NatureFootsteps Travels: Steller´s Eider

2015-05-21

150309 Varanger Båtsfjord to Pasvik NP

Varanger, Norway 150305-150311

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© NF Photos 150309

150309 Monday

We met again for the last session in the hide. Early morning as usual. Not that much action today. The only change was that it was a little more waves outside the hide. My elbows are sour after laying down on them and the birds seemed restless. But I got one last super cool shot. It feels sad to leave. I will probably never see these birds again and they brought me much joy.

Båtsfjord Harbor

So close that I could almost touch it

King Eider

Long-tailed Duck. Cleaning it´s long feather

Steller´s Eider

There was also a few Purple Sandpipers (skärsnäppa) in the area.

We was picked up at 9 to pack and get ready for departure at 11.00. The hotel staff invited us for coffee and waffles before we left. A nice gesture I think. They new our day would be long.

At 11.00 h we headed south again and the sun disappeared rather quickly. We was driving in a snowstorm with rather bad conditions. It was very windy. At times it was hard to see the road for all snow blowing over. We were glad for the red poles marking it.

We made a photo stop on the road but the wind was so hard I barely made it out of the car and our tour guide hardy was able to stand upright. Not fun at all.

We made another stop when we did see a rain deer family in the snow. The blowing snow looked like mist.

Reindeer

Lunch at Varangerbotn. I did not have any as I was not hungry. I was still full from the waffles. And besides food is really expensive here. But it was too windy to take a walk so I still had to be inside. We drove by Kirkenes and headed towards The border and Birk, Our destination. Now we are coming to more forested country. I think it is called Taiga. Was a bit unsure of the way but there was not many to choose from and while driving along a lake, in a darkening land, my phone beeped, I was welcomed to Russia. But I was still in Norway. I think, or maybe Finland. No, according to the map I was still in Norway. In Øvre Pasvik National Park to be exact.

We reached Birk at 18.00 h. I did get a cold room on top floor. Soup for dinner and then people got ready for bed. But I think someone was listening for owls and maybe tried to see auroras. After a long day we were all tired and next morning is another early one.

My door will not close. It has settled, but we are the only guests so I just put my bag in front of it to keep it in place. It is an old building just redecorated to it´s old style.

The road we travelled

Sky Watch Friday Saturdays Critters Bird D´Pot

Varanger on NF Photo NF Birds around the world

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Labels: Resor, travel, trip, journey, Sverige, Sweden, sky, photo, photography, Monica Johansson, NatureFootstep, nfphoto, NF_photo, nature, natur, fågelskådning, birding, resa, travel, Alfågel, alförrädare, Birk Husky, Båtsfjord, dal, King Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Pasvik, purple sandpiper, skärsnäppa, Steller´s Eider, taiga, valley, Øvre Pasvik National Park, Norge, Norway,

2015-05-17

150308 Varanger Second day in hide

Varanger, Norway 150305-150311

click photo to view with Lightbox
© NF Photos 150308

150308 Sunday

Woke up at 4.30 and met the gang at 5.20 to go to the hide. Spent the morning there. We had the breakfast pack with us so everyone was free to eat as they wanted. Or when a break was needed for back ache :) The second woman on the tour only had a small camera so she sat comfortably on a chair at the higher up openings. I, of course, had to check out every free opening there was. It was fun having the birds so close. Especially the male King Eiders, they were curious and several of them came looking into the hide openings, checking us out. :)

The ducks were eating ice. I guess it was to get sweet water into the system. Not only salty sea water.

King Eider and Steller´s Eider

Long-tailed Duck ( alfågel)

Two images from inside the hide. As you can see it was not an easy task to get used to shot the birds outside.
Especially if they came too close as the King Eider males used to do. It´s me to the left.

At ten the morning shift was over and we had some free time before lunch at 11. After that we met at 12 for another boat ride. Gorgeous weather and great number of birds.

Black-legged Kittiwake (tretåig mås) to the left

After the boat ride I and Andreas decided to take a walk down to the water to try to find the Purple Sandpiper ( Skärsnäppa). It was not far but we still managed to take the wrong road down to the beach. We did find it and we also saw a pair of Black Guillemot (Tobisgrissla) and two seals. Some ugly ones IMO.

Slept an h in the afternoon and took a shower. I could borrow a cable from A and then uploaded my images to the laptop. Feels good to have a backup. Dinner at 18.00 and then we met to look at some images and maybe share some technique in image manipulation.

But then the woman in charge this evening came and told us there were an aurora in the sky. We closed the meeting and went out hunting aurora. Sadly we did not see much, It was a weak aurora and also clouds moving over. But we did see it! Back at 21.00 and went online, packed most of my things as we are leaving tomorrow and wrote the diary. To bed at 22.45 and then up at 4.45 for the last visit to the hide.

A PR video from the hide:

The KING's HARBOUR photo hide at Båtsfjord, Varanger, Arctic Norway