Besseggen 17-19 June 2020 - Run to the hills

Desperately hot for someone not keen on the heat so the mountains seemed like a good idea - and athough Besseggen was not my idea it is THE hike to do here in Norway and with things set to open up it seemed like an opportunity to avoid the worst of the crowds.

There is good birding to be had in the area so with Iron Maiden playing I drove a long way in a vain attempt to cool down....

Hen Harrier myrhauk and Rough-legged Buzzard fjellvåk flying over the road along Valdresflye made me want to to stop and see what was out there. However, these stops did not produce that much and I saw no waders at all. Further down from the plateau itself a Short-eared Owl jordugle hunted within view of the road and a cracking male Red-backed Shrike tornskate gave a deja vu feeling - having seen a pair in more or less the same place during a guiding trip a couple of years ago.

Roadside Red-backed Shrike tornskate

thunbergi Yellow Wagtails såerle

Besseggen was just incredible scenery-wise, we chose to hike behind the crowd that left the boat in order to avoid the selfie stick brigade. It was also far too hot to be walking / climbing. Species seen on the hike included a Bluethroat blåstrupe, several Ring Ousel ringtrost and some Ptarmigan fjellrype.

A male Ptarmigan fjellrype put on a show, initially to allow his mate to scuttle off to safety and then to see off another male.

This is the actual "Besseggen" - the ridge walk.

....and some general stunning scenery.

No wonder it is so popular!

Engerdal, Hedmark June 2016 - Broad-billed Sandpipers and more

This trip to Engerdal was yet again anything but a full blown birding trip, In between work and family stuff I did manage to get out and about for an hour or two most days - with excellent results.

One of the things this trip highlighted was that the Norwegian bird recording system cannot yet be relied upon to give accurate species lists as many older records have yet to find their way into the database. I initially thought that this trip produced two new species for the district - in the form of Oystercatcher tjeld and Wood Warbler bøksanger.

Some limited research proved that Oystercatcher tjeld has been recorded in the area before, just not recently. Wood Warbler bøksanger may well be a new species as I found a few singing birds at a rather exceptional high altitude woodland just below the treeline. This find was probably the biggest surprise this time around.

Above: Broad-billed Sandpiper fjellmyrløper

Male Ruff brushane

Seven km of rowing without covering the whole site......

Among the many highlights was the finding of a new site for Broad-billed Sandpiper fjellmyrløper with at least four displaying males present. Despite a lot of rowing the site I found these birds at was not fully covered and more birds may well have been present. Having previously tried known sites without luck I picked this site from a map and was proved correct. It is quite likely that further such localities exist in the area. I also found Ruff brushane in suitable breeding habitat.

Other mega-news from Engerdal in June included the finding of a singing Red-flanked Bluetail blåstjert - although the observers understandably did not release the news until a month later.

Golden Plover heilo

Long-tailed Duck havelle

Common Redpoll gråsisik

Black-throated Diver storlom

Rock Ptarmigan fjellrype

Willow Grouse lirype

Breeding Common Scoter svartand, Long-tailed Duck havelle, Black-throated Diver storlom and  Grey Wagtail vintererle were among the other highlights of this visit.

One of the commonest species in Engerdal - Goldeneye kvinand

Siberian Jay lavskrike

This was on top of the usual Engerdal species - including cracking up-close and personal views of a party of nest-raiding Siberian Jays lavskrike, Capercaille storfugl, Willow Ptarmigan lirype, Rock Ptarmigan fjellrype and more.

Gullfjell 23 April 2015 - Out of Øygarden

I don't often post on anything outside Øygarden but today errands took me into town and I took the opportunity to visit my old stomping grounds in Gullfjell - partly as recon for some upcoming guiding tours and partly because it has been far too long since I was there. It was a fantastic morning out - but lots of snow at low altitude.

Ptarmigan fjellrype

The large amount of snow still on the lower slopes may be the explanation for seeing Ptarmigan fjellrype so low down. It is not often in my hundreds of walks here that I have seen this species below Redningshytten.

Svartevatnet

Redningshytten

The newly heightened dam

It was a relief to see that work on raising the dam is complete - looks like they have done a good job there.

Dipper fossekall

Goosander laksand

White Wagtail linerle

I picked up all the expected species including Ptarmigan fjellrype, lekking Black Grouse orrfugl, Rough-legged Buzzard fjellvåk and Ring Ousel ringtrost. Dipper fossekall were very obvious and many of the migrants had returned.

Best birds in a Gullfjell context were a Goodander laksand on Osavatnet and a Teal krikkand on Kurlatjern.