I’ve always been fond of birds, but picking up photography gave this passion a complete new dimension. Now I’m planning my trips for bird photography, trying to find places where I can not only see the birds but also create spectacular images.
I come from France but I fell in love with Finland while studying here; I’ve lived in Helsinki for 1.5 years now, and I’ve enjoyed several trips to the far North, to Lapland and beyond it, Norway and the Arctic Ocean.
In winter, these cold regions host a surprising variety of birds, coming in all shapes and colors. That’s what I want to show you.
The first habitat you’ll encounter is the taiga, i.e. the forest. There, you’ll essentially find small songbirds, though if you’re lucky you may encounter a grouse or an owl. Small birds come to the feeders, and that’s where you have the best chances to see them and make pictures.
The most prized birds for birders are the Pine grosbeak (a red monster, though the female is green-yellow), the Siberian tit (a cousin to the very common Blue and Great tits, but which lives only far in the north), the Arctic redpoll (very white, though difficult to separate from the Common redpoll), the Bohemian waxwing (a berry-eater gangster) and the Siberian jay (a lovely fella, very curious, which may come to your hand if you offer some food).
Apart from birds, you may meet squirrels and elks (mooses), and also enjoy stunning sunsets and wonderful aurora displays.
If you go further north, you’ll cross the tundra, a tree-less heath that essentially devoid of visible life during winter (you’ll see “a bit” of snow though), and then you’ll reach the Arctic Ocean. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the Norwegian coast doesn’t really freeze during winter, and lots of birds enjoy that.
Two special species attract visitors: King eider and Steller’s eider. They both breed in the far north of Russia, but spend the winter months in milder places. They are also stunning, colorful birds with weird shapes and patterns painted on their bodies. They are a true treat to observe, and can be seen at close range in harbours like Båtsfjord. Often not far, Black-legged kittiwakes nest in cliffs but also on harbour buildings, occupying roofs and window ledges.
In special areas, usually remote cliffs and islands, alcids nest. These cute and clumsy birds, made for diving rather than flying or worse, walking, gather in huge colonies, their sheer number offering protection against predators; in Hornøya, 100,000 seabirds nest in the cliff. There you’ll see kittiwakes again, but also Common guillemots (including many of the bridled form), the rarer Brünnich’s guillemot (this one likes the steepest parts of the cliff), the European shag and the ultimate clown, the lovely Atlantic puffin.
In the Arctic regions, you’ll face unforgiving conditions, with snow, wind and low temperatures, but if you are well equipped, you will witness a show like no other.
These pictures were made during two different trips.
#1 The Bohemian Waxwing, Gangster Of The North
#2 The Prince Of The Woods, The Bright Pine Grosbeak
#3 The Bullfinch Is Another Very Colourful Bird
#4 The Only King In The North
#5 Atlantic Puffin, Nicknamed “Sea Parrot” In Several Languages
#6 The Willow Tit Is A Common Inhabitant Of The Forest
#7 A Female Greenfinch Landing Next To Its Mate
#8 The Striking King Eider
#9 Steller’s Eider Is My New Favourite Bird! Look At These Colours, At This Small Piece Of Broccoli At The Back Of The Head… Amazing!
#10 Another Birder’s Favourite – The Long-Tailed Duck
#11 Puffin Landing
#12 Kittiwake Ballet
#13 Purple Sandpipers Taking Advantage Of Low-Tide To Forage On The Shore
#14 Shag Close-Up
#15 A Siberian Jay Eyeing Lunch At The Feeder In Kaamanen
#16 A Female King Eider Looking Straight At The Photographer
#17 This Cute Siberian Tit Looked Back At Me Before Flying Away
#18 A Siberian Tit With Its Sunflower Seed
#19 A Common Guillemot Coming Back From Its Fishing Stint
#20 Puffin Take-Off!
#21 Female Common Eider Before Sunrise
About Samuel Bloch
I am Samuel, a French birder and photographer currently exiled in northern land (in Finland, to be precise). I try to share my passions through my pictures and my texts. Photography of many subjects, mostly concerts, birds and sights from my trips, that is what you can expect when visiting this place, with texts of unconsistent quality, depending on how inspired I am.
I have birding experience from Europe but also from Chile, British Columbia, Israel or Mauritius. I started ‘serious’ photography in 2014, and wildlife photography in 2015.
Photo By: András Márton
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Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Samuel Bloch. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.
