Back to Ivalo

A more leisurely get up, pack and breakfast before setting off on the 230 km drive back to Ivalo in Finland. We stopped at Nesseby, where we had about 60 snow buntings, odd as we had very few the first few days but numbers increased daily, giving the impression they were migrating in.

We tried unsuccessfully to buy a Varanger sticker and then chose the route down to Kirkenes and then across to Ivalo. Some really stunning scenery, with the odd Raven and a Sea Eagle, and a simple drive through at the border and we were in Finland, losing an hour in the process.
The drive was very scenic and we made it to Kaamanen and the Neljan Tulan Tupa by 4 o'clock for a hot chocolate and another look at the feeders, with arctic redpolls, Siberian jays and Pine Grosbeaks on the pile of sunflower seeds.

Then we headed back to the Hotel Ivalo where we checked in, tidied up and had a nice dinner of roast reindeer and mashed potato plus roast sweet potato.
A night drive was rewarded by finding a winter plumage willow grouse feeding on the side of the road. An excellent bird to finish on.


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Sunday. Harbour hopping

After the late night it was a much more leisurely morning. After breakfast we decided to drive slowly along the coast back towards Vardo stopping as we went. The weather was clear and bright but we recorded our lowest temperatures today, minus 10!
A stop in Vadso harbour had excellent views of Eider with at least one 'borealis' male. A few Stellar's eider. A fortuitous stop to check out a large flock of birds also gave us a pod of Orca, fishing offshore, so not showing much more than their distinctive fins.
As we travelled up the coast we saw a few reindeer pawing the ground to find food and lots of hare tracks but we didn't manage to see, although we looked really hard.

Ekkroy harbour had a couple of Stellar's eider in it and the cliffs and sea were alive with Kittiwake coming and going. There were several dying racks with cod on them. The wind made it very cold although the sun glittered the snow, so we soon returned to the car.
We had much more time in Vardo so we looked around trying to find some of the hides built by biotope but the only one found was at the edge of the fjord down a trackful of snow. There were several places where Kittiwakes were nesting on buildings on what lok like purpose built ledges.

We drove out to the eastern edge of the island, looking across towards Hornoya before returning to Pikkuskitsi in time for a home-made pasta and sausage dinner.

Snow convoy and Eiders.

This morning we decided to try and make our way to the northern part of the peninsula, either Berlavoag or Batsfjord or both if we have time. Travelling in this part of Norway takes much longer than at home as the average top speed is around 80Km and that's not always possible. Factor in the odd stops we make checking out birds, feeders or the sea and time allowances aren't always easy to predict accurately. We had a pre-breakfast walk along the jetty where we saw Purple Sandpipers feeding along the tideline, ate another filling breakfast and then set off around 9.00. We saw a few flocks of Eider but they were fairly distant and stopped to check some trees, but these were quiet.
The road out to Hermaness looked a little too snowy for comfort and as the road past Tana Bru is periodically closed except for an escorted convoy access across the high ground we pressed on and today, luckily, we arrived just 10 minutes before the next convoy.
The drive across was an experience, with visibility down to inches at times. The landscape was huge vistas of snow, very white, with a few summer houses up to their eves in snow, and skidoo parks with their attendant cars parked while their owners go 'off-road' on a network of skidoo trails.










At the junction with the Batsffjord/Berlevog road the snowploughs do a sort of ponderous waltz as they turn round to return down the road. There is a cafe but it is closed at this time of year.
As the time was getting on and it looked like it would take another fairly long convey back we opted to go to Batsfjord and so turned right.
Batsfjord was a nice, colourful town with a mainly ice-free harbour. Sitting on some ice just off-shore was a flock of Stellar's and King Eider and a walk along the jetty meant we could get relatively close to them without disturbing them.










Having checked the times of the convoy back we decided to go for the next one as it would still be quite a long trip back but the road was open when we got there so we didn't have to wait and we drove back towards Tana Bru. There were a few very snowy patches and it was a bit like driving down a 'cresta' run on a bobsleigh run, but we did get along faster than behind the snowplough.
A random stop on the side of the road found a house with some feeders where there were Siberian Willow Tit, Snowbunting, Great Tit, and Redpolls coming and going with a brief visit by a pair of Northern Bullfinches.
We drove back to Pikkuskitsi, stopping along the way to scan for Elk and stopping at Verangerboten for an Italian meal at the cross-roads. There was a forecast of Level 4 aurora activity so we came back out at 10.00 but the weather got more and more snowy so we called it a day and returned home.

Hornoya Bird Cliffs

Friday 5th April
Having checked the weather we decided to try and make the 10.30 boat to Hornoya, an island just off Vardo which is famous for it's seabird colonies. We made the harbour in time, catching up with the 2 lads we met yesterday, who told us the boat was 11.00 am so we went in to buy our tickets for 350 NK to be told it wasn't leaving until 11.30. We mooched about on the harbour looking at Kittiwakes, Glaucous and other gulls until it was time to leave.

There are no facilities for day visitors on Hornoya so you have to make sure you have food and drink with you and you visit the loo before you go. you can book a room at the lighthouse but it is basic and you have to take all food etc. with you.
The boatman taking us out insisted that we came into the cabin as it was going to be a little wet so we squeezed in and given a safety talk "we have safety gear here (hand wave)" and off we went. The boat went sedately out of the harbour and then whoosh, we were off skimming the waves and bouncing around for the 10 minute trip to the landing jetty.

On the isalnd is a new bird shelter designed and built by Tormod and Ellen at Biotope, who are really putting in a lot of effort to promote Varanger as a birding destination. They try and design different hides that can be used for shelter whatever the direction of the weather.
The cliffs were heaving with birds and the sky was criss-crossed with birds flying to and from the cliffs. Razorbills, Guillemots, Brunich's Guillemots and Puffins, with Kittiwakes further along the cliffs and Glaucous Gulls floating from the tops.
There is a lighthouse on the top of the island that is available for hire. It is self-catering and everything has to be brought in. It is also quite a stiff climb up the cliffs and across the top but it dos have amazing views.
 

Finland

Friday 5th April.
After a deep sleep in a warm room we were up and out by about 6 watching the feeders around Neljan Tulan Tupa. They have has an amazing number of feeders and a huge pile of sunflower seeds which attract Common and Arctic Redpolls, Siberian Tit, Siberian Jay and Pine Grosbeak as well as Red Squirrel, Great Tit and Greenfinch.
After a hefty breakfast and spending the morning admiring the birds we set off north.

The roads are easy to drive if you are careful and get snowploughed regularly. The cars are 'winterised' with studded tyres so it isn't quite the worry it would be in England. There is also much less traffic to avoid, although they do drive quite fast.
At Ustjoki we stopped to fill up with fuel and a soup and roll lunch before crossing the bridge into Norway and gaining an hour instantly. Driving on, stopping occasionally  at places like Nessebe we made our way to Vestre Jacobselv and our accommodation, Pikkukitsi. This is basic but very warm and comfortable rooms with self-catering facilities which we had booked for 4 nights, including breakfast.
After we settled in and unpacked we drove into Vadso, about 20 minutes away to have a look around and get something to eat.
We drove around the harbour, which was a little disappointing in the lack of birds, then drove on over the bridge where we found a seal. Parking up and walking back we eventually identified it as a Bearded Seal, a new one for all of us.
The choices for food are quite limited or very expensive, so we decided on an Indian, probably the most northerly Indian in the world. We kept an eye open for Aurora on the way back but the sky was too cloudy so we went to bed.
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Northward Bound

Wednesday 3rd. April
First leg of our journey to Northern Norway. Our flight left at 7.45 and landed around 12.30. Finland is 2 hours ahead of Britain. It was a beautiful day with blue sky and lots of snow on the ground. We saw Hooded crows and house sparrow from the airport, with singing robin piped into the arrivals lounge. We spent a few hours in the terminal, eating a salad lunch that was twice as large as expected but very nice. Our next leg took us to Ivalo airport where we collected our hire car, a Volvo estate and headed off to our accommodation at Kaamenen. On the way we saw a reindeer and a Siberian Jay flew across the road. Although the light was going it was still possible to see some of the many redpolls that visit the feeders from the dining area window.

After settling in we ate a lovely 3-course meal of salad, reindeer stew and mashed potato and fruit cocktail before turning in for the night.


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Location:Helsinki Airport