Wednesday 21 March 2012

Finnmark calling

A quick drive around Maridalen on a chilly, overcast morning revealed that Chaffinches are back with birds singing and 2 flocks of 10 birds. The Chaffinch song adds a completely new dimension to the sound of the woods and is most welcome. Otherwise now 7 Lapwings with 3 standing on the ice (Maridalsvannet is still frozen), a couple of Hawfinches and Reed Buntings and 2 singing Green Woodpeckers.

Tomorrow I am off to Finnmark with Bjørn Olav Tveit for 4 days birding. We hope to find some rare gulls (Thayer's being the commonest of our hoped for species) but my number one target is to find Spectacled Eider. The latest Birding World has articles on both Thayer's and Spectacled Eider which I take to be a very good omen! The weather forecast is for zero degrees and quite windy so it is not going to be particularly pleasant conditions but hopefully there will be storm blown birds sheltering in the harbours.I hope to be able to update the blog during the trip.

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