Our first departure to Finland in more than 20 years is in the books and what an adventure it was. Thanks for joining me on this new itinerary. Our journey was marked by many exciting sightings, enchanting forests, pristine shorelines, and predominately pleasant weather. Our tour had its share of teachable moments, as first runs often do, but the high points greatly outnumbered the challenges, making for an unforgettable trip. From endangered seals to dramatic raptors, from dancing shorebirds to rumbling bears, from numerous observation towers to countless skeins overhead...what an adventure we shared. Thank you all for choosing Field Guides and I hope to bird with all of you again someday.
Best,
KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant
GRAYLAG GOOSE (EUROPEAN) (Anser anser anser)
This otherwise unremarkable goose really shines in flight -- the frosty upperwing coverts are striking
TAIGA BEAN-GOOSE (Anser fabalis fabalis)
We found a few while playing Where's Waldo in the huge Barnacle Goose flocks
BARNACLE GOOSE (Branta leucopsis)
The enormous flocks were mesmerizing
CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis) [I]
A few early on in the tour
MUTE SWAN (Cygnus olor)
Only on two occasions
WHOOPER SWAN (Cygnus cygnus)
Finland's National Bird -- we saw this majestic beast almost daily. The really close birds on the second day of the tour, at the arboretum, were particularly memorable.
COMMON SHELDUCK (Tadorna tadorna)
Structurally, an interesting bird
GARGANEY (Spatula querquedula)
Not a common bird in Finland. The first one proved elusive but we finally caught up to an obliging drake at Oulu -- scoped from the tower
NORTHERN SHOVELER (Spatula clypeata)
Most days in the south
GADWALL (COMMON) (Mareca strepera strepera)
Early and late in the tour
EURASIAN WIGEON (Mareca penelope)
Common throughout; sightings daily
MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos)
Daily
NORTHERN PINTAIL (Anas acuta)
Just a few here and there
GREEN-WINGED TEAL (EURASIAN) (Anas crecca crecca)
Almost daily
TUFTED DUCK (Aythya fuligula)
Handsome drakes were seen daily
GREATER SCAUP (Aythya marila)
We had distant scope views at Lake Sompiojarvi
VELVET SCOTER (Melanitta fusca)
Very similar to White-winged Scoter
COMMON SCOTER (Melanitta nigra)
Europe's version of Black Scoter
COMMON GOLDENEYE (Bucephala clangula clangula)
More days than not
SMEW (Mergellus albellus)
What a gorgeous duck! We enjoyed multiple good looks in the Kuusamo region
COMMON MERGANSER (EURASIAN) (Mergus merganser merganser)
This seems like a candidate for a split from our North American subspecies
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (Mergus serrator)
Only a few sightings; not nearly as numerous as the previous species
HAZEL GROUSE (Tetrastes bonasia)
We flushed several early on in the tour; Europe's equivalent of our Ruffed Grouse
WILLOW PTARMIGAN (Lagopus lagopus)
Plenty of cooperative birds in gorgeous breeding plumage toward the end of the tour up north
WESTERN CAPERCAILLIE (Tetrao urogallus)
Our first one was a beautiful female with her rusty chest but the absolutely colossal males were a sight to see
BLACK GROUSE (Lyrurus tetrix)
We saw lekking males on a couple occasions late in the evening, but we saw many more females foraging along the roadside.
RING-NECKED PHEASANT (Phasianus colchicus) [I]
A few in the Oulu area
HORNED GREBE (Podiceps auritus auritus)
Just a pair at Lake Saaperi
RED-NECKED GREBE (Podiceps grisegena)
Just a few sightings up north
GREAT CRESTED GREBE (Podiceps cristatus)
More sightings in the southern half of Finland
ROCK PIGEON (Columba livia)
I didn't have to flag these birds as introduced, which is a nice change of pace
STOCK DOVE (Columba oenas)
The birds foraging in the plowed field at the research farm in Helsinki proved to be the only sighting of the tour
COMMON WOOD-PIGEON (Columba palumbus)
This impressively large pigeon was seen or at least heard almost every day
COMMON CUCKOO (Cuculus canorus)
Their distinctive call could be heard from far away. We heard way more than we saw but we managed to get a few in the scope
COMMON SWIFT (Apus apus)
Olli was particularly good at spotting these overhead
EURASIAN MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus)
Heard in the marsh at the very first tower we visited on day one
EURASIAN COOT (Fulica atra)
Teri spotted one for us at Oulu in the marsh behind the hotel
COMMON CRANE (Grus grus)
These elegant birds were predominately seen in pairs but a few flocks were still moving north
EURASIAN THICK-KNEE (Burhinus oedicnemus)
Great spotting Donna! Wow - this was definitely the most unexpected bird of the tour. It even got the Finnish birders excited.
EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER (Haematopus ostralegus)
Darker than the American species
EUROPEAN GOLDEN-PLOVER (Pluvialis apricaria)
We caught up to migrants on a few days
NORTHERN LAPWING (Vanellus vanellus)
Reliably seen as breeders in every agricultural area we passed through
COMMON RINGED PLOVER (Charadrius hiaticula)
Only when we were still in the Helsinki area
LITTLE RINGED PLOVER (Charadrius dubius)
More elongated structure than the previous species, with a yellow eyering
EURASIAN DOTTEREL (Charadrius morinellus)
Voted the bird of the tour and for good reason: gorgeous, cooperative, occupying a dramatic landscape, a memorable search effort and good spotting by Vivian
WHIMBREL (EUROPEAN) (Numenius phaeopus phaeopus)
For such a large shorebird in an open landscape, it was remarkable how that pair would disappear from view for prolonged stretches
EURASIAN CURLEW (Numenius arquata)
These massive shorebirds were seen most days; already paired up and on breeding territories
BLACK-TAILED GODWIT (LIMOSA) (Limosa limosa limosa)
Arguably one of the world's most elegant shorebirds
RUFF (Calidris pugnax)
Wow. You read about and see photos of males displaying, but witnessing them fluffed up and strutting their stuff still managed to exceed expectations
TEMMINCK'S STINT (Calidris temminckii)
On the mudflats in Helsinki
EURASIAN WOODCOCK (Scolopax rusticola)
They seemed huge compared to woodcocks in North America. We saw quite a few in flight during our evening outing in the Oulu area
COMMON SNIPE (Gallinago gallinago)
Heard and seen most days of the tour
COMMON SANDPIPER (Actitis hypoleucos)
Occupying the same niche as Spotted Sandpiper in North America
GREEN SANDPIPER (Tringa ochropus)
The most memorable one for me was the one in aerial display overhead as we were waiting to be escorted into the bear blind
COMMON GREENSHANK (Tringa nebularia)
Along lake shores
WOOD SANDPIPER (Tringa glareola)
We seemed to find this species all over the place; whenever we were near water
COMMON REDSHANK (Tringa totanus)
Our best looks were right behind the hotel in Oulu
BLACK-HEADED GULL (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Should be called the chocolate-headed gull
LITTLE GULL (Hydrocoloeus minutus)
Tiny and gorgeous. Observing the breeding colony on the small island in the lake outside of Kuusamo was thrilling.
COMMON GULL (EUROPEAN) (Larus canus canus)
Daily until we got up to the Ivalo area
HERRING GULL (EUROPEAN) (Larus argentatus argentatus)
Widespread
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (FUSCUS) (Larus fuscus fuscus)
This is the subspecies we found throughout the tour
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (HEUGLIN'S) (Larus fuscus heuglini)
This subspecies is at the pale-mantled end of the species complex. We had great looks at one while we were in the bear blind
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus marinus)
A few times when we were on the coast at the start of the tour
LITTLE TERN (Sternula albifrons)
Only in Oulu
CASPIAN TERN (Hydroprogne caspia)
Just in Helsinki
COMMON TERN (Sterna hirundo)
Daily
ARCTIC TERN (Sterna paradisaea)
We saw some migrants on the southern coast
RED-THROATED LOON (Gavia stellata)
On a lake when we were in the Kuusamo area
ARCTIC LOON (Gavia arctica arctica)
Plenty of good looks at this beautiful loon
GREAT CORMORANT (NORTH ATLANTIC) (Phalacrocorax carbo carbo)
Good numbers along the Baltic Sea
GREAT BITTERN (Botaurus stellaris stellaris)
Their distinctive display sounds were heard well but we never managed to spot one of those elusive creatures
GRAY HERON (Ardea cinerea)
Very similar to Great Blue Heron
OSPREY (HALIAETUS) (Pandion haliaetus haliaetus)
Not as common in Finland as one might expect
EURASIAN MARSH-HARRIER (Circus aeruginosus aeruginosus)
We had multiple good looks at this sexual dimorphic species
HEN HARRIER (Circus cyaneus)
Our only view of this species was WAY out over the marsh along the lakeshore near the end of the tour
EURASIAN SPARROWHAWK (Accipiter nisus)
Mostly birds in flight
NORTHERN GOSHAWK (EURASIAN) (Accipiter gentilis gentilis)
Recently published research has this super-species being split up. The birds we saw in Finland will be split from "American Goshawk" in the next checklist update. Our first bird was along the lakeshore near Russia, which got lots of ducks, shorebirds, and songbirds scattering in all directions. Watching the hunting bird from the blind was neat too
BLACK KITE (Milvus migrans)
This widespread species seems to be expanding its range in Finland
WHITE-TAILED EAGLE (Haliaeetus albicilla)
We witnessed this massive raptor on several days but none of the other sightings compared to the dramatic looks we enjoyed while we were in the bear blind
COMMON BUZZARD (WESTERN) (Buteo buteo buteo)
The extensive forests of Finland are less appealing than the ag lands for this open country raptor
NORTHERN HAWK OWL (EURASIAN) (Surnia ulula ulula)
Definitely a highlight of the tour -- we savored an excellent experience with this remarkable raptor
URAL OWL (Strix uralensis) [*]
Just a distant, brief vocalization
GREAT GRAY OWL (LAPLAND) (Strix nebulosa lapponica)
The incubating (or brooding?) bird on the nest was so massive!
BOREAL OWL (TENGMALM'S) (Aegolius funereus funereus)
Pop goes the owl -- what a thrill to find an active nest
WHITE-BACKED WOODPECKER (WHITE-BACKED) (Dendrocopos leucotos leucotos)
This uncommon species is being carefully studied in Finland
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER (GREAT SPOTTED) (Dendrocopos major major)
The most conspicuous woodpecker in Finland by far
LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER (Dryobates minor minor)
That individual we saw well at our very first birding site proved to be our only encounter of the tour
BLACK WOODPECKER (Dryocopus martius martius)
This huge woodpecker was absolutely a tour highlight. First hearing them in the distance got our pulses racing and then to see them fly right over us and perch in the tree for scope views was breathtaking.
EURASIAN KESTREL (EURASIAN) (Falco tinnunculus tinnunculus)
A fairly common sighting as we drove throughout the country
EURASIAN HOBBY (Falco subbuteo subbuteo)
We saw this particularly lanky and striking falcon in flight several times but the perched bird Betsy found for us was easily the best view.
PEREGRINE FALCON (EURASIAN) (Falco peregrinus peregrinus)
Overhead with other raptors at Lake Saaperi
SIBERIAN JAY (Perisoreus infaustus infaustus)
This subtle beauty was very cooperative; they remind me so much of their close cousin: the Canada Jay in North America
EURASIAN JAY (EURASIAN) (Garrulus glandarius glandarius)
We drove by this species on a roadside but when we circled back the individuals had moved off the shoulder and out of view
EURASIAN MAGPIE (EURASIAN) (Pica pica pica)
Common and widespread
EURASIAN JACKDAW (Corvus monedula monedula)
Many flocks
ROOK (Corvus frugilegus frugilegus)
This unusual Corvid has patchy distribution in Finland
HOODED CROW (HOODED) (Corvus cornix cornix)
Common and widespread
COMMON RAVEN (Corvus corax corax)
The nominate race
WILLOW TIT (WILLOW) (Poecile montanus montanus)
We finally caught to a few outside Kuusamo
GRAY-HEADED CHICKADEE (Poecile cinctus lapponicus)
It took a special trip to a nest box outside of Ivalo to find this uncommon species
EURASIAN BLUE TIT (Cyanistes caeruleus caeruleus)
Pretty bird
GREAT TIT (GREAT) (Parus major major)
Most days
EURASIAN SKYLARK (EUROPEAN) (Alauda arvensis arvensis)
Their aerial displays were impressive
SEDGE WARBLER (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)
Thick in the marsh behind the hotel in Oulu
BLYTH'S REED WARBLER (Acrocephalus dumetorum)
Heard but I am not sure anyone got their bins on one
BANK SWALLOW (Riparia riparia riparia)
Not many
BARN SWALLOW (WHITE-BELLIED) (Hirundo rustica rustica)
Daily
COMMON HOUSE-MARTIN (WESTERN) (Delichon urbicum urbicum)
Good looks on multiple days
WOOD WARBLER (Phylloscopus sibilatrix)
We had great looks in the birch forest just outside of Joensuu
WILLOW WARBLER (Phylloscopus trochilus trochilus)
Definitely the most conspicuous warbler of Finland
COMMON CHIFFCHAFF (COMMON) (Phylloscopus collybita collybita)
Distinctive song
LESSER WHITETHROAT (CURRUCA/BLYTHI) (Curruca curruca curruca)
This nondescript species was heard more than seen
GREATER WHITETHROAT (Curruca communis communis)
An edge species we found more readily than the previous species
GOLDCREST (EUROPEAN) (Regulus regulus regulus)
Heard in the conifer forests on our first morning walk
EURASIAN TREECREEPER (Certhia familiaris familiaris)
Also heard in the forest around Hotel Nuuksio
EURASIAN WREN (EURASIAN) (Troglodytes troglodytes troglodytes)
This sprite is the nominate race in Finland
EUROPEAN STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris)
Less common than in North America
MISTLE THRUSH (Turdus viscivorus viscivorus)
We finally got looks at this large, spotty thrush near the end of the tour
SONG THRUSH (Turdus philomelos philomelos)
Heard and seen well
REDWING (EURASIAN) (Turdus iliacus iliacus)
Lots and lots and lots
EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (Turdus merula merula)
A thrush, not an Icterid
FIELDFARE (Turdus pilaris)
The American Robin of Finland
SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (SPOTTED) (Muscicapa striata striata)
Tough to see "the spots"
EUROPEAN ROBIN (Erithacus rubecula rubecula)
Tiny and vocal
THRUSH NIGHTINGALE (Luscinia luscinia)
What a fantastic song but geez it was tough to get a look
EUROPEAN PIED FLYCATCHER (Ficedula hypoleuca hypoleuca)
Seen well most days
COMMON REDSTART (COMMON) (Phoenicurus phoenicurus phoenicurus)
The singing male atop the spruce in Koli National Park was amazing
WHINCHAT (Saxicola rubetra)
Ditch bird
NORTHERN WHEATEAR (EURASIAN) (Oenanthe oenanthe oenanthe)
Good looks from the first tower
BOHEMIAN WAXWING (Bombycilla garrulus garrulus)
Thankfully, our only encounter was with a very cooperative pair
DUNNOCK (Prunella modularis modularis)
A subtle beauty
HOUSE SPARROW (GRAY-CHEEKED) (Passer domesticus domesticus)
A few here and there
WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL (THUNBERGI) (Motacilla flava thunbergi)
Wow -- what a bright belly
WHITE WAGTAIL (WHITE-FACED) (Motacilla alba alba)
Daily
MEADOW PIPIT (Anthus pratensis pratensis)
More sightings as we got farther north
TREE PIPIT (Anthus trivialis trivialis)
Singing from atop a tree seemed very appropriate
COMMON CHAFFINCH (COMMON) (Fringilla coelebs coelebs)
Common and widespread
BRAMBLING (Fringilla montifringilla)
This was a targeted species for more than a few of you, so I was pleased we saw it so well during the last few days of the tour
COMMON ROSEFINCH (Carpodacus erythrinus erythrinus)
The Oulu bird was the best view
PINE GROSBEAK (EURASIAN) (Pinicola enucleator enucleator)
We finally caught up to this beautiful finch at feeders while we were enjoying delicious fish stew during the last lunch of the tour
EURASIAN BULLFINCH (EURASIAN) (Pyrrhula pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Gorgeous and obliging on several occasions
EUROPEAN GREENFINCH (Chloris chloris chloris)
Only a few sightings but seen well
COMMON REDPOLL (FLAMMEA) (Acanthis flammea flammea)
The display flights were neat
PARROT CROSSBILL (Loxia pytyopsittacus)
What a bill!
RED CROSSBILL (Loxia curvirostra)
Heard and eventually seen well on several days
EURASIAN SISKIN (Spinus spinus)
Almost daily; more colorful than Pine Siskin
YELLOWHAMMER (Emberiza citrinella citrinella)
A good-looking bunting
REED BUNTING (Emberiza schoeniclus schoeniclus)
It was a treat to watch the males sing and sway on the reeds of pretty much every marsh we visited
RUSTIC BUNTING (Emberiza rustica rustica)
Thankfully, our first cooperated nicely
EUROPEAN BROWN HARE (Lepus europaeus)
The giant bunny in the south
NORTHERN (BLUE) HARE (Lepus timidus)
The frosty bunny up north
EUROPEAN RED SQUIRREL (Sciurus vulgaris)
MUSKRAT (Ondatra zibethica) [I]
RED FOX (Vulpes vulpes)
One van got to see one before it ran off
BROWN (INCL. GRIZZLY) BEAR (Ursus arctos)
Our evening in the blind watching that sow and yearling will burn bright in my memory for the rest of my life
RINGED SEAL (Phoca hispida)
The subspecies in Lake Saimaa was isolated after the last glacial period with only several hundred remaining. Our boat cruise was a special treat and then to have that youngster come right up to us was fantastic
WHITE-TAILED DEER (Odocoileus virginianus) [I]
Introduced to Finland in the 1930s; a few were seen by some of us in the south
MOOSE (Alces alces)
Cow and calf running through the marsh was memorable
CARIBOU (Rangifer tarandus)
Fascinating cultural importance
ROE DEER (Capreolus capreolus)
A few of us saw some individuals while we were driving
VIVIPAROUS LIZARD (Zootoca vivipara)
A reptile that far north was surprising
Totals for the tour: 150 bird taxa and 11 mammal taxa