Pushing the Boundaries Tour - birds & people on the road

We are on the road touring the UK with the ´Pushing the Boundaries bird club talks´. So far we have given talks at 3 bird clubs / groups, and we still have the 7 to go. Already meeting so many inspirational people and seeing new places, and new birds!

For me a big highlight is close encounters with the Red Grouse - very different from our Varanger ´white´ Grouse. I expected the Grouse to be a more rare bird, but surely as Martin promised this would be an easy tick. Within an hours drive we had seen more then 100 of these beauties. The female above posed for a while for a very exited guy from arctic Norway!

They were not difficult to find...

We are also getting lots of nice feedback on our talks, and meeting all the UK birders is an inpiring experience for an arctic birder. Though the weather is not treating us nicely - by UK standards that is. Two talks have been postponed due to heavy snow. 

The definition of heavy snow...

Change of plans - UK birders are adaptable :)

The term ´heavy snow´ still have a very different meaning in Britain then in Varanger. This is a scene from the beautifull landscape above Sheffield yesterday.

I guess this is what we call heavy snow in Varanger. Drivable, but any more then this and we give up too...

Birding in the UK is different too, but birds are birds and I am certainly up for an urban Gullfest! From downtown Sheffield factory area.

Another bird highlight for me: a very stylish looking 1st winter Caspian Gull! Iphonescoped by the way. A bird yet to be seen in Varanger. I feel more prepared to see one after this experience, and after Martins Gull Masterclass on Monday 28th of January, probably even more so!

And we are also meeting other locals. A rarity in Varanger - the Robin. 

On tour : Martin Garner / Birding Frontiers & Tormod Amundsen / Biotope 

Stay tuned :)

Tormod A. / Biotope

Birds & People - touring Britain with Birding Frontiers

Birding Frontiers & Biotope presents : Pushing the boundaries tour!

For the next two weeks Martin Garner / Birding Frontiers and I, Tormod / Biotope, will tour a series of bird clubs in Britain. I am really looking forward to this little adventure! We are visiting bird clubs in the evenings and bird sites and nature reserves in day time. Surely it will be inspiring meeting many birders and seeing new places! For me Britain is the homeland of birding. Maybe it has a lot to do with the fact that most books I read growing up was bird books in English language! In Norway birding has not (yet!) become a big thing, but in Britain is seems so, well, natural. I guess it helps being a couple of millions doing it! 

Biotope is a result of my and Elins decision to work with pro nature projects. As architects and birders we saw a potential for bringing the architectural skills to the world of birding. Much too often architecture happens at the expence of nature. We wanted to be the pro nature architects, engaging in projects that highlight and promote birds and nature. When we where deciding on where to live when being pro bird & nature architects there really was little discussion. Three years ago we packed our bags and moved to the finest arctic birding destination in the world: Varanger, Arctic Norway!

The past three years have been a great adventure - of meeting people, of collaborations, of discovering, hard work - and some extraordinary birding! I will do my best to share these stories from Varanger with the birders we meet on our tour. 

Since I wrote an email to Martin some years ago asking for ID advice on an odd looking possible eastern type Bean Goose, we have stayed in touch and even collaborated on projects such as Gullfest. I cant wait to hear new stories from Martin on this tour! I am sure all who have joined a talk with Martin or gone birding with him agrees that his knowledge and enthusiasm makes good even better! Check out Martins ´Pushing the boundaries Tour´ intro, with much more details on all the places we visit, and links to the bird clubs hosting the talks. With the Pushing the Boundaries tour we aim to present engaging new stories and innovative approaches to birding.  

Below is a little taste from the coming talk by Biotope

Stories from Varanger - a nature destination in the making

Birder power!  

Birdig always bring surprises, and Varanger is the hottest place in the arctic for rarities. We are at the outer limits of Europe, and there is so much more still to be discovered. More about that on tour..

The arctic ocean is rich in fish - and birds. The local fishermen and guys at the fishery are our good friends! Like birders they appreciate productive nature. We birders may have a lot of specialist knowledge about Gulls, but these are the guys you talk to if you want to make a Gullfest! 

Birdng to the people: Gullfest 2012 - the worlds first arctic birding festival. Among a series of keynote speakers, Martin delivered inspiring talks that captivated both visiting birders and locals alike. Photos from the Gullfest base camp. 

Varanger is in the making: bird hides and wind shelters are being built at strategic sites. This is architecture dedicated to birders, both for visiting hard core birders and the nature enthusiasts of Varanger! It is also a statement of the value of the regions rich and unique birdlife. In Varanger birders are making an impact! 

By the way: There is a lot happening in the north at the moment. For those who are interested in an arctic adventure check out the Gullfest 2013 event:
Gullfest 2013 intorduction, with advice on Gullfest travel and accomodation in Varanger 

Please feel free to join me and Martin on one of the bird clubs on this tour for more stories on birds and birding.

Check out the tour map. We hope to see you at one of the bird clubs:

Follow Martin on twitter @BirdingFrontier & Tormod @BiotopeOffice for updates on the road!

Looking very much forward to meeting you all on the Pushing the Boundaries tour!

Tormod A. / Biotope

Gullfest 2013 - Varanger travel & accomodation

Travel and accomodation advice for Gullfest participants

Preliminary Gullfest program, pr January 2013:

Tuesday 19.03.2013

Gullfest prologue: Taiga birding & dog sled adventure. Limited places, but still a few left! Reserve places by mail to tormod@biotope.no Arrival Kirkenes. Bus to Birkhusky B&B - Dinner & overnight

(se more details about prices in first Gullfest introduction article)

Wednesday 20.03.2013

Dog sled trip to the Birkhusky cabin in The Pasvik Taiga, all day taiga birding (think Pine Grosbeak, Siberian Tit, Siberian Jay), Fireplace lunch at cabin. Dinner and overnight at B&B.

Gullfest prologue 2: This is actually more an advice on a great thing to do before Gullfest. We have had several requests from people that are extending their stay with more days leading up to Gullfest. If you want an excellent photographic experience we recommend the Floating King Eider photo hide in Båtsfjord, Northern Varanger Peninsula. Book directly with fisherman and natureguide Ørjan Hansen on mail: orjhan@dinpost.no or tlf +47 951 08 638. Adviced to have own car transport to Båtsfjord. Travel to Båtsfjord on Tuesday (or very early wednesday) with return to Vardø late wednesday or early Thursday. For more details on both accomodation, driving and distances in Varanger in winter / early spring look at this article.

Thursday 21.03.2013 - Gullfest is on!

For the Dog sled group (Gullfest prologue): Early morning Taiga birding 0600-1100, then bus to Coastal express (or for those with car - travel anytime towards Vardø. This is approx 3.5 hours straight drive). 

Gullfest starts at the Coastal Express in Kirkenes at 12.30. The Coastal express leaves Kirkenes at 12.45 and arrives Vardø at 16.00 At this time of year this is often a very nice Arctic pelagic, crossing the outer Varanger fjord! You have the option of renting a car in Kirkenes and drive to Vardø yourself if you want a car available throughout the Gullfest, and maybe longer. For the Gullfest however all is within walking distance in Vardø, but there is no doubt a car is advisable if you want to move around more easily. Opening talks at the North Pole pub in evening at 20.00hrs. This is where you meet us all if you have not connected earlier. Welcome!

Friday + Saturday + Sunday  22-24.03.2013 (the Gullfest weekend)

The Gullfest base camp opens 09.00. Gull ringing scheme open, chumming for gulls, lunch 12-14.00, on site exhibition. Trips to Hornøya bird cliff, several times a day, open photo hides several places, on site talks on base camp / mini-workshops, open Lavvo with fireplace (samì-style tent), Feeders at strategic places. King Eider safari with boat, etc. Full days of birding adventures and great company.

Evening talks and exhibition at Vardø hotel: Talks are held at Vardø Hotels conference room. All talks start at 18.00hrs. Open Gullfest exhibition (all day). Talks by key birders, Musical pieces (to be announced, giving us a slightly new perspective on bird song). Talks to be announced soon - in progress. This will be a mix of very Gull dedicated talks to nature / bird slide shows by photographers, and much more (think inspirational, educational & conservational). We will have approx 4 talks pr evening (each 20 - 40 min). Dinners starts at 19.00hrs, with talks continuing afterwards. Grand seafood buffét on Saturday, Barents Sea specialities. More detailed program to come. WE may also do a guided birding trip by cars / bus in the outer Varanger fjord. In progress.

Monday 25.03.2013

We travel by bus (to be arranged by Gullfest organisers) and cars and bird the Varanger fjord. Our goal is Vadsø harbour and closer views of Stellers Eiders. Lunch at the Vadsø Fjord Hotel. Possibly with (arctic) redpoll ringing scheme (in progress). Also on site talk. 

The Gullfest officially ends at the Vadsø Fjord hotel lunch, but there is an epilogue scheme that is optional:

Optional High tundra trip by snow mobile after lunch: Approx 3-4hrs, at Gullfest nice price approx 1250,- Nok per person (140 GBP, 171 Euro, 223 $). These trips will run depending on how many is interested. We do these trips on Monday, but if more people are interested we can even make this a Gullfest prologue thing. Mail directly to tormod@biotope.no if interested.

Tuesday - Gullfest epilogue

King Eider photo hides in Båtsfjord. We will travel to the northern side of the Varanger Peninsula. We plan for an overnight at the Kongsfjord Guesthouse (only 4places left with a pre-booked group here, mail to tormod@biotope.no if you want to join this group). There is also places to stay in Båtsfjord. This you arrange on your own (by ordering your stay at Båtsfjord Hotel). We will spend the day with fisherman and nature guide Ørjan Hansen, and enjoy his new floating photo hides. These provide exceptional views of all the arctic seaducks (Stellers Eider, Common Eider, King Eider & Long-tailed Ducks). See article from the prototyping of these.

Gullfest tickets are now for sale: contact our partner Vardø hotel to buy tickets  

(750 Norwegian kroner = 100 Euro / 83 GBP / 135 $)

For more Gullfest information see the Gullfest 2013 introduction article

Arctic birding

This photo is taken from the Biotope office in Vardø southern harbour, late February 2012

General approach and advice for Gullfest participants:

Vardø and Varanger is easily reached from anywhere in Europe. This is surely the easiest available Arctic birding destination in the world! You will find intact infrastructure in Varanger, with a wide variety of accomodation, eating and travel possibilities. The roads are open all year (exept Vardø-Hamningberg), and when snow storms set in we have plow trucks that regularly keep roads open. We have had quite a few requests about drivability in winter / early spring, and we can assure you it is not a problem at all. In Varanger there is no particular safety hazards. Just keep a watchfull eye on the road, Reindeer may pass the road unexpectedly. People are friendly and most Norwegians speak English well. You should be able to get around easily. There are car rentals in Kirkenes. This is where the planes land after take of from Oslo. You also have the option of travelling further by small plains, to Vadsø or Vardø. There is car rentals in Kirkenes and Vadsø. Just to give you an overview of the driving: The drive from Kirkenes to Vardø is approx 3.5 hours. Vadsø to Vardø is a 1 hour drive. From Vardø to Båtsfjord is a 3.5 hours drive. 

There is a rather wide range of travel options to and from Gullfest in Vardø. It all depends on your preferences and how long you want to stay. You can for instance fly to Kirkenes, get on the coastal express / Hurtigruten (no pre-booking required). A bus corresponding with the morning flights from Oslo (arriving Kirkenes at around11.00) take you to the coastal express (20 min from airport). This gives you a 3.5 hours arctic pelagic to Vardø and the Gullfest. Once in Vardø there is no actual need for a car, and you can fully enjoy all Gullfest events and birding the whole weekend. From Monday for instance you can rent a car in Vadsø (or from car rental in Nesseby / several options) and keep birding Varanger for as long as you wish on your own. It is easy - and spectacular! Alternatively you can stay your last night of Gullfest in Vadsø. This is from Monday to Tuesday and take the early morning coastal express from Vadsø to Kirkenes. This one leves Vadsø at 08.00 and arrives Kirkenes at 09.45, with a corresponding bus waiting to take you to the airport for the corresponding flights. This option would actually make your Gullfest adventure car-free. But, again - the options are many. You can also fly directly to Vardø (airport is a 5 min taxi drive from Vardø town). For full flexibility fly to Kirkenes and rent your car there (several options including the nice price company ´Rent-a-wreck´). 

We have spent quite some time looking into flight options from several major cities. Have a look below for more detailed information.

Accomodationwise there are also many options. Follow links (hypelinks in names) for booking your accomodation. However we expect the places in Vardø to be fully booked rather quickly. This is first come, first served. The hotel in Vardø is our Gullfest partner and they have nice prices for Gullfest participants. This is the evening Gullfest base camp. For more places to stay, have a look at added Varanger map, with webadresses and QR-code links below. You can also download this map / info folder (direct link to download pdf). 

We recently produced this map for our other Gullfest 2013 partner Destination Varanger (where you will find links to almost everything travel related in Varanger). By the way, you can click on the images and get slide show mode and larger images.

If you want more information on Varanger accomodation, etc, have a look at this article we previously produced: Varanger in winter / early spring - info on birds, sites, accommodation

There are however a few things not noted in this article: 

There are two hotels in Vadsø, Rica Vadsø, and Vadsø fjord hotel overlooking the harbour. Great views towards Stellers Eider rich areas. They can for now be found on Facebook / Vadsø Fjord Hotel Being birders ourselves we can definantely recommend this place in Vadsø. Also new is Ekkerøy Holiday houses coming mobile photo hides. We collaborate with them and aim to have new photo hides set up at the beach of Ekkerøy before Gullfest (great pro bird owners there too). Basically we advice having a look at www.varanger.com for more insight. 

We have possibly some accomodation niceness for students or birders-on-a-tight-budget coming up: If you are a group coming over we have a room at the hotel fro a group to share, no windows, sleeping bags needed, no kitchen (but nice price Gullfest tickets have you settled with breakfast and warm lunch) and 1 shower to share. I am sure group of good friends will enjoy this very affordable option (if interested mail to tormod@biotope.no). We are also looking into more options. More info to come.

Flight Information

We have proposed several flight/travel itineraries from a variety of major cities across the Europe (and US). We hope this will help make your journey to Gullfest 2013 as cost effective and convenient as possible.

Depending on which major airport your outbound journey begins, there may be several different days in which to get to us in Vardø, Arctic Norway. Due to us selecting the most cost effective flight itineraries, it could mean that some suggested travel times miss out certain activities or trips.

We suggest you study the Gullfest program and see how this fits in with your own schedule. If you would like more help on planning your journey or for more information please contact us. 

We do suggest that you double check all suggested flight itineraries, as prices change on a regular basis. Please also be aware that the initial estimated cost does sometimes get cheaper when continuing through to the booking stage.

We have checked airlines SAS, Widerøe, Norwegian Air, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, Brussels Air, Iceland Air and Turkish Air. Please be aware that SAS also own Widerøe and it can be slightly cheaper to book SAS flights through Widerøe, even though they are the same flights. Also understand that budget airlines that fly into Oslo Rygge or Torp airports require 1-2 hour drives between connecting flights in Oslo Gardermoen airport (not adviced options).

In some cases booking separate flights with different airlines can be more cost effective than booking a return flight with the same airline. Please take note of any (*) next to stated airlines, as this will denote that booking a return flight will be the most cost effective option.

In most cases you will require an overnight stay in Oslo in order to get the first departing flight to Kirkenes. We have suggested the Scandic Hotel as it is the cheapest and includes breakfast. You will, however, need to catch the S55 shuttle bus from platform B25, which is a short ride from the airport and costs 65NOK (£7/€9) each way. There are, however, a number of other hotels that are within walking distance from the arrival lounge, but at a slightly higher price. The Park Inn (which is highly recommended by Tormod due to the exquisite breakfast), Best Western, Quality Hotel and Thon Hotel.

There will not be any flights out of Finnmark on Friday 29^th and Saturday 30^th, so why not, make the most of your stay in Arctic Norway and extend your trip over the Easter weekend. Take advantage of special offers, trips and adventures around Varanger peninsular and the Pasvik Taiga offered to you by our partners at the Gullfest.

Proposals and insights we made during travel research: Europe - Varanger

For the destiantions / travel routes described below we have also added a downloadable link to a pdf with flight numbers, times, dates, costs and travel routes. These pdf´s are similar to the one showed below, and the links go directly to the pdf for each place you can travel from

More general flight / travel info:

Outbound London - The most cost effective flight itinerary would be to travel from London Gatwick with Norwegian Air on Wednesday 20^th, with an overnight stay in Oslo. The following morning there is a 0815 flight out of Oslo to Kirkenes, once in Kirkenes we suggest you take a short shuttle bus to the docks and connect with the Hurtigruten coastal express to Vardø. This offers the best value pelagic trip anywhere in the Arctic, and comes highly recommended. If that does not tempt you, there is a connecting flight from Kirkenes to Vardø with Widerøe at 1305.

However we would like to encourage you to take part in our Pasvik Taiga adventure (see Gullfest

itinerary for more information). This would mean flying on Monday 18^th at a slightly higher cost, with British Airways from London Heathrow. After spending the night in Oslo and arriving in Kirkenes late Tuesday morning, we will pick you up from the airport and begin your Pasvik adventure (only few places left).

Return London – we suggest you look at the Gullfest 2013 program to see which return date best suits your schedule. We would recommend traveling back on Thursday 28^th after coming back from Båtsfjord on Wednesday 27^th and spending the night at Vadsø hotel. From here take the short trip on the Hurtigruten to kirkenes and onward flights to London.

Outbound Manchester - The most cost effective flight itinerary would be to travel from Manchester with Air France on Monday 18^th, with an overnight stay in Oslo. The following morning there is a 0815 flight out of Oslo to Kirkenes. This gives you the perfect opportunity to take part in our Pasvik Taiga adventure (see Gullfest itinerary for more information). If not, once in Kirkenes we suggest you take a short shuttle bus to the docks and connect with the Hurtigruten coastal express to Vardø. This offers the best value pelagic trip anywhere in the Arctic, and comes highly recommended. If that does not tempt you, there is a connecting flight from Kirkenes to Vardø with Widerøe at 1305.

Return Manchester – we suggest you look at the Gullfest 2013 program to see which return date best suits your schedule. We would recommend traveling back on Wednesday 27^th after an early morning drive back from Båtsfjord to Vadsø. From here take the sort trip on the Hurtigruten to kirkenes and onward flights to Manchester.

Make sure to book a return flight with Air France to be most economical; the inbound flight from Oslo to Manchester will be with KLM.

Outbound Birmingham - The most cost effective flight itinerary would be to travel from Birmingham with Lufthansa on Tuesday 19^th, with an overnight stay in Oslo. The following morning there is a 0815 flight out of Oslo to Kirkenes, once in Kirkenes we suggest you take a short shuttle bus to the docks and connect with the Hurtigruten coastal express to Vardø. This offers the best value pelagic trip anywhere in the Arctic, and comes highly recommended. If that does not tempt you, there is a connecting flight from Kirkenes to Vardø with Widerøe at 1305.

However we would like to encourage you to take part in our Pasvik Taiga adventure (see Gullfest itinerary for more information). This would mean flying on Monday 18^th at a slightly higher cost. After spending the night in Oslo and arriving in Kirkenes late Tuesday morning, we will pick you up from the airport and begin your Pasvik adventure.

Return Birmingham– we suggest you look at the Gullfest 2013 program to see which return date best suits your schedule. We would recommend traveling back on Thursday 28^th after coming back from Båtsfjord on Wednesday 27^th and spending the night at Vadsø hotel. From here take the sort trip on the Hurtigruten to kirkenes and onward flights to Birmingham.

Make sure to book a return flight with Air France to be most economical; the inbound flight from Oslo to Manchester will be with KLM.

Outbound Edinburgh- The most cost effective flight itinerary would be to travel from Birmingham with Norwegian Air on Tuesday 19^th, with an overnight stay in Oslo. The following morning there is a 0815 flight out of Oslo to Kirkenes, once in Kirkenes we suggest you take a short shuttle bus to the docks and connect with the Hurtigruten coastal express to Vardø. This offers the best value pelagic trip anywhere in the Arctic, and comes highly recommended. If that does not tempt you, there is a connecting flight from Kirkenes to Vardø with Widerøe at 1305.

However we would like to encourage you to take part in our Pasvik Taiga adventure (see Gullfest itinerary for more information). This would mean flying on Monday 18^th at a slightly higher cost. After spending the night in Oslo and arriving in Kirkenes late Tuesday morning, we will pick you up from the airport and begin your Pasvik adventure.

Return Edinburgh – we suggest you look at the Gullfest 2013 program to see which return date best suits your schedule. We would recommend traveling back on Sunday 31^th after spending some time exploring Varnager peninsular or Pasvik Taiga. Either travel on the Hurtigruten from Vadsø or make your own way to kirkenes by hire car.

Make sure to book a return flight with Norwegian Air to be most economical.

Outbound Amsterdam - The most cost effective flight itinerary would be to travel from Amsterdam Schipol with KLM on Wednesday 20^th, with an overnight stay in Oslo. The following morning there is a 0815 flight out of Oslo to Kirkenes, once in Kirkenes we suggest you take a short shuttle bus to the docks and connect with the Hurtigruten coastal express to Vardø. This offers the best value pelagic trip anywhere in the Arctic, and comes highly recommended. If that does not tempt you, there is a connecting flight from Kirkenes to Vardø with Widerøe at 1305.

However we would like to encourage you to take part in our Pasvik Taiga adventure (see Gullfest itinerary for more information). This would mean flying on Monday 18^th at a slightly higher cost. After spending the night in Oslo and arriving in Kirkenes late Tuesday morning, we will pick you up from the airport and begin your Pasvik adventure.

Return Amsterdam Schipol – we suggest you look at the Gullfest 2013 program to see which return date best suits your schedule. We would recommend traveling back on Thursday 26^th after coming back from Båtsfjord on Wednesday 27^th and spending the night at Vadsø hotel. From here take the sort trip on the Hurtigruten to kirkenes and onward flights to London.

Outbound Munich - The most cost effective flight itinerary would be to travel from Munich with Norwegian Air on Monday 18^th, with an overnight stay in Oslo. The following morning there is a 0815 flight out of Oslo to Kirkenes. This gives you the perfect opportunity to take part in our Pasvik Taiga adventure (see Gullfest itinerary for more information). If not, once in Kirkenes we suggest you take a short shuttle bus to the docks and connect with the Hurtigruten coastal express to Vardø. This offers the best value pelagic trip anywhere in the Arctic, and comes highly recommended. If that does not tempt you, there is a connecting flight from Kirkenes to Vardø with Widerøe at 1305.

Return Munich – we suggest you look at the Gullfest 2013 program to see which return date best suits your schedule. We would recommend traveling back on Wednesday 27^th after an early morning drive back from Båtsfjord to Vadsø. From here take the sort trip on the Hurtigruten to kirkenes and onward flights to Munich.

Make sure to book a return flight with Air France to be most economical; the inbound flight from Oslo to Manchester will be with KLM.

Outbound Barcelona Aeropuerto - The most cost effective flight itinerary would be to travel from Barcelona Aeropuerto de Barcelona with Lufthansa on Wednesday 20^th, with an overnight stay in Oslo. The following morning there is a 0815 flight out of Oslo to Kirkenes, once in Kirkenes we suggest you take a short shuttle bus to the docks and connect with the Hurtigruten coastal express to Vardø. This offers the best value pelagic trip anywhere in the Arctic, and comes highly recommended. If that does not tempt you, there is a connecting flight from Kirkenes to Vardø with Widerøe at 1305.

However we would like to encourage you to take part in our Pasvik Taiga adventure (see Gullfest itinerary for more information). This would mean flying on Monday 18^th at a slightly higher cost. After spending the night in Oslo and arriving in Kirkenes late Tuesday morning, we will pick you up from the airport and begin your Pasvik adventure.

Return Barcelona Aeropuerto – we suggest you look at the Gullfest 2013 program to see which return date best suits your schedule. We would recommend traveling back on Thursday 26^th after coming back from Båtsfjord on Wednesday 27^th and spending the night at Vadsø hotel. From here take the sort trip on the Hurtigruten to kirkenes and onward flights to London.

Make sure to book a return flight with Lufthanasa to be most economical.

Outbound Istanbul - The most cost effective flight itinerary would be to travel from Istanbul with Turkish Airlines on Wednesday 20^th, with an overnight stay in Oslo. The following morning there is a 0815 flight out of Oslo to Kirkenes, once in Kirkenes we suggest you take a short shuttle bus to the docks and connect with the Hurtigruten coastal express to Vardø. This offers the best value pelagic trip anywhere in the Arctic, and comes highly recommended. If that does not tempt you, there is a connecting flight from Kirkenes to Vardø with Widerøe at 1305.

However we would like to encourage you to take part in our Pasvik Taiga adventure (see Gullfest itinerary for more information). This would mean flying on Monday 18^th at a slightly higher cost. After spending the night in Oslo and arriving in Kirkenes late Tuesday morning, we will pick you up from the airport and begin your Pasvik adventure.

Return Istanbul – we suggest you look at the Gullfest 2013 program to see which return date best suits your schedule. We would recommend traveling back on Thursday 28^th after coming back from Båtsfjord on Wednesday 27^th and spending the night at Vadsø hotel. From here take the sort trip on the Hurtigruten to kirkenes and onward flights to London.

Make sure to book a return flight with Turkish Airlines to be most economical.

Outbound Aberdeen - The most cost effective flight itinerary would be to travel from Aberdeen with Norwegian Air on Tuesday 19th, with an overnight stay in Oslo. The following morning there is a 0815 flight out of Oslo to Kirkenes. Once in Kirkenes we suggest you take a short shuttle bus to the docks and connect with the Hurtigruten coastal express to Vardø. This offers the best value pelagic trip anywhere in the Arctic, and comes highly recommended. If that does not tempt you, there is a connecting flight from Kirkenes to Vardø with Widerøe at 1305.

However we would like to encourage you to take part in our Pasvik Taiga adventure (see Gullfest itinerary for more information). This would mean flying on Monday 18^th at a slightly higher cost with KLM. After spending the night in Oslo and arriving in Kirkenes late Tuesday morning, we will pick you up from the airport and begin your Pasvik adventure.

Return Aberdeen – we suggest you look at the Gullfest 2013 program to see which return date best suits your schedule. We would recommend traveling back on Wednesday 27^th after an early morning drive back from Båtsfjord to Vadsø. From here take the sort trip on the Hurtigruten to kirkenes and onward flights toAberdeen.

Please note that if you wish to fly Monday 18^th, book a return flight with KLM or if you prefer to travel Tuesday 19^th, book a return flight with Norwegian Air.

Outbound New York - The most cost effective flight itinerary would be to travel from New York JFK with Iceland Air on Monday 18^th, with an overnight stay in Oslo on Tuesday 19^th. The following morning there is a 0815 flight out of Oslo to Kirkenes. Once in Kirkenes we suggest you take a short shuttle bus to the docks and connect with the Hurtigruten coastal express to Vardø. This offers the best value pelagic trip anywhere in the Arctic, and comes highly recommended. If that does not tempt you, there is a connecting flight from Kirkenes to Vardø with Widerøe at 1305.

However we would like to encourage you to take part in our Pasvik Taiga adventure (see Gullfest itinerary for more information). This would mean flying on Sunday 17^th at a slightly higher cost. After spending the night in Oslo and arriving in Kirkenes late Tuesday morning, we will pick you up from the airport and begin your Pasvik adventure.

Return New York – we suggest you look at the Gullfest 2013 program to see which return date best suits your schedule. We would recommend traveling back on Wednesday 27^th after an early morning drive back from Båtsfjord to Vadsø. From here take the sort trip on the Hurtigruten to kirkenes and onward flights to New York.

Make sure to book a return flight with Iceland Airlines to be most economical.

The Gullfest 2013 maps (will be handed out at Gullfest): Vardø - Norways northeasternmost town. 

We plan to have kick sleds available at Gullfest 2013 - its arctic style birding!

We hope this information makes all travel and accomdation research easier for you, and that we meet you inVardø for Gullfest 2013. We cant wait to see this second ever Gullfest happen! We really look forward to both the birding, talks and the company. Surely it will be a birding highlight of 2013. This is still an event in the making - a pioneering project: we welcome you to be a part of this. More things are being planned, some things will probably change. We are certain that with the good will and active participation of all involved we can make the Gullfest 2013 a very memorable event for all! Welcome :)

Join the conversation :)

We regularily post new updates and progress on our twitter-account @BiotopeOffice and our Biotope Faceook page. More elaborate updates will follow on this website. 

Thanks all birders & nature enthusiasts for checking out the Gullfest event - stay tuned!

Check out the Gullfest 2013 introduction article!

Best wishes from Varanger / Arctic Norway

Tormod A. / Biotope, on behalf of the Gullfest 2013 crew

GULLFEST 2013 - introducing the arctic bird festival

We have the pleasure to invite you to take part in the worlds only arctic birding festival - GULLFEST 2013 - in Varanger, arctic Norway. Join us in Vardø, outer Varangerfjord:

Thursday the 21st to Monday the 25th of March, 2013. 

Latest news from the Gullfest organisers, pr March 1st :

We are launching a news update very soon on www.biotope.no 

Grand news: World class bird / nature artists Ian Lewington and Darren Woodhead are talking and exhibiting at Gullfest. We cant wait to see their work and take on Varanger.

More news to come with the program launch very soon!

We also just got news that the hotel in Vardø have many more rooms to offer, due to a building company just cancelling their room reservations during Gullfest. Meaning more room for birders! Welcome to Varanger and the Gullfest event. 

We also have two places left on the Taiga Adventure, the Gullfest prologue. Read more below. 

For more info on travel and accomodation check out the Gullfest travel and acco-article

Gullfest 2013 is timed to meet some of the finest birding the arctic has to offer. 

Late March in Varanger combines the best of winter and early spring birding. The huge rafts of wintering arctic seaducks are an amazing sight. A 5000 individuals strong raft of King Eiders is always breathtaking. The world rarity Stellers Eider also have their stronghold in the shallow Varanger Fjord. During Gullfest you will have great opportunities to study these beautifull birds at close range. In late March great numbers of alcids have returned to the Hornøya bird cliff and the waters around Vardø island. 100 000 seabirds make the Hornøya bird cliff one of the densest inhabitet places in northeastern Norway. Even armed with no more then a mobile phone you can do some very fine bird photography. Puffins are fighting over territories whilst Glaucous Gulls reach their peak numbers in late March. 

Gullfest - the arctic birding highlight of 2013

This event is still in its starting phase. It is an event in the making, just like Varanger itself is evolving as a birding destination. It is still a relatively small scale enterprise, and it is safe to say that every birder and nature enthusiast joining Gullfest will make a difference. We are still fine tuning the program and adding new events, keynote speakers and more. Check out coming posts on the Biotope website for more info during the coming weeks. We got more niceness planned than can be described in this introduction article.

We have widened our local collaborations, and are now very happy to have the support of the local Vardø Hotel. They will provide nice accomodation prices for Gullfest participants. They will provide room for the talks, and serve ecxellent local food at the Gullfest base camp on Hasselnes. An exhibition at the hotel will showcase art, photography and much more, specially designed for the Gullfest. More information to come soon. 

We are also collaborating with the guys at local fishery, and several of the Vardø resident fishermen. No doubt we will make a better Gullfest with the support of these great guys! They surely made the Gullfest 2012 base camp a lively place with the nearby chumming from fishing vessels. This year we will do both chumming and hopefully be able to provide trips with fishing vessels too. We aim to make a festival for the gulls too...

Tickets to the Gullfest can be bought through our friends at Vardø Hotel (contact info) from Thursday 10th of January. We have set the price at 750 Norwegian kroner (= 100 Euro / 83 GBP / 135 $). We have also been fortunate to get support from our regional Destination company Destination Varanger (www.varanger.com) and the official Northern Norway portal (www.nordnorge.com). With their help we are able to invite keynote speakers and bird guides, and they also support our ringing scheme. All effort and support will go into the making of Gullfest. Stay tuned! Still - as with Gullfest 2012 the good company and participation of everyone really makes the Gullfest a great event.

The Gullfest 2013 ticket will include the following niceness (+more being planned):

- Free admission to all the Gullfest talks / workshops. World leading birders will provide us all with new knowledge and inspiring talks.

- Free lunch at the base camp, served Friday, Saturday and Sunday (made by brilliant chef Tor Emil from Vardø Hotel).

- Free guided trip to Hornøya bird cliff

- Free use of the new photo hides in Vardø (harbour photo hide, Purple Sandpiper dedicated hide, and more)

-Free access to all base camp activities and fascilities, included the Gull ringing scheme.

-We will provide info and advice on birds to see, sites to visit, booking of accomodation, rental cars, etc. In short we will make sure that you are included and provided with the information to make this a great event for you and your friends.

-Freely Join on-site mini-workshops / talks like ´Redpolls of the Arctic´ , ´Gull identification´ and more to come.

-We will have several feeding sites set up in advance. The extent of this will be determined by how many birders that will join Gullfest, but we hope to be able to attract both passerines, gulls and birds of prey. 

-There will be additional activities that you can join for bargain prices, such as ´Dog-sled Taiga trips´, ´King Eider safaris´, ´Arctic Seaduck photography from floating photo hides´, ´High Tundra snow mobile trips´ and more to come. (Limited placecs, if you want to take part in any of these aditional activities, contact us directly on: tormod@biotope.no).

By the way: within January 10th we will post an article with more info on travel, accomodation etc. We have spent days researching the best travel options, making sure that you can travel in a very economic and convenient manner. You will be surprised to see how cheap an arctic adventure can be. We will also provide those of you who book Gullfest tickets with the best possible advice on everything from the variety of accomodation in Varanger, possibilities of travel and car rentals. More to come soon. 

- If you have proposals for events or talks or maybe something we have not thought of, please let us know. The program is still under development, and we aim to make the Gullfest a very memorable adventure for all!

Welcome to a unique winter / early spring experience in Varanger, Arctic Norway!

Vardø is the easternmost point in Norway. We are also well inside the arctic circle, far north and within the arctic climate zone. We welcome you to a true arctic birding experience, with the convenience of being easily accessible and with all fascilities and infrastructure in place. This photo was taken in early January flying over Vardø. The Barents Sea is one of the most productive waters in the world, and the perfect place for an arctic bird festival.

Vardø town seen from Hornøya bird cliff. Vardø island is separated by the mainland by the very bird rich Bussesundet. We will arrange boat trips to see the large rafts of King Eiders that typically favour these areas.  In Vardø everything is within walking distance. The Gullfest talks, dinners and evening events will be held at Vardø Hotel, with views of Vardø harbour. The hotel is the big building in the centre with many windows facing the harbour. In winter and early spring lots of birds concentrate in the inner harbour. Here they are sheltered from wind and waves and the local fishing industry always provide some scraps and leftovers for the seaducks and seals. We can promise great wildlife experiences from the dinner table! Have a look at the Vardø harbour eiders article from late February 2012.

A quick Gullfest rewind:

In mid April 2012 we arranged the first ever Gullfest in Vardø. The event was a fantastic experience. It was a mix of spectacular birding, great talks and engagement from both visiting birders and locals. Gullfest 2012 was launched in late january, and only two months later it all happened in big meet of positive pro nature energy. The event was pulled of thanks to the great contributions from all participants. Based on feedback from the first Gullfest we now aim to take off again - in a better and bigger fashion. While for the first Gullfest we had three Gull ringers we now have a team of 12 ringers that will make the Gullfest ringing scheme both very accessible and scientifically valuable. This year we will surely set the record for ringed Glaucous Gulls in mainland Norway. For those who want to closely study the wing tip patterns of northern argentatus / Herring Gulls this is the ultimate opportunity. At the Gullfest base camp we had a Lavvo (Samí-style tent) with a fireplace and warm food. We can now welcome you to a bigger and even better base camp experience! 

Gullfest 2012 made it to both local media, as well as mentions in national newspapers and even a report on one of the most popular TV shows in Norway (see the 5 min. report from  the ´Norge Rundt´ show, from the kids day at Gullfest) . In addition the event resonated with the global birding community. We hope that Gullfest 2013 will have the attention of people through the world of birding blogs and forums, and the main stream media. After all this is an event that celebrate the beauty and importance of birds, wildlife and nature of the Arctic. This is birding to people! We will make sure this event will bring something for both the wing-tip pattern enthusiasts, the eager bird photographers as well as beginning birders and nature lovers. This will be the best of arctic Norways Varanger, concentrated over a long-weekend! On Gullfest 2012 Tristan Reid of the excellent Talking Naturally podcast reported from the event. Have listen to his Gullfest report on Talking Naturally. Or check out his Gullfest blogposts on TN.

We have of course invited the birds too! They have promised to show up in massive scale. Far outnumbering people - and that is how we like it! All the photos in this new Gullfest 2013 article are taken in winter and early spring in Varanger. In daytime we will enjoy spectacular numbers of seabirds. The above photo shows a steady stream of incoming alcids from the Barents Sea. Photo taken from Hornøya, Vardø town in the background. 

By night you have good chances of seeing the magnificent northern lights / Aurora borealis. This is an experience that surely will stay with you for a very long time. The dramatic change from polar day to the polar night in Varanger is simply breathtaking. The photo above is taken during a bird photo workshop arranged in Vardø in late March 2012 (see article: Northern exposure 2012 - the Hornøya photo workshop). We cant wait to see what late March 2013 and a new Gullfest will bring...

At the centre of Gullfest is of course the rich arctic birdlife, but there is no doubt that enjoying this in the company of new and old friends, bird experts and nature enthusiasts makes everything even more rewarding. At Gullfest 2013 we will have a base camp with a Lavvo, fireplace, an exhibition, a Gull ringing scheme run by a dedicated group of ringers from both Norway and Britain. In the evenings you can enjoy numerous inspiring talks by world class birders. We are still working on the program and will release more information very soon. In collaboration with Gullfest2012-contributors like Martin Garner (Birding Frontiers) we are in dialogue with several people that undoubtedly will contribute to an unforgettable series of talks. This year we will also expand the program to include an artistic approach, with an exhibition at the hotel and even musical performances that will give you a new perpective on birds! Stay tuned to find out more about both the scientific and artistic contributors of Gullfest 2013

The birds & the birding

The great white - Early spring always sees great numbers of Glaucous Gulls in the outer Varanger Fjord. Our day record count is 3300+ birds in Vardø, but every year is different. The fisheries in the harbours in Varanger are favoured places to get close views of Glaucous Gulls. For Gullfest we have alredy booked talks by people who can provide us with a deeper understanding of these impressive arctic gulls. At our ringing scheme we plan to set the record for ringed Galucous Gull in mainland Norway. We are also working with a satellite tracking scheme, hoping that we can actually be able to follow one or several of the birds ringed at Gullfest on its coming journeys in the arctic (in collaboration with birdlife.no).

The bird cliff of Hornøya is home to approximately 100 000 seabirds. We will arrange daily trips with highly skilled bird guides to this fantastic place. Remember to bring enough gigabytes and battery for your camera! The photo opportunities are almost beyond belief. Having spent a few weeks in total at this place I am still amazed every time i visit. This place is one of few places in Europe where the high arctic seabirds Brünnichs Guillemot can be seen. During Gullfest 2012 we made this short youtube video from the bird cliff trip)

Varangers iconic species number one is the Stellers Eider. It is a world rarity that spend its winter and spring in the shallow and rich Varanger Fjord. Rafts of several hundred birds can be seen. We counted the bird life of the Varanger Fjord during 3 days in mid March 2012, and ended with a total of  4400 Stellers Eider. In addition we counted 12 500 King Eiders, 17 000 Common Eiders and 8300 Long-tailed Ducks. Prepare for a seaduck extravaganza! 

Scenes like the above can only be shot in Varanger: King eiders and Brünnichs Guillemot in flight. Join our King Eiders safaris around Vardø island. It is an amazing experience, but approaching the big rafts of King eiders is difficult. So for those of you who would like very close views of these spectacular birds we will arrange trips to the northern part of the Varanger peninsula. This will be organised as a Gullfest prologue and epilogue, as an extension of the Gullfest. In Båtsfjord harbour fisherman and nature guide Ørjan Hansen have some innovative opportunities ready for us. His floating photo hides in the harbour will provide you with stunningly close views of both King Eiders, Stellers Eiders, Common Eiders and Long-tailed Ducks! You may be lucky enough to get all these in one frame. Ørjan knows the local bird life very well. He have set stage with chumming and he will skillfully drive us around the harbour with his RIB. In addition the two specially designed floating bird hides will have these arctic seabirds within wide angle range of the hides. Bring enough gigabytes and batteries. This event in Båtsfjord costs 1500,- Nok pr person (= 166 GBP, 205 Euro, 267 $), and it will provide you with amazing photographic opportunities. Limited number of places (not entirely set), reservations for this can be made by mail to tormod@biotope.no More info to come on this event soon.

While Båtsfjord harbour will provide the close views, the waters around Vardø will provide the grand numbers. The above photo was taken from Vardø island, and show a section of a 4600 individual large King Eider rafts. In the small white frame (centre photo) alone is 285 King Eiders.

The waters of outer Varanger Fjord is one of the richest in the world. Whilst the numbers of seabirds are declining all over Norway (and Europe) the numbers of seabirds on Hornøya bird cliff is increasing. The critically endagered Guillemot has its Norwegian stronghold on Hornøya. Early spring is not only good for birds. Chances of seeing an Orca family huntig in the Varanger Fjord are very good. Like the Orcas on the photo above - a family flock regularily patrolled the waters around Vardø in mid March 2012. We really hope many birders will join the Gullfest: The more eyes and scopes, the better are the chances of seeing both Orcas and hopefully a rare gull or some other unexpected species. Varanger is a popular summer destination among birders, but the winter and early spring is very much underwatched. 

The Taiga prologue: From the 19th - 21st of March we arrange a dog sled trip into the vast taiga forest of Pasvik, south Varanger. For many of the Gullfest 2012 participants this was a highlight. There are not many species in the taiga, but they are all very exclusive! Our friend Trine Beddari, the owner of Birkhusky have set up bird feeders at their cabin in the taiga that are favoured by northeastern specialities like Pine Grosbeak, Siberian Tits and Siberian Jays. We may also be lucky to see an owl or more. On our 2012 trip we where amazed to have a Hawk Owl striking a reindeer! Admittedly the reindeer was the result of a little improvisation: a piece of fur attatched to a thin line, mimicing a mouse... In any case a stunning sight. We only have 8 places left on the 16 man taiga dog sled trip. This adventure includes two overnights at the Birkhusky B&B, dinner and lunch included, in addition to the dog sled trip. Places can be reserved by mailing to tormod@biotope.no (Birkhusky, our partner on this adventure, will handle payments when all places are reserved). The price for this additional adventure is 3575,- Nok  pr person (= 397 GBP, 490 Euro, 638 $). Have a look at what Martin Garner had to say about the taiga birding trip on Gullfest 2012. After this trip we will go  straight to the Gullfest event.

Hawk Owl striking Reindeer

The amazing Pine Grosbeak - a northern taiga speciality.

Back at the bird cliff of Hornøya the Puffins arrive in mid March and fight over territories in the slopes under the bird cliff. For those of you who thought Puffins are nice and peacefull birds, will have to reconsider their ideas of the Puffin. You usually see them from photos of summer time scenes from bird cliffs, but here you can find blood traces in the snow after the Puffin fight clubs. Life in the bird cliffs very much depend of the amount fish in the Barents Sea. Lets hope 2013 will be a good year. One thing is for sure: Varanger is the best place to be if a seabird spectacle is on your wishlist. 

At any bird rich place there are predators. In late March 2012 Gyrfalcons and several White-tailed Eagles  regularily visited the bird cliff. What an experience! See the Biotope article from March 2012: Gyfalcon versus Raven. Every year in Varanger is different - but always fascinating. We cant wait to see what 2013 will bring.

Have a look at the Gullfest 2012 Biotope articles:
GULLFEST 2012 - birding to the people!
Gullfest 2012 - presenting the event, video + trip report

Gullfest 2012 - Arctic birding adventures, the movies

Take look at Martin Garners ´Hands up´, Gullfest 2013-article

Welcome to an amazing landscape, inspiring talks, very cool birding and great company!

Welcome to Gullfest 2013 - be a part of the arctic winter & early spring birding adventure!

Buy Gullfest 2013 tickets at Vardø Hotel, from Wednesday 10th of January 
Reservervation for Pasvik Taiga Dog sled trip: mail to tormod@biotope.no 
Details to come on other activities

Stay tuned for articles to come with more details on program, talks and events. We will also post articles with travel logistics & accomodation advice very soon.

For general news and updates from Arctic Norway, follow us on Facebook or on twitter @BiotopeOffice and @Finnmarkbirding 

Feel free to use the comments field below to ask questions or give us feedback and ideas for Gullfest 2013

Check this article for more info on Gullfest travel & accomodation!


Best wishes from Varanger / Arctic Norway

Tormod Amundsen, on behalf of the Gullfest crew