An Arctic Adventure 19th - 24th March (Day 4)

If you are thinking of visiting Varanger Fjord the Vadso Fjord Hotel is a great place to stay as a base. Not only are you located in a great location for most of the best birding sites, but you will also have access to the latest bird news. One species that we were keen to see was Hawk Owl, but despite us looking hard we had failed, so when Frode, the owner of the hotel, told us of a sighting back at Nesseby we decided to have a look before breakfast. 

Sunrise was just after 5am so we got up early and headed off. Around Nesseby Si picked up a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, but as I was driving I missed it. We stopped for a look, but despite hearing it tapping away we could not relocated it. We did bump into a couple of British birders, who were also looking for Hawk Owls and told us of one to the west of Varangerbotn, so we set off. Fortunately, we did not have to travel that far as Si picked one up just along the road at Nyborg. This individual was initially staying within the dense vegetation, but eventually it adopted the more usual behaviour by sitting out on prominent perches. The British birders who we had bumped into earlier saw our car, and had soon joined us to enjoy this cracking bird. On the return journey to the hotel we picked up a couple of Snow Buntings, but they took flight as soon as we pulled over.

Hawk Owl - Nyborg

Hawk Owl - Nyborg

Our plan for today was to head west to Vardo, and then across to the Island of Hornoya. The Island is renowned for the thousands of seabirds that breed there, but at this time of year it was probably our best chance of seeing Gyrfalcon and Brunnich's Guillemot. We headed west along the E75 to Vardo, stopping at various locations along the way to scan for White-billed Diver. Despite our best efforts we failed to find any White-billed Divers, but did pick up some distant flocks of sea duck.

To get to Hornoya Island you need to take a short boat trip, and we arrived in Vardo at 11am, just as a boat was preparing to leave. A group of photographers had chartered a boat earlier than scheduled and invited us to join them, which we did without any hesitation. The trip took about 10 minutes and as we approached the harbour we worked our way through rafts of auks, it was truly spectacular. We saw the full range of auk species in the flocks, Common, Black and Brunnich's Guillemot, Razorbill and Puffin.

A raft of Common Guillemot

We landed on the island and asked to be picked up at 2pm, giving us about two and a half hours on the island. Many Shags and Kittiwakes were already on the island trying to get the best nesting sites providing excellent photo opportunities, and after spending while photographing them we set off to explore.

Shag - Hornoya Island

The noise was incredible and we were treated to fly-bys by swarms of auks as they came in close to investigate the cliffs. The recent snow fall had covered most of their nesting sites and that is probably why they were all sat of the water, although it was still a bit early in the season.

Passing Auks and Kittiwakes - Hornoya

We worked our way around the back of the Island and ended up on the top above the cliffs where hundreds of Kittiwakes were nesting and sat enjoying the atmosphere. The Kittiwakes were continuously lifting off the cliff and wheeling around, so we kept thinking that a bird of prey was around, and then it was. All the roosting gulls took flight and Si suddenly picked up a Gyrfalcon heading straight for us. I was fortunate in that I had my camera at the ready and grabbed a sequence of shots as it flew by. The flyby was over in a couple of seconds, it then briefly circled around the cliff and was lost from view......amazing!!

Gyrfalcon - Hornoya Island

Gyrfalcon - Hornoya Island

We hung around on the top of the cliff for a while hoping that the Gyr would come back past but it did not, but we were able to enjoy the aerial displays of Ravens. Time was now pressing on so we headed back down to the landing spot and where soon back amongst the shags and kittiwakes.

Black-legged Kittiwakes

Kittiwakes wheeling overhead

Before long we were back in Vardo and ready to work our way back east. We stopped at a few local birding spots on Vardo before heading back through the tunnel that links Vardo to the mainland. On our way to Vardo we had noticed a few gulls in the harbour at Svartnes and so decided to go and have a look. We took a small gravel track to an area where a few gulls were feeding near an outfall and began to scan. I started looking in the middle whereas Si looked nearer the outfall, and immediately noticed a small white gull and exclaimed Ivory Gull!! From where I was stood I could not see where he was looking and so quickly moved out to get a view, and yep there indeed was an adult Ivory Gull and a new bird for me!! I make no apologies for posting so many pictures of this very fine bird.

Adult Ivory Gull - Svartnes

Adult Ivory Gull - Svartnes

Adult Ivory Gull - Svartnes

Adult Ivory Gull - Svartnes

Unsurprisingly we spent quite a long time photographing the bird as it picked up scraps in the harbour, and then it decided to come and land right by us and begin washing in the snow. We crept up as close as we dare, but soon realised that this bird was not at all concerned by our presence and even allowed us to take a couple of selfies!

Adult Ivory Gull - Svartnes

Adult Ivory Gull - Svartnes

Selfie with the Ivory Gull

We felt bad leaving such an amazing bird but were pretty chuffed with our find. We were unsure of the status of Ivory Gull in Norway so Si sent a text and some back of the camera pics to Simon Rix (Oslo Birder). As it turned out Ivory Gull was a bit of a mega and the speed with which we had put the news out enabled many local birders to see it.

Feeling pretty chuffed with our days birding we headed back to the hotel but as there was still a bit of light left we stopped for a quick look over the nearby harbour. There was a good selection of gulls to go through but one individual stood out, and we both immediately thought Thayer's Gull, could lightening really strike twice. We spent a while watching and photographing the bird and taking notes and headed back to the hotel to paw through our reference guides. Frode was waiting at the hotel and informed us that an Ivory Gull had been found at Svartnes, we obviously recounted the story to him and then started circulating images of the possible Thayer's and the Ivory Gull.

Odd Gull at Vadso Harbour

Odd Gull at Vadso Harbour

Odd Gull at Vadso Harbour

Images were circulated locally, to Simon Rix and to Hugh Harrop and Martin Garner in the UK. The general consensus of opinion was that this bird was not quite right for a Thayer's as the band on the tail was not strong enough, and it also showed an odd pale band. The patterning on the primary tips were also not quite right, but it was an interesting lesson for us.

In search of winter birds, Day 3 - Norfolk 2015

Day 3 began with yet another hearty breakfast, which was much needed given that we were going to spend most of the day in the field. Whilst loading the car we recorded another new species for the trip, a Goldcrest, and then we were ready to go.

Choseley Barns

Choseley Barns has been a regular stop for us over a number of years as it has been a guaranteed site for Corn Buntings, Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrows. One by one the species have declined and this year we recorded none. There were other species present, including four Blackbirds, a Chaffinch, a handful of Common Gulls and six Red-legged Partridges. It is so sad to see that despite various government schemes aimed at protecting farmland bird species, they continue to decline. Of course we do not know the reasons for the loss of farmland birds from Choseley Barns, but can make an educated guess.

A149 at Brancaster

We were feeling a little depressed after our visit to Choseley Barns but our spirits were heightened as we approached Brancaster. There was a large flock of around 6,000 Pink-footed Geese feeding in a field close to the road. We quickly took up some well-placed locations along the road and began to work our way through them. There have been some Bean Geese in with the Pink-foots but we did not find them. In fact we didn't have the time to finish our search as a couple of dog walkers flushed them, so we moved on.

Pink-footed Geese - Brancaster

Pink-footed Geese - Brancaster

Wells Harbour

Our next stop was Wells Harbour in search of the long-staying Shag, and also a Red-necked Grebe that has been present on and off this winter. The tide was high when we arrived and there wasn't really much to see. A shout from Paul quickly alerted us to a Red Kite that was drifting east over the harbour, a scan of the sky line produced two more hunting behind the harbour over East Hills.

Red Kite - Wells Harbour

We continued our search for the Shag and eventually picked it up sat on a spit on the opposite side of the harbour. Apparently when it is not feeding it roosts in this spot or on the jetty, so hopefully it will be a regular feature each winter in the future.

Shag - Wells Harbour

Cley Coastguards, East Bank and Arnold's Marsh

Our next stop was Cley Coastguards and a scan for the wintering Black-throated Diver. We picked up on a good candidate immediately and after a short deliberation we concluded it was the bird. A scan over the sea produced a couple of Common Scoter and a couple of Red-throated Divers.

After quick stop at the centre to check for any news and a scan over the marsh we decided to walk up the East Bank in search of a reported Golden Plover. There were very few birds on the marsh, Teal, Avocet, Dunlin and Grey Plover to name a few. The Golden Plover was all alone on the beach, not the usual place to see one, but it was the only one we had seen on the trip to date, so a welcome sight.

Golden Plover on the beach at Cley

We headed back down the East Bank and picked up a calling Bearded Tit (or Reedling or Parrotbill). At first it was the other side of the ditch, but soon flew across and began grubbing around at the base of a patch of reeds. It was amazing to watch the bird as it fed, it was scraping back the earth with both feet like a miniature chicken. It was occasionally calling but regularly sat up giving excellent views.

Bearded Tit - East Bank, Cley

Bearded Tit - East Bank, Cley

Bearded Tit - East Bank, Cley

Bearded Tit - East Bank, Cley

Sheringham

With time pressing on we headed to Sheringham in search of Purple Sandpipers. This is another site we visit annually, but have only ever seen them here once. We picked up a bird on one of the groynes, but it quickly went out of sight. We began working our way along the promenade to get a better view when we spotted another. This one was on a rock right next to the car park, and stayed there for several minutes giving excellent views.

Purple Sandpiper - Sheringham

Warham Greens

The harrier roost at Warham Greens was our final stop of the day. We arrived at just after 3pm and picked up a flock of 48 Golden Plovers in a nearby field. It was a bright, sunny day and ideal for looking for raptors. A couple of Marsh Harriers were hunting over the marsh and a Peregrine perched up on a distant sandbank. Our first Hen Harrier was brief, but the second, a cracking male performed well. Further sightings brought our total to at least three male and two female Hen Harriers, a Merlin, a Peregrine, a Sparrowhawk and one Barn Owl. It was pretty dark by the time the Barn Owl came past but I managed one record shot.

Barn Owl - Warham Greens

Great Bircham
We arrived back at our accommodation and were greeted by a couple of calling Tawny Owls   from the nearby trees. It was pitch black by now but we were able to make out their distinctive shape.

We finished the day on 88 species with several new species our grand total was now 115, so not bad after three days birding.