The Ornithological Excursions Did you know, that the surroundings of Helsinki, the capital of Finland, offer excellent facilities for ornithological excursions. We have a long winding coastline and some very good checkpoints with observation. The many ready bays at the side of Helsinki are known as nesting places for hundreds of species, and you can also find abundant bird lakes nearby. It is amazing, that untouched wild forests and swamps have survived quite close to Helsinki. There are some very rich natural groves which maintain special species of birds. We Finns like to welcome the migratory rush in the northern spring. Would you like to sit on a high cliff at dawn, listen and spy the horizon and identify as many of the newcomers as possible. In daytime, when the sun has begun to warm you up, you will walk to a shelter and have your coffee and sandwiches by open fire. In times when the migration slows down you might take a walk to the melted waters and admire the swimming swans and the curious mating performance made by the male Goldeneyes. It is an unforgettable experience to watch the arctic geese migrate over the Finnish coast at around the 20th of May. If you are lucky, you may witness the pass of hundreds or even thousands of geese on their way to their nesting sites on the Siberian tundra. If you want to embrace the natural joy of summer at the hottest, get ready for a trip to one of the best natural groves in southern Finland in the beginning of June. When the sun is about to rise, the bird concert makes you literally deaf! Perhaps you prefer the cool, ghastly athmosphere of a bird lake rich with rushes and reeds in the few dusky hours of the morning. The song of the Spotted Crake cracks like a whip through the misty reeds and in times the water rail screams as if in death agony. The snipes bleat in the dark sky and now and then the Jack Snipe gallops across the zenith like a riding spook. The autumn migrations is spread over a longer period of time than the arrival of birds in the spring. It is an enormous thing to watch the birds on sunny day in autumn, when the night frost has turned the reeds yellow and the trees red. You can bid farewell to the last waders, ducks, and swans just before winter at the dusky shores of the Hanko Point. Would you like to make a skiing trip to a Finnish forest and realize how the nature has turned silent and empty in winter. You may observe just some 15 species of birds during a whole day´s trip. You can hear the peck of the great spotted woodpecker or you may be halted by the frail communication of flock of tits and golderests if you listen attentively. Perhaps you dare to risk the dark and cold of a night March and walk the paths illuminated by the lonesome moon. It is then that you will hear the cry of the owls. Come with us and enjoy this experience and others. At your request we will arrange excursions to the rest of Finland too. Photo taken by Jari Peltomäki / Birdphoto.fi . Place in our cottage near Helsinki The Ornithological Excursion in Finland Season: spring - autumn Duration: 5 days Place: Southern and Central Finland Participants: 2 - 10 person Departure: From the Helsinki-Vantaa airport or from clients hotel in Helsinki Itinerary: Day 1. Helsinki region wetlands:nightjar, Tengmalm´s owl, red-breasted flycatcher, corncrake, black woodpecker, barred warbler. Day 2. Halikonlahti and the Kemiö islands: Slavonian grebe, white-tailed eagle, red-necked phalarope, caspian tern, thrush nightingale, Blyth´s reed warbler, river warbler, grey-headed woodpecker. Day 3. Perniö area where there is good opportunities for photography. Game birds, eagle owl, crane. Day 4. Puurijärvi - Isosuo National Park: extensive raised bogs with Finland´s largest birdwatching tower.Nesting species: red-necked grebe, marsh harrier, osprey, spotted crake, crane and wood sandpiper.Migrants: whooper swan, bean goose, white-tailed eagle, arctic tern, bluethroat. Day 5. Bay of Liminka, Oulu: Finland´s most valuable wetland area, land uplift shore, nearby forests. The new Ornithological Center was opened 1998. Best birdwatching time from mid-May to the end of June and September. Crane, whooper swan, wood sandpiper, ruff, yellow-breasted bunting, the observations of owls. Accomodation in the lodges or hotels. Spending the nights in the tents are also possible on request. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served every day. Plaese notise next seasons: - The migration of birds April - June and September - November - The bird singing in the night April - June - Bird´s coupling season March - May Price: Ask! Price includes: All meals, transfers and accomodation during the excursion, ornithological guide´s service all 5 days, insurance and value added tax (VAT 22%). Further information and reservations: