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Rick Goater
Rick Goater

Rick Goater

Keen on the natural world and its wildlife. Read more🇬🇧Doune
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  • Aotearoa
    Craggy Range Winery, below Ta Mata Peak
    Fine diningSav, Beverly and Rick after the mealThe Winery - where Jacinda Ardern was married

    Craggy Range Winery

    March 2 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 10 °C

    A day of rest and chat but with a superb meal at the nearest winery to Sav and Jody’s home. One if the World’s top 10 restuarants. What a treat!

  • Aotearoa
    Wooden items and veg for sale
    Our two ladies and an impressive treeKnife sharpening at the marketIn the fish shop - Albacore Tuna etc.Bird of the day - Spotless CrakeHome for lunchAmazing limestone scenery above HastingsNew Zealand PipitEvening starter - before......and after

    A day of pleasures

    March 1 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Three good things this morning: a farmers’s market at Toombs showground, the purchase and preparation of fresh green-lipped mussels for eating later, and a drive to Haumoana on the coast to look for Spotless Crake.

    The weekly market seemed to be a major community event with numerous stalls selling grapes, figs, honey, flowers, all sorts of meat, bakery products and fruit and vegetables. There was live music too, all around a large green space with impressive, but non-native trees, including a magnificent Plane Tree.

    Figs of five varieties, honey on the comb and macarons were bought for later consumption.

    Then to a small fresh fish shop for mussels, and the fish on ice looking impressive.

    This was followed by a short drive to a river mouth with three species of cormorant, Caspian Tern, many stilts and other wetland birds. Best of all though, a Spotless Crake (widespread but elusive) was tempted out of a sedgy area to run back and forth a few times across an inlet of mud. Red eyes and legs and blue-black plumage.

    A brief afternoon trip to Tamara Peak in nearby limestone country with a fantastic view and one or two New Zealand Pipits running about on the rocks and grass. An endemic species.    Read more

  • Aotearoa
    Goodbye rental car
    The start of a good eveningOn the veranda

    Christchurch to Napier

    February 28 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Time for bed at the end of the day with a Morepork calling outside. We had met up with Sav at Christchurch Airport and taken an Air New Zealand flight to Napier where his partner Jody collected us all and drove to their home 20 minutes away at Havelock.

    A very civilised evening with fine company food and wine.    Read more

  • Aotearoa
    On the road to Arthur's Pass
    On the café terrace at Arthur's PassUnsuspecting customersNice visitors from SuffolkSceneryWe lost just a few crumbsBeautiful feathers, shame about the ringsMore beautyGrey rock, grey whiskers and grey hairRiver eroded limestone high on the hillSome gen on the areaOur last B&BThe rental car did wellNews from Sabine and Erica from mount Cook

    East via Arthur’s Pass

    February 27 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    A lovely sunny day today, which would have been great for the glaciers but too late as we needed to travel from Whataroa to Templeton, near Christchurch, via Arthur’s Pass.

    Probably the most diverse and interesting landscapes and scenery so far, with moraines, eskers, fantastic screes, braided rivers and also limestone features, to none of which a photo does justice.

    The settlement of Arthur’s Pass provided coffee, a date scone and endless fun with Keas - desperate for everyone’s bakery products. They succeeded in stealing a sandwich and a muffin, each carried off in its paper bag, from other visitors.

    Our last Air B&B is the cheapest, possibly the nicest, and extremely pleasant and a breakfast is provided. California Quail, Silvereyes and Fantails in the garden are an added bonus.

    Best of all, a wonderful evening with old friend Lorna Saville, Sav’s ex-wife, not seen for 25 years. Lovely to catch up, and share heartfelt words after so long. A rather good Indian meal within walking distance of her lovely home too.    Read more

  • Aotearoa
    Bruce Bay with much timber brought down by the glacial rivers
    Silt-laden meltwater from the FoxThe Fox River, rapidly reducing the size of its glacierCoffee break in Franz JosefAussie and Kiwi idiomsA common Kiwi sayingToo wet to walkRefuge towards the end of the day

    Rain

    February 26 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    A four hour drive north to Whataroa via the Haast Pass, through constant rain, often very, very heavy. We had hoped to pay our respects to the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers but the rain and poor visibility made this pointless.

    A brief coffee break in Franz Josef township before continuing to our rather nice air B&B where sleep, reading, wine and a bit of telly may be the order of the rest of the day.    Read more

  • Aotearoa
    Satnav telling us what to expect
    Lake Hawea. And fencepost1Drawing attention to my paunchThe best accommodationBev in relaxed modeViews never as impressive through the cameraReading matterLand under the ice

    To Makarora Township

    February 25 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We arrived at our next airB&B at Makarora having taken the scenic route from Queenstown over the Crown Range Road and the picturesque gold mining and ski resort of Cardrona. Then through Wanaka, past the glacier-blue Lake Hawea and on, to the top of Lake Wanaka.

    The accommodation is the best yet; spacious, well equipped and clearly owned and lived in by ski-ing, mountaineering and Antarctic aficionados. We can learn all about Antarctic currents and the land-mass below the ice while sitting on the loo.
    Good books too, about the doings of Dougal Haston, Don Whillans, Chris Bonington and the like.

    We ended the evening as the half moon waxed (back to front compared to our view in the northern hemisphere) while somewhat incongruously listening to The Archers omnibus.    Read more

  • Aotearoa
    Bev's kind of thing
    More people than we've seen in a long time!One of many common European introductions1Black-billed GullA rather smart head

    A break at Queenstown

    February 25 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Half way to our destination for today. Queenstown - not my kind of place but Beverly made a purchase and I’m hoping for a good flat white. Some very smart Black-billed Gulls at the lake shore - a much more inland species than the commoner Red-billed.
    Sooo many dead possums on the road! Plus one or two Hedgehogs.    Read more

  • Aotearoa
    The long white cloud
    The fjord from Milford SoundOne of very few permanent waterfalls there2Sailing west1U-shaped and hanging valleysMore of the sameTwo happy peopleThe foot of the Homer TunnelNo sign of a Rock WrenBeverly's friend1And againHaving a scratchUseful information

    Milford Sound

    February 24 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    It rains for two days out of every three at Milford Sound but we had a day of hot sunshine and much blue sky. A day of scenery and not birds, though we did see a Weka run across the road. The lovely little South Island Wren was searched for by the Homer Tunnel, following Sav’s instructions but to no avail. And while I was doing this, Bev was having fun with a Kea where she parked waiting for me.

    Milford Sound is clearly a honeypot for tourists and has lately been extra-busy with Chinese visitors as it is the Chinese New Year.

    Like everybody else, we took a boat ride along the fjord to its mouth on the Tasman Sea and back. Absolutely stunning scenery with tall mountains, almost vertical, yet tree-clad flanks, much bare rock too and some snow at the top. Impressive waterfalls as well.

    On the way home we picked up a female hitch-hiker from Austin Texas who had been travelling in NZ for three months. Interesting company, and we took her back to her home stay in Te Anau. Her name was Andra.    Read more

  • Aotearoa
    Last view of Oban harbour
    Te Anau, on the edge of the Fjordland National ParkOur cosy accommodation in Te AnauWhiskey -waiting to be sampledAn image of the male kiwi - even today, I expectAnother view of the garden

    Stewart island to Bluff to Te Anau

    February 23 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We caught the 08:00hrs ferry back to Bluff on the mainland. A very benign journey compared to the severe gale affected one on the outward journey.
    Wonderful to meet our old friend Ian (Sav) Saville who was leading a bird tour and about to embark for Stewart, as we arrived. We shall be seeing more of him later in the trip.
    On the road north to Te Anau we saw many road-killed possums, several with attendant Swamp Harriers, which seem to be abundant here.
    Nice accommodation here in Te Anau, made even better by a friendly greeting from Dianne, the owner, who picked and cooked rhubarb for us and encouraged us to partake of some of her whiskey as she no longer drinks it.

    We decided to have a quiet evening in the B&B so we lay on the bed to read at about 5pm. I woke at 9:15 and Beverly is still fast asleep as I write! The last few days have been quite exhausting.    Read more

  • Aotearoa
    The Stewart Island Tokoeka
    Tokoeka sometimes comes quite close1Kiwis and the aurora at the same timeThis is a female - told by its very long billMuch chasing by young malesAurora australis

    A night under the stars with Kiwis

    February 23 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Our “Beaks and Feathers” outing between 21:45 and about 23:30 took place in calm and clear conditions with a fabulous night sky showing the Milky Way beautifully.
    The aurora was expected and it did not disappoint, though it did not last long and was not very extensive.
    About 8 Stewart Island Kiwis (also called the Tokoeka) were watched in infra-red light. Most interesting was a chase of an adult female by two sub-adult males, which involved fast running back and forth with squeals and tripping and rapid changes of direction. There was also some prolonged calling by males from the adjacent woodland.
    All in all a fantastic experience and one hard to convey in words and phone videos alone.    Read more

  • Aotearoa
    At the water taxi wharf
    No rats allowed on UlvaSouth Island Robin.We walked the full loopJust scratch the ground and he'll forage at your feet2The top ambition. YellowheadSouth Island SaddlebackBev and Sabine having a restSuch a rare bird - worth a second photoTui in song. Windy tooAn unexpected sit-down

    Ulva

    February 22 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    A day long looked forward to and which fully came up to expectation. An early water taxi over a turbulent sea to the predator-free island of Ulva, just 10 minutes from Stewart. There was a list of something like 10 endemic and other birds we really wanted to see, with Yellowhead perhaps top of the list. A walk of something over four miles through superb native rainforest produced everything available, including the three species of parrot, Brown Creeper, Weka and about six Riflemen which were attracted to a recording of their call. Superb views of all.

    Back on Stewart by 14.30hrs and some wonderful red wine from Napier area brought by Erica and Sabine. Then wandered to our place for a cup of tea (where we are as I write this) and a sleep before dinner at 7pm and then our Kiwi trip to the airport. Looking good as the weather fine, if a bit blowy.    Read more

  • Aotearoa
    These signs are erected by those not in favour of removing non-natives animals.Would have need an excellent swimming spotErica. A widely travelled birder with some great adventure storiesRick and Sabine taking a moment.1Exhausted on Horseshoe PointWaiting for the taxi

    More friends

    February 22 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Sabine and Erica, whom we first met on our Galapagos trip and with whom Beverly went to India, arrived on the 11 o’clock ferry. Wonderful to see them again and after a coffee, excellent Portuguese custard tarts in a cafe and a walk to their accommodation, we set off on a scenic walk around Horseshoe Point. It took much of the day and we got a taxi home at the end of it as we all suffered knee problems.
    Good scenery and interesting vegetation but few birds, though many hundreds of “mutton birds” feeding offshore. These are Sooty Shearwaters - a much nicer name which does not hint at the over exploitation of these birds in the past. We learned in the museum yesterday that such exploitation was typical of the island’s history. The Māoris finished off the giant flightless Moas, and later colonists over-fished and killed huge numbers of whales.

    Other birds we saw were Tomtits, a Brown Creeper, a few Kakas and, best of all, Red-crowned Parakeets.

    Evening meal together in the South Sea Hotel followed by a dusk watch for a few incoming Little Blue Penguins at the harbour. We saw about five in the poor light and the first heavy rain of the day.

    Ulva tomorrow and some good birding…    Read more

  • Aotearoa
    Stewart Island
    Ready for the crossing in a 'severe gale'Our rather basic accommodationFrom the South Seas Hotel

    To Stewart Island, a friend and Kiwis.

    February 21 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We drove from our Invercargill B&B to Bluff for the ferry to Oban, on Stewart Island. In Bluff we passed old harbour -side “New Zealand Refrigeration Co.” and “New Zealand Shipping Co.” Buildings and I realised that these were almost certainly places that my dad’s grandfather had been familiar with in the days when he shipped frozen meat from here to the UK last century.

    The one-hour crossing of the Foveaux Strait in a catamaran was fantastically rough with much sickness aboard, but constantly watching the horizon kept us unaffected. A few Sooty Shearwaters and a couple of probable Salvin’s Mollymawks seen on the journey but the view was mostly utterly obscured by the sea spray.

    After a very enjoyable meal with old Scottish friend and bird artist Derek Robertson, who happens to be travelling in NZ at the same time as us, he and I joined a night time Kiwi trip with the company “Beaks and Feathers”. We drove to the aerodrome runway and walked in total darkness except for our guide’s infra-red torch.

    Rain fell a bit but generally the skies cleared and the night sky was fantastic. The Milky Way visible and Orion upside down compared with our view from home.

    At least 7 Kiwis performed and possibly 12 sightings all told. Birds of different ages probing the soft mossy ground for food. One walked over my foot. A brilliant experience. This was an “extra” for me as Derek had acquired a spare ticket. Our own expedition is planned for two days’ time. I hope to get a video then. This time I just enjoyed watching the spectacle of these incredible birds doing their thing.    Read more

  • Aotearoa
    The Anchorage - rear view
    Nice greetingAnd a flag (one of 50) for visitors of every nationalityWhere our day startedRDG off to scope an albatrossCommon but smart - a Red-billed GullWaihopai Suite - our third B&BThe view from it, with Song Thrush and Dunnock (not visible here)

    Dunedin to Invercargil

    February 19 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    Up early-ish for a quick breakfast and off to the Northern Royal Albatross colony at the end of the Otago Peninsular - or so we thought. The interpretation centre didn’t open until 10:15 and the rather expensive tours were booked up. Never mind though; we found ourselves in the car park, in a colony of Red-billed Gulls, which included many, many dead ones, though plenty alive still and loads of young.
    A walk to a nearby vantage point and a setup of the scope revealed plenty of interest, especially a few areas of birds’ feeding frenzies where krill or small fishes were on the sea’s surface attracting 1000’s of seabirds. Most were two species of gull but there were White-fronted Terns, a few Sooty Shearwaters and about 6 Royal Albatrosses. Huge birds and wonderful in flight. Job done!

    Then driving south to Curio Bay along the route through the Catlins, which were quite scenic with amazing undulating countryside and some areas of native forest but we have decided that much of the NZ we have seen so far is one huge stock farm, almost nothing but grass and fodder crops and more sheep and cattle than I’ve ever seen before. It must have been incredible though, and so different, when the first indigenous peoples arrived. Judging by the high number of roadkill Possums we saw, these non-natives must be abundant. We just missed running over a Stoat - another present from the later colonisers.

    Curio Bay yielded views of the rounded dorsal fins and grey backs of about 10 Hector’s Dolphins. Quite a highlight. Then on to our third B&B, near Invercargill, within striking distance of our ferry to Stewart Island tomorrow.
    Dark about 21:00hrs - like being at home in our summer! The television is on - it’s bloody Jamie Oliver doing something with harissa. No escape, even here!    Read more

  • Aotearoa
    B&B called The Oak, near Willowby.
    The OakA hedge of medium height.Fur Seal. Really a species of Sealion.Well camouflaged against wet rocks and kelpBeverly on the peninsulaA Wrybill Tour waiting for the penguins.The Anchorage, our B&B near Dunedin

    South to the Otago Peninsular

    February 18 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Picked up the X Trail rental vehicle in Christchurch and, in spite of insoluble satnav trouble made it easily to our first air B and B near Willowby, near Ashburton.
    Not very pretty countryside but interesting for all that. Green fields with incredibly high stocking rates of dairy cattle and sheep, the animals presumably moved almost daily. Windbreak hedges of conifer species up to about 8m tall. Plenty of European birds - abundant House Sparrows and also Greenfinches and Goldfinches and Starlings. Swamp Harriers seen frequently along the road, and Masked Lapwings in some arable fields as well as a few pairs of paradise Shelducks.

    We were greeted at our B and B by a six-year old lad on his little bike, who was a dead ringer for Ke Huy Quan when he was in the Goonies. He very much made himself at home in our lodge, jumping on the bed, telling us the toilet roll was for “ wiping our butts” and showing us proudly how he could park his bike using a pedal as a stand. I nice boy but we had to get rid of him. We never saw him again, nor anyone else.
    Woke to loud birdsong including melodious Auzzie Magpies - introduced non-natives, like so many things here.
    Day 2 we continued to Dunedin via Katiki Point south of Oamaru where we waited hopefully for nesting Yellow-eyed Penguins to return from the ocean to feed their young. We waited in vain but had great fun with the colony of Fur Seals there and also met a Wrybill Bird Tour group led by Matt Jones, an acquaintance from RDG’s recent trip to PNG.

    Air B and B in Broad Bay along the north shore of the Otago Peninsular    Read more

  • Aotearoa

    City of Edinburgh

    February 15 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    Ready for the first long wait. Flight leaves for Dubai at about 9pm. Thanks to Elinor for a smooth drive through the rain to Edinburgh airport.

  • Kirkenes to Bergen by boat
    Multiple Bergen rooftops.
    Bergen from to top of the funicularA bit of browsing

    Bergen and home

    May 9, 2025 in Scotland ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    A lovely day spent exploring Bergen on foot and needing to buy something small for the odd family member. Prices so high compared to what we are used to at home that nothing seemed good or best value. We did get a few things though.
    Up to a fabulous viewpoint on the funicular railway which did seem like money quite well spent. We watched what I think was an Elk for a long time but I’m still confused by names and distribution of these animals. The name seems to be interchangeable for moose and I think it may be the same as the American Wapiti.
    Then bus to the airport and a Wideroe flight to Aberdeen, meeting the UK shore near to Loch of Strathbeg.
    Car retrieved from the car park and then we knew we were back on familiar territory when a drinks can was chucked out of the window of the car in front. Such a contrast with the cleanliness of the Nordic countries where such national pride is generally obvious.
    Nevertheless, always good to be home with the usual jobs piled up and waiting for us. Sea Eagles and Orcas wonderful but receding memories. Thumbs up for Norway and its people!    Read more

  • Kirkenes to Bergen by boat
    Goodbye Havila Capella
    The view from the window of our B&BSome of the dust scraped off one of the cupboardsSome of the lovely Bergen buildingsA rather striking monument to the seafarers of BergenWe had a drink at the world heritage site here

    A bit of bother in Bergen

    May 8, 2025 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    On berthing at Bergen we found a “hop on hop off” city tour bus which we took to our air B and B in a beautiful part of the city close to the shore. Unfortunately the place was coated in more dust than I have ever seen in a house, causing me the wheeze and sneeze and the bedding left much to be desired too so we cancelled, got a refund and booked the Scandic City in town. An easy bus ride and so much better.
    The evening was spent enjoying the fantastic sights and sounds of Bergen and the World Heritage Site of the old Hanseatic port.    Read more

  • Kirkenes to Bergen by boat
    Tucked in at Kristiansund
    1Manoeuvring into harbourPretty Kirk and green spaceWharfeside buildings.Apartments with excellent balcony views.Clipfisk womanA rather nice drain coverJust another view of the harbourI think the land here is rising, post ice sheet, faster than sea level is rising.Our regular and comfortable viewpoint while travellingAnd behind us, our friendly Finnish bartender, supplier of birthday cocktails

    Kristiansund and beyond

    May 8, 2025 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Kristiansund was apparently the Clipfisk or Stockfish capital of Norway and has a statue of a woman holding one such fish. She seems to be the emblem of the place too, as I saw her on a rather nice iron drain cover.
    We had a two hour stop here and I, RDG, took a quick walk looking for birds in trees and bushes. A few Chiffchaffs sang, there was one male Blackcap and a few Greenfinches flew over, but little else. Pleasant to get fresh and cold air after the rather dry but comfortably warm interior of the boat.
    The harbour is very neatly tucked into a sheltered part of one of the three islands that house the city.
    The journey thereafter continued south, calm as ever but through some rain and poor visibility. A quite amazing scatter of very low islands to our west while high but snow-free hills were to the east.
    We were unaware of three brief stops through the night and having packed and then enjoyed a final on-board breakfast, Bergen is our next and final port of call in a few hours’ time.    Read more

  • Kirkenes to Bergen by boat
    1The famous mountain with a hole
    Worth the money - probably!The menu"Asparges" soupHalibutMany lovely properties like this oneWharfeside propertiesPretty buildings and many electric scootersOverlooking beautiful TrondheimThe Cathedral, surrounded by tasteful green spaceInside1Above - the OctagonWhere they hid the WWII subs. Entrances just round the corner.Travelling beyond TrondheimBenign sailing conditions for the whole journey. Don't worry, that's not Bev at the end of the clip!

    Trondheim south to Kristiansund

    May 7, 2025 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    After a superb 9-course meal with some excellent wine in the fine dining restaurant last night we slept a little fitfully and awoke to Beverly’s significant birthday as we berthed in Trondheim. A pre-breakfast coach tour of the city and its Cathedral followed. Typically Scandinavian, it was litter-free, with many people on foot and cycling and all looking fit and slim. Beautiful coloured and generally wooden houses with also some tasteful architecture.
    The cathedral, called the “Nidaros Cathedral” has been restored over more than a century and is impressive.
    More affecting for me, RDG, was seeing the “brutalist” concrete world war 2 submarine bunkers built by the Germans.
    Chiffchaffs and Fieldfares were seen in the park areas and many cowslips were in flower. Trees coming into leaf, and snow only present on far inland mountains.
    Rejoined Capella for breakfast and to continue south through wider seas and lower scattered islands than we had become used to in the north.
    Kristiansund ahead - the home town of the last visitor I spoke to at Doune Castle a few days ago.    Read more

  • Kirkenes to Bergen by boat
    Halfway up (or down) the coast of Norway
    The edifice marking the Arctic CircleA bit of colour2The so-called Seven Sisters1A Black Guillemot foraging in the harbour

    Crossing the Arctic Circle

    May 6, 2025 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    A quiet day for us without formal expeditions. A smooth journey in lovely weather where absolutely no movement of the boat could be detected with eyes closed. We crossed the latitude of the Arctic Circle at about 08:45. RDG carried on eating breakfast while Beverly went out and photographed the on-land marker.
    Bodo had been visited for an hour during the small hours but neither of us surfaced from our deep slumbers to notice it. Five more ports are on today’s agenda and we are now at the penultimate, Bronnoysund, where we have been able to walk about for nearly two hours. A few birds about - White Wagtail, Fieldfare and Chiffchaff newly arrived from the south and nicest of all, a Black Guillemot diving just below us in the harbour. These birds are very common up here.    Read more

  • Kirkenes to Bergen by boat
    Location of today's adventure
    Tromso Domkirke where the concert was heldTromso Cathedral, where it wasn'tCoastguard (Kystvakt) vessels at Sortland bring back memories of expeditions to Bear Island for RDGThese Sortland children sang for us on-board and left us at StockmarknesSome of the work by Norwegian artists on show at HenningsvaerMore.And moreBeverly amongst the artCod is big in these partsCod hanging out to dry. Called "stock fish"A "record shot" of Orcas with an attendant melee of foraging gulls

    Tromso and the Lofotens

    May 5, 2025 in Norway ⋅ 🌙 4 °C

    A very beautifully sung (tenor) and played (flute, piano and organ) midnight concert in Tromso last night but in the Old Cathedral and not the famous new one.
    Today we awoke in Harstad and threaded our way through fjords to Sortland, Stockmarkness and Svolaer from where we took a bus through the Lofotens. What a place to have lived and made a living in days gone by - no wonder the Vikings invaded mellow and fertile Orkney and beyond!
    Interesting art gallery and museum in Henningsvaer but the highlight was (after photographing drying cod and identifying Redwing by its very unfamiliar call) watching a pod of about 10 Orcas of all ages hunting fish just offshore. Two tall dorsal finned bulls, two or three full-sized females and the rest smaller juveniles.
    Capella was rejoined at Stamsund halfway down the Lofotens chain and we are now on our way to Bodo and beyond. Still north of the Arctic Circle but not for much longer…    Read more

  • Kirkenes to Bergen by boat
    Capella berthed at Hammerfest
    Avalanche protection above HammerfestThreading between the islands on the way to TromsoThe sister passing bySnow Bunting - nice to have as a garden bird.Hammerfest - re-built1Old man of Hammerfest.Like Sparrows

    Hammerfest to Tromso

    May 4, 2025 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ -1 °C

    Hammerfest is Norway’s most northerly town,almost totally destroyed during WWII. Great to leave the boat here for an hour of fresh air with Snow Buntings thronging the houses like sparrows. Colourful houses, typical of Norway, makes many of Scotland’s dwellings seem very dreary.
    Several short stops later and we are on our way to Tromsø where we will visit its famous “new” cathedral for midnight music.
    Bird highlight of the day, in spite of lovely buntings, was a third winter Iceland Gull with Herring Gulls at Oksfjord.
    We have just passed sister ship Havila Pollux on her way north (more easterly really). Much sounding of horns…    Read more

  • Kirkenes to Bergen by boat
    Havila vessel, Capella, arrives at Kirkenes
    ...and Bev films it.A group returns from the dog-sleighingVardo, Norway's most easterly outpost.We can see where we are on this map.Such soft muzzles! Feeding on lichen.1We all love a pup!1After sunset. Just about as dark as it gets.3A cool place to sleep.Many amazing ice sculptures in the snow hotel.

    Kirkenes to Hammerfest

    May 4, 2025 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C

    First leg of the journey north and west via seven small ports including Vardo, Norway’s easternmost town. NW Russia visible as we went. A few whale blows seen ahead of the vessel and one good view of a long back and small dorsal fin, possibly a full-sized Minke. Before departure, while RDG chilled with coffee and binoculars on board, Beverly met dogs, pups, reindeer and sleighs and went for a ride. She also visited the Ice Hotel nearby.
    The ship Capella, with electric motors, moves with almost total silence and no vibration, and the gentle movement through the waves is very conducive to sleep.
    No sign of the much-wanted Steller’s Eider but three Shelducks May have been a good record this far north and a cliffy island near Vardo was thronged with thousands of Common Guillemots and a few Puffins. Bev’s favourite birds have been the Long-tailed Ducks, a few of which have flown close by the boat.
    We are due in Hammerfest in an hour and will have time for a wander. Some stops have been for just 15 minutes.    Read more

  • Kirkenes to Bergen by boat
    Beautiful scatter of islands coming in to Bergen
    Who wouldn't like their own house on their own island?Not my favourite thing but highly ScandinavianOur last plane, parked up at KirkenesOooh, I'd love to see a Siberian Jay.Winter and no transport to the hotel. Felt a bit like "Race across the World"!

    Aberdeen to Kirkenes

    May 2, 2025 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 3 °C

    Three flights with Wideroe via Bergen and Tromso. It’s still winter up here at the top of Norway. Much snow still present with sparse birch forest. Everything (food, alcohol and taxi) as expensive as expected but so different from home that it’s really exciting to be here.
    There will be 24 hrs of daylight with the sun only just below the horizon between about 21:00hrs and 02:00hr.
    Currently abed and watching a programme about the making of the series, “Vera”, based on the books written by Ann Cleeves, wife of much-missed birder, the late Tim Cleeves.    Read more

  • Rick GoaterWild N E IndiaTraveler
    Oriental Hobby by the Brahmaputra.
    Himalayan Monel. Wow!Snow Partridge.Blood Pheasant - there were quite a few game birds on the trip.The Bengal FloricanChinese Pond Heron.Black breasted Parrotbill. Wow again!

    Overview

    May 2, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Find Penguins not a great success this time owing the the remoteness of our destinations (Northern Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur) and lack of signal. Given that each day began well before dawn and ended in the dark there was little time or inclination to write daily reports in my fairly exhausted state.
    This was a hard core birding trip with the main goals usually very hard to see and range-restricted species such as Gould’s Shortwing and the recently discovered Bugun Liocichla. Suffice to say that we seem to have had much greater success than the one or two other bird groups in the area because of the phenomenal bird finding skills of our guide, Shashank. Our trip list was around 470 species of which maybe 400 were new to me.
    A few good mammals too including a couple of rare mountain goat species, one Tiger relaxing on a sandbar and a few Hoolock experiences in tall forest areas. These are noisy gibbons. Rather few photos taken by me but I hope for some shares from other members of the group.
    Apart from wildlife, the almost vertical hillside forests of the Mishmi Hills, the rocky Himalayan terrain near the Chinese border, and the vast Brahmaputra River (9km wide where we crossed it) were landscape highlights.
    Wonderful self sufficient and self contained mountain tribal people were most impressive and with beautiful features. Bamboo a fantastic versatile building material used throughout - together with much corrugated iron.
    What a tame and safe place the UK is! I’m not expecting cattle, dogs, goats, piles of building materials, landslides, rockfalls or wandering people and bicycles to block our passage on the motorway between Edinburgh and home, or cars and cyclists coming at us on the wrong carriageway! We have rules here but they seem to be totally absent in India - yet there was never and accident of any sort, though hundreds of what we would consider to be near misses!
    Many thanks to Andy Clements for his digiscoped images.    Read more

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