FINLAND
wanderlust.co.uk April 2020 113postuntilIcouldnolongersee.
Andwaitingdefinitelypaidoff.
Justbeforethedarknesswas
complete,aghost-likeapparition
emergedfromthetrees.I’dread
aboutCanada’sspiritbearsbefore
butneverhadIheardoftheir
Europeancousins.Herwhitefur
madeherresembleaplushcuddlytoy,
somehowoutofplaceamidtheearth
tones.Isnappedawaywildlywithmy
camera,desperatelytryingtocapture
thisfleetingmoment.
“There’sacoupleofreallypale
motherbears,”explainedBritishguide
Harrythenextmorning.Alongwith
hisphotographerfriendKyle,Harry
hasbeenleadingtripshereforyears.
“OneknownasLumikki(Finnishfor
‘SnowWhite’)hashadlotsofcubsand
theoneyousawisoneofhers.”
Wewalkedinagroupbacktowards
thecafeteria,followingthepaw
printsofthecubsthatwerefrozen
intothewoodenboardwalk
behindwhereI’dbeenasleep.It
mayhavebeenacoldnightbutafterwolfing down a hot breakfast, I was
ready to go back outside.Taking light
I spent the morning encamped in the
bird hide watching crested and willow
tits as well as blue jays and red squirrels
approach my camera lens as though
I were invisible. In the afternoon
I followed the trail once more to be
rewarded with a sighting of a pygmy
owlhighinthetrees,beforefollowing
theSiberianjaytotheRussianborder.
Ihadonelastwildnightbeforeleaving
Finlandbehind–attheBirdHouse
HotelinthesmallhamletofPaltamo,
about100kmwest.Aformerskiresort,
perchedatopaKivesvaarahill,here the
ownershavebeeninspiredbytheosprey
thatsoaronthethermals,andso have
madeacollectionofsmallwooden
lodgeswithbird’seyeviewsoverLake
OuluandtheLakelandregion.
AlthoughIwasbackinside,sitting
surroundedbywoodlandandwooden
walls,theglasswindowinfrontof me
seemedtomeltaway.Despitehaving
notmanagedtofollowthejayacross
theborderintoRussia,adifferent line
hadbeencrossedonthistrip.By
eatingbreakfastwithmyreindeer
companions,foragingandcooking
wildfood,warmingupinasmoky
sauna,spendinganightamidthe
bearsandnow,restingupwhere the
birdsfly–Ihadremovedthebarriers
betweenmeandnatureandenjoyed
atruewildernessexperience.One
whereIwasnolongerjustan
observer,butpartofitall.Spirited away
Relecting on a very
successful bear viewing as
a large male bear stalks the
lake shore; (right top to
bottom) a rare sighting of
a pygmy owl in daylight; the
elusive white furred Finland
‘Spirit Bear’ emerges like
a spectre as the sun sets.
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