Black Grouse lek photography in Oulu

Description

The best time to photograph lekking Black Grouse in Finland is from mid-March until mid-May. When spring days are getting longer in March and the sun is starting to melt the snow, male Black Grouse begin their lekking. In a normal year there is still plenty of snow on the ground when lekking starts, but by the mid April the snow is usually gone. It is then that females usually arrive to visit the lekking grounds. At one of our lek sites in spring 2008 were 15- 20 male Black Grouse displaying. The spot is situated in a open bogland. It is very open place, and the first sunlight of the day reaches the lekking birds – so we have the best possible chances to get photographs of Black Grouse. Other leksite is frozen small lake and this site is excellent for backlit shots! Spring 2008 there were 10- 15 males lekking. Third site with about 10 lekking males is also in open bog. In this place vegetation is beautiful red coloured after the snow melt. Black Grouse lek normally continues 3- 4 hours after sunrise.

At the Black Grouse lek we will use canvas hides (mainly Dome-hides) and comfortable chairs or mattresses and warm sleeping bags. Hides will be put up beforehand, so when you will arrive birds have got use to them and birds will be lekking just in front of hides. There will be birds so close that it would be possible to photograph them sometimes even with a wide angle lens, but probably the most suitable lenses would be 300 mm and 70- 200 mm zoom. 500 mm lens can be used as well.

Black Grouse males arrive to the lekking ground around sunrise. To avoid disturbing the birds we need to arrive to the hides well before sunrise. Walk to the hides depends on a site, but will be average 1 km and part of it is along wet bog. Wellingtons are needed and will be provided.

Species

Main target will be lekking male Black Grouse. There are also good chances for flight shots and shots of fighting males. Also female Black Grouse often visit the leksites. Mating usually happens in first week of May. There are occasional chances to photograph Cranes and Whooper Swans from the grouse hide as well.

Other bird species which can be photographable during this time of the year in Finland are Tengmalm´s Owl, Hawk Owl, Pygmy Owl and Great Grey Owl, Black Woodpecker and Three-toed Woodpecker. Also Red Squirrel and Grey Partridge are possible and rogue male Capercaillie is possible as well. Elk is possible to photograph from the car in the evening. Hazel Grouse is possible to find in the forest, but not easy one to photograph!

Operation time

Black Grouse lek photography from late March until mid-May

Lenses

For shots of two lekking males 70- 200 mm or 300 mm lens is ideal, but for close up portraits 500 mm lens can be better. Converters can be used as well.

Tripod

There is no need to bring your own tripod. You can borrow tripod or ground pod from us. However, please bring your own tripod head with you. Also bean bags can be borrowed here.

Suggested itinerary for Black Grouse photography

Day 1. Arrival in Oulu. Meet Finnature guide at the airport. Transportation to the accommodation. Evening photography excursion for possible species, which
might include some of our special owl species and elk.

Day 2.- 5. Four mornings photography at Black Grouse lek. During the day there will be time to have some rest and /or do some photography locally. Other species possible to photograph includes Tengmalm´s Owl, Hawk Owl and Great Grey Owl, Black Woodpecker and Three-toed Woodpecker. Also Red Squirrel and Grey Partridge are possible and rogue male Capercaillie is possible as well.

Day 5. After the last morning in hide there will be time to photograph other species missed earlier. Transportation to Oulu airport to catch your homeward flight today.

Departures for Black Grouse lek workshops in Oulu 2010

DATE	PRICE / PERSON	MEETING POINT
22.- 26.3.2010	1250 euros / person	Oulu airport
12.- 16.4.2010	1250 euros / person	Oulu airport
3.- 7.5.2010	1250 euros / person	Oulu airport

Price includes

Transportation Oulu airport – Oulu region - Oulu airport
Finnature guide services throughout the trip
4 mornings at Black Grouse lek in two different lek sites
Daytime other photography in region. Species possible includes Great Grey-,
Tengmalm´s-, Pygmy- and Hawk Owl, Capercaillie, Hazel Grouse etc.
Full board; breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Accommodation in clean and comfortable double rooms in hotel/ lodge for 4 nights

Group size

Min 3 and max 6 persons.

Special conditions

Reasonable fitness is required. Walking through bog about 1 km one way. One need to be prepared to sit 4-5 hours in tent hide every morning.

Methods of payment

1. If you wish to pay by credit card, please fax your credit card details to +358 8 381 914 or call to +358 45 129 4264. In this case please advise credit card number, expiry date/ year and security number (three last digits/numbers from back side of your card where your signature is)
2. Bank transfer is possible
When payment will be settled by either of the above methods, you will receive electronic Confirmation of Order by e-mail. Please take your Confirmation of order with you. Payment to be settled after the trip.
3. Payment is possible in cash on site.

Terms and conditions of booking

The trip should be booked latest 7 days before the trip. If the minimum group size requirement of 3 persons on set trip won´t be realized, the particular trip will be cancelled. You can change the trip to another one, if your provisionally booked trip won´t materialize.

Flights to Oulu

Accommodation in Oulu region

Airport Hotel Vihiluoto
Vihiluoto 10
90440 Kempele
Tel: +358 8 5145 100
Fax: +358 8 5145 200
saleirporthotel.fi
www.airporthotel.fi

Airport hotel is situated by Kempeleenlahti Bay, about 5 min from Oulu airport (4 km), and about 10 min from Oulu (8 km). This hotel is a peaceful family-run hotel with a good location for birdwatchers.

Värminkoski Campingsite in Liminka
Raahentie 71
91900 Liminka
Tel: +358 8 381 283
margareetta.perunkarminkoskenleirinta.inet.fi
www.varminkoski.fi

There are three smaller cabins 40 m2 for max 5 persons with one separate bedroom about 10 m2. There are 2 separate beds and one bunk bed in one bedroom and one large bed in a combined well-equipped kitchen and living room including linens and towels, en suite private facilities and shower.

Large cabin 120 m2 with 4 rooms for max 11 persons; 1 room for max 5 persons, 3 double /twin rooms of which two have en suite facilities and shower.

In 3 double/ twin rooms either couples or two men/ two women can accommodate. In the bigger room for max 5 persons either one couple or two men/ two women can accommodate. In this bigger room there are four separate beds and one extra bed.

Weather

March: Temperature can get as low as – 15 Centigrade in nights, but
the daytime temperature is usually between 0- +5 Centigrade. If there is rain, it should be snow, which looks nice in photos. There should be some snow cover on the ground.

April: Temperature can get as low as – 10 Centigrade in nights, but
the daytime temperature is usually between +5- +10 Centigrade. If there is rain,
it should be snow at least in early part of April. There should be some snow cover
on the ground during the first week of April, but after that it usually melts away.

May: Temperature can still get as low as – 5 Centigrade in nights, but the daytime temperature is usualle between +10- + 15 Centigrade.

The length of the spring day at Oulu latitude

Sunrise and sunset in Oulu latitude

DATE	SUNRISE	SUNSET
22.3.2010	6.12	18.39
12.4.2010	5.55	20.45
3.5.2010	4.37	21.55

Clothing

Fairly warm clothing is recommended. Warm hat and cloves are needed. Waterproof hiking boots are essential. (We will provide you Wellingtons if needed and warm sleeping bag for the hide).

Some Instructions for Black Grouse Photographers

You need to be in the hide well before sunrise and remain until all the birds have left the lek site. Please notice that if the birds are disturbed from the leksite e.g. by Goshawk or photographer, they usually all fly off at the same time, but then they might also come back after short while. Natural leaving of Black Grouse from the leksite is often when lekking has already been slow for some time already and usually birds leave one by one. Then they will not come back before evening!

Please start your photography session slowly. Black Grouse arrive to the leksite around the sunrise and it is often too dark to take images anyway, so it make sense for let them come down and start their lekking properly. Sometimes they listen on ground for fairly long time (5 minutes or so) before they start their lekking. By letting them to start lekking properly you have much better chances for prolonged photography with them!

Please avoid sudden movements in hide. Although birds are quite used to photographers, it is still possible to disturb their lekking by moving the lens quickly or by giving too much noise.

Remember birds have ears, and if you need to communicate with your fellow photographer, please do so in whispers, never speak loudly.