24 March 2012

Northern exposure 2012 - the Hornøya photo workshop, part 1



For the second year we are arranging a photo workshop on the magnificent Hornøya island, Varanger, in collaboration with nature photographers Bjarne Riesto and Knut Sverre Horn. On the menu we have three days of fantastic nature experiences, talks, boat trips and a spectacular bird cliff with thousands
of very confiding birds. Last years workshop proved to be very popular and this year we had to arrange two, and they where fully booked within days after announcement.

The bird cliff is filled with alcids and the waters around Vardø and Hornøya is the King Eiders favoured wintering area. This is where you can find the large rafts of eiders. Two days ago we had a single raft of King Eiders counting 4600 birds!

We also have some spectacular northern lights / Aurora borealis to make the experience complete.

Below follows a few photos from our still in progress workshop. We will make a more thorough article later, from this years double workshop.

Dense living in the Hornøya bird cliff: Brünnichs Guillemot, Guillemot and Razobill in left photo

King Eiders, Vardø in the background

Photo opportunities are plentifull - everywhere.. 

If you leave Hornøya without good bird photos, then the camera is not to blame. Photo above of Puffin is taken with an Iphone..

King Eider take-off, from phototrip by boat (Vardo Harbours RIB, https://www.vardohavn.no/)


This give the word lighthouse a new meaning!
The Hornøya lighthouse is our base camp. Nice accomodation and as a bonus we have our food delivered by the exellent chef at Vardø hotel. Nature provides the rest of the niceness. The only hasard on this workshop is lack of sleep..





Northern lights over the Barents Sea. 

to be continued...

Tormod A. / Biotope