Around Kuhmo

After a buffet breakfast which was the usual mix of porridge/muesli with a selection of nuts or fruit plus eggs, sausages, meat, cheese and salad with fruit juices we decided to take a drive around, find some lunch and, hopefully, see an Elk, something I really wanted to see. We tried one of the forest tracks, looking for any suitable habitat. One stop gave lots of Capercallie poo but no birds and a then we found a good viewpoint our over the forest with Honey Buzzards, Waxwings and *
The forests are quite difficult to penetrate are as the trees grow close together and any gaps are covered with moss and shrubs like Bearberry, Cowberry and Blaeberry. Along the paths there were several fungi of different colours, shapes and sizes.

Then we went back to the main road and drove towards the Russian Border crossing, turning round before it and taking a right hand road to the north. Various stops gave not much and it was quite damp with showers on and off all day. One stop had a bird singing quite strongly but we couldn't get a view and it remains a mystery. However, we did stop to make our way through a damp, mossy wood to view a wet meadow and there, crossing from left to right was an Elk! Great views but no cameras.

Time was passing so we headed back to the lodge for another 4.00pm dinner of soup, chicken curry and rice and fruit jelly before collecting our snack packs and setting off back to the hides for a second evening of bear watching.