Finland Wildlife Spectacular

The rare and secretive Wolverine has been heavily hunted in the past, but now there are good opportunities to photograph this amazing mammal (Jari Peltomäki)

Sunday 13th May - Saturday 19th May 2012
(7 days)
Leader: To be announced
Group Size Limit: 6

Potential photographic highlights

• Amazing chances to photograph the rarely seen Wolverine.
• Incredible encounters with Brown Bears along the Russian border.
• Other amazing mammal encounters including chances of Elk, Wild Forest Reindeer and even Wolf!
• Stunning encounters with Arctic owls hopefully including the stunning Great Grey Owl.
• Many other superb bird photography including amazing lekking Black Grouse.
• Superb Taiga scenery.

Eastern Finland, on the Russian border offers some of the most amazing wildlife photography anywhere in the world. Breathtaking encounters with wild Brown Bears, Wolverines and other forest mammals all from the safety of well-placed hides!  Bears feasting on salmon, bears climbing trees,…and all within a few yards of the hides. What else do we need to say! Using a combination of professional hides and rooms at hotels and lodges during our journey, we will move from one highlight to the next.


Itinerary

Day 1  The tour will begin in the afternoon at Joensuu (easily connected to from Helsinki) from where we will transfer to our hotel at Lieksa. On our first evening we will try to photograph Beavers introduced from Northern America, that inhabit some of the wetland areas. As well as the animals themselves, we'll see dammed streams, felled trees and saplings, and lodges that are a collection of birch and vegetation piled high. Late evening we will return to lodge for good rest.

Day 2  Early morning we will be in tent hides at the Black Grouse lek site. It is a wonderful experience to see and photograph these magnificent birds at close range! Later we will return to our hotel for a late lunch buffet and then travel to pro-hides at Kontiovaara for Wolverine and with luck Brown Bear photography. The entire evening and night and part of the next morning will be spent in pro-hides, before we return to the lodge for a proper breakfast and well-earned rest.

Day 3  After breakfast there will be time to have some rest. However, there are possibilities that some of the northern owls are nesting in Lieksa area, so we might well photograph one of the species already here!  Later we will eturn to our hotel for a late lunch before second departure to pro-hides for Wolverine photography. Once again, the entire evening and night and part of the next morning will be spent in pro-hides, before we return to the lodge for a proper breakfast and well-earned rest.

Day 4  Today we will drive north-east to the Boreal Wildlife Centre in Viiksimo close to the Russian border. After checking in and an early dinner at the Lodge we will make our way to the pro-hides to photograph Giants of Forest. Just as it gets towards dusk - still with good light here as we are a long way north - the Brown Bears appear out of the forest. There will be wandering immatures, large territorial males, and chances for mothers protecting their young cubs. The bears can be within yards of the hides for several hours, offering superb photographic opportunities. With luck, we may even have an encounter with the scarce and elusive Wolves that forage from across the Russian border.

Day 5  After breakfast we will head off to search to search for Wild Forest Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus) in Elimyssalo Nature park. The Elimyssalo Nature Reserve represents the best of forest nature that Kainuu region has to offer. It is a tapestry of different types of mires, old spruce forests draped with beard lichens, lush stream banks, and small lakes and ponds. Here are superb photographic opportunities in the Park itself and in the surrounding forests where Wild Forest Reindeer move around. Calves will be born in late May or early June. Bird species in the park might include Siberian Jay, Rustic Bunting and Red-flanked Bluetail. There are possibilities that some of the northern owls are nesting in Viiksimo area and our guide will be aware of them, so we might well photograph one of the species already here! Later, we will drive to Martinselkonen for an early dinner. Departure to pro-hides for Brown Bear photography takes place around 16:00pm. The entire evening and night and part of the next morning will be spent in hides, before we return to the lodge for a proper breakfast and well-earned rest.

Day 6  Today we will make our way to Oulu/ Kuusamo. Oulu is the place for Owls. Finnature guides have put up nest boxes and nest platforms for owls in this region, so here we have our best chance to photograph these elusive species. During these two days we are concentrating on finding the five most wanted species: Pygmy, Tengmalm’s, Ural, Hawk and Great Grey Owls! Evenings and early mornings are the best time to photograph in the forest, since light conditions are better. We might even have a chance to photograph long-legged Elk browsing the trees on the edge of meadows.

Day 7  Today we will go for the notorious Ural Owl. This elusive owl is the most difficult of them all to see – it has better eyes than us, though with careful approach this beautiful pale colored bird can be seen.  Eurasian Three-toed and Black Woodpeckers can also be found in these forests. With luck we might even come across an unusually tame rogue Capercaillie! We will stay in the forest landscape and have a final try for the magnificent Great Grey Owl. No-one will be left cold in the presence of this large breath-taking bird. Later we will transfer to Oulu Airport where the tour will end in the early afternoon.

Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels and lodges 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 some fairly long walks, and walks are sometimes over uneven terrain. The long daylight hours and need to be out early and late and during the crepuscular periods tends to result in regular long days in the field.

Climate: Rather variable. Temperatures range from cool (or even pretty cold) to warm. Sunny periods alternate with rainy, overcast weather.

A couple of splendid Brown Bear cubs make their way through the forest (Jari Peltomäki)

The sensational Great Grey Owl will be a major target for our lenses! (Jari Peltomäki)

Is the Great Grey Owl the best owl of them all? (Jari Peltomäki)

Northern Hawk Owl is another of those superb owls that will be much-wanted (Jari Peltomäki)

The sights and sounds of lekking Black Grouse really take some beating! (Jari Peltomäki)

Another shot of the wonderful Wolverine (Jari Peltomäki)

And on the rare occasion that there's not a rare creature to photograph, there's always the scenery! (Jari Peltomäki)