Day 3, Vadso and surrounding area
Day 3 Vadso - The Temmincks hunt begins
The plan today was to head to Vadso. Part of it is the island of Vadsøya joined to the mainland by a road bridge. It’s the 170th most populous municipality in Norway with a population around 5,500. It’s a great place for bird life and in winter is one of the best spots to see Stellers Eider. We had hoped to see Stellers Eider and had heard a few birds were still in the area. We did check the harbour but only saw Common Eider, Red-breasted Merganser and a Greater black-backed Gull trying to hull a huge fish out of the water. We caught up with it later were it had been successful. The fish looked bigger than the bird when in the water.
Greater black-backed Gull, Vadso, June 2023
Greater black-backed Gull, Vadso, June 2023
Vadso harbour, Norway, June 2023
The guides all say how good the wasteland next to the birders hotel can be and it is the place to go for Red-throated Pipits and Temmincks stint. We walked the area and only founda pair of Oystercatchers, nesting Common Gulls, a nesting Lesser black-backed Gull, we did however had a single RT Pipit which was a lifer for Adrian and Ricky. Also randomly about 20 mountain hares come running out of the long grass and into the port. Strange place to find these.
Lesser black-backed Gull nest, Vadso, June 2023
Lesser black-backed Gull nest, Vadso, June 2023
Birders hotel, Vadso, Norway, June 2023
We next headed to the island pool on the opposite side of the island. It’s meant to be a good place for Red-necked Phalaropes. We checked every bush for Bluethroats but drew a blank. Lots of Redpolls about maybe even the odd Arctic Redpoll but I didn’t see enough of them to call it. Adrian found a few Redpoll nest that had all been predated. We also started to see a few Red-throated Pipits but they were always distant.
Red-throated Pipit, Vadso, June 2023
The pool was busy with birds, Mallards, Tuffed Ducks, and Black-headed Gulls and plenty of Red-necked Phalaropes. They were very busy feeding and never stayed still. I love these birds but they are a bugger to photograph. I took about 1000 photos with about 99% being binned. Normally because the bird was facing the wrong way. The ones below aren't the best with the high soon reflecting off the water it was a bit of a nightmare to get any thing decent. 24 hours of daylight does have its draw backs lol. These were pretty much the only ones we saw all trip. Some times it’s just better to just sit back and and watch them for what they are. They came so close i was able to film them on my phone.
Red-necked Phalarope, Vadsø, Norway, June 2023 I phone video
Red-necked Phalarope, Vadsø, Norway, June 2023
Red-necked Phalarope, Vadsø, Norway, June 2023
Red-necked Phalarope, Vadsø, Norway, June 2023
Red-necked Phalarope, Vadsø, Norway, June 2023
Red-necked Phalarope, Vadsø, Norway, June 2023
Red-necked Phalarope, Vadsø, Norway, June 2023
Red-necked Phalarope, Vadsø, Norway, June 2023
Red-necked Phalarope, Vadsø, Norway, June 2023
Red-necked Phalarope, Vadsø, Norway, June 2023
Red-necked Phalarope, Vadsø, Norway, June 2023
Red-necked Phalarope, Vadsø, Norway, June 2023
Vadsøya Island Pool, Norway, June 2023
Vadsøya Island Pool, Norway, June 2023
There is a large structure on the island which is listed as being the airship mask used by Roald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile for their expedition over the North Pole with the airship Norge in 1926. Not just about the birds we learn a bit of history on these trips as well.
Airship Mask, Vadsøya Island, June 2023.
Airship Mask, Vadsøya Island, June 2023.
So although we saw some good stuff we hadn’t seen what we were really looking for Temmincks Stint and Bluethroat. We tried behind the hotel for Bluethroat but only saw Mountain Hare and a single Wheatear. There was some nice views across the fjord from here
Varangerfjord, Norway, June 2023
We next headed up in to the hills behind Vadso. We checked a few lakes out with not much success. It was then I caught sight of a bird flying in and around some bushes!!! Boom it was a Bluethroat infact it was better than that it was a pair of Bluethroat. We pulled up and got out hoping to tog some of these stunning birds. Sadly it wasn’t to be they had completely disappeared. We spent a a while checking out the area only turning up a Wheatear and I’m pretty confident I clocked an Arctic Redpoll as well. After no further success with the Bluethroats we left the area defeated and headed further inland we reached the end of the road at a small dam where we stopped for lunch. The usual £8 garage sandwich. Whilst here we watched a Wood Sandpiper, 5 Ruff and 2 pairs of Tundra Ringed Plover. We watched one making a scrape which was pretty cool. We also had a fly past cuckoo.
Tundra Ringed Plover Scrape, Vadso, June 2023
We took a walk across the hill top hoping for Long-tailed Skua we saw one but it was just hunting the ridge. It was a long walk for very little success. Had a few Lemming sightings and even came across what looked like an old nest I guess exposed after the snow melt. The hills here are said to be good for Snowy Owls when the conditions are right.
Lemmings nest, Vadso, June 2023
Returning down from the hill back to the car we had some good views of 4 Tundra Ringed Plovers joy flighting and displaying I sat and watched them taking what I thought would be some great photos but sadly my lens let me down and they were all slightly out of focus.
Tundra ringed Plover, Norway, June 2023
Tundra ringed Plover, Norway, June 2023
Tundra ringed Plover, Norway, June 2023
Tundra ringed Plover, Norway, June 2023
It was now mid afternoon and we hadn’t had a very successful day we moved onto Ekkroya. Here are some bird cliffs with breeding Kittiwake. It’s also a good place to try for Gyr Falcons. It was an impressive sight you can walk above or below with Ricky and I going below and Adrian walked the top. The cliff rises steeply 40-50 from the sea the cliff are about 1km in length and the home to about 20,000 pairs of Kittiwakes. I understand locals are aloud to take a quota of eggs for consumption. Not only was it an impressive sight the smell was also pretty impressive. A fishy poo stench filled the air. We didn’t stay lo long.
Kittiwake cliffs, Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
Kittiwake cliffs, Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
Kittiwake, Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
Kittiwake Nest, Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
Kittiwake Nest, Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
We then headed onto the cliff tops for a look around there were a couple of Reindeer carcasses around picked clean by the sea eagles I guess. Also on the top was two ladies Gerda and Paula these are the names of two buildings build by the Germans during the 2nd world war. It’s one of the best places in Finmark to see buildings built by the Germans as most were destroyed as they retreated. The slopes also held massive man made caves which were probably where they stored their ammunition. The buildings looked like a great place for wheatears to nest with one empty nest found.
German world war 2 buildings, Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
German world war 2 buildings, Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
German world war 2 buildings, Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
German world war 2 buildings, Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
German world war 2 buildings, Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
German world war 2 buildings, Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
View across towards the Barents sea, Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
The top was pretty devoid of bird life some nice plants were seen. I promised myself I would do better this year at recording the plant life but yet again I didn’t take many pictures and any I did take I just used my phone rather than a macro set up. We headed down back towards the car checking a small area around here for breeding waders. None found again apart from a pair of Oystercatchers and a Common Gull was sat on the fish drying racks.
Common Gull, Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
Common Gull, Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
Ekkeroy, Norway, June 2023
Ekkeroy is a small spit of land that stick out into the Varangerfjord the causeway that links it to the mainland has a nice sandy beach on its north side. This looked great for waders so we stopped have a look. There was already some toggers here so it felt good. There was a fence keeping in some sheep that were grazing the dunes. From the fence was could see a small flock of waders, Dunlin, Tundra Plovers, Sanderling all feeding on the timeline. There was an area of seaweed that had Ruff, Turnstone and a small flock of brick Red breeding plumage Bar-tailed Godwit. These looked stunning up but weren’t in an area to get any good photos off. The Turnstones weren’t either this was another bird we had on our target list. Adrian had spotted another little wader on the tide line it was noticeable smaller than the Sanderling but a similar plumage and it was being bossed around by the other waders. As it turned we saw the light v shape feather feature on birds back it was a stunning Little Stint in breeding plumage. They breed here in small numbers and very much something we all wanted to see. The other toggers were focusing on the godwits so I accessed the beach just down from were the bird were feeding via a sty over the fence. I slow moved down the beach into a position were I could see the birds and also being careful not to disturb them. It was difficult to single out the Little Stint and when I did it never stayed still for long enough to really capture it as it’s best. Still I had a Little Stint feeding in its breeding grounds in front of me. Sadly this was the only time we saw this species and we never come close to finding a nest. Something for a return journey.
Little Stint, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
Little Stint, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
Little Stint, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
Little Stint, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
Little Stint, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
Little Stint, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
Little Stint, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
Little Stint, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
Little Stint, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
Little Stint, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
Little Stint, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
Little Stint, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
Sanderling, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
Sanderling, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
Wader beach, Ekkeroya, Norway, June 2023.
We finished up on the beach and headed in the direction of our digs we stopping a few times but didn’t turn anything up. After a bite to eat at our digs, Adrian and I headed out again. We had done a bit of research on Nesseby and thought it would be a good spot for our main targets. We stopped at a new raised beach with lots of good habit for Turnstone but after a good search we turned up nothing. The area was also an old Sami burial ground so we took great care when walking across this area.
Sami Burial ground, Vestre Jakobselv, Norway, June 2023
Sami Burial ground, Vestre Jakobselv, Norway, June 2023
After leaving the Sami Burial ground we had our only Short eared Owl of the trip. It was a bit distant but posed nice in the late evening light. It sat for ages in a tree just watching me as I photographed it from the car.
Short-eared Owl, Vestre Jakobslev, Norway, June 2023
Short-eared Owl, Vestre Jakobslev, Norway, June 2023
Nest stop was the church and surrounding area at Nesseby it was after 10pm when we arrived and it all seemed very quite. The tide was out and not many waders were in the bay. We had distant Curlew and Whimbrel. Behind the church was a small pond on here we had a feeding Wood Sandpiper and a small party of male Ruff. The Ruff were also feeding on the grassy banks allowing distant photography.
Church, Nesseby, Norway, June 2023
Nesseby Pool, Norway, June 2023
Ruff, Nesseby, Norway, June
Ruff, Nesseby, Norway, June
Ruff, Nesseby, Norway, June
Ruff, Nesseby, Norway, June
Whilst i was trying in vain to get decent pictures of the Ruff Adrian had found a C2 Oystercatcher along the beach just above the tideline we sae numerous nesting Oystercatcher but they werent really on our radar so they went under recorded.
Oystercatcher nest, Nesseby, Norway, June 2023
Oystercatcher nest, Nesseby, Norway, June 2023
We stopped off en route back to the digs at the river in Vestre Jakobselv at around 23.20 just as the sun went behind the hills. This was about as dark as it got all week. Nothing of note was seen apart from the usual Redshanks and Common Gulls. We did so some pretty impressive buttercup like flowers. I think they where Globeflowers and if correct you can see where they get there name from. They brought the end of a slightly disappointing day but we still had time on our side.
Vestre Jakobselv, Norway,June 2023
Globe flower, Vestre Jakobselv, Norway,June 2023
Globe flower, Vestre Jakobselv, Norway,June 2023