INTRO LOGISTICS LITERATURE

Transcription

1 FINNMARK, NORWAY Birding in the Land of the Midnight Sun 21 st June to 5 th July 2011 Martin Austad

2 INTRO I didn t really believe they would even consider it when I casually asked my parents if we could extend our annual visit to Norway, my father being Norwegian, by going to Finnmark, but they did! In June this year my dream of visiting Varanger and Pasvik came true! It was well worth it too: 37 lifers, several other great birds apart from the stunning scenery, away from polluted and overpopulated towns and cities. My parents were happy, or most of the time at least, to give birding first priority and on a few occasions became just as excited as my sister and I! LOGISTICS Took a Norwegian.no flight from Oslo to Kirkenes where we hired a car from Avis, cost circa 1200 for the two weeks plus fuel. We slept half the nights in tents and then in cheap, by Norwegian standards, camping huts (64 for a hut for 4 per night) and guest houses the rest of the time. We cooked our food on a small stove in the open not only as we could continue birding, but also because the costs of eating out in Norway are outrageous and in Finnmark there are very few restaurants and cafes. LITERATURE An extremely helpful book, always at hand during the trip, and recently translated to English is A Birdwatcher's Guide to Norway by Bjørn Olav Tveit. I would say it is a must for any birder visiting Finnmark or any part of Norway. Another book which I have only heard about Field Guide to Protected Areas in the Barents Region by Morten Günther, which should also be very good. If planning to leave the roads and walk into the terrain, especially in Pasvik, a good map is essential. Even if keeping to the roads a more detailed map than the books above offer wouldn t go amiss! THANKS I want to express my appreciation to Morten Bergan and Morten Günther, two Norwegian birdwatchers and ornithologists who were of great help with tips about the area and advice which made finding certain species much easier! Thanks too to all birders we met in the field who it was a joy to share sightings and information with!

3 MAP OF FINNMARK Note that the most western part of the county is not shown FINLAND RUSSIA

4 DAILY ACCOUNT: DAY 1 Kirkenes - Tana Arrived at noon in heavy rain. However, with a brighter forecast we drove towards Varangerhalvøya. Through the pouring rain Anne-Marie, my sister, discovered 6 Bean Geese feeding on Færdesmyra first target bird! As we reached Nesseby, the weather cleared up a bit. After putting on all our warm clothes, we ventured out on the windy headland. Loads of Arctic Terns and Kittiwakes with our first Arctic Skuas giving them a hard time. Although Nesseby may be synonymous with Red-necked phalaropes, we only saw five. Yet, they were as beautiful as any. Other waders were Bar-tailed Godwits (16), Dulins (6), Ringed Plovers (3) and Oystercatchers (4). The latter seemed to be breeding wherever we stopped along the coast. More Bar-tailed Godwits (14) at Varangerbotn as we drove to Tana Family Camping where we stayed the night, plus Velvet Scoters and the first White-tailed Eagle of many to come later. DAY 2 Tana Domen Maybe one of the best days of the trip! Apart from getting quite a few target species we enjoyed beautiful weather! First stop Varangerbotn producing our first Red-throated Loon and Common Scoters (c50). Next was Vadsøya. It was alive with singing Red-throated Pipits, Redwings, Willow Warblers, Redpolls and even a Sedge Warbler. Really memorable were more than 50 Red-necked phalaropes whizzing about on the small pool! We drove on to Ekkerøy, where we were awed by our first bird cliff of over Kittiwakes as well as a few Black Guillemots, Guillemots and Razorbills. The noise was of course deafening. We met a Scottish couple who told us about an adult male King Eider amongst a flock of Common eiders, a great bird to add to the lengthening list of lifers. We had more Bar-tailed Godwits, Ruffs males in all their breeding splendour, Arctic Skuas, our first Lapland Bunting and a single White-tailed Eagle on the way to Komagværnes. A Whimbrel was amongst the handful of waders on the shore there and another first for us! We saw our only Willow Ptarmigan of the trip as well as two pairs of Turnstones. We were just leaving when I spotted a smaller duck with four female Eiders. It was a Steller s eider! This may have been the only one present in Varanger at the time as it was the only one being reported by foreign and local birders.

5 Red-necked phalarope on Vadsøydammen, White-tailed Eagle at Varangerbotn and record shot of drake King eider off Ekkerøy. Kittiwakes at Ekkerøy, Arctic Skua and Turnstone. Day 3 Domen - Sandfjord Woke up to calling Golden Plover and a Whimbrel plus singing Lapland Buntings at the Domen where we camped. The weather was a bit miserable, but not too bad. Apart from three Arctic Skuas a Long-tailed Skua passed overhead a lifer in the first half hour of birding. Drove down to Kiberg, a quaint harbour with a beach close by, where we found a second year Glaucous Gull on the beach with the numerous Herring and Greater Black-backed Gulls. At Vardø we scanned the channel between the main island and Hornøya, a large bird colony. No Brünnich Guillemots to be found but scores of the other auk species as well as Shags and a flock of six King Eiders, 5 females and a second year male. Saw the only Horned Lark of our holiday feeding on the path as we ate lunch at Skagodden. After lunch we started driving towards Hamningberg. Impressive cliff coast with the road carving its way through the jagged rocks. We often stopped to scan the cliffs hoping they would produce Gyr Falcon. Suddenly a falcon did flash past, but it was only a Peregrine. Camped in Sandfjordelva valley in the middle of

6 nowhere. Great scenery but birdwise rather quiet. Saw our first of a few Roughlegged of the trip, a pair of Long-tailed Skuas and a White-throated Dipper of interest. Glaucous Gull at Ytre Kiberg, the road out to Hamnigberg and Sandfjordalen. Day 4 Sandfjord - Vardø Reached the end of the world Hamningberg! That s the feeling you get looking out over the ice-cold ocean knowing that next stop would be the North pole! A bit disappointing in birds however! The sea was too calm and no good for sea watching. A few Gannets did pass by and on land a Snow Bunting was hopping about between the rocks. Started the journey back, stopped at Sandjord to search for Arctic Redpoll, apparently the best site to do so. Still, it was no easy task, there were loads of Common Redpolls, but finally we managed to find a pair mission completed! 13 Whooper Swans were feeding on Barvikmyra. Next stop Svartnes and Smelror...hope of Iceland gull which had been reported here, but the search was in vain. A pair of Temminck s Stint had to compensate apart from the usual flocks of Eiders, Goosanders and Long-tailed Ducks, Redthroated Loons, Oystercatchers, Arctic Skuas etc Started to rain heavily and the hope of finding Twite on Skagodden was washed away. Drove to Komagvearnes, which was one of the sites I liked best for once Red-breasted Merganser was more numerous than Goosanders. Four White-tailed Eagles flapped lazily above us as we ate dinner in the shelter of the car. Before we left 2 Pintails and a Wigeon flew down in the bay. The rain was getting heavier so we decided to turn back to Vardø and turn in at a guesthouse there. We slept hoping the weather would settle and we d make it to Hornøya the next day!

7 Record shot of Arctic Redpoll, Ringed Plover on nest right by the road and birdwatching at Hamningberg. Day 5 Vardø - Pasvik Final day on Varangerhalvøya! Woke up to showers, but not much wind so there was still hope for Brünnich s Guillemot, Twite and Rock pipit on Hornøya! Another futile attempt at Iceland gull at Svartnes. Yet, there was a nice gathering of waders, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Temminck s Stint, Turnstone, Dunlin, Red-necked Phalarope, and Ruff. Suddenly a Peregrine falcon stooped down on the feeding waders right in front of us, but it was quickly chased off by the Oystercatchers. Drove down the tunnel back to Vardø in rain and came up to find that finally the rain had stopped! Waiting for the boat to Hornøya we spotted 4 auks bobbing up and down in the harbour, they were Brünnich s Guillemots! Now that the main target species was in the bag, I became in doubt how worthwhile it would be to visit Hornøya, but I was glad I went! Little did I know that we would get two more unexpected lifers. We hadn t even reached the island when hundreds of auks were passing right by the boat! And when we did, it was an impressive sight. The cliff was covered with Shags, Kittiwakes, Puffins, Guillemots, and Brünnich s Guillemots and Razorbill in smaller numbers. The grassy slopes were occupied by Herring Gulls and Greater Black-backed Gulls and their chicks. We walked up to the lighthouse seeing a Twite singing just below the path and around 5 Rock Pipits carrying food to their nests. Even better was yet another lifer, Great Skua, two birds were flying about together with the numerous Arctic Skuas. On the way back we were shown the only nest of Fulmar on the island, but the brooding bird was not to be seen! Panic started to set in when the last boat back was soon to arrive and we still hadn t had a glimpse of it. Finally it moved a bit further out on the ledge and we could see its head clearly. I spent the last precious minutes on the magical island taking pictures of the tame Puffins! Hornøya was an experience none of us will forget! At 17:00 the drive to Pasvik began! A brief stop at Nesseby produced 21 Bartailed Godwits. At around 23:00 we arrived at Neiden, a classic spot for Arctic

8 Warbler. No luck! 2 overflying Woodcocks were enough for us knowing that plenty of good sites for the species lay ahead! Razorbill, Brünnich s Guillemot and Common Guillemots, Shags and a Puffin. Fulmar, Rock Pipit, Puffin and Twite below.

9 Day 6 - Pasvik Arrived in Pasvik at around midnight! A complete change of habitat, from rugged coast to forest and lakes, and thanks to the midnight sun plenty of light to continue birding! At that point I must have gone insane, at least my parents thought so! But I managed to persuade them, after a long drive, to continue the search for Arctic Warbler and Little Bunting in the middle of the night. We had been told that it was at this hour they were most active. And so they were! Driving very slowly through the birch forest with car windows rolled down we picked up the song of Arctic Warbler. We tumbled out forgetting mosquito repellent which we paid a heavy price for. After some walking we located the bird singing from the top of a tree! We drove on to Skrøytnes where we had breakfast at 02:30 looking out on the beautiful Pasvik river dotted by loads of Wigeons (200), and in smaller numbers Whooper swan (8), Teal (50), Pintail (1), Shoveler (2), Tufted duck (5), Goldeneye (10) and the best of them all Smew (6m, 4 f). On the shoreline a handful of waders were feeding, the best of which was a Spotted Redshank in immaculate summer plumage. 9 Little gulls resting on the shore made the grin on my face even wider! Still not a wink of sleep but we had one more site to visit, where Little Bunting had been seen some two days before. We walked out on the meadow with young birch trees and older trees on the edges and the second I switched on the song, it was there in front of us, a truly great bird! Only then was I happy to put up the tent and creep into my sleeping bag! Woke up shortly before noon and after breakfast/lunch found three very curious and approachable Siberian Jays in the hillside below 96 Høyda an old military observation tower. A pair of Redstarts was nesting in a hole in its wall! Next up was another special bird of these northern forests, Siberian Tit! A few more were seen during our stay in Pasvik and they seemed to be rather common. Arrived at Vaggatem camping in the evening. That was to be our base for the next days. We went to sleep early the following day needed an early start!

10 Siberian tit, Siberian Jay and Little Bunting. Pasvik river at Noatun and Elk seen from Skrøytnes birdwatching tower. Day 7 - Pasvik Drove around Hestefossdammen further down the Pasvik river. The forest was rather quiet. Still no one grumbles to see a flock of 3 Waxwings flying by and another catching insects from its perch! What was more we flushed out a Cappercaillae, and a pair of Whooper Swans with 5 pulli crossed the road where it passed through some marshland to reach the lake on the other side! The only Crane we actually saw on the trip was also spotted on Nilamyra. What s more we were driving behind some Norwegian birders we had met earlier that morning when they suddenly stopped and pointed to the side of the track. Pine Grosbeak female, we only saw it briefly as it flew into the forest not to be seen again! After grabbing some sleep we went in search of Red-flanked Bluetail! Hadn t imagined I d be writing this, but it was breeding for the first time in Norway this year and we were so lucky to be there at the time. Still, we had to find it, and we failed in our first attempt. Our next try had to be in the middle of the night when the male hopefully would be singing!

11 Pair of Whooper Swans with 5 pulli at Hestefossdammen, view from Blankvassåsen, typical habitat of Pasvik. Day 8 - Pasvik Up at midnight mission to find Red-flank bluetail and then Broad-billed Sandpiper afterwards on a large bog called Tommamyra. Stepped out of the car and almost immediately heard the song of the Red-flanked Bluetail in the stillness of the forest. We walked tensely forward amongst the pines but the bird didn t seem to get closer. I got even tenser when I understood that it was moving. Finally, however, we located the beautiful bird singing from the top of a tree! No need to say that we were ecstatic! The second part of the mission was far from a success. Being too eager we didn t look at the map well enough, made a complete mess of it and got lost! We did flush another Capercaillae and added Parrot Crossbill to our life list when three birds flew down into the pine trees tough. Studied the map carefully back at base and got some helpful advice from another birder. The following night would be our last chance to find Broad-billed Sandpiper! After some hours sleep we went to Gjøkbukta and Nyrud along the Pasvik river before heading for Tommamyra. Saw an Osprey and Short-eared Owl. At around 22:30 we started walking towards the bog which hopefully would produce our target bird. On the way yet another Short-eared Owl, a Waxwing and three Siberian Jays.

12 Red-flanked Bluetail record shot, a Brown Bear footprint, the closest we came unfortunately and Parrot Crossbill. Day 9 Pasvik - Ifjordfjellet It was past midnight and the beginning of a new day. Still walking! Some 8 km each way! To make matters worse it started to rain! We pressed on and finally got there. The vast expanse of moorland and bogs in front of us. Enough Wood Sandpipers at least, one or two Greenshanks and Spotted Redshank all in display flight. Even an elk! But no sign of Broad-billed Sandpiper. The rain had stopped but that only meant that mosquitoes came out in the thousands. That s what it felt like anyway! We trudged about listening in vain! We had been walking for nearly four hours now and finally decided that we had to give up! We had just left the moor when two Norwegian birders turned up. They claimed that others had only seen the birds at around 03:00, it was 14:45. It was too bad to leave now. Out on the bog again. Some minutes passed and sure enough, there it was! High in the sky calling out the song we had been straining to hear for so long. Another was displaying further in the distance. Success! And then the cherry on the cake Hooded crows were making one hell of a racket; we looked up and saw them chasing a Goshawk over the forest! Couldn t have been better! Some precious sleep before the long road towards Porsanger fjord some 300km away. Before leaving Pasvik valley we stopped where we had seen Arctic Warbler earlier and found another singing male further down the road. Dinner at Mikkelsnes, Neiden fiord. Great place with 14 Black-throated Loon and 3 Redthroated Loon, 12 Oystercatcher and 20 Bar-tailed Godwit.

13 Arctic warbler and midnight sun over Ifjordfjellet Day 10 Ifjordfjellet Stabbursdalen NP Drove on through the night over Ifjord mountains under the midnight sun, unforgettable! Bluethroats were singing from lakeside vegetation and two Elks and a Red fox crossed the road. Camped some distance before Porsanger fjord. Now lack of sleep was getting the better of us and even after some hours in our sleeping bags, we didn t show the same eagerness of the last days. Still, birding was good. Started with the east part of Porsangerfjorden, Børselvosen. Waders were feeding on the large mudflats at low tide 53 Oystercatcher, 5 Curlews, the first of the trip, 1 Whimbrel and 13 Bar-tailed Godwit. Also loads of ducks bobbing up and down on the water most interesting being 61 Long-tailed duck and 17 Velvet Scoter. 9 Black Guillemots were to be seen too. 3 Twite flew by as we had the second strong cup of coffee of the morning. A large flock of around 300+ Arctic terns were feeding close to Surbuktvannet. A Rough legged Buzzard flew past, as a Temminck s Stint was displaying and 9 Red-necked Phalaropes were feeding on the small lake. A female Wigeon was followed by 8 pulli. More Wigeons at Valdakmyra, a superb wetland which should be visited when geese are still present and larger number of waders. Ducks included 10 Pintail and some 150 Wigeon. 11 White-tailed eagles looked like sentries perched on rocks all along the beach. A Merlin flew past, not so common so far north. The only two Lapwings of the trip as well as 22 Curlews, 3 Bar-tailed Godwit and 40 Black-headed gull completed the picture. Finally, before camping in the northern-most pine forest in the world, Stabbursdalen, we went in search for Slavonian Grebe, another target bird. Found 3 pairs on Aigiri and one at Kolvikvannet lakes along the road north of Valdak, stunning birds!

14 Valdakmyra, and a pair of Slavonian Grebes. Day 11 Stabbursdalen NP Not much birding. We made a hike in the national park of Stabbursdalen. Beautiful scenery but few birds. Another pair of Slavonian Grebe, a displaying Whimbrel, Bluethroats, Redstarts, 4 Common Crossbills and a Pied Flycatcher was all really. Seeing a Salmon jump up a small waterfall eluding the many fishermen and an Elk just below us amongst the trees was just as exciting. Day 12 Satbbursdalen Gednjedalen ( Kongsfjord & Båtsfjordfjellet) Drive back over Ifjordfjellet towards Tana early morning. A hunting Golden Eagle was a good start to the day. At Langerfjord we noted the only pair of both dark phase Arctic Skuas, as well as 8 Black Guillemots and a Red-throated Loon. The Tana river and Høyholmen were a bit disappointing. No waders except breeding Temminck s Stint and Ringed Plover plus 16 Oystercatchers. Arctic Terns were abundant though and coming a bit too close for comfort as soon as we stepped

15 out of the car. Three Rough-legged Buzzard and a White-tailed Eagle were soaring around the cliffs but no Gyr Falcon Up to Båtsfjord and Kongsfjordfjellet, over 300m above sea level and barely any vegetation so far north. Birds were still plentiful, especially Long-tailed Skuas! Waders were dominated by Ringed and Golden plovers but the highlight was definitely two female Dottorels! Lapland Buntings were also numerous but only one Snow Bunting. Oystercatcher and Arctic Tern at Høyholmen, Tana and one of the two Dottorels seen on Båtsfjordfjellet. Day 13 Gednjedalen - Berlevåg Slept in the car or rather tried to sleep. Up at 03:00 in hope of finding displaying Purple Sandpiper in Gednjedalen, which we did not. Wouldn t have been a lifer, seen on migration in the Oslofjord but it would have been a nice addition to the trip list. Rain did not make bird watching that enjoyable, but 2 male Scaup, 6 immature Whooper swans apart from good number of waders including 12 Rednecked phalarope made it worthwhile. A pair of Snow Buntings, Bluethroat and a White-throated dipper were the passerines of note. By 06:00 it was pouring and we drove down to Berlevåg wet and tired. We ended up turning into a small guesthouse, the only one in the village, and the only feasible way of getting any sleep in that weather. After some much needed sleep we woke up in the early afternoon to a welcome surprise no rain! Drove down the rocky coast we had sped by earlier. Found another 2 nd year Glaucous Gull in a sheltered bay and four White-tailed eagles on the rocks. This was nothing compared to what was about to come Had been periodically stopping to scan the cliffs for any sign of the last remaining target bird I still hoped to see but had really given up Gyr Falcon! That was until we met a group of Spanish birders they knew about a nest site quite a distance from Berlevåg but it was our last hope! Still sceptical I suddenly saw a large falcon stoop below a cliff. I ran to get a better view and to our amazement there they were, a pair with two grown young! We stood below the cliff for a long time looking in awe at these truly amazing birds! Young calling, adults perched on the rocky stacks. An experience none of us will forget and for me it completed this arctic adventure!

16 The female on the left and in flight, the male on the right. Below one of the juveniles in the nest and both of them when on the cliff above. Day 14 Berlevåg Mikkelsnes Last day of birding. Much time was taken up by travelling back to Kirkenes from where we would fly back early the next day. Tried to find Rock Ptarmigan at Kongsfjordfjellet but did not walk long enough to reach any altitude where the best habitat is found. Saw a pair of Turnstones and came up close to a Longtailed Skua. Low tide at Varangerbotn so waders were too far away from the hides. 28 Velvet Scoter, a Red-throated loon and a White-tailed Eagle was all. A pair of Whooper Swan with 3 pulli were spotted close to Nyelv. Stopped at Sakrismyra close to Færdesmyra and scanning the birch trees I finally found a species that had eluded us till then Hawk Owl! At Færdesmyra a Short-eared Owl was hunting and we saw a flock of 6 Bean Geese, probably the same which we had seen on the first day, a Red-throated Loon and a Spotted Redshank. Camped near

17 Mikkelsnes where we had our last walk of the trip large flocks of Red-breasted Merganser and Eider, 12 Bar-tailed Godwit but the best of it all was a flock of 31 Black-throated Loon! Strange to have to leave this wonderful area which we had dreamt of coming to and now it was all over! It was like we had been living a dream, and now we were going back to the real world again. Finnmark is a must for any birdwatcher and a place I am sure I will visit again! The highest part of Kongsfjordfjellet and a Long-tailed Skua. Below the flock of 31 Black-throated Loon off Mikkelsnes.

18 BIRDS SEEN Whooper Swan Three flocks 13, 8 and 6; two pairs with 5 and 3 pulli at Hestefossdammen and Nyelv respectively plus two birds in the distance at Børselvfjellet. Bean Goose Flock of 6 seen twice on Fædesmyra, 2 more at Kiberg. Greylag Goose 4 at Varangerbotn Shelduck Seen at Varangerbotn and Nesseby highest number of 9. Mallard Pintail A few singles and small flocks at Varanger, Pasvik and Valdakmyra Wigeon Two large flocks at Skrøytnes and Valdakmyra apart from smaller flocks and two females with 8 pulli each. Shoveler- M+F at Skrøytnes Common Teal Small flocks both along coast and inland, 50+ at Skrøytnes. Scaup 2 males Gednjedalen Tufted Duck A few small flocks mostly inland. Eider- Very common along coast often in large flocks, also groups of females with pulli. King Eider Adult male at Ekkerøy, 5 f and 2 nd year male between Vardø and Reinøya Steller s eider One female at Komagværnes Common Scoter c50 at Varangerbotn, 22 at Persfjorden Velvet Scoter Seen three times at Varangerbotn, largest count of 35, also in Porsangerfjorden. Long-tailed Duck Quite common along Varangercoast largest flock of 24, in Porsangerfjorden 61 as well as a few on inland lakes. Goldeneye Small flocks and singles mostly Pasvik. Smew 10 at Skrøytnes, 1 f further down at Vaggatem. Goosander- Common in large flocks along coast, a few inland Red-breasted Merganser - Common in large flocks along coast, a few inland Willow Ptarmigan One at Komagvær Capercaillae Two females (or juveniles), 1 close to Hestefossdammen, 1 close to Gjøkåsen. Red-throated Loon Quite common both along the coast and inland like on Barvikmyra and Gednjedalen. Highest count of 6 at Hamnigberg. Black-throated Loon More common on inland lakes and Pasvik river, but at Mikkelsnes two flocks were seen 14 and 31. Slavonian Grebe 3 pairs Aigiri lake, 1 pair Kolvikvannet lake and another at Lompola Stabbursdalen north of Lakselv. Fulmar One on nest on Hornøya. Gannet Up to 10 offshore at Hamnigberg, 3 seen from Berlevåg and one from Nesseby. Cormorant Common along coast. Shag Common along coast especially around Hornøya. White-tailed Eagle Frequent along the Varanger coast, at least 9 seen, but birds seen in the same area could have been different. One along the South

19 coast of the Varangerfjord, one at Høyholmen, 11 at Valdakmyra and 4 near Berlevåg. Osprey One at Noatun, Pasvik. Golden Eagle One at Ifjordfjellet. Rough-legged Buzzard- Two in Sandfjord area: 1 in Persfjord area; 1 at Høybuktmoen, Kirkenes; three in Pasvik, 1 Surbuktvannet, 3 at Tana and 2 near Berlevåg total of 13 birds. Goshawk 1 chased by Hooded crows, Tommamyra, Pasvik. Common Kestrel 1 at Skogmo, Pasvik Merlin 1 at Tana, 1 at Valdakmyra. Peregrine Falcon Two, one between Barvikmyra and Hamningberg and one hunting at Svartnes. Gyr Falcon Pair with grown young but still begging for food. Common Crane Heard on a few occasions in Pasvik but only one individual seen on Nilamyra. Oystercatcher Very numerous, breeding all along coast, a few seen with newly fledged young. Also found in flocks largest being 53 at Børselvosen. Ringed Plover- Common breeder Kongsfjordfjelllet and Båtsfjordfjellet as well as along coast of Varanger. Dottorel Two seen on Båtsfjordfjellet. Golden Plover- Common breeder Kongsfjordfjelllet, Båtsfjordfjellet and Domen as well as a few others along Varangercoast and in Pasvik. Lapwing - Only two at Valdakmyra Turnstone Two pairs at Komagvær and another pair at Kongsfjordfjellet. One at Svartnes. Dunlin Common along coast in small flocks and a few inland breeding. Broad-billed Sandpiper Two individuals displaying over Tommamyra, Pasvik. Temminck s Stint Displaying males at Svartnes, Skrøytnes, Høyholmen (best site for the species) and Gednjedalen. Little Stint Only one at Kiberg feeding on the shore. Wood Sandpiper Common in Pasvik. Common Sandpiper Seen along Pasvik river, Sandfjordelva, Gednjedalen and Lompola, Stabbursdalen. Redshank - Common in Varanger. Spotted Redshank- Rather frequent in Pasvik, seen both along the Pasvik river feeding, and inland at bogs. One seen at Færdesmyra too. Greenshank A few seen in Pasvik, on bogs in connection to pine forests. Also one in Stabbursdalen. Bar-tailed Godwit Common along coast in small flocks, also 3 at Skrøytnes. Curlew One seen at Varangerbotn, 5 at Børselvosen, 22 at Valdakmyra. Whimbrel Displaying at Domen, Skrøytnes and Stabbursdalen, while one seen feeding at Komagvænes and another at Børselvosen. Woodcock Two seen pursuing each other in the middle of the night over Neiden Kapell.

20 Snipe Only heard a few times in Pasvik including Hestefossdammen. Red-necked Phalarope Rather common along the Varanger coast (seen at Nesseby, Ekkerøy, Ytre Kiberg, Svartnes), but 55 at Vadsøyavannet! Also Surbuktvannet, Porsangerfjorden and inland at Barvikmyra, Sandfjordalen, Båtsfjordfjellet and Gednjedalen. Ruff Kvalnes, Varanger males were displaying, otherwise seen feeding along the coast. Great Skua Two seen from Hornøya flying over Reinøya. Arctic Skua Surprisingly frequent along coast! Also a few at Gednjedalen. Long-tailed Skua At Varanger seen at Domen and Sandfjordalen. Frequent at Båtsfjord and Kongsfjordfjellet. Black-headed Gull Varangerbotn and Valdakmyra. Common Gull Herring Gull Greater Black-backed Gull Kittiwake Very common along coast, two major colonies visited at Ekkerøy and Hornøya. Little Gull 10 in all Pasvik river, most at Skrøytnes. Glaucous Gull One at Ytre Kiberg, another close to Berlevåg. Both 2cy. Common Tern Not as common as Artic Tern, 2 at Vardø (Østervågen), small colony on old jetty near Veidnes, Kongsfjord with 24 birds seen. Artic Tern Very common also a few inland. Puffin Mostly seen around Hornøya (c pairs present) Black Guillemot No birds breeding seen but small spread flocks and singles seen along coast. Guillemot Seen offshore but largest concentration at Hornøya (c 1000 pairs present) Brunnich s Guillemot 4 in Vardøhavn, seen amongst Guillemots at Hornøya (c100 pairs present). Most lower down on the cliff face than the largest number of Guillemots. Razorbill Seen offshore but mostly at Hornøya (c 100 pairs presnent) Woodpigeon A few Pasvik. Cuckoo - Heard singing without being seen most of the time Fædesmyra and Pasvik. Hawk Owl One seen at Sakrismyra, close to Færdesmyra. Short-eared Owl Three seen, 2 in Pasvik, 1 on Færdesmyra. Horned Lark Surprisingly only one seen, on Skagodden Vardø. Barn Swallow House Martin Rock Pipit 5 on Hornøya on the grassy slopes around the lighthouse. Meadow Pipit Red-throated Pipit Rather frequent in Varanger, best site we visited was Vadsøya. Also one with food to young near Berlevåg. White Wagtail Yellow Wagtail A few along Pasvik river.

21 Dipper One at Sandfjordelva s river mouth, one further up the river plus one in Gednjedalen. Waxwing Singles and small flocks not larger than 4 at Hestefossdammen, Kjæringnesset. Gjøkåsen and Tommamyra, Pasvik. Bluethroat - A few males singing at Ifjordfjellet area, two pairs at Lompola Stabbursdalen. Redstart A few both in Pasvik and Stabbursdalen. Red-flanked Bluetail male singing in Pasvik Wheatear Redwing Fieldfare Sedge Warbler One singing at Vadsøya, 2 heard singing at Sandfjord, one at Svanvik. Willow Warbler Chiffchaff One singing at Sandfjord, one at Stabbursdalen. Arctic Warbler Two seen at Ryeng at separate places both close to the road, at Neiden only heard shortly. Pied Flycathcer- One at Tana camping, one at Varangerbotn, one at Neiden singing in the middle of the night and one at Stabbursdalen all males. Blue Tit One at Varangerbotn nesting in one of the many nestboxes. Great Tit Willow Tit Siberian Tit One family party at Skogmo, 2 near Skogfoss and 2 at Gjøkåsen. Some may have been overlooked as we did not give much attention when time was sparse and rarer birds were to be seen. Magpie Siberian Jay 6 seen in all but not actively searched. 3 at 96 Høgda, and 3 near Gjøkåsen. Hooded Crow Raven House Sparrow Brambling Redpoll Arctic Redpoll 2 found at Sandfjord. Twite 2 on Hornøya, 2 near Børselvosen, Porsangerfjord and 1 near Berlevåg. Greenfinch Siskin One on Vadsøya. Pine Grosbeak One female, Blankvassåsen. Common Crossbill 4 juveniles at Stabbursdalen. Parrot Crossbill 3 near Gjøkåsen, and one close to Tommamyra. Reed Bunting Little Bunting One male near Skrøytnes. Snow Bunting One at Hamningberg, 3 in all on Båtsfjordfjellet/Gednjedalen.

22 Lapland Bunting Quite common on Båtsfjord and Kongsfjordfjellet, also in Varanger.