Hornøya, a short boat ride from Vardø, is the seabird island. A path climbs through nesting colonies of common and Brünnich's guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, shags and puffins, with birds at arm's length either side of the trail. The colony is occupied from around March to July; March and April are the photographers' months, with snow, low light and full cliffs.

The fjord shorelines around Vadsø, Nesseby and Vardø hold the winter sea ducks. King eider and Steller's eider — the latter one of Europe's most sought-after birds — winter here in flocks, feeding close inshore where they can be watched from the harbours.

The tundra plateau across the peninsula's interior is the summer destination, with breeding waders, red-throated and Pacific divers on the pools, long-tailed skua, and a genuine chance of gyrfalcon and snowy owl in good lemming years.

The photography hides around Båtsfjord and elsewhere are purpose-built floating and shoreline hides for eiders and gulls, booked in advance and the reason many photographers come at all.

Winter and early spring, roughly February to April, bring sea ducks, snow and the aurora; May to July bring the breeding colonies, tundra waders and 24-hour daylight.

Practicalities

Fly to Kirkenes or Vadsø and drive; the roads are ploughed and maintained year-round but winter driving here is serious and a proper vehicle matters. The Hornøya boat runs from Vardø harbour on a schedule that depends on weather and on the island warden's season — check locally rather than assuming daily service.