Day 4 up to Vardo the Temmincks Hunt continues.
After drawing a blank yesterday on Temmincks Stint the plan was to head out again today to try some other areas. We had also located a few areas that might be good for breeding Turnstone. We hoped to get to the end of the main road through Varagner if time aloud, to the old fishing port of Hamningberg. Today was also Father’s Day and I had great pleasure opening the card my five year old daughter Isabelle had drawn and popped in my case before we left. We had seen numerous White-tailed Eagles about and a few probably were togable but we didn’t stop until we saw one near a parking spot. It was sat posing on a huge rock on the shoreline. Ricky and I took a slow walk in to photograph this beast of the skies. It’s not until you’re within a few feet of one’s of these magnificent birds that you realise how big they are. Their talons and beaks are humongous. The eagle aloud really close approach and we sat togging it before it got bored of us and flew off. Again we struggled to get a background to photograph against.
White-tailed Eagle, Vadso, Norway June 2023
White-tailed Eagle, Vadso, Norway June 2023
White-tailed Eagle, Vadso, Norway June 2023
White-tailed Eagle, Vadso, Norway June 2023
White-tailed Eagle, Vadso, Norway June 2023
After leaving the Eagle we headed along the road towards Vardo. Historical it’s been good for Stints so would be a good place to start todays quest. As we approached Vardo we came to a village called Skallelv it was on the river Skalleelva. As we approached the village we crossed the bridge and I noticed a small bird flying a bit like a butterfly. It had got my heart racing, it was tiny and everything about it said Temmicks Stint. Parking areas are not that common in the Arctic, but lucky for us just after the a bridge was a little area to park. We would be greeted on arrival by a vocal Common Gull more on this later as we had Temmicks on our hit list. We sat on the banks and waited.
Bridge over River Skalleelva, Norway, June 2023
There were plenty of Eider Ducks, Red-breasted mergansers on the river and a few Redshanks were feeding on the mudflats. Within about 5 minutes I could hear the sound of a trilling wader it could only be one thing a Temmincks stint. I couldn’t see it yet but they were definitely here. Adrian and Ricky struggled to hear the distant bird and for a few minutes I thought maybe I was hearing things but soon enough one came within earshot of everyone and landed in front of us on the mudflats below. I haven’t seen one of these tiny waders for a few years and it may have been a lifer for the others. Through the bins we could see the yellowish legs to clinch the ID. It wasn’t long before we heard and saw numerous birds and there was probably about 4 pairs here. I caught site of one displaying on the other side of the road bridge and was using a post and a large rock to display from. It would launch itself off from here trilling in the sky and flying around in a kind of butterfly flight. It was amazing to watch. I managed a few distant shots of it on the post before a car drove past and it took off to the other side of the river. I settled down near to the rock it was using and waited, within about 15 minutes it was back and this is where I filled my memory card. It was very accommodating and allowed some close ups. I also managed to film it on my phone. My only regret is I didn’t film it on my camera. They are so tiny and I imagine it would have been very difficult anyway.
Temmincks Stint, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Temmincks Stint, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Temmincks Stint, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Temmincks Stint, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Photographing these waders was my number one Arctic target. Some might say why as they can be a bit dull looking. But waders are my favourite genus and I have a big affection to rare breeding waders of the UK. Temmincks are definitely rare breeders and for that reason you need a license to look for these breeding in Scotland. I have visited some historic sites in Scotland but they haven't been recorded breeding for many years. So here we were on their breeding grounds in Arctic Norway. I love the way they displayed to attract a mate they fly up trilling and then float down like a butterfly. They then land on one of a selection of song post where they continue to call and display with their wings in the air. As I sat watching these birds do their thing a pair of Reindeer crossed the road ahead of me, these were different to most of the others we saw as they weren’t tagged in anyway. Also in this picture you can see the issues with heat haze something i wasn't expecting in the Arctic circle.
Reindeer, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
Temmincks Stint, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Temmincks Stint, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Temmincks Stint, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Temmincks Stint, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Temmincks Stint, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Temmincks Stint, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Temmincks Stint, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Temmincks Stint, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Temmincks Stint, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Whilst I was photographing the Stints. Adrian had located a pair of Arctic Skua on the sandy ground about 150m back along the road . We checked them out to find a newly hatched chick and an another egg ready to hatch.
Arctic Skua nest, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Arctic Skua, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Arctic Skua, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Arctic Skua, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
The plan was to now check the area for breeding Temmincks the habitat looked great for them the only downside being the Arctic Skua living next door. We spent the next few hours checking the area. I had a few close calls with Lemming’s running out at my feet which gets the heart pumping. I also had two Meadow Pipits come out at my feet the first a c5 in a small overhang on a sand dune and the 2nd had chicks. We also had our first Eider of the trip. It was a Strange nest as it had no down unless it had been taken. No luck with the target bird the Temmincks stints.
Eider Duck nest, Skallelv , Norway, June 2023
Meadow Pipit, under a sand dune, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
Adrian had located a Wood Sandpiper but the area it was on just looked like a feeding area. It was acting very strange though and got very vocal as we approached its vantage point. At one point if flew and landed within a few feet of me allowing so very close photos. It was acting like the last Wood Sandpiper I photographed so we guessed it had chicks in the wet marsh. We left it alone and headed out. Was still are real treat to get some close range pictures of these stunning waders.
Wood Sandpiper, Norway, June 2023
Wood Sandpiper, Norway, June 2023
Wood Sandpiper, Norway, June 2023
Wood Sandpiper, Norway, June 2023
Wood Sandpiper, Norway, June 2023
Wood Sandpiper, Norway, June 2023
Wood Sandpiper, Norway, June 2023
I had watched a small bird come off the river and had gone further upstream so Adrian and I walked further up stream to see if we could locate it again. No luck after another 30min search. We turned and headed back to the car we walked an area we had all passed earlier that day when a small wader came up at our feet and did the famous dying rat routine and disappeared. Your heart starts to race when a wader gets up at your feet and does this and the adrenaline starts to flow. We watched as a the Tiny wader disappeared into the grass and we confirmed the ID as a Temmicks Stint. After a few high fives we set about locating the nest. What was surprising was how long we took to find the nest normally you can see it straight away as the bird has popped up only a few feet in front of you. Not being able to see it meant we had to tread very carefully and at one point i was on my hands and knees. Eventually Adrian uncovered it among some grass on a small bank a few meters from the river. It’s an amazing feeling when you are staring down at the prize you have spent so long looking for. It was a stunning set of eggs and you can see why many years ago people would collected and display them. Lucky now most people understand the fact that egg collecting is not acceptable and can have a detrimental effect on many species. I feel the advances in camera technology has aided this as you can get some great pictures of these eggs in their natural habitat which in my opinion is far better than seeing them on cotton wool in an old set of draws. Nest recording still has its issues and its often looked upon negatively but be rest assured with us the welfare of the bird always comes first and great effort and consideration is taken which each potential nest target. Plus there is some serious experience within our group who always calls the shots. The nest and eggs were tiny but still quite large compared to the size of this bird. We took some photos and recorded the location of the nest before retreating. We could see the incubating bird already moving its way through the grass back towards the nest site.
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023 (iphone)
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023 (iphone)
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023 (iphone)
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
It was now earlier afternoon and our hard work had paid off. There must be other birds nesting in this area though with 3-4 pairs displaying in the vicinity. I spent some more time photographing the individual that was posing on the roadside. Whilst Adrian and Ricky went in search of more birds. It wasn’t long before Adrian had located another pair by watching an off duty bird back to its nest. I walked over to where they were and they forgot to mention an Eider they had come across that came up at my feet. I shit myself and so did the Eider, all over its eggs. It’s not uncommon for them to do this.
Eider Duck nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
The Temmincks was another complete set of 4 similar type of habitat to the last one just a little further away from the river. We wondered how many more could be in this vast area. It would take time to survey such a large area and time wasn't on our side.
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
Temmincks Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
The Temmincks had nested on the edge of an Arctic Tern colony we weren’t looking for these but did find one nest as we walked back to the car. It had been numbered up so someone I guess someone was surveying them here.
Arctic Tern, Skallelv, Norway, June 2023
Next stop was Vardo the most Eastern most town in Norway and is further east then Istanbul and St Petersburg. Its also another Norwegian Island and is connected to the mainland by a 2.8Km tunnel that runs under the Bussesundet Strait. Its another hot spot mentioned in the books. We weren’t just here to see the birds we hoped to pick up some food as well, Being a Sunday we discovered most shops were closed by had hoped Vardo would offer us some sanctuary. Sadly we were wrong there was very little on Vardo and nothing was open. Looks like we were going hungary for the day we had a few snacks and some bottled water but not really enough to see us through the day. So lesson for anyone travelling to the far north remember things don't open on a Sunday. The town was a bit run down and has seen better days. Its home to 1000s of kittiwakes who nest among some abandoned buildings.
Vardo Fulmars, Norway, June 2023
Next we parked up near to Vardohus Fortress which was first built in 1306 and was used a POW camp for german soliders during World War 2. We didn't have time to look around but it looked pretty impressive. We sat here and had some lunch well the few basic supply's we had left. We watched a pair of Tundra Ringed Plover they were clearly nesting and soon lead us to our first nest of this subspecies it was a C3 so probably not a complete set still nice to find and just meant we had to find a 4 before we went home.
Tundra Ringed Plover nest, Vardo, June 2023
Tundra Ringed Plover nest, Vardo, June 2023
Tundra Ringed Plover nest, Vardo, June 2023
The area surrounding it was said to be good for Bluethroats. Guess what it wasn't. We did have Sedge Warblers here. It seemed strange to hear these birds so far north also here was good numbers of Red-throated Pipits. The tidal pool was empty and no waders were seen in or around the area. We did see numerous Cormorant’s flying up the channel between the island and the mainland. We also had a Black Guillemot here.
Red throated Pipit, Vardo, June 2023
There was also a very strange looking building and a monument by the shore it was some kind of vistor's attraction so we went in for a look around. It was pretty dark inside and very spooky made even more spooky when we found out it was a monument called the Steilneset Memorial. It was built in 2011 to commemorate the trial and execution in 1621 of 91 people for witchcraft. 77 women and 14 men were tried and burnt at the stake. Inside the 328 foot long narrow wooden structure are 91 windows. Through each window is a lightbulb to represent all those executed. Each one is accompained by the story of the indivudals executed.
Steilneset Memorial, Vardo, Norway, June 2023
Steilneset Memorial, Vardo, Norway, June 2023
Steilneset Memorial, Vardo, Norway, June 2023
After not having to much success on Vardo we left the island and headed back to the mainland we didn’t have enough time to make it all the way to Hamningberg so we headed back towards Vadso. On the way up to vardo we had spotted a Biotape bird hide over looking Vardo near to the village of Kiberg. We decided to stop here and have a look. It was a good idea as we stepped out the car we heard a bird calling that i didn’t recognise. There was also a pair of Red-necked Phalarope on a road side pool. It didn't take long to work out the unknown calling bird and It was a lifer for us all. It was a stunning male Lapland Bunting or if you prefer a Lapland Longspur. It was frequently calling and moving around from rock to rock. It was very mobile and tricky to photograph which was a shame as i really wanted to get some decent pictures of this species.
Lapland Bunting, Kiberg, Norway, June 2023
Lapland Bunting, Kiberg, Norway, June 2023
Lapland Bunting, Kiberg, Norway, June 2023
Lapland Bunting, Kiberg, Norway, June 2023
Lapland Bunting, Kiberg, Norway, June 2023
Phalarope Pool, Kiberg, Norway, June 2023
We left the Bunting and headed towards the hide as we approached a pair of Arctic Skuas took flight it was a mixed pair of a dark phase and light phase. I haven’t got any decent pictures of a pale phase bird before so i focused my efforts on this bird they stayed loyal to the area and where very vocal so with previous knowledge we knew they would be nesting nearby. We retreated and watched the pale bird back onto the nest.
Arctic Skua, Kiberg, June 2023
Arctic Skua, Kiberg, June 2023
Arctic Skua, Kiberg, June 2023
Arctic Skua, Kiberg, June 2023
Arctic Skua, Kiberg, June 2023
Arctic Skua, Kiberg, June 2023
Arctic Skua nest, Kiberg, June 2023
We headed back towards the car and on approaching the car the male Lapland Bunting appeared again and was joined by a female. Now we were interested he had clearly called her off the nest as we approached the car. We moved away form the area and settled down out if sight to see what happened it wasn't long before the female slowly made her way back to her nest site we marked the area and moved in. It took a little finding but was a nest we didn’t expect to see and it was a beauty. Lined with white feather probably Ptarmigan and well consealed in the grass. They can have as many as 7 eggs this one was a C5 a fantastic find on what was already a superb day. What next????
Lapland Bunting nest, Kiberg, June 2023
It was now early evening but with 24 hours of daylight we had plenty of time for more stops on the way home. I wanted to try again for the stints in what I hoped would be some better light. Firstly we did a bit of off road driving on some tracks that went around the Komagvaerstranda nature reserve . We stopped to listen at points around the reserve at one stop we saw Whimbrel and Tundra Ringed plovers. Adrian also spotted a sitting Arctic Skua in the distance. It was miles away but looked good to be incubating so he marked his spot on the barren landscape and off he went. There was no chance he was going to keep his mark from such a distance so I walked slowly and distantly behind him. Over 400 steps later he walked right to the spot. Even I was pretty impressed, both birds flew off which is very unusual for this species.
Arctic Skua nest, Komagvaerstranda, Norway, June 2023
Arctic Skua nest, Komagvaerstranda, Norway, June 2023
Arctic Skua nest site, Komagvaerstranda, Norway, June 2023
It looked a great area and if we had more time here we would have loved to it explore further. I wanted to have another crack at the Temmicks in the late evening light and we were sure there were more nesting in the area. We arrived greeted by the sounds of trilling Stints and the tide was now heading back in. I set up by the song post of the individual I had photographed earlier and waited. Adrian and Ricky went off to explore more potential nesting sites. It was now past 8pm and it was a lovely calm evening with little cloud. It was really peaceful to just sit and watch the birds coming and going. At one point a local stopped and asked if I would be interested in seeing whales as a pod of killer whales had been seen near to Vadso. It would have been nice to see but I had eyes on the stints for the rest of the evening. Sadly they didn’t perform as well as they did earlier in the day but I still managed a few pictures.
Temmicks Stint, Norway, June 2023
Temmicks Stint, Norway, June 2023
Temmicks Stint, Norway, June 2023
Temmicks Stint, Norway, June 2023
Temmicks Stint, Norway, June 2023
Temmicks Stint, Norway, June 2023
Temmicks Stint, Norway, June 2023
Temmicks Stint, Norway, June 2023
Adrian and Ricky had been successful on their walk across the neighbouring dunes and had discovered at least one more Temmincks and a c4 Tundra Ringed Plover. Adrian was adamant there was at least one more Temmincks in the close proximity. Three c4s in a day wasn’t to bad a day, also not to forget the Lapland Bunting amongst others we had found.
Temminck Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Temminck Stint nest, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Tundra Ringed Plover, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Tundra Ringed Plover, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Tundra Ringed Plover, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
To Finish off the day the vocal Common Gull that was sat on near to the car was off the nest when we walked back to the car so we had a quick peep at that. We also walked down to the river mouth as we had heard that Steller's Eiders were in the area none were seen by us. A few weeks after our visit a Stilt Sandpiper was seen in the river that would have been a good bird to connect with on our travels.
Common Gull nest, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Common Gull nest, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
Common Gull nest, Skallelv, Norway June 2023
River Skalleelva, Norway, June 2023
Few stops on the way home for turnstone with no success but we did have another showy Long-tailed Skua. Who wouldnt want to stop and have a look at these stunning birds.
Long-tailed Skua, Norway, June 2023
Long-tailed Skua, Norway, June 2023