Posted by Brydon Thomason on Tuesday 24th September 2024 | Trip Reports
Kev Morgans & Brydon Thomason
Photo credits: Atlantic Puffins, Ian Makin (Insta: @wildlifeimprint); King Eiders, Alison Bamber (Insta: @alisonbamber); Hawk Owl, Monica Doshi (Insta: @mdee_photos); Pine Grosebeak, Brydon Thomason.
From beautiful Arctic Sea Ducks to feisty fighting Puffins in the snow. This is a fabulous trip to photograph an array of birdlife in a totally unique perspective, the ducks at eye level on the sea and seabirds on the stunning cliffs of Hornøya in the snow. Experienced knowledgeable guides and fantastic accommodation and food!! Wonderful trip not to be missed!!Alison Bamber
A gem of a photography adventure from start to finish – For any bird photographer, this trip is hard to beat as our week delivered way more than ever imagined – exceptional experience!Mary Michael Patterson
Wow! What an adventure – from the remote Arctic wilds of Finnish Lapland and its iconic frozen-forest birds, to the remote coastal corners of Northern Norway for seabirds and sea ducks- this debut tour was a sensational success! Standout highlight for most, and the headline act was undoubtedly the snow-capped island of Hornøya and the spectacle of tens of thousands of seabirds, especially Puffins on the snow! Equally though, the sea ducks of Båtsfjord did not disappoint – nor did the forest birds with double-figure tally of Hawk Owl as well as plentiful Pine Grosebeak.
But for us and the group as a whole, what made this tour that bit more special as much as the amazing birds and adventure was the fantastic group of people we all got to share it with. It was one of those special weeks where everyone got on really well, making for a good sociable and fun group dynamic throughout, with plenty laughs along the way. We must also give massive shout to our good friends at Finnature. The organisation, as always was fantastic, making sure every element of the tour ran smoothly and successfully- with fabulous accommodation and certainly, extremely well-fed along the way!
To our delight, the tour sold all eight places, though unfortunately for one, an injury two weeks prior to departure, we were down to seven guests. The format of the two of us and Antero leading worked really well for all. Antero’s immeasurable knowledge of the birds and locations and us offering hands-on help and advice if or when needed. With two buses guests had ample space on the inevitable long drives necessary to cover the distances of the action-packed program.
The tour summary
Our adventure began with an early flight from London to Helsinki. We all met at the departure gate to start our trip. Later that day, we boarded our second flight, further north to Ivalo. Once we had touched down in Lapland, collected our bags, and met our Finish co-guide for the trip, birding legend Antero Topp, It was then a short drive to the hotel for our first night in the frozen north.
The following morning, we loaded the vans and hit the road, travelling towards our destination for the next few days in Båtsfjord. Along the way, we got our first real glimpse of the frozen north, driving past stunning snow-blanketed forests, icy lakes, and beautiful snowcapped mountains.
Photo credits: Pine Grosebeaks, Alison Bamber (Insta: @alisonbamber); Arctic Redpoll, Brydon Thomason; Siberian Jay, Robbie Brookes (Insta: @bobthebirder); Pine Grosebeak, Mary Michael Patterson (Insta: @wildedition).
Our first stop of the trip was a bird feeding station, which attracted many Arctic species, such as the Pine Grosbeak, Siberian Tit, Willow Tit, Common Redpoll, and Arctic Redpoll. The beautifully photogenic Grosebeaks were plentiful, and the highlight for many, whilst for some it was the Siberian Jay that stole the show. After a few hours of shooting and warming up with a much-needed cup of coffee, we continued our journey.
Shortly before crossing the Finnish-Norwegian border, there were calls of excitement over the radio as we spotted our first Hawk Owl, posing next to the road on the adjacent telegraph wire. Little did we know that this would be the first of no fewer than 15 individuals by the end of the trip – the most Antero had ever seen in a week-long tour! Several of these offered fabulous photo-opportunities on tree-top roadside perches. Also a highlight here were several roadside Reindeer herds, making authentically picturesque photo-opportunities.
Hawk Owl, Linda Sanders (Insta: @lindaruby2022)
Reindeer, Robbie Brookes (Insta: @bobthebirder)
After lunch and left the treeline behind as the road meandered across the highlands of the Varanger Peninsula, offering some stunning views before dropping down into the small fishing town of Batsfjord. Arriving late to our base for the next few nights, and with an early 3 a.m. wakeup call the following day, we all ate some dinner and got an early night in preparation for our morning with the arctic sea ducks.
The focus for the next two days with Birding Veranger was the floating photography hides for Arctic sea ducks such as the iconic King and Steller’s, as well as Common Eiders, and Long-tailed Ducks. Although these sessions required an early 3 a.m. alarm, and a short few-hundred metre boat transfer, the opportunities and experience was agreed by all to be absolutely more than worth it! Over the course of the two days, there were some fantastic images to be captured, particularly on the second day, when we were blessed with magical conditions as heavy snow fell and beautiful light lit up the area.
King Eider, Linda Sanders (Insta: @lindaruby2022)
Steller’s Eider and Long-tailed Duck, Robbie Brookes (Insta: @bobthebirder); King Eider, Mary Michael Patterson (Insta: @wildedition); King Eider, Purple Sandpiper, and Long-tailed Duck, Monica Doshi (Insta: @mdee_photos)
We also did an excursion out into the fjord on the RIB, where we enjoyed opportunities on the ducks from a different perspective as well as the Black-legged Kittiwakes nesting in the windows of the old buildings alongside the water. This offered a different perspective from the images captured from the hide. Once back on dryland, and with no moment wasted, we returned to the kittiwakes to capture their unique nesting locations from a different angle. The action-packed day was finished by a drive into the Highlands to search for Rock Ptarmigan and Willow Grouse.
Day 4 began with another early alarm and session in floating hide. Throughout the session, we had some magnificent conditions. Heavy snow fell for most of the morning as the birds circled in front of the hide. Following the session, it was time for a hearty breakfast, pack the vans, and travel along the Varanger Fjord towards Vardø.
As we made our way along the road, there were many beautiful sights to be seen. The fjord itself was stunning. Several Hawk Owl along the way, did more than break up the journey but the highlight was a pair of white-tailed sea eagles sitting on the edge of the water. After a long but beautiful drive, with anticipation and excitement for what Hornøya had to offer, we arrived in Vardø, which would be our base for the next few nights.
The uninhabited island of Hornøya, from Vardø, Brydon Thomason
Hornøya was to be the jewel in the crown of the trip and man, did it deliver. A stunning seabird island, home to upwards of 100,000 seabirds in summer the spectacle, even without a camera was truly awe-inspiring. Thousands of Atlantic puffins, Common and Brünnich’s Guillemots, Razorbills, Shags, and Kittiwakes each offered unique image creating opportunities that we all agreed, was overwhelming- in the very best of ways. The target here is for these species with or on snow – and this is not something to take for granted, the weather can vary year in year but we had luck on our side.
Brünnich’s Guillemot and Common Guillemots, Hornøya, Brydon Thomason; Common Guillemots, Malini Chandrasekar (Insta: @_thunderboltphotography_)
We visited the island twice over the two days. From creative portraits and point-blank detail; to wide angled birds in their environment and of course, the occasional full-scale territorial dispute between Puffins, not to mention raunchy Razorbills – this is a place you can not just fill memory cards, but overload hard drives! No where else had any of us been where we could experiment so widely with the type of seabird images we could create.
It has to be said though, this expedition certainly has its potential challenges, not least with the wind and boat transfers and of course the seasonality but also the timings of when the birds arrive. Luckily, our trip was well planned by Finnature to coincide with the best possibilities between the number of seabirds, and the chances of snow still on the ground. Too late, and snow can be gone – too early, and the numbers of seabirds might not be back.
Puffins, European Shag and Long-tailed Duck, Kev Morgans; Puffins fighting, Alison Bamber (Insta: @alisonbamber).
European Shag, Linda Sanders (Insta: @lindaruby2022)
European Shag, Malini Chandrasekar (Insta: @_thunderboltphotography_)
Vardø itself also offered some fantastic spectacles, few more so than two wonderful encounters with flocks of Willow Grouse as well as some more birding opportunities with several Glaucous Gull in the harbour nearby, whilst the aurora borealis also put in a brief show. Next year however, we are very excited to be adding an exciting new evening shoot to the program with Mountain Hare hides.
Aurora borealis, Alison Bamber (Insta: @alisonbamber)
After two fantastic visits to the island and having enjoyed the surrounding area of Vardø, our seventh day was our return journey back to Finland. Though we had a vast distance to cover throughout the day, we enjoyed many memorable spectacles along the way to break up the journey, Rock Ptarmigan, White-Tailed Eagle, Hawk Owl as well as a return visit to the forest feeders. Arriving at the hotel for our final evening, we enthused over the many highlights and laughs we had enjoyed together over the week.
The following morning, we started the long journey home, and following two flights, we touched back down in London, where we sadly had to say our final goodbyes.
In rounding off this report on what really was a wonderful week we want to say a special thanks to everyone who joined us on this trip. Yes, these trips are advertised as photography tours, but we are always so happy that they become so much more. Not only did we all leave with beautiful images, but great friends and memories that will last a lifetime.
Absolutely excellent wildlife photography tour to North Finland and Norway. We had a full itinerary photographing many species. The sessions in the floating hides with three species of sea ducks were great and the days on Hornøya unforgettable. The guides were lovely and very helpful and between them had superb knowledge on birds and photography. The group we travelled with were amazing and a lot of laughs were had. This ranks as one of the best wildlife photography tours I’ve been onMonica Doshi
Hopefully, we will see you in 2025 for another Arctic adventure: Lapland’s forest feeders & Arctic Seabirds & Sea Ducks