• Bergen and home

    May 9 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!
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  • A bit of bother in Bergen

    May 8 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.
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  • Kristiansund and beyond

    May 8 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.
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  • Trondheim south to Kristiansund

    May 7 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 build 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.
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  • Crossing the Arctic Circle

    May 6 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.
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  • Tromso and the Lofotens

    May 5 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…
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  • Hammerfest to Tromso

    May 4 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…
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  • Kirkenes to Hammerfest

    May 4 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.
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  • Aberdeen to Kirkenes

    May 2 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.
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  • 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.
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  • Expedition nearly over!

    April 25, 2024 in India ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    At last enough of a signal to send a post written near the start of the trip! Now too tired to send detail of days missed but suffice to say that I’ve about 300 new species on my bird list and have been amazed and intrigued by the chaos that is India. Up at 3 or 4 every day and out until dark. Then meal and bed around 8pm. A selection of photos attached.Read more

  • Manipur to Nagaland to Assam

    April 14, 2024 in India ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    An update after a few days without internet. Two incredibly exciting long road journeys, first to the village of Khonoma in Nagaland where we stayed in a home stay run by incredibly friendly people. Hardly a man visible in this narrow village perched on high ground with vertical drops on both sides. Firewood stacks everywhere and the forested hills largely managed for this commodity, ancient planted alders coppiced for this purpose. Women working in the terraced fields, clearing ditches with machetes and carrying heavy loads of wood and foraged green stuffs for human consumption.
    The second drive, having spent two days there, was to the Kasiranga national park where we are a guest house for the night, with wonderful food and a warm water shower - something not present at the home stay. There it was buckets and cold water. And hard beds - but lovely food.
    Much of both journeys was spent on the wrong side of the road, passing slower vehicles (often military) and weaving amongst goats and cows. Seems incredibly risky but no mishaps experienced or observed.
    Much produce for sale at the roadside, including pigs and chickens being butchered for buyers on site. Most of the Assam roads were tarmaced but long stretches of the Nagaland highways were incredibly rough. Rockfalls closed the opposite carriageway for quite a stretch today but no problem; everything on that side just swapped to our side and drove against the flow. No signs or warnings and no head on collisions.
    As for birds, we have seen almost everything hoped for but with very hard work and very early mornings. Highlights for me have included Assam Laughingthrush, a real beauty and very local but to be honest, I’ve seen so many new species compared to the rest of the group that I don’t mind missing out on specialities that they “need” or getting poor views of some birds.
    This morning, still in Khonoma area, while failing in our last attempt to see Spot-breasted Laughingthrush, we found a legless lizard like our Slow-worm which was the high point of of our guide’s day.
    An afternoon drive in the national park produced the ultra-rare Finn’s Weaver but I enjoyed the many Indian Rhinoceroses and wild elephants just as much.
    So much more to say, but this is enough!
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  • A second stab at Indian Grass-bird

    April 11, 2024 in India ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Birdwise, enough to say for most followers that I added another 30 or so to my list and had fabulous views of the very hard to nail down Indian Grass-bird. But perhaps an equally life-enhancing experience was the travel to the marshes in our convoy of three SUVs. No apparent road rules apart from honk to say we’re here and we will be forcing you to change course, even if that risks you hitting a goat, a dog, a cow, a tuk-tuk or a beautifully dressed woman carrying her shopping.
    Also the drive, full of interest: markets, roadside sellers of dusty fruit and veg, workers in the fields with all sorts of hand tools - some in conical sun hats, many rather nice looking dogs - at least one per roadside vendor and a considerable police/military presence in the towns.
    Incredibly rough dirt tracks causing the vehicle to buck about have proved wonderful physio for my back which is now more supple than it’s been for years - so I no longer need a shoe horn to get my boots on.
    Two slight annoyances: experienced observers have been seeing quite a few species that I need but have not called them out. And one our vehicles stopped and photographed a 6’ long and 4” thick trackside snake without communicating. Sorry Lewis - I know you’d have liked a photo! It was a chequered keelback.
    So, there is a problem caused by the group being split between three vehicles and not being in proper contact with each other. Nevertheless an amazing day.
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  • Thirty-something new birds before 8am.

    April 11, 2024 in India ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    A grassland and wetland morning, out by 4am in the cool when birds are most active. Extremely rural area with many people working in the fields, including cutting reeds and similar for cattle feed. Rare and localised Indian Grassbird and Black-breasted Parrotbill seen, amongst many other nice things.
    Back at the hotel around 10 am for a rest before visiting the same areas again so others can get views of the grassbird, as they failed in the morning.
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  • Imphal, Yellow-throated Laughing Thrush

    April 10, 2024 in India ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    One of our main target species under our belts and so rare it thrilled all our group members. But, given that every bird here is new for me they all have more or less equal value to me, so Long-tailed Shrike and Pied Harrier were my “birds of the day”. Fantastic frenzy of traffic, cattle, horses, tuk-tuks and hooting of horns as we drove through the town.Read more

  • It starts.

    April 9, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    Easy travel from Doune to Edinburgh; Edinburgh to Heathrow and now waiting to board the Virgin Atlantic aircraft “Fearless Lady” for Delhi. There will be a 10 hour or so wait there for our connection to Imphal but I’m sure we’ll cope.
    Now about an hour out of Delhi after a flight during which the time did not drag. The plane is less than half full so plenty of extra food and drink available.
    Final notification: we have about nine hours to wait before our next flight to Imphal - but tomorrow will bring the first exciting birds and the coming together of our group of seven.
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  • Always hopeful

    April 5, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ 🌫 5 °C

    Four days to go and I’m obviously far too keen! Packed already, including with things I still need here - like wellies and other waterproofs, not to mention bins and scope.
    Fantasising about all sorts of Indian birds including members of my generally least favourite group - the game birds. So here’s a photo of Temminck’s Tragopan on Flickr Creative Commons courtesy of Keith Murdock.Read more

  • One week to go

    April 2, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    Thinking about packing now - for comfortable birding in varied weather conditions. What to include? What to leave out? Wellies? Imodium? Mozzie net? Lightweight stool? Umbrella? Crocs?

  • Homeward bound

    March 20, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    A two hour “navigation”, as they’d call it in Galapagos, from Port Ellen to Kennacraig. Flat calm and parties of auks feeding all over the place relatively close to Islay. Also more divers than I’ve ever seen, with probably tens of Great Northerns and Red-throateds, and a handful of Black-throateds. Most of them in Loch Tarbert. Watched a Hen Harrier making its way to Islay some time after we left harbour but still no White-tailed Eagles in spite of perfect eagle conditions.Read more

  • Too much whisky

    March 19, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Not a birding day in spite of the best weather yet. A tour of the Bruichladdich distillery was much more engaging than I expected and at daughter’s long-distance insistence I spent more on a bottle of whisky than I ever had before - probably because my judgement was clouded by the tasting session. Anyway, nice to have a full unopened bottle to look forward to.
    Two more leg-ringed Choughs seen feeding in a cattle field were the Birdy highlight of the day. I’ve gone the whole week without seeing an eagle, which is a bit frustrating.
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  • Ardnave Point for Choughs

    March 18, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    After a fine walk to the west on Machir beach and a highly recommended visit for coffee, lunch and the purchase of some very fine whisky at the Kilchoman distillery for an upcoming ‘brothers long weekend’ on Skye, three of us drove to Ardnave Point in the hope of finding Choughs - those crow relatives with red feet and red downcurved bills. A wonderful male Hen Harrier performed for us on the way.
    A longish walk in heavier and heavier rain and increasing wind did not reduce the pleasure of seeing 24 Choughs probing the soil for invertebrates and showing off their glossy blue-black plumage. Many sported multiple colour rings - no doubt for valuable research reasons but it made them look a bit ‘manhandled’. I took a phone photo but not worth it really.
    Huge numbers of Grey Seals hauled out on Nave Island opposite the headland. Then back to the caravan and snug warmth.
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  • A day on the Oa

    March 18, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    A party of five drove to the Oa - a cliffs bulbous peninsular, good for raptor species. Fog was a problem for much of the time and no eagles performed for us. We did see a female Hen Harrier and had a very brief view of a probable Merlin from the vehicle on the way. The fog cleared occasionally to give glimpses of impressive cliffs.
    Birdy highlight was about 20 Twite, some males sporting lovely pink rumps and several birds also sporting a mixture of colour rings on their tarsi. Good, distinctive calls as well.
    More Cullen skink in Port Ellen followed and then a scenic drive north checking bays for divers etc. Must have seen a total of 15 Great Northerns and some views of very smart foraging Red-breasted Mergansers. Rock Doves gave good views - really lovely birds in comparison with their feral relatives and we watched a relaxed foraging otter diving amongst the rocks and seaweed.
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  • Loch Gruinart

    March 15, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    A windy but sunny day in the Loch Gruinart area. Barnacle Geese in their hundreds and also many lovely Greater White-fronted Geese of the Greenland subspecies feeding in the rougher grasslands. A not too thorough search along the roadsides for the Red-breasted Goose amongst the Barbie’s but it was not found. Maybe tomorrow. A female Hen Harrier was nice to see and some of the party saw a White-tailed Eagle and a dozen Choughs at Ardnave Point.
    Lunch at the Oyster Shed on the east side of the loch was a nice break from the windy birding.
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  • Queuing at Kennacraig

    March 14, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    A drive with the caravan from near Stirling. Pretty wet and pelting with rain as we wait for the ferry, the timing of which has been put back and put back several times. Due to land on Islay around 8pm and then a bit of a drive to the booked site. Will be no fun setting up in the dark and the rain and then eating probably as late as 10:30.
    Footnote: I was quite right about setting up in the dark and the rain. Absolutely black and we’d forgotten head torches. Using the light on the phones meant we did jobs one handed. Hey ho, tomorrow may provide us with a Red-breasted Goose amongst all the Barnacle Geese at Loch Gruinart.
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