September 27, 2005
Ruska
A Canadian, a Czech and a Spaniard get into a car ...
No, it's not the start of a really corny joke. It's the beginning of my adventure this past weekend, taking a whirlwind tour of the Laplands.
My travelling companions were non-birders, so this was far from a birding trip. In fact, I drove straight through many habitats where I would normally have made a short detour to search for Capercaille, and I had to restrain myself from asking them to "watch out for Hawk Owls" as we sped through cut-overs!! Nevertheless, it was a great trip with lots of amazing scenery.
"Ruska" is the Finnish word used to describe the magical colours of autumn, especially in Lapland ... when the leaves turn shades of red, gold and brown. While the trees north of the arctic circle had dropped many of their leaves in the last few days, it still made for an unforgettable experience.
Our journey began on Saturday morning, as we headed to Rovaniemi -- the gateway to Lapland, sitting on the very edge of the Arctic Circle ("Napapiiri"). We spent the afternoon visiting the official Napapiiri crossing - which, with scores of souvenier shops and restaurants, just oozes shamelessly of "tourist trap". (Not that it wasn't worth the visit -- some of the best Lappish handicrafts can be found in those shops, and the "real" Santa Claus even has an official village there!!).
On Sunday, we continued north to the small town of Inari -- the unofficial centre of life and culture for the "Sami" people, who have lived in Lapland for thousands of years. At a latitude of 68.54 N, it is a great example of true northern Europe (and, in the Canadian scheme of things, is further north than Inuvik, Nunavut). The Siida Museum was an informative and very attractive place to visit, and our hike to the Pielpajärvi Wilderness Church (9 km return) was a great taste of the local landscape.
While not doing any "real" birding, I did encounter a few of my favourite northern boreal species during the hike --- two Parrot Crossbills (Isokäpylintu) twittered from the treetops, a couple small flocks of Siberian Tits (Lapintiainen) flitted about, a Willow Ptarmigan (Riekko) skulked in the underbrush, and four Siberian Jays (Kuukkeli) dropped in to check us out. One Golden Eagle (Maakotka) on the drive up was my only new species for the trip, and unfortunately I dipped on a few of the other species I had hoped to encounter.
Monday was a dark, dreary and sometimes drizzly day --- making the scenery on the long drive home a little less spectacular. A few strategic stops, including one at the Urho Kekkonen National Park, only made me wish I had more time to explore the amazing wilderness areas of Lapland. With the exception of many roadside Ravens (Korppi), Magpies (Harakka), Eurasian Jays (Närhi) and one Black Grouse (Teeri), birds were pretty scarce. Although other wildlife was also scant, the girls did get to see their first Reindeer (Poro) and Moose (Hirvi) during the journey.
We had clocked 1750 km by the time I got home ... a long but worthwhile trip. Lots left to see up there -- next time, I guess!!
A Willow Ptarmigan (Riekko), trying its best to be invisible. (Click to enlarge)
The colours of "Ruska" reflecting off the waters in Inari ... (Click to enlarge)
Lots of interesting landscapes in the Laplands, such as the old forests which have grown up around the erratic boulders left by glaciers. (Click to enlarge)