Finnish and Norwegian birds in the snow
Up onto the high moors above Ujotski to look for Long-tailed Skuas. We were immediately lucky as a pair showed off right alongside us. Minutes later the hillside was engulfed in a heavy snow shower so we beat a hasty retreat back to lower levels. Next stop beside huge cliffs towering over a broad river in search of Gyr Falcon. A bitter cold wait was eventually rewarded with excellent views of this charismatic raptor both in flight and perched upon the cliff face. We then climbed onto high moorland area, still almost completely covered in deep pristine snow. Amazingly a fantastic array of species was managing to eke out a living in these harsh conditions. A male Willow Grouse entertained us by strutting casually across the road in front of our vehicle, Long-tailed Skuas hovered over open patches in search of lemmings, Lapland Buntings appeared on the roadside edges. Areas of unfrozen marsh and open water provided masses of birds including Long-tailed Ducks, Greater Scaup, Temmink’s Stints, Dunlin, Turnstone, Red-necked Phalaropes. We tried for Ptarmigan but failed to find any before the snow once again closed in around us. We headed for the Norwegian coast at Varangerfjord. Year ticks here were Steller’s Eider, Purple Sandpiper, White-billed Diver, King Eider and Brunnich’s Guillemot. We stayed the night at Vardo, where we could scope the harbour from the warmth of our bedroom! Birds from the window included Iceland Gull, King Eider and Brunnich’s Guillemot – not a bad list! The non-avian highlight of the day was a pod of at least seven Orcas in Varangerfjord, a lifer for all of us.
Bird species total: 2282
Posted 8th June, Vardo, Norway