Early Spring in Lapland and Varanger

Many brave birding groups have visited Varanger fjord in March when it is still solid winter up there. The fjord is completely free of ice, however, luring great numbers of wildfowl to winter. The specialities of this trip are King- and Steller’s Eiders, which float there in big, colourful rafts, often coming right into the harbours giving excellent opportunities to view and photograph them at close range. Gyrfalcons and White-tailed Eagles are back to their territories, sometimes giving spectacular displaying shows.

Reaching over 200 miles above the Arctic Circle to the most northerly tip of mainland Europe, and with good chances to see Northern Lights in the evenings, this would be really a unique, arctic experience for anyone interested in birds and nature in general.

For much of the winter the interior of this region is a Christmas card scene of thick snow, but thanks to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream, the deeply indented coastline is free from ice providing sheltered havens for large rafts of sea duck. Most of Europe's population of Steller's Eider crowd into Varanger Fjord, sharing the open water with large numbers of the beautiful King Eider, plus Common Eider and Long-tailed Duck, to create a unique assemblage of birds that are sure to be one of the highlights of this unusual tour.

With over ten hours of daylight a day we will have plenty of time to explore this area and as darkness finally falls we will turn our attention to the heavens in the hope of catching sight of the beautiful Aurora Borealis or 'Northern Lights'!

The trip starts from Ivalo, Finnish Lapland, from where it is half-day drive to the Varanger fjord. Already on the way up it is possible to see e.g. Pine Grosbeaks, Siberian Jay, Siberian and Willow Tits and Arctic Redpoll, which actively visit the garden bird feeders at this time of year.

In addition to the Varanger Fjord itself, it is possible to visit theTeno River delta to look for the beautiful Gyrfalcon. This is a traditional breeding site and as such a good area to look for this most powerful of the world's falcons.

Varanger Fjord and the bird feeders in Finland are a photographers paradise. The flocks of sea duck, in common with many Arctic species, are fearless and approachable as are many of the land birds. Bring a tripod and you can even turn your camera skyward after dark to capture the flicking lights of the aurora borealis as it illuminates the night sky; a true arctic finale to our stay in this magical place.

Time: March-early April, 5 – 7 days (Ivalo-Vardö/Båtsfjord-Ivalo)

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