tern, 100's Kittiwake, Lapland Bunting, Arctic Skua, sev Black Guillemot, & 30 STELLARS EIDER
Road east to Ekkeroy along coastline
30+ Arctic Skua, 100+ Stellars Eider, 500+ sum plum Knot, 20+ Sum plum Turnstone, Bluethroat, 5+ Black-throated Diver, Long tailed Skua, 20 Long-tailed Duck, 70+ Purple Sandpiper, 6 Sum plum Bar-tailed Godwit, Raven
Vadsoy peninsula and pools
Many of the afforementioned species, but also 65 Red-necked Phalarope on the main pool, and a further 30 along the beaches, also 40 Ruff, with several males displaying at leks.
We had now got back into a normal sleep pattern! The whole of this area is worthy of exploring, and we just drove along the coast road stopping regularly to scan through the birds.
Pikkuuskitsu Harbour area
60 Arctic tern, 100's Kittiwake, Lapland Bunting, Arctic Skua, sev Black Guillemot, & 30 STELLARS EIDER
Road east to Ekkeroy along coastline
30+ Arctic Skua, 100+ Stellars Eider, 500+ sum plum Knot, 20+ Sum plum Turnstone, Bluethroat, 5+ Black-throated Diver, Long tailed Skua, 20 Long-tailed Duck, 70+ Purple Sandpiper, 6 Sum plum Bar-tailed Godwit, Raven
Vadsoy peninsula and pools
Many of the afforementioned species, but also 65 Red-necked Phalarope on the main pool, and a further 30 along the beaches, also 40 Ruff, with several males displaying at leks.
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
The day finished with a successful search of a hillside to the west of Vadso, basically there is a whole series of driveable tracks just inland of the town, try and find a track that takes you towards the big radio mast, it was near here that we found 4 displaying Dotterel.