Day 6 - Day 2 In Batsjford the tundra hunt
It was the final day in Norway before heading back to Finland and after another decent breakfast in the hotel we headed back out on the tundra in search of the elusive Dotterel. It was another beautiful day and felt pretty warm in the sun.
Tundra, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
We first stopped as last nights destination to check again on the Shorelarks. Within minutes of pulling up we had a pair of Snow Bunting with the cock bird serenading us with his beautiful song. The pair were joined by an another cock bird and then another and before long we had up to 6 birds. They didn’t hang around for too long. Adrian and Ricky took a direct route in and I went around the outside to cover a bit more ground. I had another Pair of snow Bunting and not much else. I couldn’t join up with the others the way I went due to ground being to wet. I back tracked and joined the others. They had watched the Shorelarks feeding chicks so we had no chance of unearthing another new nest here. I did a bit of research before bed and it appears that Shorelarks are early breeders and most will have chicks already. The Shorelarks didn’t play for the camera but still great to see.
Shorelarks, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Shorelarks, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
We turned our attention back to the dotterel. We had seen a roadside pull in a couple of miles down the road and that was to be our next stop. It looked over a beautiful valley and onto a whale back pleatau perfect for Dotterel. We pulled up and saw a LT Skua feeding to our left, our experiences of these birds so far told us there would be an incubating bird nearby. Turned out later we would find one there and it was to the right of us about 200m ahead. Adrian planned to walk up the road on the right side and Ricky and I planned to cross over and go up the left side. We had read that the local Dotterels often nest close to the road. So the tactic this morning was to stick close to the road. Ricky crossed over ahead of me and it was then I heard those famous words again. Matt I got a wader here. On the other side of the road was a large patch of melting snow and a very wet area. Ricky had spotted a wader in the snow. It turned out to be a Purple Sandpiper. It was feeding on the snow line probably feeding on insects that die as they hit the snow.
Purple Sandpiper, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Purple Sandpiper, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Purple Sandpiper, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Purple Sandpiper, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
I then caught site of another bird. Boom it was a stunning female Dotterel. It too was feeding along the snow line but it was a start. Ricky and I started to tog the waders taking it in turns both birds were very confiding. The Dotterel walked right up to me and passed my lens not bothered by me at all. The Purple Sandpiper did the same, it was an awesome experience. Adrian walked on heading up to a nearby ridge to scan for the Dotterels boyfriend.
Dotterel, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Dotterel, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Dotterel, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Dotterel, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
As we togged the Dotterel and Sandpiper there was another wader joining us and it was easy to call what it was before we saw it. We had several Temmincks Stints doing there butterfly flight routines and trilling all around us. They must be breeding nearby. They would at times join the other waders on the snow patch. Other birds were around as well we had a few snow buntings feeding, but always to quick to get any decent pictures. We also had a few pairs of Lapland Buntings and Red-throated pipits calling around us. We had hit another hot spot. Clearly this patch of snow was the place to be.
Wader hot spot, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
The Dotterels flew off over the car and towards the ridge we had seen from the car. I lost it and didn’t see it drop down. I was also watching the Temmincks and they appeared to launch their display flights from an area of rough grass about 20m up the ridge. Clearly an area they must be nesting in. I had a walk along and first put out a few lemmings that got my heart racing and then a pair of Dotterel. I didn't currently have my camera on me as I had left that by the snow patch. I watched them for a while but they didn’t seem to be doing much. I marked the area to check again later. Adrian had come back down of the ridge and had seen a pair of Laplands but not much else. We decided to walk the side of the road as planned to see if we turned anything up. The area was pretty wet with a rapid snow melt on the higher parts filtering down to were we now walked. We put out a Willow Ptarmigan that got the blood pumping. We also had a pair of Dunlin that were very vocal and probably had chicks in the area.
Dunlin, Batsjford, June 2023
Willow Ptarmigan, Batsjford, June 2023
We were again treated to a lovely song flight of a Red-throated Pipit and as we walked back to the car a female Ruff flew into the snow melt to feed. We decided to use Adrian’s skills to see if we could find another Temmicks nest and it wasn’t long before he had watched a bird back from a feeding foray back onto its nest. Boom number 4 of the trip and in complete different habit to the first ones we had found. These were several 100m above sea level in a montane setting. The ones we had found previously were pretty much at sea level along an estuary. We were sure there were a few more pairs to be found but we needed to put some time into the Dotterel. We were now buoyed by the fact we had seen 3 birds.
Temmicks Stint, Batsjford, June 2023
Temmicks Stint nest site, Batsjford, June 2023
Temmicks Stint nest site, Batsjford, June 2023
We moved a few miles or so down the road past some random garages that were in the middle of nowhere. We guessed these garages were maybe were the locals kept their snowmobiles. Just looked very strange having a row of garages miles from any civilisation. We took a small track we had seen yesterday that lead onto the tundra. We found a place to pull over and after tucking into some lunch we headed off across the tundra we had snow bunting pretty much after leaving the car. We headed higher up and then walked across the plateau. It was a beautiful but some what empty landscape, I could imagine how bleak it is out here in the winter.
Tundra, Batsjford, June 2023
Tundra, Batsjford, June 2023
Tundra, Batsjford, June 2023 - random middle of nowhere garages
Tundra, Batsjford, June 2023
Tundra, Batsjford, June 2023
After not seeing anything we headed back down across some large snow patches it was here we caught site of another pair of Dotterel. Both females. They weren’t very accommodating and flew off. As I crossed the snow I heard the sound of one of my favourite waders. A series of short, high-pitched whistles that suddenly increase in frequency. A Purple Sandpiper again it was feeding on the snow it wasn’t the easiest to get down to so I moved on. Soon after it flew off probably to its montane breeding grounds. We headed toward the main road a few miles west. We could now see the garages again. The ground was wet in place’s probably due the rapid snow melt. The temperature was into double digits and the sun was high in the Arctic sky. Again not the weather we’re had been expecting all week. We had certainly been blessed. We caught site of another Dotterel again a female this one i managed a few distant pictures of.
Dotterel, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Dotterel, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
The question was where are all the females boyfriends? Female Dotterels are unlike most birds they don’t incubate the eggs or raise the chicks, that is left to the male. We continued to walk across the Tundra I was just ahead of Ricky and Adrian slightly down hill when I heard the shout. I got a wader here!! Boom Ricky had struck again a male Dotterel came up at his feet literally right in front of him. Golden boots!!!!! It did what a lot of waders do and that’s to fake an injury so you (or predator) follow it and move away from its precious cargo the eggs. It’s really clever and amazing to watch. I had my camera to hand so managed a few pictures. We had a search at the area it come up from for its eggs. Their camouflage is amazing we know where it had come from but it took some looking to locate the scrape. A one point we were on our hands and knees going very careful with every movement. It was well worth the many miles we had put on over the last 48hours. I have dreamed of seeing the nest of a Dotterel for a long time and now I was staring at a beautiful full set of 3 eggs. It’s common for Dotterel to lay 3 eggs which I have always seemed is rather odd!!
Dotterel, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Dotterel, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Dotterel, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Dotterel nest, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Dotterel nest, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Dotterel nest, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Dotterel nest, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Dotterel nest, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
We took some quick photos and I set my GoPro up on the nest to return to later. We had only moved away about 10meters and the male was already on the move within minutes he was back incubating. It was a great opportunity to get some pictures of him incubating on the nest. These pictures will be passed onto a team of scientists who are looking at incubating waders and their camouflage. The GoPro was probably far enough away for me to remove it without disturbing the bird so I slow crept in and removed it. These birds are incredible confiding I could of probably reached out and touched it.
Dotterel approaching nest site, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Incubating Dotterel, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Incubating Dotterel, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
The walk back to the car was made a lot easier now we had found our first and only Dotterel of the trip, it was made even better by a very showy Rock Ptarmigan. The Ptarmigans here are much like Iceland they seem to be a lot more cautious of people than the Scottish population. I wonder if that’s because they could be hunted here.
Rock Ptarmigan, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Rock Ptarmigan, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Rock Ptarmigan, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Rock Ptarmigan, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Rock Ptarmigan, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Rock Ptarmigan, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Next on the agenda was to have a look the Long-tailed Skua we had spotted early on in the day. The off nest bird was again feeding on the same spot and we could see the incubating bird sat on a 100m up the road. We walked towards the bird and it took flight we walked in on the area we thought it was in to find another c2. I have later learnt that it’s common for Long-tailed Skuas to lay 1 egg. All the sets we had seen were c2s, these often happens in a good Lemming year when food is plentiful. We quickly took a w3w location and a few photos and left. I understand that nest recording isn’t very everyone and people may claim it causes a lot of distress to the birds but these birds are fairly resilient and like the Dotterel it had returned to its nest within minutes. We had earlier watched this pair leave the nest and chase off a Rough-legged Buzzard.
Long-tailed Skua, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Long-tailed Skua, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Long-tailed Skua, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
Long-tailed Skua habitat, Batsjford, Norway, June 2023
We had been in the hills for a few hours and had ticked our major targets so tired and hungry we headed back to our base in Batsjford for some food. We had a big drive tomorrow so I didn’t plan on returning to the hills tonight. As I didn’t need to dive later we celebrated the successful day with another Pizza and a couple of Norwegian beers.
After tea we had a walk around Batsfjord it was a lot nicer than some of the other ports we had visited. We saw the floating hide which is used in the winter to tog the sea ducks. Hopefully I will be back on day to have a go at this.
Batsjford harbour, Norway, June 2023
Batsjford harbour, Norway, June 2023
Batsjford harbour, Norway, June 2023 - Floating hides
Batsjford Hotel, Norway, June 2023
Icelandic Poppies, Batsjford, June 2023
Icelandic Poppies, Batsjford, June 2023
Icelandic Poppies, Batsjford, June 2023