BOREAL BIRD & WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHING - FACTS

On this tour, you will visit most famous wildlife spots, Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas and locally well-known birding areas near your accommodation. Please note the season for different birds and animals during your stay in Finland. The variety of species depends on the time of the year you visit the wilderness.

Accommodation is arranged in KIDE Hotel or our base camp, Taigalampi Cabin, with all the amenities you will need. A traditional Finnish log villa is located in a beautiful pine forest and ridge landscape. The cabin has two three-room apartments and one two-bedroom separate compartment. There are three toilets and a maintenance room. The three-room apartments have their own toilet and shower facilities. Other accommodation places are Arola farm during the eagle and bear watching trip in Suomussalmi, and Kuikka Base Camp in Kuhmo for wolves, eagles, wolverines and bears. The last day´s accommodation is in the hotel at Liminka Bay near the Oulu Airport.

Site description

Syöte-Salmitunturi is one of the most important areas of boreal forest in the North-Ostrobothnia region. A 25-km chain of boreal forests lies at the core of the site, with additional forests extending eastwards. The landscape is hilly, with one peak reaching a height of 431 m. The forests are dominated by Picea, spruces, but deciduous forests cover the lower parts of the hills.
Key biodiversity: An important breeding area for boreal avifauna including Picoides tridactylus, Eurasian three-toed Woodpecker, Tetrao urogallus, Eurasian capercaillie, (500-1,000 pairs), Tarsiger cyanurus, red-flanked bluetail, (5-15 males), Perisoreus infaustus, Siberian jay, (100-200 pairs), Parus cinctus, Siberian tit, (50-100 pairs) and Pinicola enucleator, Pine grosbeak, (100-200 pairs). (BirdLife International, 2021. Important Bird Areas)

Martinselkonen and Kuhmo

Eastern part of Finland is said to be one of Finland's last wilderness areas. You can explore the area by walking along marked trails, taking a refreshing break by a campfire, and then continuing your journey. In Eastern areas, you can find watery bogs and small ponds, old-growth forest, moss-covered spruces. At Martinselkonen you are outside of everything, part of nature as if the rest of the world would not exist.

In the wilderness area, we find all four of our predators; wolverine, bear, wolf, and lynx. The American beaver (formerly the Canadian beaver) is familiar in the area. There are also reindeers in the Martinselkonen wilderness area and wild reindeers (Rangifer Tarandus Fennicus) in Kuhmo.

The species of birds are abundant. Among the birds of prey, the hawk family is represented by the bee eagle, the sparrow hawk, and the barn owl. Other owls are the sparrow owl and the boreal owl. In the bogs, you can see e.g. whooper swan. Martinselkonen's most common big waterbird might be a wild goose that nests and hides in remote ponds. Capercaillie leks in Martinselkonen area. The eastern bird species in the forest are e.g. red-breasted flycatcher and three-toed woodpecker. The common swift, familiar from the towns, can be heard in the evenings - a species that nests high in the log trees in Martinselkonen as well.

Before your stay in the shed, we check together your equipment, boots, and other necessary clothing before you get a short course of conduct in the hide and how to behave near the wildlife.

After this, we will do our best that you can concentrate on photographing during your stay in hide as good conditions as possible. The only things we can not control is the behavior of wild animals and weather conditions.

Places: Syöte National Park area, Martinselkonen Wilderness area, Kuhmo, Liminganlahti, Oulu
Availability: 1.5.–30.9.
Dates: 17.–26.5., 7.–16.6.2025
Duration: 10 days, 9 nights
Number of participants: Min 2 persons, max 6 persons
Accommodation: KIDE Hotel/Taigalampi Cabin in Syöte, Arola Farm in Juntusranta, Kuikka Camp in Kuhmo, Hotel in Liminka Bay
Price: 3480 €/person in Taigalampi cabin, 4225 €/person in KIDE Hotel
Price includes: Return transport from Oulu Airport, guiding, accommodation, bed linen, transport and guidance to hides & towers and accommodations, meals (breakfast, picnic lunch/soup lunch, dinner), entrance fees for the hides
Price doesn’t include flights
Equipment: Participants have their warm own boots, clothing and warm underwear, etc. according to the possibly cold weather and staying in hide. Please ask for the whole list of equipment after booking.
Equipment included in the price:
By additional cost: Single room +20 €/night. Clothing set: Padded jacket and trousers, mittens, headwear, boots 90 €/set/person/week. Camera equipment: We have different kinds of cameras and lenses for rent. Ask for availability. Private hide 120 €/day
Payment: Invoice, cash, credit card
Tour level: Easy. Normal physical condition is enough. You have to be able to keep silent for the whole stay in a hide.
Languages: Finnish, English
Insurance: We require participants to have their own insurance for outdoor activities in Finland and in arctic weather conditions.

Contact and book!

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP

PHOTOGRAPHING

During this tour you can photograph wild water birds, animals and other birds so much as you will! Enjoy, relax and have a good time in forests and the shores of swamps and ponds!

TRUE WILDERNESS

True wilderness means a lot of space. You can enjoy clean air, unspoiled nature and clean water outside of cities without noise or light pollution.

INTERESTING WILDLIFE

Combination of Eastern Finland and South Lapland on a one holiday and in the richest wildlife area in Finland. This is natural habitat for eagles, wolf, wolverine, lynx and brown bear.

COSY ACCOMMODATION

Taigalampi log cabin is attractive, warm, cosy and plastic free traditional log cabin in woods! You have all the amenities that you need during the accommodation.

ITINERARY

1st day, Saturday. Transport, forest birds

Transport from Oulu Airport / Arrival to Syöte, Taigalampi cabin. Information, maps, and dinner together. Relaxed walk along a nature trail. You can hike on the Pytkynharju esker and admire the Northern scenery and seek the wild birds during the hike. Pytkynharju has a public lean-to and fire pit. It is located in Kellarilampi pond and it is a great destination for a hike! The length of the one-way trail is four kilometers to the wooden shelter and the same distance back. Target species Goldeneye, Red crossbill, Redwing, Common redstart.

Relaxing hot sauna, shower and dinner are available after a long traveling day.

2nd day, Sunday. Kellarilampi, Lauttalampi. wading birds

After a tasty breakfast a guided birdwatching excursion with a local guide in Syöte area, a region for a great variety of water birds and other birds. Lunch in the shelter in the woods. In the evening, visit to Syöte National Park Visitor Centre. Target species today Hen Harrier, Common Crane, and Whooper Swan. Dinner and shower in the cabin/hotel. A warm sauna is available for you.

3rd day, Monday. Juutislampi, Sarakylä, waterfowl

After breakfast approximately 50 km drive to the bird tower and a hiking trail to Sarakylä village. Lake Juutislampi is classified as a nationally valuable bird lake in the area. 20-25 species typical of water birds nest in the area every year. Lunch by the open fire in a wooden shelter.

The most valuable nesting waterfowl species are the Tufted duck, Northern Lapwing, Goldeneye, and Red-necked grebe. There are also about ten species of waders in the area. However, the most exciting species are Jacksnipe, the Common ringed plover, and the Spotted redshank.

Transport back to Syöte National Park and your cabin/hotel. Dinner, shower, and sauna available.

4th day, Tuesday. Syöte area. Black Grouse, Red Flanked Blue Tail, Siberian Jay

Early breakfast at 3 am. — optional guided Black Grouse photographing excursion with a local guide in the Syöte area.

Transport back to your cabin/hotel. Lunch. Guided bird watching trip near Syöte Visitor center, target species Red Flanked Blue Tail. Dinner, shower, and sauna available.

5th day, Wednesday. Juntusranta. Forest birds, predatory birds, brown bear

Early breakfast. Guided bird tower and bear and bird watching excursion with a local guide to the Martinselkonen wilderness area. You will visit first a bird tower in the Suomussalmi region on the way to Arola farm, where the bear watching happens. Bird tower is located by a nice wetland and lake where you can spot water birds and if you are lucky, some vultures. In Juntusjärvi lakes` nesting birds comprise at least 15 wetland species. The most common nesting waterfowls are Tufted Duck, Teal, and Goldeneye.

In the evening you will get to bear watching hide. From the safe log cabin hide, you can watch and photograph Brown bears with possibilities for Sea Eagle, Crow, Raven, and Lesser Black-backed Gull. Local food delicacies after the bear hide evening!

Accommodation in Arola Farm, near the Martinselkonen wilderness area. (Driving distance approximately 150 km from Pudasjärvi to Juntusranta with the visit to the bird tower)

6th day, Thursday, Owls

After a tasty local breakfast in the morning transport and guided owl photographing trip. Target species Great Grey Owl, Ural Owl, Hawk Owl. Transport to Kuikka Base Camp to Kuhmo after the trip. Dinner and accommodation in the cabin. Sauna and shower available.

7th day and 8th day, Friday and Saturday. Kuhmo area, Wolves, Brown Bear, Wolverine, predatory birds

Breakfast at the Kuikka Base Camp. Making a picnic lunch and transport to the wildlife hide. Photographing and wildlife watching. Opportunities to see wild wolves, wolverine, Black Kite and eagles. Sauna, dinner, accommodation. Optional night in the hide with winter sleeping bags.

9th day, Sunday. Transport to Oulu, Liminganlahti wetland Birds

After a tasty early breakfast transfer by car to Liminka Bay, near Oulu Airport. Liminka Bay is one of Europe’s most important bird wetlands. Tens of thousands of birds stop to rest, feed and nest in this area shaped by land uplift. Lunch on the way to Liminka.

Liminka Bay is an internationally significant resting and nesting site for migratory birds. In addition, an area is a meeting place for many northern and southern bird and plant species. More than 160 bird species nest in the Liminka Bay area, and over the year, more than 200 species are sighted in the area.

Amongst the important nesting species are the Greylag Goose, the Black-tailed Godwit, and the Western Marsh Harrier, and amongst the most visible migratory birds are the Whooper Swan, the Bean Goose, the Common Crane, and the Ruff.

Dinner in Liminganlahti visitor center.

Accommodation in Hotel or cabin near the Liminganlahti Bay.

10th day, Monday

Departure day. Breakfast and transport to Oulu Airport

We reserve all the rights to change the activities' order or the program's content if necessary due to the weather or other conditions.