Page
1
/2
Page 1 of 2
ANN AND ROLAND GO BIRDING IN FINLAND
TRAVEL
We flew direct from Manchester to Helsinki. No problems and fabulous views of Finland etc.
CAR HIRE
We hired a Volvo from Hertz.
ACCOMMODATION
We stayed at the Hotel Nuuksio in Espoo within the Nuuksio National park and by Siikajärvi Lake. It
was about a half hour’s drive from Helsinki. Our room was ok apart from the disgustingly mouldy
shower curtain but wasn’t cleaned at all while we were there. Apparently you have to ask for that to
be done. Meal-times were a bit of a nuisance. Breakfast starts at 8 or 8.30 and is a buffet but if there
are lots of people staying they keep running out so you have to wait for more. The evening buffet
starts at 5 and is left out on hot plates for ages. It was 15 euros each for this. On our first night there
was hardly anything left and it was all dried up so we went hungry. There is nowhere else to eat
locally. Restaurants keep strange hours, tend not to open on Sundays and are horrifically expensive.
We soon found the nearest Lidl! It is probably different in Helsinki. The hotel surroundings are very
pleasant and you can go for walks in the forest or use the sauna by the lake. If you go the hotel
website, it is far from accurate and makes it out to be much better than it is. Lunch was never
mentioned while we were there or sandwiches ordered at the bar and they didn’t bother to tell us
they don’t serve dinner at the weekend!
BIRDING
We used Dave Gosney’s “Finding Birds in South Finland” (DVD and book) for inspiration and
basically spent 3 days exploring the spots he describes! These were Vanhankaupunginlahti
(otherwise known as Vikki), Nuuksio and Suemenoia. We knew the birding wouldn’t be
wonderful but we just fancied a break somewhere different. The weather was warm all the
time we were there but there was a big storm on the Saturday night which brought a lot of
trees down and Sunday started off damp though that didn’t last.
Suomenoia is supposed to be a terrific wetland and the tracks round it are very popular with
walkers, joggers etc. We soon found that the Fins are not very friendly – no hellos or smiles
when you passed people or moved over to make way for them on narrow paths, boardwalks
etc. Such a contrast after the Netherlands! Anyway, back to Suomenoia. There is a viewing
platform and a high lookout point there. We were disappointed not to get more warblers
here and there were only a few Black-headed gulls in the breeding colony. We made 3 trips
here looking for Slavonian grebe but they must have all gone back to Slovenia!
Nuuksoi National Park is the finest and wildest area of woodland close to Helsinki but is only
53sq.kms. We followed a track which started at Hogbacka and headed towards Haukkalampi
but did not complete the trail as we weren’t seeing anything. The trail was very well
maintained with information boards, a long boardwalk over the mosquito-ridden boggy bits
and steps in the very steep areas. There is a fantastic bus service in this part of Finland – we
saw bus stops at the beginning and end of all the trails so that people do not need to have
cars to be able to enjoy the country side. There is a Visitors’ Centre which has a café, book
and gift shop and information service.
Viikki is spread over quite a large area and has a myriad of cycling and walking trials and
boardwalks. There are hides and observation platforms too. It gets very busy!! I really
enjoyed walking this area because of the variety of habitats. There are 2 main entry points:
one round the back of a shopping/exhibition centre called the Gardenia and the other from
a car park round the back of a load of flats. It is basically an area of lots of shallow water and
reedbeds but you can also walk through damp woodland and fields. We were hoping to see
Page 1 of 2
Page 2 of 2
Bearded reedling but failed miserably despite our best efforts! No lifers on this trip but it
gave us an insight into the Fins and Finland.
BIRD LIST
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Canada Goose Branta canadensis Introduced species
Coal Tit Periparus ater
Common Blackbird Turdus merula
Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Common Redshank Tringa totanus
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
Common Swift Apus apus
Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus
Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
European Robin Erithacus rubecula
Gadwall Mareca strepera
Garden Warbler Sylvia borin
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Great Tit Parus major
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Greylag Goose Anser anser
Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Mute Swan Cygnus olor
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Near-threatened
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata
Redwing Turdus iliacus Near-threatened
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapidaestriata
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Rare/Accidental
Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
White Wagtail Motacilla alba
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Page 2 of 2
Ann and Roland Go Birding in Finland August 2017.pdf
Displaying Ann and Roland Go Birding in Finland August 2017.pdf.
1
/2
Page 1 of 2
ANN AND ROLAND GO BIRDING IN FINLAND
TRAVEL
We flew direct from Manchester to Helsinki. No problems and fabulous views of Finland etc.
CAR HIRE
We hired a Volvo from Hertz.
ACCOMMODATION
We stayed at the Hotel Nuuksio in Espoo within the Nuuksio National park and by Siikajärvi Lake. It
was about a half hour’s drive from Helsinki. Our room was ok apart from the disgustingly mouldy
shower curtain but wasn’t cleaned at all while we were there. Apparently you have to ask for that to
be done. Meal-times were a bit of a nuisance. Breakfast starts at 8 or 8.30 and is a buffet but if there
are lots of people staying they keep running out so you have to wait for more. The evening buffet
starts at 5 and is left out on hot plates for ages. It was 15 euros each for this. On our first night there
was hardly anything left and it was all dried up so we went hungry. There is nowhere else to eat
locally. Restaurants keep strange hours, tend not to open on Sundays and are horrifically expensive.
We soon found the nearest Lidl! It is probably different in Helsinki. The hotel surroundings are very
pleasant and you can go for walks in the forest or use the sauna by the lake. If you go the hotel
website, it is far from accurate and makes it out to be much better than it is. Lunch was never
mentioned while we were there or sandwiches ordered at the bar and they didn’t bother to tell us
they don’t serve dinner at the weekend!
BIRDING
We used Dave Gosney’s “Finding Birds in South Finland” (DVD and book) for inspiration and
basically spent 3 days exploring the spots he describes! These were Vanhankaupunginlahti
(otherwise known as Vikki), Nuuksio and Suemenoia. We knew the birding wouldn’t be
wonderful but we just fancied a break somewhere different. The weather was warm all the
time we were there but there was a big storm on the Saturday night which brought a lot of
trees down and Sunday started off damp though that didn’t last.
Suomenoia is supposed to be a terrific wetland and the tracks round it are very popular with
walkers, joggers etc. We soon found that the Fins are not very friendly – no hellos or smiles
when you passed people or moved over to make way for them on narrow paths, boardwalks
etc. Such a contrast after the Netherlands! Anyway, back to Suomenoia. There is a viewing
platform and a high lookout point there. We were disappointed not to get more warblers
here and there were only a few Black-headed gulls in the breeding colony. We made 3 trips
here looking for Slavonian grebe but they must have all gone back to Slovenia!
Nuuksoi National Park is the finest and wildest area of woodland close to Helsinki but is only
53sq.kms. We followed a track which started at Hogbacka and headed towards Haukkalampi
but did not complete the trail as we weren’t seeing anything. The trail was very well
maintained with information boards, a long boardwalk over the mosquito-ridden boggy bits
and steps in the very steep areas. There is a fantastic bus service in this part of Finland – we
saw bus stops at the beginning and end of all the trails so that people do not need to have
cars to be able to enjoy the country side. There is a Visitors’ Centre which has a café, book
and gift shop and information service.
Viikki is spread over quite a large area and has a myriad of cycling and walking trials and
boardwalks. There are hides and observation platforms too. It gets very busy!! I really
enjoyed walking this area because of the variety of habitats. There are 2 main entry points:
one round the back of a shopping/exhibition centre called the Gardenia and the other from
a car park round the back of a load of flats. It is basically an area of lots of shallow water and
reedbeds but you can also walk through damp woodland and fields. We were hoping to see
Page 1 of 2
Page 2 of 2
Bearded reedling but failed miserably despite our best efforts! No lifers on this trip but it
gave us an insight into the Fins and Finland.
BIRD LIST
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Canada Goose Branta canadensis Introduced species
Coal Tit Periparus ater
Common Blackbird Turdus merula
Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Common Redshank Tringa totanus
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
Common Swift Apus apus
Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus
Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica
Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
European Robin Erithacus rubecula
Gadwall Mareca strepera
Garden Warbler Sylvia borin
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Great Tit Parus major
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Greylag Goose Anser anser
Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Mute Swan Cygnus olor
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Near-threatened
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata
Redwing Turdus iliacus Near-threatened
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapidaestriata
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Rare/Accidental
Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
White Wagtail Motacilla alba
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Page 2 of 2
Ann and Roland Go Birding in Finland August 2017.pdf
Displaying Ann and Roland Go Birding in Finland August 2017.pdf.
