Just found the time to stick these on. Traveled here with the hope of seeing several much-wanted birds, but the most severe winter since the 1970's put the kibosh on this! Still, it was an enjoyable trip with 15 lifers - not bad for Northern Europe, although there were a few 'gimme birds' including one to embarrassing to mention. The tour started in Oulu, Finland and steadily headed north to Batsfjiord in Northern Norway before heading south back into Finland. Took all pics with a recently gotten Lumix bridge camera, which I'm still learning how to use.
Been lucky enough to travel far and wide and always thought Black-winged Stilt was perhaps the world's commonest wader. I think Wood Sand takes the title though. These were everywhere there was a bit of melt water or pool, including puddles outside the hotels.

Migrant passerines were relatively few. Wood Warbler was the best but it was nice to see several Pied Fly's feeding up. Temps were roughly around 12 degrees, so by no means warm.

Gulls were of little interest until we started to approach the really northern latitudes. Heuglin's Gull was the target and one obliged but these Baltic Gulls were much nicer. Lovely, in fact!

Here's a rather shy and retiring chap. I thought my first ever views of this species would be the arse-end of one disappearing into dense forest. Not quite! Back home Health and Safety would have decreed a warning sign be put up.

Another forest specialist. Pine Grosser used to be very difficult but a feeding station set up outside a cafe now means you can observe them whilst devouring the house specialty - salmon and potato soup. Both soup and bird come highly recommended.

One of my 'Tart's Tick's' was Lapland Bunting. I gathered it was better to see one in breeding finery rather than in the much more uniform autumn/1st winter plumage in the UK.

The very poor lemming season meant raptors in general were pretty scarce. RLB's were much more of a highlight than they should have been.

Another, this time an imm.