Finland – city break in Oulu (June 5-9th ) 2016
We had a few days off work and were looking for a short city break we could combine with some birding.
I suggested Oulu to try for some Owls (recent misses on Ural and Great Grey on various trips made these more attractive than usual). So we contacted Finnature about joining one of their day trips where Owls are normally pretty much guaranteed but they told us it was a very bad Vole year and therefore we would have to travel a bit to have a chance of just 4 Owls including the 2 we were after. They had one seat in front of mini-bus free for one trip, they were willing to let the two of us sit in the front (there a small pull down chair) and they would charge for only one place, the next trip had no-one booked and was unlikely to run so we asked about just having a private guide – I suspect that because owls were poor and lots of birds had moved on from breeding boxes that they were more willing to do this than perhaps they normally would be and they offered us a price for us driving or with a guide driving – we went for the latter and were guided and driven by Taru a very interesting young lady.
The standard prices for Finnature are what I think anyone considering doing this trip in a normal year should budget for - see excursions on www.finnature.com
We booked flights with Finnair (for cheapest flights we had to use Nordic Regional Airlines from Manchester via Helsinki as the operator – smaller planes and slightly longer flying times) but under £200 per person including 1 bag pre-booked. We booked a small car via Rentalcars (Budget provided the car £176 for 5 days).
The hotel we booked was Lapland Hotel in centre of Oulu we could have gone cheaper but as this was city break I agreed with Sarah we would stay in decent city hotel (£89 per night booked through Booking.com as pre-paid offer). Hotel was excellent with a good breakfast included in the room rate.
Flights were on time from Manchester (10.25) and with 3 hour wait at Helsinki and time difference we arrived in Oulu and were in the car shortly after 20.00. First birds we saw were Common Swift, Fieldfare, Hooded Crow and Swallow.
Rather than a day by day account I’ll just list the places we went (all the sites from Gosney finding birds plus a number of the areas from “Birdwatching towers of Oulu and Surrounds” produced by Oulu Environment Office email [email protected] for a copy or information
First places we went were Limika Bay Visitor Centre, Virkkula, Temmesjokisuu, Papinkari, fields around Lumijoki and then Olunsalo including the lagoon at Oilport and finally Lake Papinjarvi. On a second day we visited forest around Jolosjarvi and Huutilampi.
Some really good birding, we saw lekking Ruff albeit scope views, Common Crane, Pallid Harrier, singing Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Garden warbler, Sedge Warbler, Curlew, displaying Black-tailed Godwit, Terek Sandpiper (unfortunately flew away before we could get decent photo), Ortolan Bunting, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Chaffinch, Siskin, Little Gull, Lapwing, Ringed Plover, Whooper Swan, Arctic and Common Tern, Jay, Pied Flycatcher, Common Sandpiper, Thrush Nightingale, Redshank, we also saw a female grouse unidentified as it flew into the trees but probably Hazel
We didn’t see Common Scoter, White-tailed Eagle, Rosefinch, Marsh Harrier or Caspian Tern on first trips.
Finnature day – we were picked up by Taru before 3.00 but at this time of year it is still light (there is no real darkness). We established to best use our time we wouldn’t go to bay area to re see Pallid Harrier or near lake for Blyth’s Reed Warbler instead we would try for Owls and Woodpeckers. With Finnature you agree not to divulge where you see birds but as I wasn’t driving all I can give are vague areas anyway. Or first stop was for Eurasian Pygmy Owl, we couldn’t see the male despite calling but we finally had a look at the female as she showed at the nest box which we were told had two chicks in it. The drive then to some woodpecker areas was through ancient forest said to be good for Grouse – road was short cut to Yliikiiminki and at places was pretty bumpy and despite lots of scanning we didn’t see a single Capercaillie or Black Grouse let alone a Hazel despite trying to call one. The spot for Three-toed Woodpecker was also unsuccessful as the chicks had hatched and left the area and no amount of scanning and calling could get us one (so Sarah keeps this one as bird she has seen but I missed). Fortunately the next stop at a campsite (Mytillo or something like that on a river side) was a bit better, Taru said that tree near the water had held Black woodpecker but chick had fledge and birds had moved on, Sarah said are you sure as female is looking out from side hole and there she was a massive female Black Woodpecker after studying her for a while we decided to take some photos just as she decided to fly off. We tried calling but only succeeded in bringing in a Goshawk. We then tried another spot for Three-toed and a nest box for Tengmalm’s Owl but we had been warned the Owl was unlikely as recent groups had seen nothing in the area, it was thought the Owls had abandoned as there was no food and we only got Goldcrest and Treecreeper.
It was now time to go to find the Ural Owl, when we got to a very boggy forest with masses of mosquitos we found an empty nest box, two chick had fledged and were in the forest over a small stream slightly further away with the female. Taru was confident she could find them as she had seen them only yesterday. Using GPS we got to the area of the forest where the birds had been recently but nothing; fortunately we herd some thrushes making alarm calls – it was Song Thrush and Redwing mobbing the Owl and when we came to a clearing I spotted one of the youngsters sitting in a tree about 10 meters up so Ural Owl finally seen. Taru went off to look for the female in the thicker forest and must have spooked it because it flew right across the tree the young owl was sitting in. We never did find its day roost or photograph the adult.
Only other birds seen here were Thrush Nightingale, Honey Buzzard, Siskin and Blue tit. Bitten to pieces we had a cup of coffee before heading 100Km up the road north beyond Kemi to forest near the Swedish border on route we had two White-tailed Eagles, Marsh Harrier and Buzzard. We bumped into a ringer by the roadside who had just come from a Great Grey Owl nest where two chicks had just hatched this morning the female should be back on the nest but had flown off when he tried to ring it, he said there were only two Owl nests both Great Grey within 50KM circle around this area. We didn’t have to walk very far to find a large box on the side of a tree where a female Great Grey Owl was sitting in the box, over the next 30 minutes the bird changes position but usually was looking in our direction. Taru tried to find the male bird and managed to get him to fly across behind the nest (Sarah missed the fly pass as she was too busy digi-scoping the female). Nothing else of note seen and we were back in Oulu by 12.40.
So 4 lifers including 3 Owls we would have liked Hazel Grouse and Tengmalm’s Owl and I wanted Three-toed Woodpecker. We knew that Hawk Owl was absent from Oulu region this year (fortunately not a lifer for us anyway) so a relative success even if it isn’t up there with what Finnature normally deliver in a good Owl year.
Rest of the trip – we caught up with a couple of pairs of Common Scoter at PapinJarvi, some male Common Rosefinch with some Linnets at Liminka, Wheatear and Winchat in fields near Oulu some Sanderling and a Spotted Redshank at Oilport and a Scaup in poor weather at Kiviniemi.
Other wildlife
Red Squirrel, Roe Deer
We had a few days off work and were looking for a short city break we could combine with some birding.
I suggested Oulu to try for some Owls (recent misses on Ural and Great Grey on various trips made these more attractive than usual). So we contacted Finnature about joining one of their day trips where Owls are normally pretty much guaranteed but they told us it was a very bad Vole year and therefore we would have to travel a bit to have a chance of just 4 Owls including the 2 we were after. They had one seat in front of mini-bus free for one trip, they were willing to let the two of us sit in the front (there a small pull down chair) and they would charge for only one place, the next trip had no-one booked and was unlikely to run so we asked about just having a private guide – I suspect that because owls were poor and lots of birds had moved on from breeding boxes that they were more willing to do this than perhaps they normally would be and they offered us a price for us driving or with a guide driving – we went for the latter and were guided and driven by Taru a very interesting young lady.
The standard prices for Finnature are what I think anyone considering doing this trip in a normal year should budget for - see excursions on www.finnature.com
We booked flights with Finnair (for cheapest flights we had to use Nordic Regional Airlines from Manchester via Helsinki as the operator – smaller planes and slightly longer flying times) but under £200 per person including 1 bag pre-booked. We booked a small car via Rentalcars (Budget provided the car £176 for 5 days).
The hotel we booked was Lapland Hotel in centre of Oulu we could have gone cheaper but as this was city break I agreed with Sarah we would stay in decent city hotel (£89 per night booked through Booking.com as pre-paid offer). Hotel was excellent with a good breakfast included in the room rate.
Flights were on time from Manchester (10.25) and with 3 hour wait at Helsinki and time difference we arrived in Oulu and were in the car shortly after 20.00. First birds we saw were Common Swift, Fieldfare, Hooded Crow and Swallow.
Rather than a day by day account I’ll just list the places we went (all the sites from Gosney finding birds plus a number of the areas from “Birdwatching towers of Oulu and Surrounds” produced by Oulu Environment Office email [email protected] for a copy or information
First places we went were Limika Bay Visitor Centre, Virkkula, Temmesjokisuu, Papinkari, fields around Lumijoki and then Olunsalo including the lagoon at Oilport and finally Lake Papinjarvi. On a second day we visited forest around Jolosjarvi and Huutilampi.
Some really good birding, we saw lekking Ruff albeit scope views, Common Crane, Pallid Harrier, singing Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Garden warbler, Sedge Warbler, Curlew, displaying Black-tailed Godwit, Terek Sandpiper (unfortunately flew away before we could get decent photo), Ortolan Bunting, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Chaffinch, Siskin, Little Gull, Lapwing, Ringed Plover, Whooper Swan, Arctic and Common Tern, Jay, Pied Flycatcher, Common Sandpiper, Thrush Nightingale, Redshank, we also saw a female grouse unidentified as it flew into the trees but probably Hazel
We didn’t see Common Scoter, White-tailed Eagle, Rosefinch, Marsh Harrier or Caspian Tern on first trips.
Finnature day – we were picked up by Taru before 3.00 but at this time of year it is still light (there is no real darkness). We established to best use our time we wouldn’t go to bay area to re see Pallid Harrier or near lake for Blyth’s Reed Warbler instead we would try for Owls and Woodpeckers. With Finnature you agree not to divulge where you see birds but as I wasn’t driving all I can give are vague areas anyway. Or first stop was for Eurasian Pygmy Owl, we couldn’t see the male despite calling but we finally had a look at the female as she showed at the nest box which we were told had two chicks in it. The drive then to some woodpecker areas was through ancient forest said to be good for Grouse – road was short cut to Yliikiiminki and at places was pretty bumpy and despite lots of scanning we didn’t see a single Capercaillie or Black Grouse let alone a Hazel despite trying to call one. The spot for Three-toed Woodpecker was also unsuccessful as the chicks had hatched and left the area and no amount of scanning and calling could get us one (so Sarah keeps this one as bird she has seen but I missed). Fortunately the next stop at a campsite (Mytillo or something like that on a river side) was a bit better, Taru said that tree near the water had held Black woodpecker but chick had fledge and birds had moved on, Sarah said are you sure as female is looking out from side hole and there she was a massive female Black Woodpecker after studying her for a while we decided to take some photos just as she decided to fly off. We tried calling but only succeeded in bringing in a Goshawk. We then tried another spot for Three-toed and a nest box for Tengmalm’s Owl but we had been warned the Owl was unlikely as recent groups had seen nothing in the area, it was thought the Owls had abandoned as there was no food and we only got Goldcrest and Treecreeper.
It was now time to go to find the Ural Owl, when we got to a very boggy forest with masses of mosquitos we found an empty nest box, two chick had fledged and were in the forest over a small stream slightly further away with the female. Taru was confident she could find them as she had seen them only yesterday. Using GPS we got to the area of the forest where the birds had been recently but nothing; fortunately we herd some thrushes making alarm calls – it was Song Thrush and Redwing mobbing the Owl and when we came to a clearing I spotted one of the youngsters sitting in a tree about 10 meters up so Ural Owl finally seen. Taru went off to look for the female in the thicker forest and must have spooked it because it flew right across the tree the young owl was sitting in. We never did find its day roost or photograph the adult.
Only other birds seen here were Thrush Nightingale, Honey Buzzard, Siskin and Blue tit. Bitten to pieces we had a cup of coffee before heading 100Km up the road north beyond Kemi to forest near the Swedish border on route we had two White-tailed Eagles, Marsh Harrier and Buzzard. We bumped into a ringer by the roadside who had just come from a Great Grey Owl nest where two chicks had just hatched this morning the female should be back on the nest but had flown off when he tried to ring it, he said there were only two Owl nests both Great Grey within 50KM circle around this area. We didn’t have to walk very far to find a large box on the side of a tree where a female Great Grey Owl was sitting in the box, over the next 30 minutes the bird changes position but usually was looking in our direction. Taru tried to find the male bird and managed to get him to fly across behind the nest (Sarah missed the fly pass as she was too busy digi-scoping the female). Nothing else of note seen and we were back in Oulu by 12.40.
So 4 lifers including 3 Owls we would have liked Hazel Grouse and Tengmalm’s Owl and I wanted Three-toed Woodpecker. We knew that Hawk Owl was absent from Oulu region this year (fortunately not a lifer for us anyway) so a relative success even if it isn’t up there with what Finnature normally deliver in a good Owl year.
Rest of the trip – we caught up with a couple of pairs of Common Scoter at PapinJarvi, some male Common Rosefinch with some Linnets at Liminka, Wheatear and Winchat in fields near Oulu some Sanderling and a Spotted Redshank at Oilport and a Scaup in poor weather at Kiviniemi.
Other wildlife
Red Squirrel, Roe Deer
