tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72723746402419939562024-03-05T09:30:22.549+01:00biotopeThe Biotope blog - by architect Tormod Amundsen and the Biotope teamwww.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-48069307979252388122021-12-24T13:00:00.004+01:002022-01-04T11:50:11.513+01:00The "Fold it paper birds" by Biotope<p>The Steller´s Eider, King Eider and Harlequin Duck paper ´fold-it´ birds have spread their wings far and wide! We have given away hundreds of sheets at birding / outdoors festivals, as well as selling them to people visiting us at our office. We have also sent them to people around the world who have asked us for them. Now we want to give them away for free - as digital high resolution jpg-files. In the blogpost text below you will find links to the 3 different species we have made. So, if you want a do-it-yourself-challenge: Print the preferred bird species, preferably in A2 width (but A3 works as well, or just combine two A3´s) and fold away! The Steller´s Eider is the easiest to make (still. a challenge though! See video below), while the King Eider and Harlequin are tricky and very tricky! </p><p>If you make a paper bird: feel free to share an image with us, through our social media! Thanks. </p><p>Also: After years of leaving this website / blog non-active we're thinking of bringing some blog updates back to life. Some things are worth sharing, perhaps not in a website form, but just a small snippets of info, photos, videos etc, every once in a while. For the past years we have mostly posted news and views on our social media plattforms, but it just might be time to bring the blog back to life...</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Steller´s Eider</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYkypILcfl-N-zQiIkxpLIsC7Gh2Ug22033DAmVMhI4-VWdn4y012zlEMwfbIeoeZNZjwqLXoMY7Q1uE3zoMdGDzYcGWcBmY7jTigSVEMtk6O2VO5Y4U4ALmErWfkiGWT5Azwrydq_NqIHeWz8G98a1zLoi9UZb8hUntP2b7fO44WEGxNH3woRB4I3=s5906" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3189" data-original-width="5906" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYkypILcfl-N-zQiIkxpLIsC7Gh2Ug22033DAmVMhI4-VWdn4y012zlEMwfbIeoeZNZjwqLXoMY7Q1uE3zoMdGDzYcGWcBmY7jTigSVEMtk6O2VO5Y4U4ALmErWfkiGWT5Azwrydq_NqIHeWz8G98a1zLoi9UZb8hUntP2b7fO44WEGxNH3woRB4I3=w640-h346" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Download link to the full resolution jpg-file for the Steller´s Eider paper bird</div><div><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/17gvEAbQ2bwMTChl-WD_j1AGq9-H2RTq1/view?usp=sharing&authuser=0" rel="nofollow" style="color: #6611cc; cursor: text; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.19999994337558746px; pointer-events: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/17gvEAbQ2bwMTChl-WD_j1AGq9-H2RTq1/view?usp=sharing</a></div><div>(note: copy the link into the browser - and voila!)</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvRpgLub_Yt4qpzGvCycLSpSaNie3iAYiuq-vl7ILrPRLamDo8NWNTBt-xaCcorkwhVIb_0bdyZyx-h73nNVsV6rJW0SVKTFgrOz7zSoCWyE8UoH-6h1MdQ3sRKfqdp0S7os2u4s2ef8EXL0-UWAAYE-N7DKgAHdhxgMfr-W6n1eBrlvzSwAMHxg-R=s2497" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1827" data-original-width="2497" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvRpgLub_Yt4qpzGvCycLSpSaNie3iAYiuq-vl7ILrPRLamDo8NWNTBt-xaCcorkwhVIb_0bdyZyx-h73nNVsV6rJW0SVKTFgrOz7zSoCWyE8UoH-6h1MdQ3sRKfqdp0S7os2u4s2ef8EXL0-UWAAYE-N7DKgAHdhxgMfr-W6n1eBrlvzSwAMHxg-R=w640-h468" width="640" /></a></div><div>Steller´s Eider, Vardø, Varanger, Norway - photo; Tormod Amundsen</div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>A quick ´how to´ movie of the making of a Steller´s Eider paper bird: <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="353" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tBPclSVjCMM" width="571" youtube-src-id="tBPclSVjCMM"></iframe></div></div><div>Also find the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBPclSVjCMM</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>King Eider</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3RNceaTxjQpTWUq9e8lnyCmyiFrlmzYi6jK2A1n-F3xpnSP364tn_oANExd8NE3ADATcTOh6Gc1MuGUyfuM2jkzhEgWdWFWO9Q5gBLTC1Jnim0v3xdCfRh0gMJwZSw-8Qb2zvLUjMxRIdCTwuRrcrSr_EOGjCQvI-Ei7FQ4EFUzmOJZXF-u0tNMvm=s5906" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3434" data-original-width="5906" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3RNceaTxjQpTWUq9e8lnyCmyiFrlmzYi6jK2A1n-F3xpnSP364tn_oANExd8NE3ADATcTOh6Gc1MuGUyfuM2jkzhEgWdWFWO9Q5gBLTC1Jnim0v3xdCfRh0gMJwZSw-8Qb2zvLUjMxRIdCTwuRrcrSr_EOGjCQvI-Ei7FQ4EFUzmOJZXF-u0tNMvm=w640-h372" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Download link to the King Eider paper bird:</div><div><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nD-EdNQdIfgTfJ31mCjhe-7R0m1rI9AD/view?usp=sharing&authuser=0" rel="nofollow" style="color: #6611cc; cursor: text; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.19999994337558746px; pointer-events: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nD-EdNQdIfgTfJ31mCjhe-7R0m1rI9AD/view?usp=sharing</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVFzYDL_Dt3MqEdIX2lY4ISev6_kJB2OXFsh6jDInXIhFE5D0bEApI32sQZyAmCyvMciDpCeldsHDG9VHUxWh2Pz7uP7h4GGO3ybQnXByjimq0DavMY0Rq6Em2Lg8QBBvJUtPKM6EvThwEJClyJCKDE6mElkte_stOUHO2ijPMg4ccFCpKNSJf77Ni=s4595" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3221" data-original-width="4595" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVFzYDL_Dt3MqEdIX2lY4ISev6_kJB2OXFsh6jDInXIhFE5D0bEApI32sQZyAmCyvMciDpCeldsHDG9VHUxWh2Pz7uP7h4GGO3ybQnXByjimq0DavMY0Rq6Em2Lg8QBBvJUtPKM6EvThwEJClyJCKDE6mElkte_stOUHO2ijPMg4ccFCpKNSJf77Ni=w640-h448" width="640" /></a></div><div>King Eider, Båtsfjord, Varanger, Norway - photo; Tormod Amundsen</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Harlequin Duck</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWpsfi0wXepJtLu6jxjZw8_5qmcrdJbs0u-po7tcQOT_kWZOdUuG3oI9s5E9M7I39vzpytcdclpr1VQTKw36TyqepwiknG7bVdxjdP0Tu_e2Y_ppVhZ_852HqslfytAqpAWGvrkOYpA39L5-HVRycXDXNkEU6o5ndkD8d_WiLDcvOHGan6tl5ZGIU9=s5906" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3434" data-original-width="5906" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWpsfi0wXepJtLu6jxjZw8_5qmcrdJbs0u-po7tcQOT_kWZOdUuG3oI9s5E9M7I39vzpytcdclpr1VQTKw36TyqepwiknG7bVdxjdP0Tu_e2Y_ppVhZ_852HqslfytAqpAWGvrkOYpA39L5-HVRycXDXNkEU6o5ndkD8d_WiLDcvOHGan6tl5ZGIU9=w640-h372" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Download link to the Harlequin Duck paper bird:</div><div><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rnWZ6f6pf21lN89r3eDvbbn1A1YpBbsq/view?usp=sharing&authuser=0" rel="nofollow" style="color: #6611cc; cursor: text; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.19999994337558746px; pointer-events: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rnWZ6f6pf21lN89r3eDvbbn1A1YpBbsq/view?usp=sharing</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinixeraeE746Lf841qB-Jhf2gasH7D_2o8PLQWdiZNqqZ5jCKdWjvpHwZz39YtsHTE3I0cpxUx6xxgwtgclG0bkEP1qdCji0j_UQyUGpCi1NgmKQY4Cwc5VQ7BkJuDefF3ywF5G5dCxxB4VITQK4TGxlKcyI7OMSxVbz3XPoUMGH68Qc4vtwkzxtcM=s4389" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3158" data-original-width="4389" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinixeraeE746Lf841qB-Jhf2gasH7D_2o8PLQWdiZNqqZ5jCKdWjvpHwZz39YtsHTE3I0cpxUx6xxgwtgclG0bkEP1qdCji0j_UQyUGpCi1NgmKQY4Cwc5VQ7BkJuDefF3ywF5G5dCxxB4VITQK4TGxlKcyI7OMSxVbz3XPoUMGH68Qc4vtwkzxtcM=w640-h460" width="640" /></a></div>Harlequin Duck, Myvatn, Iceland - photo; Tormod Amundsen<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOFE1Qs15IHkYeOFCUD5knfvHOWJYiT7P8OUVPxIDIK4FKB_YER_tWxdil9NQafTHILHkpp8uvdMmtgSxTmG7HMhP99lr0_E_5fGSVk4MN27_hGP_jmVp6b8aV94vP83PDmMijmcVTm50SnZY9VJiVdBuXaQyl6T8KBHm96QGWYzc8EnQXRwmRzADq=s1599" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1599" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOFE1Qs15IHkYeOFCUD5knfvHOWJYiT7P8OUVPxIDIK4FKB_YER_tWxdil9NQafTHILHkpp8uvdMmtgSxTmG7HMhP99lr0_E_5fGSVk4MN27_hGP_jmVp6b8aV94vP83PDmMijmcVTm50SnZY9VJiVdBuXaQyl6T8KBHm96QGWYzc8EnQXRwmRzADq=w640-h416" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Getting the duck photos.... </div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>/////</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Stay tuned...</div><div><br /></div><div>Best wishes - and happy Christmas - Tormod A. / www.biotope.no<br /><p><br /></p></div><span><!--more--></span><span><!--more--></span>www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-91840947980580389332019-06-12T17:27:00.002+02:002021-12-23T08:36:05.387+01:00Biotope archives<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #444444; font-size: xx-small;">Dear reader: </span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: #444444;">This website (www.biotope.cloud) is no longer an active and updated website. This is the former www.biotope.no website which used to be our website / blog. The website features more then 100 articles or blogposts we have continously shared here since 2011. We have decided to keep it all online as a public archive. Many of the articles serve a lot of visitors to this website with all kinds of architecture and nature content. We have now moved on to make a new website on</span><a href="https://www.biotope.no/" target="_blank"> <span style="color: blue;"><b>www.biotope.no</b></span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> <b></b></span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: #444444; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Biotope is expanding our engagements, hence this re-organising of content. </span>We hope you enjoy this website as the historical archive it now is. Feel free to connect with us on our new domain or on our various social media. Thank you!</span><br />
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www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-37831270279274700902018-06-24T15:11:00.001+02:002018-06-24T17:11:27.677+02:00Visiting Northwest Iceland - a June Biotope tour<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Iceland have become a must visit country for anyone keen on seeing spectacular nature and dramatic light and scenaries. At times it seems like every second image on Instagram is from Iceland. Understandably so, as it is by far one on the most photogenic places in the world. However it is also a fact that most people go to the same places. A couple of select waterfalls and a certain plane wreck must be one of Icelands most photographed places. Most of these places are found in south Iceland. Since Biotope started working in Iceland a couple of years ago we have been privileged to travel around in north Iceland. The less explored Iceland. In many of the places we visit we find ourselves being the only ones there. Not for the lack of stunning scenaries or spectacular photo opportunities, it is simply less known. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvgef6NJ4flOYyL50Gz4GfVyur2tvBdoNJ4poSl6rV5Gwiu6FHbHTAQn0zhXF2NLa7oYV7yoUgdA4y_exuU7XWLqqxRWGco91a_OoiBEmm8fdTZ7MrER-0J_najtMWrZ8jVB-Dz48ZGM/s1600/IMG_4611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1176" data-original-width="1600" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvgef6NJ4flOYyL50Gz4GfVyur2tvBdoNJ4poSl6rV5Gwiu6FHbHTAQn0zhXF2NLa7oYV7yoUgdA4y_exuU7XWLqqxRWGco91a_OoiBEmm8fdTZ7MrER-0J_najtMWrZ8jVB-Dz48ZGM/s640/IMG_4611.JPG" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Puffin close up at Drangey bird cliff</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Needless to say we were very excited when the northwestern regions destination companies invited your truly and my two Biotope colleagues Monica and Raymond to visit the northwest this June! The aim of our trip was to explore new places for bird hides, nature shelters and to further collect material for a potential birding destination guide book. In other words: a dream job! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The cool north by far holds the most bird rich regions in Iceland. This is where you want to travel to experience the finest birding Iceland has to offer. In addition you get to see some of the most spectacular places and scenaries in Iceland, only without a crowd. The following blog post is a brief account of our recent visit. We hope you enjoy it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A visit to Iceland have to be about much more then the birds and scenaries. A highlight is in many way to spend the day exploring great nature and then come back to your hotel only to sink into the hotel ´heitur pottur´ or the hot pot. As we arrived Keflavik Iceland we imidiately got in to the rental car and headed north. GPS end location: Saudarkrokur or more correctly; Sauðárkrókur. This would be our base camp for 6 days of exploring the northwest. Our hosts were Tómas and Selma, owners of the <a href="http://www.arctichotels.is/en/hotel-tindastoll/rooms" target="_blank"><b>Tindastöll Hotel</b></a>. This is the oldest hotel in Iceland. A very charming place in the middle of the equally charming little town Saudarkrokur. Outside of great hospitality, cozy rooms and great atmosphere the best thing with Tindastöll is their backyard hot pot! Every evening of our trip ended with a cold Icelandic beer in the Tindastöll hot pot! During daytime we explored. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4dkriL-ELnXl-C9E99gLsWVsUNTfg9vIpm7s6Mwuhi_ztjtE6tG6PqYD4i1A-b8t8yo6hVjyshQoc-E6lQJyi16rjsKb9EQB3w9T2bdLll6mw1Q8qtLXtqlz6ZxU3x5DnwzMgbq9_6A/s1600/IMG_7393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4dkriL-ELnXl-C9E99gLsWVsUNTfg9vIpm7s6Mwuhi_ztjtE6tG6PqYD4i1A-b8t8yo6hVjyshQoc-E6lQJyi16rjsKb9EQB3w9T2bdLll6mw1Q8qtLXtqlz6ZxU3x5DnwzMgbq9_6A/s640/IMG_7393.JPG" width="512" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Hvitserkur rock </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Iceland earth house, Saudarkrokur</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZR6oGqYQI1p6jIXXGTd4DcIenOjrkQ6-v5D4KU6yibPa7ni5_5zw4vt6ZGSYiuIIHMWnuEHlXTkHZbuKFzd8eJQ6VeIV9v9ofCh0ZnFoxgXExqjWc7ZTpjJLAQZJCx2lDbjovX3JjJ5Q/s1600/IMG_7382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZR6oGqYQI1p6jIXXGTd4DcIenOjrkQ6-v5D4KU6yibPa7ni5_5zw4vt6ZGSYiuIIHMWnuEHlXTkHZbuKFzd8eJQ6VeIV9v9ofCh0ZnFoxgXExqjWc7ZTpjJLAQZJCx2lDbjovX3JjJ5Q/s640/IMG_7382.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">View from the Tindastöll Hotel heitur pottur</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Iceland is a country you need to visit and revisit. There is no chance you can cover the entire island in one go, unless you have several weeks at your disposal. Traveling around Iceland is super easy. Essentially there is the big ring road around the island, with a lot of little side roads, fjords and mountains and wetlands to explore. Being based in Saudarkrokur was a good choice as everything in the northwest was easy to explore by car day trips. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our first day was dedicated to seabirds. The spectacular bird cliff <b>Drangey</b> is a must visit! It is an island approx 20 minute boat ride from land. It is almost iconic and very distinctly present in the horizon It is home to 200 000 Puffins and a wide variety of seabirds, from Kittiwakes to Guillemots and Brünnich´s Guillemots. It is also the best place in the northwest to see Gyrfalcon. The latter is very cool, as Gyrfalcons are a vulnerable species and not something you will find info about, or should spread info about. However the Drangey cliffs are the Gyrfalcons favored hunting grounds and chances of you seeing this northern apex predator are very good! The Drangey boat trips are a family run business and the visit to the island is made even better by the old viking age stories from Drangey. They are head-popping. Literally. The island is also where one of my favourite Iceland earth houses can be found. In the old days they collected seabirds eggs for food and the little earth house cabin is where you stayed. Today it is a café while you visit this awesome place. Check out <a href="http://www.drangey.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Drangey Tours</b></span></a> for a visit!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVt42X1DNbuY4DjUC8cDHfomq1SSXNxMB4J64n8-rhibBe6Sol9Y7jfEBZpQmT0Hn0qV5OHbnn9i-7jhPDDkx6pflEruF4c6KuzliiJDQcKLdK5E2iBs7UZUe1X-Z0t4XP1Mb7LawkuqM/s1600/IMG_7327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVt42X1DNbuY4DjUC8cDHfomq1SSXNxMB4J64n8-rhibBe6Sol9Y7jfEBZpQmT0Hn0qV5OHbnn9i-7jhPDDkx6pflEruF4c6KuzliiJDQcKLdK5E2iBs7UZUe1X-Z0t4XP1Mb7LawkuqM/s640/IMG_7327.JPG" width="512" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">The Drangey bird cliff earth house. This photo was featured on the Cabinporn Instagram, and quickly became one of the </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkNY77XFnIW/?hl=en&taken-by=cabinporn" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">most viewed images on the site</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">. No wonder with such a cool combo and architecture and nature! </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Puffins at Drangey bird cliff </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The iconic Drangey bird cliff as you approach by boat </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Blöndous and Hvammstangi</b> are two more towns you have to visit. They are also great places to be based for exploring the northwest. Blöndous is a place we have returned to several times. Most people go to Myvatn to see Harlequin Ducks, but like the south of Iceland it is also getting quite busy. Still it provides you with great photo opportunities. However the Blöndous river is one of the lesser known hot spots for Harlequin Ducks. In the middle of the town the river runs through a rapid passage providing unparalleled photo opportunities of diving Harlequin Ducks. The numbers of concetrated birds present can be more spectacular then anywhere esle in Iceland. A record of 120 Harlequin Ducks have been seen within a very small area of the river. This is where I have gotten some of my favorite images of this incredible bird. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Harlequin Ducks in the Blöndous river. A premium site for Harely photo opportunities!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Blöndous river. The rapids are great for Harlequin Ducks. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Northwest Birding Trail map</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Birding northwest Iceland is made easy with the birding northwest map. On the <span style="color: blue;"><b><a href="https://www.northiceland.is/birding/northwest" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Visit North Iceland website</span></a> </b></span>you will find a lot of useful information on birding in the northwest. The northwest is also famous for the seals which you can see very close up by boat from Hvammstangi. Make sure you drive the peninsula roads roads from Hvammstangi to Saudarkrokur. This is by far the most scenic routes, filled with cool birding, the stunning Hvitserkur cliff and vast wetlands filled with waders in spring. May and June is primetime to visit, but further into July the Drangey bird cliff also becomes incredibly busy with seabirds. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Sealwatching at Hvammstangi</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sanderling at Illugastadir</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The ever present Common Snipe drumming away!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Black Guillemot north of Illugastadir. A tricky bird to approach, but we found an amazing place to get very close to these very stylish alcids. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;">Biotope northwest Iceland team: Tormod, Raymond and Monica</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A very big thanks to our hosts Tomas and Selma and Gauja Hlin from Hvammstangi Seal Travel!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We will be back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Best wishes, Tormod A. / Biotope</span><br />
<br />www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-58759527730243682252018-03-29T14:22:00.001+02:002019-06-12T18:21:36.832+02:00Join the Biotope team<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>UPDATE: The positions are filled </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>(We are currently not in search for the below mentioned collegues. However: If you have awesome architect / technical design skills, and is very keen to work with us... let us know)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope is an architecture office dedicated to nature. Through architecture we aim to bring people and nature closer together. We typically work with a wide range of small scale architecture projects, fascilitating for nature experiences. We specialise in outdoors living, birdwatching, nature photography, nature conservation and ecotourism projects. We are not your generalist architecture office working with everything from urbanism, housing to cultural buildings, etc. We love nature and we aim to work with organisations, companies and people that are passionate about nature. As such most of our work happens within the nature conservation and ecotourism scene. Through our work we aim to promote wildlife and nature, but we also see our work as being a great opportunity to positively contribute in rural communities such as Vardø where our office is based. In many ways we think of ourselves as destination designers and developers rather then architects for small scale buildings. We are a niche office, but that does not mean being narrowly focused in our work. In fact we work with everything from architecture to designing books, developing tourism concepts, branding, marketing, video productions, digital strategy, writing books and much more. We do not only provide architectural solutions for our clients we also help contextualise and promote both sigle architecture projects and onwards to destinations development projects. In many cases we do not wait for commisions to appear, but we initiate projects where we see possibilities. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Vardø town and the Biotope office (currently under construction)</i></span>.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Biotope office. </span><span style="font-family: "\22 arial\22 " , "\22 helvetica\22 " , sans-serif;">We recently bought this building that for years was a fishermans workshop. Now w</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e are in the process of adding a gallery, studio and a shop to the office upgrade.</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>JOBS</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are first and foremost looking for an architect og technical designer to join us in Vardø, preferably on a long term basis. We think we have found the dream place to live and work from, and now we hope to find a </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">colleague that want to live in Vardø and be a part of building the office and make more good things happen! Although we are based in Vardø Biotope is currently doing projects in 9 countries, and we aim to build our international presence too.</span></div>
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<li style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Manage the Biotope UK office</span></li>
<li style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Manage the Biotope Iceland office</span></li>
<li style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Writer / videographer / consultant</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you want to know more about Biotope and our work it is very easy to get a sense of what we do through our various social media platforms. A good place to start is to read this interview with Biotope CEO Tormod :</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2017/11/biotope-philosophy-origin-story-ad.html">https://www.biotope.cloud/2017/11/biotope-philosophy-origin-story-ad.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Check out our weekly vlogs posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/biotope.no" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Biotope Facebook</span></a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TormodAmundsen" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Biotope Youtube</span></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Architect / techical drawing:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are now looking for an architect (or someone skilled in technical drawing) to work with us at our office in Vardø. You do not have to be a keen birder, nature photographer or a hard core wildlife enthusiast, but an appreciation for nature is important. As is a desire to be a part of a new kind of architectural practise. Too often architecture happens at the expense of nature. We aim to be an office that promote and protect nature, and we believe that good architecture can be a key part of that. We are looking for architects or technical designers that want to move to arctic Norway and work at our office in Vardø. However we are thinking long term and in (the unlikely) case you do not fall in completely in love with this small fishing town in the arctic, and decide to settle in the north, we hope you are the person that would want to continue to work with us in our up and coming UK based Biotope office. In short: we are looking for someone to work with long term. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Biotope designed gapahuk (shelter & fireplace) in Varangerbotn, Finnmark.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>UK office manager (UPDATE: POSITION IS FILLED!! See <a href="http://www.biotope.org.uk/">www.biotope.org.uk</a>):</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Again, like mentioned above, you do not have to be a birder, but a passion for nature is important. Biotope already have several projects built in UK and more are in progress. We believe that we have a lot to contribute with in the UK nature conservation and ecotourism scene. Equally we are ourselves hugely inspired by the same UK scene. The nature conservation efforts by both organisations and individuals in UK is of a wide ranging character and has become a culture and a large community in itself, with conservation organisations, wildlife artists, bird id specialists, presenters, bird ringers, sound recordists and so much more. But not architects. We aim to contribute as architects that speak up for nature and help promote nature through our work. We find the making and management of UK nature reserves to be very innovative, however we do miss innovation and variety in the birding architecture or bird hides / nature viewing shelters in the same reserves. With more requests from UK we think that we have a lot to offer and contribute with. Now we aim to set up a Biotope office in UK, and we are looking for the right person to help run the UK office. We hope to find someone with great project management skills and a drive and desire to establish a new and unique kind of architectural practise in UK. We are flexible about where in UK, but preferably somewhere near good birding!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Biotope wind shelter at the RSPB Wallasea nature reserve in Essex, UK.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Iceland office manager</b>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope is working on a wide range of projects in Iceland. These are destination development projects mostly geared towards the niches of birding and nature photography. However as the case is with most of our projects we aim to bring nature experiences to a wider audience, and as such many of our designs for the Iceland projects are open and inviting wind shelters made for everyone, tourists and locals alike. Biotope have for a couple of years been a part of a series of projects in the north of Iceland focusing on nature based tourism. Now we hope that several of our designs will be built and we aim to strengthen our presence in Iceland to make make sure we can contribute even better in the future. We are currently doing project collaborations based out of Saudarkrokur, Akureyri and Husavik in north Iceland. Now we hope to find a great project manager in Iceland that want to be a part of building the Biotope Iceland office. We have had the privilege of working with a lot of good people in Iceland and we feel a strong connection to both people, landscape and wildlife in this amazing part of the world. If you are the right person (an architect, technical desinger or a project manager) that want to make new things happen in Iceland, please let us know! Takk fyrir.</span></div>
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A series of blogs and vlogs from our Iceland engagements can be found on our website (Example: <a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2016/08/birding-north-iceland-nature.html">https://www.biotope.cloud/2016/08/birding-north-iceland-nature.html</a>)</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Videographer / writer / consultant / word wizard</b>: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope is more then a basic architetcture office. We do not wait for things happen. We make things happen. We do not sit around and wait for commisions to appear. We go after proejcts we think should become a reality. We aim to make a positive difference with what we do. In our own town Vardø and our region Varanger we have had the privilege of positively affecting the economy and even the indentity of Vardø and Varanger. In particular we want to expand our efforts to work in rural communities and to help build an appreciation for nature that extends to both identity and economy. To do this we need an word wizard or writer or a videographer. Essentially a content producer. We need to efficiently explain projects we aim to undertake. Get the stories told by whichever means that will make things more likely to happen. Often times this is writing a project proposal or writing an offer to a potential client. We are currently working quite a lot like a small media company as well as an architecture office. Our media and content production is an integral part of our architecture practise. We do architecture for a reason and we need to take ownership of this by telling the stories before, during and after a project. If you feel you are the right person to move Biotope forward let us know! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We hope you will join us in making good things happen and to build projects and an office that will make a positive difference for nature and people. The above 4 positions we are looking for is however something that will happen over some time. Biotope is not (yet) in a position to go foreward with everything in one go. We still wanted to make our intentions public, and what we prioritise will be based on you. </span><span style="font-family: "\22 arial\22 " , "\22 helvetica\22 " , sans-serif;">To begin with we are very much interested in building our team in Vardø and if you see yourself living an arctic life we want to hear from you! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In short: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Feel free to <u>submit your CV, portfolio and concise application to tormod<a href="mailto:jobs@biotope.no">@biotope.no</a></u>, and let us know your skills and passion and what you can contribute with!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many thanks, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod Amundsen, Architcect and CEO / Biotope</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vardø / Arctic Norway, March 2018</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Vardø town by midnight sun</span></i></div>
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www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-25457674065215268962017-11-17T11:09:00.000+01:002019-06-12T18:30:21.474+02:00Biotope philosophy & origin story - the AD interview <div class="p1" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope just won the Architectural Digest Design Award 2017 in the category architecture. 2017 have been a year where our work is getting quite a bit of recognition and momentum. We are both humbled and thankfull for everyone who have and continue to support our work. We have been fortunate to work with great clients from both the nature conservation scene, ecotourism businesses and onwards to local communities. We have since we started Biotope stayed true to our niche of architecture dedicated to nature experiences.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a part of the AD award Tormod was interviewed by the Architectural Digest. Below follows the interview, hopefully with some thoughts and insights you will find valuable. Thanks to AD for the award and a big thanks to everyone following our work as pro nature architects! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Kongsfjord cliff wind shelter / bivouac by polar night</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tormod representing Biotope at the Architectural Digest Design Award 2017 in Munich, November 2017.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>AD interview with Tormod / Biotope, November 2017</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: Thank you Tormod, here I go, starting with some short basics: I come from: </i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: Trondheim, central Norway. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: When I look outside of my studio windows I see:</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: Vardø fishing harbour. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: I like in my area: </i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: I am close to everything I appreciate in Vardø: my super cool daughter, amazing nature and all the great people I work with at Biotope: Elin, Alonza, Monica, Raymond and Mika. Everything is just a few minutes walk from our office. The positive atmosphere in Vardø is what I appreciate being a part of. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: The first thing I did that I remember as something creative was:</i> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: Drawing dinousaurs</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: Three words that describe our style:</i> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: Open, inclusive, engaging.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: Last time I went to a place / an event that really inspired me was: </i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: I live in the most amazing little town in the arctic. Inspiration is everywhere. Awe inspiring nature, great people, and lots of potential do do good things.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And now a bit more detailed:</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: When did you start your own business and what were the most important career steps before that?</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: The idea of starting our own architcture office emerged during the school years in Bergen. We missed role models in the architecture scene that worked with nature related projects. Personally I decided that I would become the architect that I missed hearing about. The first year after graduation in 2008 was spent researching and preparing to build what became Biotope. We thought that the best way to become architects working with and for nature was to make sure that our contribution was also of economical benefit to the communities we worked in and with. As such we early on realised the importance of working with ecotourism would be a key part of becoming a pro nature architecture office. Things are often left undone if it simply a matter of being morally right, but if there is an economic incentive to act wisely it has a much bigger chance of happening. A key career step, if that is the right term, has been to always maintain a strong realationship to an international nature conservation scene. We moved to Vardø, a small fishing town in Arctic Norway, to become international, not just local. With a highly international and community minded nature scene this is made possible with up to date communication tools. Sometimes "What" and "how" is more important then "where".</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: You say: "Architecture is a tool to protect and promote birds, wildlife and nature.“ That maybe wouldn’t be the exact same words of any other architect. Please explain the background of your approach? </i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: During the architecture school years it became evident to me that there were extremely few architects that spoke meaningfully about nature, ecology, biology and how we as architects relate to the natural world. It seemed architecture was all about urbanism, starchitects and pompous building projects. Any notion of environmentally friendly projects boiled down to calculations of C02 emissions of a building project, which is important in itself, but also a very narrow understanding of our relation to nature. To be honest I became a bit disillusioned about the role of architecture. In a world where we are rapidly loosing species to exctinction and natural habitats are destroyed at an alarming rate, it seemed to me that architects are surprisingly unaware and unengaged. But rather then being someone who complaints about the state of affairs I´d rather try to be the kind of architect I miss seeing. Hopefully we can inspire others and broaden the concept of what an architect does. I believe in making a positive impact and architecture can play a key role in inspiring appreciation for nature. However Biotope is not only an office designing small pieces of architecture. We think of ourselves as destination developers. Our engagement in Vardø and Varanger serves as an example of our holistic thinking. We are developing ecotourism concepts for tourism businesses, we support ecotourism businesses, arrange workshops for schools and kindergardens, we develop websites, do digital strategy and branding. We even arrange a bird festival and we have written a destination guide book that have sold 3000+ copies to over 40 countries. Architecture is a key part of our work, but is not a goal in itself. Architecture serves a purpose and our goal is always to promote nature and sensible and sustainable development. One of the most rewarding things for us is seeing how we have had a positive impact on a community like Vardø. A fishing village that have experienced many years of decline and economic depression, despite being positioned in the midst of abundant natural resources. When we moved to Vardø in 2009 the community was ranked as the last place in Norway you should move to if you wanted to start a business. Out of 430 Norwegian communities Vardø was ranked 430. However we saw a massive untapped potential in Vardø. We knew that the unique and very rich arctic birdlife in this part of Norway could form a new resource for Vardø and the Varanger region. We firmly believed that we could propell the development of niche tourism in the region, and that, if done right, this would benefit local businesses and bring development to the region based on promoting and taking care of the wildlife and nature of the region. Vardø and Varanger is today experiencing economic growth, a new optimism and even it´s identity is now closely connected to the region as a premium nature destination. In extension we also believed that if we stayed true to our niche we could develop an expertise that would be appreciated in many parts of the world. Today we working with nature conservation organisations, for nature reserves, for ecotourism businesses and rural communities in 7 countries. We believe that architecture should not happen at the expense of nature, but rather protect and promote it. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: Why birds?</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: Personally I have been a keen nature enthusiast for as long as I can remember. As a kid I was endlessly fascinated by dinosaurs, fish, birds and plants. I loved being in nature and David Attenborough was my big hero. When I understood that birds are the evolutionary decendants from dinaosaurs I went all in on birds! However being into birds is not just a fascination for winged creatures it is also a way of reading and understanding nature. Having knowledge about living creatures and their behaviour lets you understand nature in a deeper more meaningfull way. Nature is not just great scenaries and epic vistas, it is a living, breathing ecosystems with endless complexities developed through millions of years of evolution. I mean, how can you not be into nature?! </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: Is there a bird you did not see yet but really love to? </i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: There are approx 10,000 bird species in the world. I have seen about 1500 of them, so there is a lot more to go. However the numbers are not that important. I much more appreciate experiencing wildlife phenomena like bird migration and spectacular behaviour. Again, the appreciation of living nature is key. Yet there are a few iconic species around the world that have evolved to become masters of their environment. Snowy Owl is one favourite, as is the Steller´s Eider, and arctic seaduck that is able to thrive in the harshest of arctic conditions. I have yet to see a Wandering Albatross. A giant of the Antarctic Oceans with nearly four meters wingspan. That is very high on my wish list. Diving into the world of nature and particularily birds will leave you amazed and keep you inspired!</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: Is it only natural materials you prefer to work with? </i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: Wood is our preferred material but it is by no means the only material we work with. We love the warm character fo wood, but every site and occasion requires us to consider what material will best fit the site and the purpose of the architecture. We have made buidlings entirely of aluminium, in the case of a floating photography hide build for an ecotourism business. We have also had a wind shelter built in concrete. This building was designed to withstand the destructive force of a 50-year storm surge. The concrete building sits at the end of a breakwater in Varanger and is very exposed to harsh conditions. We know that a couple of times every century this harbour breakwater is hit by a massive wave. In our design we have calculated for which part of the building will break. The glass walls that defines the sheltered spaces of the building is designed to break at a certain force, leaving openings big enough to let the wave pass through the building without destroying it. Call it climate adapted architecture. In all cases a key character of our architecture is to be open and inviting. You should feel that the architecture is there to take care of you, shelter you and let you focus on the nature experience. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: What are the advantages of building with wood?</i> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: The properties of wood are many. Firstly it is such an evidently natural material. The warm character of wood makes it the perfect material if you want to create inviting and welcoming architecture. In many of our projects we build in remote sites and the lightness of wood makes transporting it easier. If treated well wood also ages with grace, however eventually it goes back to nature leaving little traces. The flexibility of wood allow you as an architect to think and design freely. It is almost like you have to keep your cool and not create and shape ´just because you can´. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: Do you think there can be modern architecture that is ornamental?</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: `Ornament is crime´ is a good old modernist saying. I must admit I am rather onboard with that thinking. Again for us architecture is not the goal in itself. Still architecture need to look great, function great and inspire you. However spending time and resources on ornament feels irrelevant. In many ways ornament is an introversion, creating as much attention towards itself as possible. We much prefer to dwell on designing the spaces that let you focus on your surroundings. When working with nature, what you experience from the architecture is worth your full attention. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: Who or what do you think has influenced your sense of style?</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: By far a key inspiration is what we in Norway call ´gapahuk´. A gapahuk is a basic shelter often made by materials found in nature. Most often it is a 2-4 person shelter with roof over your head and a fireplace. I have spent countless nights in nature in front of a fireplace and made many of these basic shelters. The closeness to nature that such open structures provide is unique. From a design perspecive I find japanese architecture to be very inspiring, with the clean estethics and clear focus. It has a contemplative character I admire. Then, perhaps a bit unusual, I do find norwegian countryside barn architecture to be inspiring in its hard core functionalism, where needs have varied through time and the buildings evolve with the needs. It is highly functional architecture without architects and also without a specific style, yet it is still clear, intentional and easy to "read". But, in the end, nature is by far the main source of inspiration. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: What are some of your biggest learnings you gained working in architecture since you started Biotope?</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: I think a key learning is how valuable it has been having an expertise outside of architecture. Our skills in field ornithology, aka birding, and our passionate approach to nature and ourdoor life have been a key component in giving purpose to our architecture and our work as architects. Having very clear reasons for our engagements combined with a lot of passion for nature is incredibly valuable. Especially since work days are long, and running your own office takes a lot of time and energy. If we did not love what we do we would probably not be able put in the amount of work needed to move our office forward. To stay focused and staying true to our niche have been another key learning. In the early couple of years at Biotope we said no to a lot of comissions that fell outside of our niche or interest, even though we from a financial perspective should have said yes to any project. Remaining true to our niche of architecture for nature experiences is finally paying off. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>AD: And finally, a totally open question, open for your very own personal interpretation: How do you want to live?</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T: I want to live a life close to nature and close to people. In Vardø I have found a home and made a workplace situated in the midst of amazing arctic nature. The seasons vary extremely from the highly energetic midnight sun season to the dark and cold winter. I enjoy creating a life of intensity and passion, with a strong feeling of purpose. By this I dont mean adrenaline intensity, but rather I try to make every moment and day productive and engaging. I don´t waste time on TV or endless hours cewing in a car on a bus on my way to work. I live and work with focus on being a producer not just a consumer. Seeing how I can make a difference is incredibly rewarding. Both for the community I live in and through my work as an architect that is a part of an international community of nature enthusiats. In short: I aim to keep it positive and passionate!</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks for following Biotope. Feel free to connect with us on <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Twitter</span></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/biotope.no" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Facebook</span></a>, <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/biotope/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Instagram</span></a> </span>(Tormod), <a href="https://www.instagram.com/biotope_architecture/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Biotope Instagram gallery</span></a> our through our weekly vlogs posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/biotope.no/videos/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Facebook Video</span></a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TormodAmundsen" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Youtube</span></a>. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you, Tormod Amundsen / Biotope</span></span></div>
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www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-77448840877955928132017-06-30T10:18:00.001+02:002019-06-12T18:38:59.345+02:00Biotope online resources<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyBh6oP_-ECkao4LrpGveD_XlEpWg02Nu1VANAyv3TMB1-BTgfxlznYl6QR33cP5qnQEmansKA65OCTMLPXSjQ71GrXCMjKHBqZqk-CFTIosr35PifgewwlyrIPTygwAgTu95MCWh3ag/s1600/Kongsfjord+Veidnes+cliff+bird+hide+wind+shelter+Oct31st+2014+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1015" data-original-width="1600" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyBh6oP_-ECkao4LrpGveD_XlEpWg02Nu1VANAyv3TMB1-BTgfxlznYl6QR33cP5qnQEmansKA65OCTMLPXSjQ71GrXCMjKHBqZqk-CFTIosr35PifgewwlyrIPTygwAgTu95MCWh3ag/s640/Kongsfjord+Veidnes+cliff+bird+hide+wind+shelter+Oct31st+2014+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nature-based architecture projects and destination development.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As our projects diversify, both by countries and by themes, we wanted to give you an overview of some key onlince resources and places you can connect with us. This website is to a large extent a blog form history of our projects since 2011. More then 100 blogposts have been written, and should it be printed it would make a couple of books. While we keep posting longer form articles on this website, much of our content production have moved to social media, like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram during the past couple of years. We have also started producing weekly video blogs posted on both Facebook and Youtube. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This brief blogpost is made to give you links to our various platforms currently in use.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/">www.biotope.cloud</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- For longer form content and articles. A historical document with 100+ articles.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/biotope.no" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">www.facebook.com/biotope.no</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope on Facebook: We much appreciate if you follow us Facebook as it is one of the best ways to stay in touch with our work. We regularly post news and views from our office and projects. In addition this is where we host our weekly video blogs.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pg/biotope.no/videos/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">www.facebook.com/pg/biotope.no/videos/</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Biotope Vlogs: Follow our work through weekly video short stories</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The vlogs are also posted on Youtube: <a href="http://bit.ly/2upZgaX" target="_blank">Subscribe here</a></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.twitter.com/BiotopeOffice" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">www.twitter.com/BiotopeOffice</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope CEO Tormod Amundsen runs the Twitter account. This is often one of the fastest ways to connect with us both by engaging and via directs messages. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.instagram.com/biotope/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">www.instagram.com/biotope/</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are increasingy using Instagra, and in particular the Instragram Stories feature. Daily snippets of the action at the Biotope office or on any trip or adventure is posted in Insta Stories. The account is run by Tormod.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.instagram.com/biotope_architecture" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">www.instagram.com/biotope_architecture</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At our newly set up Biotope Architecture account on Instagram you will find a gallery of various built Biotope projects. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And of course you can get hold of us on email:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">CEO / architect Tormod Amundsen: tormod@biotope.no</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Architect Elin Taranger: elin@biotope.no</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Architect Alonza Garbett: alonza@biotope.no</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Project manager / admin Monica Esbensen: monica@biotope.no</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tech Ninja Raymond Haugen Olsen: raymond@biotope.no</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nature conservation management Espen Quinto-Ashman: espen@biotope.no</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope have been instrumental in developing and establishing Varanger as the worlds finest arctic birding destination. We are based in Varanger continue to work in the region with a wide range of projects. However we have in the past couple of years expanded our birding destination devlopment projects to new countries and regions. Do get in touch with us if avitourism and birding destination development is your aim. Some key Varanger resources developed and managed by Biotope are:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.varanger.net/">www.varanger.net</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This website made by Biotope presents Varanger as a birding destination.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.twitter.com/Finnmarkbirding"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">www.twitter.com/Finnmarkbirding</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Twitter is a key media in the birding world. We post regular news and views from Varanger and Finnmark here. Run by Tormod and Espen.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/VarangerBirding"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">www.facebook.com/VarangerBirding</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Varanger bird news on Facebook. In Norwegian and English. Run by Tormod and Espen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope produces websites and digital resources as well as architecture. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hornøya bird cliff in Vardø, Varanger is one of the finest nature attractions in the Arctic. Learn more about Hornøya here:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Norwegian: <a href="http://www.hornoya.no/">www.hornoya.no</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In English: <a href="http://www.hornoya.com/">www.hornoya.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Want to know more about avitourism? We have set up this website about the world of birding tourism, destinations, surveys, etc. </span><br />
<a href="https://www.biotope.org.uk/avitourism/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">www.biotope.org.uk/avitourism/</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.biotope.myshopify.com/">www.biotope.myshopify.com</a> (Biotope web shop)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Birding Varanger - The Biotope guide to the best bird sites in Arctic Norway. This destination guide book made by Biotope have now sold in 3000 copies. It will provide you with all the info, maps, etc you need for your next arctic adventure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Find it on Amazon too: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you for following our work. If you need an architect specialising in nature projects feel free to connect with us!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod Amundsen / Biotope</span><br />
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<br />www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-56122175603927160482017-05-06T09:14:00.000+02:002018-02-01T14:18:11.737+01:00SNOW LEOPARDS - the Tibetan Plateau expedition<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Snow Leopards are among the most rare and least seen mammals in the world. For nature enthusiasts it is probably the most desired mammal to see. Needless to say I was incredibly excited when I was invited by Terry Townshend of Birding Beijing to be a part of a Snow Leopard pilot tour to a newly discovered area for this amazing species. The vast Chinese Tibetan Plateau probably holds many undiscovered secrets, and among them is an area that seems to be heavily favoured by the Snow Leopards. This following brief blogpost is based on a 14 day visit in China, where 5 days was spent at an undisclosed location between 4000 and 5000 meters above sea level.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The video gives an account of our trip and sightings. During 4 days of active searching for Snow Leopards we had three Snow Leopard sightings! This is without any pre-scouting. Also: every Yak herder we met showed us Snow Leopard footage on their mobile phones. Blue Sheep and Yak seemed to be the Snow Leopars favourite prey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope´s work always revolve around nature, birding, wildlife and how this relates to both nature conservation and nature based tourism. This is also the reason for our invitation to be a part of this very early stage project around Snow Leopards and the establishment of China´s first national park. Taking the outmost care is needed when such an amazing and rich area will slowly become a national park. I am very gratefull for the invitation by Terry Townshend and Zhao Xiang who runs the Snow Leopard project for the chinese NGO ShanShui Conservation Centre. It is great to hear how deeply they involve the local communities of Yak herders and their clear goals of a sustainable development of the national park. At the moment the area is only accessible with a permit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Valley of the cats quickly became the name we used. During our days there we explored countless mountain slopes and side valleys. We stayed at the local Yak hers Sen and his family. The generosity and friendliness from everyone we met throughout our trip was amazing. A heartfelt thanks goes out to our new friends Sen and Yak herder Chairennima. The Snow Leopard expedition team was Terry Townshend from Birding Beijing, Marie Luise Ng, Will Soar from Rare Bird Alert and Tormod Amundsen from Biotope.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stunning views of Snow Leopard was of course the highlight of the trip, but the birding was absolutely breathtaking as well. Lammergeier and Wallcreeper was common. We could easily have 10 Wallcreepers in a day, even without actively searching for them. The selection of Redstarts was brilliant. White-crowned Water Redstart was highlight, as was superb views of Blue-fronted Redtarts. On several occasions we had Ibisbill. A complete list of birds and mammals will be added to this blogpost soon. Since work at the Biotope office is very busy these days this blogpost is rather short, but we do hope the video provides a good insight to the project. The Snow Leopard project is in progress and we hope to be a part of it in the future as well! Stay tuned...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Blue-fronted Redstart</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">White-browed Rosefinch, Ibisbill, Tibetan Partridge, Clover´s Pika, Daurian Jackdaw, Solitary Snipe</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Team photo, upper right: Yak herder Sen, Terry Townshend and Yak herder Chairennima</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Team photo lower left: Marie Louise Ng, Will Soar, Terry Townshend and Tormod Amundsen</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Snow Leopard video is also available on Biotope´s Facebook</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Find Terry Townshend on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BirdingBeijing" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@BirdingBeijing</span></a> and <a href="https://www.birdingbeijing.com/">www.birdingbeijing.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks for following our work! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@BiotopeOffice</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/biotope.no">www.facebook.com/biotope.no</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Youtube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVG9jzEb1CAcZCdbgzNguSw" target="_blank">Tormod Amundsen Vlog</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod Amundsen / Biotope, April 2017</span></div>
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www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-49180067521787951702016-12-20T10:03:00.001+01:002016-12-20T10:04:12.386+01:00On birdwatching and architecture<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The world of birding is a bit of a paradox. Birdwatching or birding is a wildly popular hobby that attracts millions of people worldwide, while at the same time birdwatching is considered to be very niche and it is, despite its massive popularity, not well known by the general public. Birdwatching has long roots, and in some basic ways it can be considered a modern version of of the hunter-gatherer mentality we see reflected in other hobbies like hunting or fishing, which is no longer done for survival purposes but rather for recreational purposes. Birdwatching however have evolved beyond the hunter-gatherer mind set. Birdwatching is in fact an expression of the modern naturalist science based culture. The desire to understand nature in all of its complexity is a key to understanding birdwatching. Birdwatching is a natural progression from Charles Darwins evolution theory to modern day popular naturalist icons like David Attenborough. Birdwatching is in many ways science for the masses. It is, alongside astronomy, the largest knowledge and science based hobby in the world where the boundaries to its field is pushed forward by a large base of very keen enthusiasts rather than a small base of specialist professionals. Today birdwatching is a global culture with millions of birdwatchers contributing to an ever growing knowledge base of everything related to birds. The plattforms on which birdwatchers communicate are numerous. There are endless magazines, online forums, websites, organisations, companies, etc, catering to every need and want in the birdwatching community. What they all share is a deep passion for birds and nature, wether it is for hard core science purposes like research into bird species taxanomy or the pure artistic exploration of bird art and bird photography. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have been a keen birder for 25 years, and I am practically raised on British birding literature. In fact the first time I heard of the place I know live, Varanger, was through Ian Lewingtons famous ´Rare Birds´ book from 1991. It described an arctic birdlife and species that seemed amazingly exotic to a kid growing up in fairly avarage Norwegian city suburbia. Years later, after much traveling and a master degree in achitecture, I realised that I simply had to become a birdwatching architect. Architecture education still seems to educate generalists. Architects are trained to become good at handling a very wide range of projects and skill sets, but not to become great at one niché or field within architecture. This is where I realised that an unexplored potential was lurking under the surface. This was the thought that was to evolve into the realisation of Biotope, the worlds first and only birdwatching architecture office.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The combination of being both a birder and an architect is rare one. This is where Biotope aim to make a difference. For Biotope birdwatching architecture is a full time project. We are not your ordinary architecture office doing the occasional bird hide project, as a fun ´side project´ or to boost the ´green profile´ of the company. We have seen many examples of architecture companies trying to do bird hides, and after studying this niche for years, we have also seen which mistakes that always repeat themselves. It is a lack of understanding of the birdwatching niché, culture, behaviors and needs that much too often result in architecture that does not answer properly these key issues. This is similar to the niche of bird art: It becomes obvious when it is a non-birding artist drawing a bird versus when a dedicated bird artist draws a bird. A bird artist will be aware of feather details and bird topography in a way a non birding artist can never match. In both cases the result is often what the general public would consider to be a good looking bird drawing, but the birdwatcher will quickly see that key details like for example feather layering may be wrong. In the field of birdwatching architecture it comes as no surprise that architects with a lack of dedication or interest in birds, often leaves us with bird hides with architectural flare over function. Or to put it bluntly: The result may look good but it doesn´t work. Recent decades focus on architecture as signal buildings and as extravagant statements from ´starchitects´ has left us with more flare than function. Surely flare and attention seems to be the goal of many projects, but in the world of birdwatching and nature conservation, where buildings are smaller and the needs are very different, architectural flare usually comes at the expense of function. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Historically the first bird hides erected some 40-50 years ago look pretty much the same as todays model. The standard is the box hide and it seems there has been very little evolution in the design of bird hides. Bird hides started as adaptations of the classic and very simple british garden shed. A rectangular box designed for storing gardening tools had the appropriate dimensions and cheap building costs to become a basic bird hide. Everywhere we can find box hides, designed to hide people away from birds. Hiding people away from birds is often important, as many bird species are very sensitive towards disturbance. For this purpose the box hide makes sense. However the birdwatching scene becomes poor if this is our only take on bird hides. I have spent countless hours sitting in such standard box hides in Norway, in UK and many other countries. I have also spent countless days and nights outdoors in Norway, and realising all the various ways we could build hides that would accommodate a wider variety of functions and needs, beyond hiding away from the birds. This thinking kickstarted Biotope and it reminds me again of how much of a pioneering niché this is, and in a postive way it tells a story of something new happening. Being architects and working with nature demands a new and better understanding of nature. It clearly relates to the basics of architectures origin: the need for shelter and protection from the elements, but it also need to include the new naturalist approach of a highly developed culture of being in and understanding nature. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A key understanding is that architecture is not a goal in itself, yet it is of the outmost importance of how we engage with nature. The understanding of the architect as someone working with nature in a meaningfull way, not at the expense of nature, is just emerging and the opportunities are wide ranging. Engage. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod Amundsen / Biotope</span><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/biotope.no">www.facebook.com/biotope.no</a> // <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">twitter @BiotopeOffice</span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Work opportunities: We are looking for new colleagues! The Biotope office is based in Vardø, but we are working internationally. Currently we have projects in progress in Norway, UK, Russia, Denmark and Iceland. We aim to explore and expand the niché of birding architecture and architecture dedicated to experiencing nature. If you want to work with us you do not have to be a birder, but we are looking for people with a passion for nature! Every week we are recieving several requests from architects wanting to work with us. In particular students or recently graduated architects looking for a job or an internship position. We appreciate this very much. Based on all the requests we are getting we now aim to set up an internship program from 2017 and also to hire as we aim to grow our impact. If you are an architect, programmer, designer, birder or have skills that will help develop Biotope and our engagements with and for nature - feel free to contacts us. </span><br />
<br />www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-11430646617783750202016-08-06T16:09:00.000+02:002019-06-13T12:34:21.045+02:00BIRDING NORTH ICELAND - Nature destination development <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope recently made another visit to northern Iceland. For the past two years we have made repeated trips to this amazing birding destination, as a part of a nature destination development project we are working on. In collaboration with local nature based businesses we are exploring the region with the aim of designing and building a series of bird hides, photo hides and wind shelters. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Iceland is most certainly a place you have to visit, and it seems the entire world have just realized that too. At Biotope we are very much pro nature based tourism as it can have a very positive impact on local communities and even nature itself, if it is handled wisely. Iceland today is in a very different place then when I first visited Iceland in 2006. Everyone is well aware of the financial crisis and the global situation which massively affected Iceland in 2008. However fewer are aware of the current situation. Icelands economy is booming, but this does not come without a cost. In 2006 when visiting Iceland with a friend of mine we could enjoy Reykjavik in the company Icelanders we met in the town. When travelling near Reykjavik we met a lot of locals who willingly shared stories and info on things to do and sites to see and explore on our own. Iceland tourism was at that time still modest and counted only by the tens of thousands. However today the situation have changed dramatically. With the financial crisis of 2008 Iceland became a cheap place to visit. With the Eyafjallajökull volcano eruption in 2010 Iceland became a global household name. Tourism exploded, and it still is exploding. In 2010 some 488 000 tousists visited Iceland. Today, in 2016, it is estimated that 1,73 million tourisits will visit Iceland. That is several times the total population of Iceland itself. What you have today is a crowdedness that Iceland is clearly not prepared to handle. For a lot of reasons. In short: the tourism infrastructure is not in place, and there are a lot of people in need of toilets where there are none. The implications are many. Obvioulsy the tourism is helping Iceland with an amazing recovery after the financial crisis. But at the same time there is no doubt that this mass tourism is leaving lasting scars on the landscape. This is a topic currently being debated and plans to handle this develpment is in progress. The curious thing however is this: Mass tourism is concentrated around Reykjavik, while the furthest corners of Iceland see very little of this deleopment. Declining rural communties and a struggle to make ends meet is still a reality. These places also happen to be some of the most bird rich and unique places, but they are found outside of the most travelled touristic places. It is in this context Biotope is working in the north: In an effort to plan ahead of an expected development, and rather then inviting "the world" to visit, the aim is to invite those who really understand and appreciate unspoilt nature. Nature enthusiasts, birders, nature photographers are a different kind of visitors, compared to the mass tourism scene of the "been there, done that, quick fix" tourists. Sure there are a lot of issues to look into and consider, but there are a lot of positive results coming with a sustainable development. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On this late July 2016 visit we have met so many great people who are all working to make new things happen in their local communities. As our research visits are coming to an end we have now visited hundreds of top birding sites, met a lot of the tourism businesses in north Iceland. We are now in progress of designing a nature destination development plan. This plan includes designing a series of bird hides, photo hides, wind shelters, nature paths, habitat construction and improvement. All of this with the aim of supporting local communities while taking care of the fantastically rich bird life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This short blogpost and video is from our last visit. We owe a big thanks to <a href="https://www.northiceland.is/en" target="_blank">Visit North Iceland</a> for inviting us, and to Hermann Bardarsson for company and local fixing before and during the tour. A big thanks also to all the great people we met during our tour. A new and more thorough presentation of our work in north Iceland will be presented later this autumn. For now We hope you enjoy this brief blogpost and the following video. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Birding Iceland July 2016 - nature destination development in progress</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Akureyri river delta, and amazingly rich habitat and biggest mudflat in north Iceland.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vopnafjordur, a place with great potential, easternmost Iceland</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKTJLkR6sXZh8L9bJlljYk5B04ikU_2cFHG-jQDPwfAmUnVPCb0XRXZ-y_c8eflNl0ocJkoAhr7uQj5yY7TQfymlnKXaAtc1s5Ugtn2gY0y1gSqkgSNSqXLppna0WH6ZdEVxl1gy6Ros/s1600/Iceland+birding+summer+2016+-+sites+and+folks+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKTJLkR6sXZh8L9bJlljYk5B04ikU_2cFHG-jQDPwfAmUnVPCb0XRXZ-y_c8eflNl0ocJkoAhr7uQj5yY7TQfymlnKXaAtc1s5Ugtn2gY0y1gSqkgSNSqXLppna0WH6ZdEVxl1gy6Ros/s640/Iceland+birding+summer+2016+-+sites+and+folks+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few scenes from the tour. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXPyurvtba4ssirD9dMIh4GXV4NLIHzGVvFneRBw4TennlfkPpkmQnsQ8Cjc0Limqic3dw57CShXFnuIgKNASDMePrHTKsMc8pgt1uvvN_djga8jSCmm7Q_k8LWmw6FK0EXUKO1hVrC0/s1600/Grey+Phalarope+Iceland+July+2016+BIO_1043+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXPyurvtba4ssirD9dMIh4GXV4NLIHzGVvFneRBw4TennlfkPpkmQnsQ8Cjc0Limqic3dw57CShXFnuIgKNASDMePrHTKsMc8pgt1uvvN_djga8jSCmm7Q_k8LWmw6FK0EXUKO1hVrC0/s640/Grey+Phalarope+Iceland+July+2016+BIO_1043+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Grey Phalarope. Undisclosed location. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmI3kMxZF8JbgnvLnEFXii5tjtbtD52rQw4-cifRza3YWTgEyA132pQQL0xP1JZ7h5egOfSSMDLDNqNBAnWhJfCRFDQZm71fdkx9fztLFhaIbNIYV9uhF_SdbDcSIPNJaNx4XX37YJiow/s1600/Red-throated+Diver+Iceland+July+2016+BIO_0949+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmI3kMxZF8JbgnvLnEFXii5tjtbtD52rQw4-cifRza3YWTgEyA132pQQL0xP1JZ7h5egOfSSMDLDNqNBAnWhJfCRFDQZm71fdkx9fztLFhaIbNIYV9uhF_SdbDcSIPNJaNx4XX37YJiow/s640/Red-throated+Diver+Iceland+July+2016+BIO_0949+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Red-throated Diver. A very numerous and very stylish species.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia93GaAtKTJYLjRGErEiR51JXD6of5ZJ-O8THTyWWTe5nDeKIema8LstWLggDy0G5qD-euwo5vMBSDPMCZPtGgkzH84ow3TqXxuvwFVm7ktHbRNIDKp7U6J2mFsyZqFTAIZ3WgHXjibrM/s1600/Snow+Bunting+Iceland+July+2016+BIO_0732+crop+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia93GaAtKTJYLjRGErEiR51JXD6of5ZJ-O8THTyWWTe5nDeKIema8LstWLggDy0G5qD-euwo5vMBSDPMCZPtGgkzH84ow3TqXxuvwFVm7ktHbRNIDKp7U6J2mFsyZqFTAIZ3WgHXjibrM/s640/Snow+Bunting+Iceland+July+2016+BIO_0732+crop+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A young Snow Bunting.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAujsQT_ysfbW0n4vQ68YPJ1BmJo-r5jJxQmmX_GPTI2W-afWy5gu7jHlTtHo8fO_QF85bJaE9Yvj1AZ-3Qcjp9xigVLRj88LbHKlMCS3ert5QU1I1dTZY0aQMo3ww_jz4IgRObYALZLw/s1600/Scaup+Iceland+Melrakkasletta+July+2016+BIO_0980+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAujsQT_ysfbW0n4vQ68YPJ1BmJo-r5jJxQmmX_GPTI2W-afWy5gu7jHlTtHo8fO_QF85bJaE9Yvj1AZ-3Qcjp9xigVLRj88LbHKlMCS3ert5QU1I1dTZY0aQMo3ww_jz4IgRObYALZLw/s640/Scaup+Iceland+Melrakkasletta+July+2016+BIO_0980+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Scaup, female, Melrakkasletta, Northeast Iceland</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Check out our blogposts from our previous visit to Iceland:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">1) <a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2016/05/birding-northwest-iceland-may-2016.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Birding Northwest Iceland - May 2016</span></a></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">2)<span style="color: blue;"> </span></span><a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2015/07/birding-iceland-in-summer-destination.html" style="color: blue; font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Birding Iceland in summer - destination development in progress</a></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">3)</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2014/10/birding-iceland-lake-myvatn-harlequin.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">BIRDING ICELAND - Harlequin Ducks & more niceness along the Northeast Iceland birding trail</span></a></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stay tuned for more nature destination development and birding architecture from Biotope at:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/biotope.no">www.facebook.com/biotope.no</a> and on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice" target="_blank">@BiotopeOffice</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Best wishes, Tormod Amundsen / Biotope</span></div>
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www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-39286785386167837612016-06-19T14:52:00.001+02:002018-02-01T14:25:14.593+01:00BIRDING RUSSIA - exploring the northwest russian tundra<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdi2ubdNFlauSuB64CcJRLJb-2eQ2jjY7xuAppXOATWZl9QDlMmrQxpzZpps_3VRq5Md8QETBt22sazG-PJ7K29QlcQGET6RE4ps-P3GJg1iymp3sluw033R0cCq1hGaUNXgySVlqJ3-8/s1600/Russia+June+2016+aerial+Nenets+nature+reserve+-+HEADER+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdi2ubdNFlauSuB64CcJRLJb-2eQ2jjY7xuAppXOATWZl9QDlMmrQxpzZpps_3VRq5Md8QETBt22sazG-PJ7K29QlcQGET6RE4ps-P3GJg1iymp3sluw033R0cCq1hGaUNXgySVlqJ3-8/s640/Russia+June+2016+aerial+Nenets+nature+reserve+-+HEADER+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aerial view of the Kostuanoy Cape, our basecamp on the russian tundra</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.nenetz.ru/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Nenets State Nature Reserve</span></a> is a vast tundra and wetland expanse bordering the russian Pechora sea. Biotope was recently invited by the good folks of the nature reserve to visit the reserve and to look into possibilities for creating bird hides and nature viewing architecture. It was an honor to be invited to this reserve and it has been a long time wish for us to visit and bird in Russia. We enjoy every opportunity to visit top nature destinations of the circumpolar regions. Invitations based on our birder architect skills are somthing we consider a big compliment every time. We will do our outmost to see and understand the needs of a destination and the people there and their ambitions to develop a destination. Advising on where and how to put up bird hides, wind shelters and other nature viewing facilities are the jobs we truly enjoy. In addition there are different interests to consider ranging from nature conservation issues to more nature based tourism business opportunities. Finding a balance is important. Making these interest work together is even better.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Birding Russia</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Varangers connection to the russian tundra is obvious. Varanger is famous to a large extent thanks to the wintering King and Steller´s Eiders. Our wintering birds breed on the russian tundra. The thousands of birds that pass by Varanger on spring and autmun migration also have their breeding grounds in the arctic parts of Russia. Nature is truly global and connected beyond any border. We had many preconceptions about Russia before visiting. Many I realise now was simply just that, poor preconceptions that did not reflect the full reality. In all honesty we expected all kinds of trouble, from paperwork to strict customs, in particular since our travel bags includes far above average amount of optics like binocluars, telescope, tripods, several cameras, big lenses, very big lens, small lenses, a quadrocopter, etc. In short: More then enough stuff to complete what could easily look like a suspicious mission. We expected to give long explanations on the border and had all kinds of papers prepared. By the way there was a bit of paperwork: invitation to visit Russia, a lisence to travel in the reserve and the visa, but that´s it. In fact quite quickly and easily fixed. And our time at the customs at the airport was as smooth and quick as any other visit in Europe. Trains ran on time, taxis was cheap and fast, and getting around was as smooth as anywhere else. Travelling always seem to ground your thinking in a very nice way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our visit was made possible thanks to the <a href="https://barents.no/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Barents Secretariat</span></a>, whose aim is to promote cross border collaborations and build understanding and connections between the neighbouring countries of Europes northernmost region. Our contact Andrey Vokuev is based in Naryan-Mar and runs the regions Barents Secretariat office. Naryan-Mar is the main town in the russian northwest part of the russian tundra, and the hub for our trip (easily reached by a 2 hour flight from Moscow). We have had a lot of communication with Andrey leading up to our trip and we owe Andrey and the good folks of the Kirkenes Barents Secretariat a huge thanks for making this collaboration project possible. It was all a very encouraging experience, and we realize that we have just started what can be a very productive and interesting collaboration with our new friends in Russia. I hope the following report, photos and video will give you an idea of what some Russian Barents region birding can be like. New ideas are in progress and very spesifically new bird hides are now under development for the Nenets State Nature Reserve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Birding the Russian tundra - the movie</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Pechora river delta and sea: a nature reserve the size of the entire Varanger peninsula</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DvfzXUr8_NHcB_xOTR27e1jCXGGfT1biDdvs4q6nPhQCAgbs4s_LqIT9gIBqbB6fr-g4M_3VSasXnpCSD7NuZ-vQa_hoHhGgxGqv74HKLgHnTyPFaP1nNqfYsyDXJjFzr6N-8_MSgDw/s1600/Russia+June+2016+Nenets+Aerial+observatory+-+crop+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DvfzXUr8_NHcB_xOTR27e1jCXGGfT1biDdvs4q6nPhQCAgbs4s_LqIT9gIBqbB6fr-g4M_3VSasXnpCSD7NuZ-vQa_hoHhGgxGqv74HKLgHnTyPFaP1nNqfYsyDXJjFzr6N-8_MSgDw/s640/Russia+June+2016+Nenets+Aerial+observatory+-+crop+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Kostyanoy Cape seen from the sea, from the south looking north</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEnJSdR3UJNUOjflts874g5V6p2W4kDgjT1ushrx4ReupSCunjrAhszwudEGFwx_Rj_MipT4ZNO4YsspHtgEpeZqO7CNF14T6NBZV4d3g7gy384RyMl7Q5hQQtrcMpaukPkreIw_U1io/s1600/a+Russia+tour+Nenets+ringing+station+June+2016+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEnJSdR3UJNUOjflts874g5V6p2W4kDgjT1ushrx4ReupSCunjrAhszwudEGFwx_Rj_MipT4ZNO4YsspHtgEpeZqO7CNF14T6NBZV4d3g7gy384RyMl7Q5hQQtrcMpaukPkreIw_U1io/s640/a+Russia+tour+Nenets+ringing+station+June+2016+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The border point basecamp (cordon) of the “Nenetskiy" Nature reserve, Kostyanoy Cape</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: start;">Bewick´s Swans at the Kostyanoy Cape</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Citrine Wagtail, one of the highlight bird species on our tour</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Citrine Wagtail in flight</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Drake Long-tailed Duck on a pond near our basecamp</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Temminck´s Stint in the midnight sun, at our basecamp.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Terek Sandpiper, another breeding bird at the basecamp</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Arctic Fox, near the basecamp. We watch this clever Arctic Fox "outfox" a hunting and hungry Red Fox</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Nenets State Nature reserve</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">or: Заповедник "Ненецкий" State Nature Reserve "Nenetskii".</span></span></h1>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is found at the very northeasternmost corner of the Western Palearctic region (WP). For the non-birding reader of this blog: the WP is basically the wider Europe aka the biological eco-region of Europe, which includes land north of Sahara, the Middle East, and westwards from the Ural mountains. Visiting this northern most corner of Europe has been on our wish list for some time. The connection with our own region, Varanger, is obvious. Our wintering King Eiders go to these part of the world to breed. What passes Varanger on spring migration will go to Russia to spend the summer. When preparing our visit to the Naryan-Mar and the Nenets State Nature Reserve we studied google aerials and browsed the internet for information. There was not too much to find that specifically informed a visiting birder about which species to see where and when. However a look at the Google aerials was very encouraging! The vast tundra landscape, the wetlands, the enormous Pechora river delta, the unspoilt arctic shoreline. In short: it looked like an amazing place for nature and birding!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The border point base camp (cordon) on the Kostyanoy Cape</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The birding. The first and most striking thing when arriving the nature reserve basecamp at the Kostyanoy Cape are all the displaying Temmincks Stints buzzing around the basecamp area. The sound of 20 or so stints constant displaying still rings in our ears. As you will often find in arctic regions birds are attracted to smaller settlements, as people presence will provide protection from the Arctic Fox and other predators like Skuas. At the cape point we had several Willow Grouse nesting and a Terek Sandpiper nesting just meters from the house. In walking distance from the basecamp we enjoyed some brilliant tundra birding. Dry and wet tundra, small lakes and willow bushes along the lake shores provide lots of great habitat for the local birdlife. An undoubtely highlight was the Citrine Wagtails found in the more lush parts of the lake vegetation. We had about 15 Citrine Wagtails during our stay, giving great views! The lakes near the basecamp also housed several Smew. Bewick´s Swans were present everywhere (btw: check out the <a href="https://www.flightoftheswans.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Flight of the Swans project</span></a> coming up this autumn, starting in the Nenets reserve). Bluethroats and Lapland Buntings are seen everywhere too. The occasional Arctic Redpoll, Red-throated Pipit, Shorelarks and much more are also seen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Tundra Wellies and island exploring</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We spent one week at our basecamp, mostly exploring the areas in walking distance from the borderpoint basecamp / the observatory. A key part of our visit was to explore several of the islands that can be reached by boat from the basecamp. The Pechora sea is mostly a very shallow fresh water sea. In fact its is so shallow that in many parts we were driving through mud or fine silt, and at times we had to get out of the boat and walk the boat along the most shallow parts. We landed on 4 islands all with very different character. The Heuglin´s Gull colonies was great to see. What amazingly stylish gulls! They are long distance migrating gulls with long wings (wintering in the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent). They were clearly also very efficient predators. Near every gull colony we visited there was scattered an enormous amount of pellets containing mice/vole remnants. We did wonder about the relatively low number of skuas in this region. Compared to Varanger where there are no breeding Lesser Black-backed Gulls, the Arctic Skuas are basically seen everywhere. At the parts of the Nenets reserve we visited we only saw smaller numbers of Arctic Skuas. Perhaps the Heuglin´s Gulls outnumber and dominate the Skuas as they to a large extent will feed on the same prey. Speculations, sure, but we would love to come back to explore more of the fascinating fauna of this vast russian tundra reserve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Heuglin´s Gull. We visited several colonies </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Chayachiy Island aka the Gull Island</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We spent one day visiting one of the most amazing bird islands we have ever seen: the Chayachiy Island aka the Gull Island. This island sits lower then most of the other (already low) islands. This means the island is flooded for a much longer period in spring and no Arctic Foxes will be able to stay on the island after the snow melts in spring. In short: its a safe haven for a lot of birds. The island is a beautifull tundra wetland covered of small ponds, often connected with slow flowing streams between them. Large areas of shallow water with moss and grass are marmorated by willow vegetation. This is the perfect habitat for a wide range of bird species. Thankfully this island is well within the nature reserve boundaries and presence of people is low and monitored by the reserve wardens. Every 30-50 meters we stepped had nests of either King Eider, several other duck species (including Greater Scaups) and White-fronted Geese. In particular Ruff where numerous birds on the island. Ruff leks of 10-15 fighting Ruff was going on “everywhere”. Approx 350 Ruff where seen on the island in a few hours. Red-necked Pahalaropes was swimming in the open ponds, that seemed to allways hold 10s of Pintail, Shoveler, Teal, the occasional Common Scoter, and King Eider. Most notably for a birder from Varanger was the familiar display sound of the King Eiders. On the water outside the island there were a couple of groups of 15 to 20 King Eiders displaying. What an amazing soundscape and landscape combination! The Heuglins Gulls are also numerous on this island. Probably counting a hundred (++?) pairs. A highlight on the island visit was my first (and only) 100% identified Pin-tailed Snipe. Common Snipe are everywhere, but on a couple of occasions I suspected Pintailed Snipes, though I could not get good enough views / sound for a good ID. However this one bird I flushed at the north end of the Gull Island was spot on. Slightly smaller, dark back of wings and dark under the wings, slightly shorter bill and the flight even seemed more rapid. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Aerial view of Chayachiy Island aka The Gull island - an amazingly bird rich site</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">King Eider pair at Chayachiy Island</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">King Eiders at Chayachiy Island</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Visiting the tundra wetlands. Nests: White-fronted Goose to the left, King Eider to the right</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLLglu41rYxsYCg0NsTHQ-RfrhyphenhyphenVxf-_pf2gBsVp5olN5BAeXSk48kgWK6I2hFSkGo2ZRhvj1DrnxGWa7Orhv6762pkkHzD9Ml4KBisL2kcJKr3IuY14xhNQlgOlZiIE1qvJGIC1KMuM/s1600/Russia+June+2016+Sedge+Warbler+BIO_8434+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLLglu41rYxsYCg0NsTHQ-RfrhyphenhyphenVxf-_pf2gBsVp5olN5BAeXSk48kgWK6I2hFSkGo2ZRhvj1DrnxGWa7Orhv6762pkkHzD9Ml4KBisL2kcJKr3IuY14xhNQlgOlZiIE1qvJGIC1KMuM/s640/Russia+June+2016+Sedge+Warbler+BIO_8434+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sedge Warbler at Chayachiy Island</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmUNequ_Qq45mllI2vF8jEmBED0rD4Ge6oFvSQvND7whyphenhyphen3jnmpfIdWGO3xfa0NswYf2Mvk9ZaQIUzSN805Uk0jDjqG10osO0P_4xCz-y02aXnhwKnl3QXqIVypHzNvb0svFA63PfGX1E/s1600/Russia+2016+aerial+nenets+Nature+reserve+high+panorama+tundra+June+2016+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmUNequ_Qq45mllI2vF8jEmBED0rD4Ge6oFvSQvND7whyphenhyphen3jnmpfIdWGO3xfa0NswYf2Mvk9ZaQIUzSN805Uk0jDjqG10osO0P_4xCz-y02aXnhwKnl3QXqIVypHzNvb0svFA63PfGX1E/s640/Russia+2016+aerial+nenets+Nature+reserve+high+panorama+tundra+June+2016+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Higher altitude aerial of Chayachiy Island and the surrounding russian tundra</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>A few thoughts on nature conservation and people presence</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Chayachiy Island can in in terms of density of birds be compared to some of the finest RSPB reserves in UK, often holding very high consentrations of birds. These reserves are designed to be biologically very diverse, optimally productive and cater to a large number of birds. The Gull island of the Nenets nature reserve surely is one of the finest designs by nature I have ever seen! These naturally made places are truly unique in a world perspective and they are places to treasure and protect forever. Thankfully this island and the surrounding region is protected by a nature reserve status, and it is monitored by the good people of the Nenets State Nature Reserve. Then, as with most things we are keen on protecting, we must also create awareness and appreciaton for these places. How we deal with people presence and rich nature is an important debate to have. There is little doubt that people can have a very destructive effect on birds. Carefully planning for people presence is important, while some places are undoubtedly best left alone. Luckily we have many examples that planning for people presence can be very productive. The RSPB reserves in UK are great examples of places where a lot of people can visit, at the same time they are places of spectacularily rich bird life. In short: people presence does not have to be a bad thing, but very careful planning and designing is critical to make this work. Another good example of a great place for both people and birds is Hornøya island in Vardø, Varanger. This amazingly rich seabird colony can be visited by people in a very sustainable manner. Every year a couple of thousand people visit this island and I have yet to meet a person that is untouched by this fantastic natural spectacle. It surely instill a sense of admiration for nature and for birds, and that has great value!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some of the great people we met and now collaborate with in Russia</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As reported by Russian Север TV:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Thanks!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our visit to the Nenets State Nature Reserve was a great experience. The friendliness and hospitality of the people at the reserve was amazing. We want to thank Stanislav Zolotoi, Nature Museum director for inviting us to Naryan-Mar and the Nenets reserve. We also want to thank the great people we spent a week with at the reserve base camp: Andrey Glotov, deputy director of science, Juliya Bogomolova, deputy director on environmental education and PR, Marina Samoilova, methodologist of environment education department and The Nenets broadcasting company´s Maria Kravchenko, chief editor and writer and Anton Vidryakov, cameraman. A very big thanks also to reserve officers for bringing us around the reserve: Vladimir Matveev and Evgeniy Vanyuta.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lastly a very big thanks to the Barents Secretariat in Kirkenes for support and making this Norway - Russia collaborative project possible! In particular we want to thank Andrey Vokuev, head the office of the Norwegian Barents Secretariat in Naryan-Mar, for invaluable fixing, general niceness and expert translations throughout the tour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We look forward to continued collaborations in the Barents region. Stay tuned for more as we explore new opportunities in Russia. Also: If you are interested in joining us on a tour to the russian tundra next year, let us know. We are looking into setting up one of more tours next summer/spring. More info to follow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To be continued..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod Amundsen and Elin Taranger / Biotope</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As always: connect with us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@BiotopeOffice</span></a> and on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/biotope.no/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Biotope Facebook page</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">RUSSIAN VERSION:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;">Наблюдение за птицами в России – путешествие в тундру на Северо-Запад России</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Фото: Вид сверху на наш базовый лагерь в российской тундре на полуострове Костяной Нос<span style="font-family: "times";"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Государственный природный заповедник «Ненецкий» - это обширные тундровые территории и водно-болотные угодья, граничащие с Печорским морем, а также водная акватория. Недавно «Биотоп» был приглашен хорошими друзьями, работающими в заповеднике, посетить его территорию и изучить возможности для создания укрытий для наблюдения за птицами и других экологических архитектурных объектов.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Получить приглашение от заповедника - честь для нас, ведь мы давно мечтали посетить Россию и понаблюдать за птицами. Мы наслаждаемся каждой возможностью посетить лучшие природные направления в приполярных регионах. Приглашения, связанные с нашим архитектурным опытом создания пунктов наблюдения за птицами, мы рассматриваем каждый раз как большой комплимент. Мы будем прикладывать все силы, чтобы увидеть и понять потребности места и людей, которые имеют амбиции по его развитию. Нам действительно нравиться наша работа – консультирование по вопросам того, где и как установить пункты наблюдения за птицами, укрытия от ветра или другие объекты для наблюдения за природой. Кроме того, здесь присутствуют различные интересы - от вопросов сохранения природы до больших бизнес возможностей для экологического туризма. Нахождение баланса имеет большое значение. Еще лучше найти решение, когда эти интересы работают вместе.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Наблюдение за птицами в России</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Связь норвежского региона Варангер с российской тундрой очевидна. Варангер известен в значительной степени благодаря зимующей здесь сибирской гаге и гаге-гребенушке. Зимующие у нас птицы выводят потомство в российской тундре. Тысячи птиц, пролетающих через Варангер весной и осенью, гнездятся в арктических регионах России. Природа глобальна и взаимосвязана, не взирая ни на какие границы. До поездки у нас было много предубеждений о России. Сейчас я понимаю, что это были просто предубеждения, которые не отражали реальность. Честно говоря, мы ожидали всевозможные трудности, начиная от документов до строгой таможни, поскольку наши дорожные сумки содержали большое количество оптики: бинокли, телескоп, штативы, несколько камер, большие объективы, очень большие объективы, маленькие объективы, квадрокоптер и т.д. Короче говоря, было более чем достаточно оснований, чтобы сделать вывод, что мы выглядим подозрительно. Мы ожидали, что будем давать длинные объяснения на границе и поэтому у нас были с собой все виды документов, подготовленные заранее. Кстати, там было не много документов: приглашение посетить Россию, пропуск для поездки в заповедник, российская виза, и это все. На самом деле, довольно быстро и легко решаемо. И с таможней в аэропорту все прошло гладко и быстро, как и с любой другой поездкой по Европе. Поезда ходили по расписанию, такси было дешевое и быстрое, и все вокруг работало также гладко, как и в других местах. Путешествия, похоже, всегда хорошо приземляют твои размышления.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Наш визит стал возможным благодаря Норвежскому Баренцеву Секретариату, целью которого является продвижение трансграничного сотрудничества и построения взаимопонимания и связей между соседними странами североевропейского региона. Наше контактное лицо - Андрей Вокуев находится в Нарьян-Маре и работает в региональном офисе Баренцева Секретариата. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Нарьян-Мар является одним из главных городов в северо-западной части российской тундры и был отправной точкой для нашей поездки (туда легко добраться - 2 часа на самолете из Москвы). Мы много общались с Андреем, организовывавшим нашу поездку, и мы обязаны сказать огромное спасибо ему и хорошим людям из Баренцева Секретариата в Киркенесе за то, что сделали этот проект возможным. Это был очень обнадеживающий опыт, и мы понимаем, что это только начало очень продуктивного и интересного сотрудничества с нашими новыми друзьями в России. Я надеюсь, что этот отчет, фото и видео дадут вам представление о том, что каким может быть наблюдение за птицами в российской части Баренцева региона. Появляются новые идеи, а новые особенные укрытия для наблюдения за птицами для государственного природного заповедника «Ненецкий» в настоящее время находятся в стадии разработки.</span></div>
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<b>Видео о наблюдении за птицами в российской тундре</b></span></div>
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Фото:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Дельта реки Печоры и море: природный заповедник размером с весь полуостров Варангер</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Вид на мыс Костяной Нос с моря (с юга на север)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Кордон ГПЗ «Ненецкий» (базовый лагерь), мыс Костяной Нос</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Малые тундровые лебеди на мысе Костяной Нос</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Желтая трясогузка, один из самых ярких видов птиц нашего путешествия</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Полет желтой трясогузки</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Морянка на озере рядом с базовым лагерем</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Белохвостый песочник в свете полуночного солнца в нашем базовом лагере</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Мородунка - другая птица, гнездящаяся рядом с базовым лагерем</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Песец рядом с базовым лагерем. Мы наблюдали за этим умным песцом, который перехитрил охотящуюся на него голодную рыжую лису.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Государственный природный заповедник «Ненецкий»</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Находится в самой северо-восточной части западной Палеарктики. Для читателей блога не знакомых с орнитологией, хочу пояснить, что Западная Палеарктика в основе своей больше Европы или Европейского биологического эко-региона, который включает территорию севера Сахары, Ближнего Востока и западнее Уральских гор. Посещение этого самого северного уголка Европы было нашим давним желанием. Связь с нашим регионом – Варангером очевидна. Зимующие у нас гаги-гребенушки летят сюда для выведения потомства. Они пролетают Варангер во время весенней миграции и направляются в Россию, чтобы провести там лето. Во время подготовки нашей поездки в Нарьян-Мар и заповедник «Ненецкий» мы изучали спутниковые снимки в Google и искали информацию в сети Интернет. Специализированной информации для наблюдателей за птицами о том, какие виды птиц, где и когда увидеть было найдено не очень много. Однако карты Google выглядели очень обнадеживающе! Обширные тундровые ландшафты, водно-болотные угодья, огромная дельта реки Печора и впечатляющая арктическая береговая линия. Короче говоря, это выглядело как удивительное место с точки зрения природы и наблюдения за птицами!</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Кордон (базовый лагерь) на мысе Костяной Нос</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Наблюдение за птицами. Первым и самым поразительным впечатлением при прибытии на кордон заповедника на мысе Костяной Нос стал гам белохвостых песочников. Голоса около 20 песочников, находящихся там, до сих пор звенят в наших ушах. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Часто в арктических регионах небольшие населенные пункты привлекают птиц, так как присутствие людей обеспечивает защиту от песцов и других хищников, таких как поморники.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">На кордоне мы обнаружили несколько гнездящихся куропаток и мородунку всего в нескольких метрах от здания. В нескольких минутах ходьбы от кордона нас ждало превосходное тундровое наблюдение за птицами. Разные типы тундр, небольшие озера с ивовыми кустарниками по берегам обеспечивают великолепную среду обитания для птиц. Без сомнения, главное место принадлежит желтым трясогузкам, обнаруженным в густых зарослях по берегам озера. Мы наблюдали около 15 желтых трясогузок, и это было прекрасным зрелищем! Озера около лагеря также являются домом для малого крохаля. Малые тундровые лебеди были везде (кстати, посетите сайт проекта «Полет с лебедями», стартующий этой осенью в заповеднике «Ненецкий» - <a href="https://fots.wwt.org.uk/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255);">Flight of the Swans project</span></a>). Варакушки и лапландские подорожники были видны повсюду. Иногда встречали тундровую чечётку, краснозобого конька и рогатого жаворонка.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Тундровые резиновые сапоги и исследование островов</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Мы провели одну неделю в базовом лагере, в основном исследую местность в пределах пешей доступности от кордона. Ключевой частью нашей поездки стало посещение нескольких островов, на которые можно попасть на лодке с кордона. Дельта реки Печоры в основном очень мелководна. На самом деле там настолько мелко, что часто днище лодки касалось илистого дна и приходилось выходить и тащить лодку через мелководье. Мы причаливали к 4 островам, очень отличающихся друг от друга. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Замечательно было увидеть колонии западно-сибирской чайки. Какие удивительно красивые птицы! Эти чайки с длинными крыльями, мигрирующие на большие расстояния (зимуют на Ближнем Востоке и Индийском субконтиненте). Они точно очень эффективные хищники. Около каждой чаячьей колонии, которую мы посетили, было разбросано огромное количество помета с останками мышей. Мы не задавались вопросом по поводу относительно небольшого количества поморников в этом регионе. По сравнению с Варангером, где нет гнездящихся клуш, арктического поморника можно увидеть практически везде. На тех территориях заповедника, где мы побывали, мы видели небольшое количество поморников. Возможно, западно-сибирская чайка превосходит по количеству и доминирует над поморником, поскольку питаются они в значительной степени одним и тем же. Конечно, это предположение, но хотелось бы вернуться и лучше изучить пленительную фауну этого обширного российского природного заповедника.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Остров Чаячий</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Мы провели один день на одном из самых удивительных птичьих островов, которые мы когда-либо видели - острове Чаячий. Остров ниже, чем другие острова (тоже низкие). Это означает, что он затоплен в течение более длительного периода весной и песцы не могут оставаться на острове после того, как снег начинает таять. То есть это безопасное убежище для множества птиц. Остров является прекрасным образцом тундровых водно-болотных угодий с небольшими озерами, часто связанных между собой протоками с медленным течением. Большие площади мелководья со мхом и травой, обрамлены ивовой растительностью. Это идеальное место обитания для широкого спектра видов птиц. К счастью, этот остров находится в пределах границ природного заповедника, присутствие людей здесь низкое и контролируется инспекторами заповедника. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Каждые 30-50 метров мы обнаруживали гнезда либо гаги-гребенушки, либо некоторых других видов уток (в том числе чернети) и белолобого гуся. Также турухтан - многочисленная птица на острове. Токовища турухтанов по 10-15 сражающихся птиц были везде. Мы наблюдали приблизительно 350 турухтанов на острове за несколько часов. Красношеий филандер плавал на озерах, видели также стаи шилохвости, широконосок, чирков, иногда синьгу и гаг-гребенушек. Больше всего для наблюдателей за птицами из Варангера был знаком голос гаги-гребенушки. На воде вокруг острова было видно несколько групп от 15 до 20 птиц. Какое удивительное сочетание звуков и ландшафта!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Западно-сибирские чайки также многочисленны на этом острове. Насчитал сотни пар, возможно, их гораздо больше. Главным моментом стал первый и единственный для меня 100% случай идентификации азиатского бекаса. Обычные бекасы были везде, пару раз я подозревал, что это азиатский бекас, но не мог четко рассмотреть и услышать для правильной идентификации. Однако все же одну единственную птицу – это было на северной оконечности острова Чаячий, я сфотографировал.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Небольшая по размеру, темная внутренняя сторона крыла и темный цвет под крыльями, клюв немного короче и скорость полета показалась более высокой.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Фото: Вид сверху на остров Чаячий – прекрасное место с множеством птиц</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Пара гаг-гребенушек на острове Чайчий</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Гаги-гребенушки на острове Чайчий</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Поездка на тундровые болота. Гнезда: белелобого гуся слева, гаги-гребенушки справа.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Камышовка-барсучок на острове Чаячий</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Вид на остров Чаячий и окружающую его российскую тундру с максимально возможной высоты</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Некоторые мысли по поводу охраны природы и присутствия людей</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Остров Чаячий можно сравнить с точки зрения плотности птиц с некоторыми из лучших заповедников Королевского общества охраны птиц Великобритании, где часто имеется очень высокая концентрация птиц. Эти заповедники созданы с целью обеспечения очень высокого биоразнообразия, оптимальной продуктивности и обслуживания большого количества птиц. Остров Чаячий заповедника «Ненецкий», безусловно, является одним из лучших образцов творения природы, которые я когда-либо видел! Эти естественно созданные места поистине уникальны в мировой перспективе, и будут находиться под охраной и защитой всегда. К счастью, этот остров и окружающие его территории защищены статусом заповедника, и он контролируется хорошими специалистами государственного природного заповедника «Ненецкий». </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Вместе с тем помимо защиты, мы также должны распространять знания и создавать понимание ценности этих мест. Вопрос присутствия людей и природная уникальность места повод для серьезного обсуждения. Без сомнения, люди могут оказывать очень разрушительное воздействие на птиц. Тщательное планирование присутствия людей очень важно, в то время как некоторые места, несомненно, лучше оставить в покое. К счастью, у нас есть много примеров того, что планирование присутствия людей может быть очень продуктивным. Заповедники в Великобритании являются великолепными примерами мест, которые могут посетить множество людей, и в то же время они являются местами впечатляюще богатой жизни птиц. То есть присутствие людей не всегда плохо, но тщательное планирование и проектирование имеет решающее значение в этой работе. Другим хорошим примером прекрасным местом, как для людей, так и для птиц является остров Хорнойя в Вардё, Варангер. Это удивительно богатая колония морских птиц, которую могут посещать люди на постоянной основе. Каждый год несколько тысяч людей посещают этот остров, и я до сих пор не встречал человека, которого бы не тронули это фантастическое природное зрелище. Это, безусловно, прививает чувство восхищения природой и птицами и имеет большое значение!</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Слова благодарности</span></b></div>
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Мы получили большой опыт в ходе поездки в государственный природный заповедник «Ненецкий». Дружелюбность и гостеприимство людей в заповеднике были удивительными. Мы хотим поблагодарить Станислава Золотого, директора заповедника за приглашение в Нарьян-Мар и на территорию заповедника.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Мы также хотим поблагодарить прекрасных людей, с которыми мы провели неделю в базовом лагере на территории заповедника: Андрея Глотова, заместитель директора по науке, Юлию Богомолову, заместитель директора по научно-информационному обеспечению и экологическому просвещению, Марину Самойлову, методист отдела по научно-информационному обеспечению и экологическому просвещению, Марию Кравченко, главного редактора и сценариста телерадиовещательной компании «Север» и Антона Выдрякова, оператора ТРК «Север». Большое спасибо также инспекторам, которые нас возили по заповеднику: Владимиру Матвееву и Евгению Ванюте.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">И наконец, огромное спасибо Баренцеву Секретариату в Киркенесе за поддержку, благодаря которой этот российско-норвежский совместный проект стал возможен! В частности, мы хотим поблагодарить Андрея Вокуева, руководителя офиса Норвежского Баренцева Секретариата в Нарьян-Маре за неоценимую помощь в организации, доброжелательность и экспертный перевод на протяжении всей поездки.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">Мы надеемся на продолжение сотрудничества в Баренцевом регионе. Оставайтесь с нами в процессе исследования нами новых возможностей в России. Кроме того, если вы хотите присоединиться к нам в поездке в российскую тундру в следующем году, сообщите нам об этом. Мы рассматриваем создание одного из нескольких туров летом/весной следующего года. Более подробная информация будет позднее.</span></div>
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Продолжение следует…<span style="font-family: "times";"><br />
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Турмуд Амундсен и Элин Тарангер/Биотоп</span></div>
www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-16363461025649893152016-06-05T12:01:00.000+02:002016-08-26T08:53:27.867+02:00The Birding Varanger guide book - Arctic Norway sites & birds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ehW_rZ-NvJJwME5C_VM3t2ynGDght0FlmOsabphwAOy1GRQopQRwpP-enG0YydccjGe3ZdzP5gCTuR6LOqyzFcKcFL1Nnvn03P6Mlh64QjqunYLj_cAeXJsC6RZvNXXSVXe5NDohV0o/s1600/Birding_Varanger+book+cover+Stellers+Eider+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ehW_rZ-NvJJwME5C_VM3t2ynGDght0FlmOsabphwAOy1GRQopQRwpP-enG0YydccjGe3ZdzP5gCTuR6LOqyzFcKcFL1Nnvn03P6Mlh64QjqunYLj_cAeXJsC6RZvNXXSVXe5NDohV0o/s640/Birding_Varanger+book+cover+Stellers+Eider+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>"Varanger is the world´s most easily accessible Arctic birding destination. In Varanger, Arctic Norway, you can experience the northern taiga, tundra and the Arctic coastline within a dya´s drive. Birders, birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts can enjoy an amazingly rich birdlife in a sutnning landscsape. Varanger is particularily famous for its wintering population of Steller´s Eiders. However the wide variety of unique bird species have made Varanger one of the top birding destinations of the world."</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://biotope.myshopify.com/" target="_blank"><b>>>> get the Varanger guide book <<<</b></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With the above words we introduce Varanger in our guide book to this amazing birding destination. For us at Biotope this new 200 page guide book is the result of a continous work with developing Varanger as a birding destination since we moved to Varanger in 2009. Our aim was always to make Varanger more famous within the international birding community. This is a community of nature enthusiasts that we have shared our Varanger journey with on social media, through blogposts, through meetings both in other world birding destinations and in Varanger. Giving Varanger a voice on this international scene has been an amazingly rewarding experience. We have lost count of the numbers of emails, tweets and facebook requersts from birders about birding in Varanger. We have tried to reply to as many as possible. The past three years we have been working on combining all our knowledge, feedback and insider information into this new birding destination guide book. And the response has been overwhelming!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The ´Birding Varanger´ guide book - aka the Biotope guide to the best bird sites in Arctic Norway - was published in Decemper 2015. In 3 months we sold out the first edition of 1000 copies! The book was soon reprinted in another 1500 copies and the orders just keep coming in. Our book has now sold to 28 contries, from all over Europe to Australia, Japan and Brazil. We are extremely thankfull to all of you who have bought our book! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The feedback we regularily get on emails, in tweets, on facebook and when meeting birders in Varanger puts a big smile on our faces. Many are labelling the guide book both inspirational and innovative. We have aimed to make this book as visual as possible. Many large maps, with detailed information are completemented by large aerial panorama photos of key sites in Varanger. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few quotes of feedback: </span><br />
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<i style="line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"I have read and re-read the book and must say it is one of the very best I have seen on any area , not just Varanger." - B. Curtis</b></span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b><span style="line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Amazing work! I've been at Varanger since 1999 almost every year and found many new places to visit by reading the book fastly through. The maps completed with aerial photos are great!" - J.</span><span style="line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Könönen</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b><span style="line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The manufacturing is high quality, there are beautiful images and the reading ... a lot of fascinating reading ! </span><span style="line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Congratulations for this very beautiful work ! - F. Renard</span></b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">"How impressive is this for a site guide? Full of maps, aerial photos & stunning bird pix - congrats @BiotopeOffice" - </span></i></span><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;">D. Mitchell via twitter</span></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"Indeed the book is lavishly illustrated throughout. It is an absolute must for anyone planning a trip to what is dubbed 'the accessible arctic' and wanting to see it's rich avifauna. Tormod and his team are to be congratulated on a quite superb book." - C. Lansdell</b></span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"The Biotope vision is bold and exciting and worthy of your support. If you haven’t already been to Varanger then you must go, but read this book first and take it with you." - A. Stoddart / Rare Bird Alert</b></span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Needless to say we are humbled by all the great feedback. Thanks all! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Below follows a few samples from the ´Birding Varanger´ guide book. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you plan to visit Varanger, or if you are simply curious about this amazing region we are very thankful for every single book we ship from our office in Vardø to the world!</span></div>
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<span style="color: lime; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://biotope.myshopify.com/" target="_blank"><b>The ´Birding Varanger´ book is for sale in our webshop</b></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT86a6bWcNG-VQew3ml2O0eXPSp7YuyU_nul8GeWcALex6RU-XuGV9mYiQOGv8vNUncS6qNCp2uB81sBpfbgkAQ3hHXqQQucFc_i6sQ2yK5ClrGJDQekNCtpf2qaYXcKhlVHYprlfimDw/s1600/Vard%25C3%25B8+aerial+photo+double+page+in+guidebook+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT86a6bWcNG-VQew3ml2O0eXPSp7YuyU_nul8GeWcALex6RU-XuGV9mYiQOGv8vNUncS6qNCp2uB81sBpfbgkAQ3hHXqQQucFc_i6sQ2yK5ClrGJDQekNCtpf2qaYXcKhlVHYprlfimDw/s640/Vard%25C3%25B8+aerial+photo+double+page+in+guidebook+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aerial over Vardø town in winter plumage. The famous Hornøya bird cliff to the upper right, only 5 minutes by boat from Vardø harbour. Large aerial panoramas of more then 30 key sites in Varanger is spread throughout the book, depicting Varanger during the seasons. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQ5Cf3Wq91TY8RjQfqsIptI1UAF7hstANI6m5gcL29LZbqO7tEA3vOM-U6dV4562Mb7oBxaRix0Yeq-t4huZRQaX1LzF7yihWtQHYe7TKctzxVqZL56SiKhCKRPkdD8Rhp0VK3SivzFo/s1600/Birding_Varanger_11_03_16_Pages-26-27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQ5Cf3Wq91TY8RjQfqsIptI1UAF7hstANI6m5gcL29LZbqO7tEA3vOM-U6dV4562Mb7oBxaRix0Yeq-t4huZRQaX1LzF7yihWtQHYe7TKctzxVqZL56SiKhCKRPkdD8Rhp0VK3SivzFo/s640/Birding_Varanger_11_03_16_Pages-26-27.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the guide book we have divided Varanger into 5 chapters, covering all the top birding sites from the taiga sites in Øvre Pasvik in the south to the harsh arctic coast of Berlevåg in the north. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEkoWSMgJafXa0XNpPQL59-6t6119IvFkNZf3XAd-kV8j8KXEVBJ7-wNrLdR3KiHtcPb0qer6PCnciTx36tbedNdFvo5fzqaxJyrhY_KyRWwP9EEWW6ZJTw4GN52lxVMvuEixLsVKCTk/s1600/Birding_Varanger_11_03_16_Pages-90-map+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEkoWSMgJafXa0XNpPQL59-6t6119IvFkNZf3XAd-kV8j8KXEVBJ7-wNrLdR3KiHtcPb0qer6PCnciTx36tbedNdFvo5fzqaxJyrhY_KyRWwP9EEWW6ZJTw4GN52lxVMvuEixLsVKCTk/s640/Birding_Varanger_11_03_16_Pages-90-map+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Each chapter starts with an overview map. This region map gives you an overview of all the detailed site maps in the chapter, covering in detail all the top sites you should visit. This is the overview map of the outer Varanger fjord.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNaX6a-Cy3WJ3xXG2LASFhIk04QNbMn4goF46Qih2OxiYZMIfnakztvmutsaRLgo034MP2IawoQfzW6nhu9syd1rRyH-oogdbR-a-t0Wr5R5Qh7vXfY4V9vxhpaJ4j1hkQscpZ_6FToM/s1600/Birding_Varanger_11_03_16_Pages-62.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNaX6a-Cy3WJ3xXG2LASFhIk04QNbMn4goF46Qih2OxiYZMIfnakztvmutsaRLgo034MP2IawoQfzW6nhu9syd1rRyH-oogdbR-a-t0Wr5R5Qh7vXfY4V9vxhpaJ4j1hkQscpZ_6FToM/s640/Birding_Varanger_11_03_16_Pages-62.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Each top site is treated with its own detailed map showing you where to park, spcific birding points to visit and key bird sites. The towns of Varanger are also covered very well as these are often also great birding sites (like the fishing harbours). In these maps you will also be guided to gas stations, restaurants, hotels, etc. This map is covering the Nesseby nature reserve. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviRdh4bQsFp-5Y1xyv208WHC9RDu0MDpN3BA0v4DWWl36cDjKuGsin7WdYRdiXGv0U7Ta4RQBqd8CFp15V9cf7EAYQINL-4QqcKaexGYqQTh7XVI68L_DOVq85IzghtaMTvkRLJF5jU4/s1600/Birding_Varanger_11_03_16_Pages-16+Eiders+Vard%25C3%25B8+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviRdh4bQsFp-5Y1xyv208WHC9RDu0MDpN3BA0v4DWWl36cDjKuGsin7WdYRdiXGv0U7Ta4RQBqd8CFp15V9cf7EAYQINL-4QqcKaexGYqQTh7XVI68L_DOVq85IzghtaMTvkRLJF5jU4/s640/Birding_Varanger_11_03_16_Pages-16+Eiders+Vard%25C3%25B8+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Throughout the guide book you will also find a wide array of bird photos, showing both species and bird spectacles, like the above photo of the large King- and Common eiders rafts in Vardø, Varanger. This photos also happens to be the first ever documentation of Pacific Eider in Europa (can you spot the bird? Click on any image for bigger slide show views).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cPkiVLvVRgmPMn3dP2Y0UV_Em1NhxKmS0IHhjC5A40whP6ismcggQ8RbTFjpFKQUBKfHOuo5j8nWcElfshdXrjkrRl7lWYrPE7l2k5u6R_-qeKE_yKPu6MSta8Fl6H8iogdiGRy5CXc/s1600/Birding_Varanger_11_03_16_Pages-150-+Gednje+aerial+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cPkiVLvVRgmPMn3dP2Y0UV_Em1NhxKmS0IHhjC5A40whP6ismcggQ8RbTFjpFKQUBKfHOuo5j8nWcElfshdXrjkrRl7lWYrPE7l2k5u6R_-qeKE_yKPu6MSta8Fl6H8iogdiGRy5CXc/s640/Birding_Varanger_11_03_16_Pages-150-+Gednje+aerial+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aerial panorama over Gednje on the high tundra. These aerials makes it easier for you to see and explore the various habitats of each site.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rWLrVhjMZjTZTQTXtQIbGX2WhbULjAFCy5Kaz5UEr-u4AOxXkYx1-HI6bZyFjTZT4wbmbzoKkU5WHWB_R_hWskS4-osEXsNE137s73KcmjA1e074P6UMjhZmt0gMY7G5NCbdK1KPJak/s1600/Birding_Varanger_11_03_16_Pages-152+Gednje+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rWLrVhjMZjTZTQTXtQIbGX2WhbULjAFCy5Kaz5UEr-u4AOxXkYx1-HI6bZyFjTZT4wbmbzoKkU5WHWB_R_hWskS4-osEXsNE137s73KcmjA1e074P6UMjhZmt0gMY7G5NCbdK1KPJak/s640/Birding_Varanger_11_03_16_Pages-152+Gednje+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Map over the Gednje site, with an accompanying description of which species you can expect to find, and where to look for them.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKa7iG3xTN5eTIuxhrGT0baAr3mP_SfaKwgvCXcrQpFVQTLILKF3WD9CMmwJAXtu2Y4EcKocXGvlTAT8uPXbMeAw-y51-rZGK-OKgLqrmn5RyrslHrzehCxmceyK3Oer_RQMryyeOr0Ls/s1600/Varanger+guide+book+ex2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKa7iG3xTN5eTIuxhrGT0baAr3mP_SfaKwgvCXcrQpFVQTLILKF3WD9CMmwJAXtu2Y4EcKocXGvlTAT8uPXbMeAw-y51-rZGK-OKgLqrmn5RyrslHrzehCxmceyK3Oer_RQMryyeOr0Ls/s640/Varanger+guide+book+ex2.jpg" width="550" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our aim is to make your Varanger birding experience as productive and inspirational as possible! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For more news and views about birding in Varanger:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">follow us on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Finnmarkbirding" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@Finnmarkbirding</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VarangerBirding" target="_blank">VarangerBirding</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod Amundsen and the Biotope team</span></div>
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www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-4437792357933143082016-05-26T13:24:00.000+02:002019-06-13T12:41:33.076+02:00Birding Northwest Iceland - May 2016<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Harlequin Duck, <span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.870588); line-height: 19.5px;">Blönduós May 2016</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Nature destination development: Northwest Iceland</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Iceland delivers some of the coolest birding in Europe. We just visited the northwestern region of Iceland, working on a destination development scheme. For 10 days we have visited, researched, measured and photographed a wide range of sites. Visiting Iceland is not "just" a birding thing: The landscape, the mammals and the people you meet are equally an important part of any visit to this cool destination. Not to mention the heitur pottur culture! Almost everywhere you go you can sink into a relaxing hot bath, in the field, at your hotel or at any of the numerous public baths. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The highlights of our visit are more then fits a brief blogpost, but we will be back with more from the nortwest! But: Any visit to Iceland will not be complete without great views of Harlequin Duck. Seeing the very stylish Harleys surf the fast flowing river streams of Iceland is a birding experience we wish for every birder or nature enthusiast! Another highlight was visiting the Drangey bird cliff. 300 000 Puffins, Common and Brünnich´s Guillemots, Gyrfalcon and more was on display at this amazing seabird colony. The abundance of birds like Common Snipe and Black-tailed Godwits are other highlights. A few photos following below. Click on any image for bigger slide show views...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A very big thanks to Davíð Jóhannsson of <a href="http://www.ssnv.is/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">SSNV</span></a> Samtök Sveitarfélaga á Norðurlandi vestra (Association of municipalities in the Northwest) for inviting us to northwest Iceland. Our visit was well prepared and in addition to a series of meetings with local nature based tourism businesses we enjoyed the company of birder <span class="fullname" style="color: #292f33; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">Ellen Magnúsdóttir</span> who had made a very helpfull site survey. We had best possible conditions to explore the northwest region from our nature architecture viewpoint.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had our basecamp at the <a href="http://www.arctichotels.is/en/hotel-tindastoll/hotel-info/about-the-hotel" target="_blank">Hotel Tindastóll</a> in Saudárkrókur. It is one of the oldest hotels in Iceland and was opened in 1884. A very charming place, complete with its own little hot bath. Perfect after a long day of exploring the land. A big thanks to Selma and Tómas for their generous hospitality during our visit! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now we begin the work of processing a few thousand site photos and to develop and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">fine tune</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> architectural concepts for the various sites we visited in Northwest Iceland. Meanwhile we hope you enjoy some of the photos from our recent trip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Heitur pottur birding, in Grettislaug, 25 minutes north of Saudárkrókur. The wind was chilly, the outdoor hot bath was perfectly heated and Red-necked Phalaropes swam around in nearby ponds. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hvitserkur. Visiting Iceland is very much a landscape experience too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Taking aerial panoramas is a great way of researching sites. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The <a href="https://www.northiceland.is/birding/toy/index/birdingtrailnw" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Northwest Iceland birding trail</span></a> map. We have previously visited and researched the northeast. Completing north Iceland as a nature and birding destination is in good progress.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Puffin at Drangey bird cliff. A huge highlight of our visit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This amazing bird cliff is home to 300 000 Puffins and all the other expected seabird species (including Brünnich´s Guillemot). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It´s a stunning bird cliff, only 20 minutes boat trip away from Grettislaug. A visit to the northeast would not be complete without visiting this beautiful place. You land in the middle of the bird colony and Viggo and Helgi who do the Drangey Tours have a long hostory at this island. Thanks <a href="https://www.drangey.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Drangey Tours</span></a> for great guiding and stories of both nature and culture from Drangey! And yes, we saw Gyrfalcon hunting at the cliff too. It´s regular. Awesome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At Hvammstangi in the westernmost part of the northwest, we visited the <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.northiceland.is/en/what-to-see-do/service/the-icelandic-seal-center">Icelandic Seal Center</a></span> and did a tour to see the seals. Great, close views! We had 3 Humpback Whales too, as a bonus. Much niceness! Thanks </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The culture of keeping eiders for harvesting eider down is widespread and have a long history in Iceland. We visited Illugastaðir where the local farm owners cares for 2300 nests of wild eiders. In return for making eider houses and protecting the eiders from disturbance they harvest the eider down. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Common Snipe are very common. The soundscape of Iceland rings of "drumming" snipe everywhere!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of our favourite birds are the very stylish Red-necked Pahalaropes. Another common species in Iceland. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Icelandic earth houses. Architecture-wise Iceland has it´s unique history too. We aim to be a part of developing new architecture concepts suited to the Icelandic landscape. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stay tuned for more stories from the land of fire and ice and very cool birding!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Want to see more from Iceland? Check out the blog posts from our previus visits:</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">- <a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2014/10/birding-iceland-lake-myvatn-harlequin.html" target="_blank">BIRDING ICELAND - Harlequin Ducks & more niceness along the Northeast Iceland birding trail</a></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">- <a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2015/07/birding-iceland-in-summer-destination.html" target="_blank">Birding Iceland in summer - destination development in progress</a></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod A / Biotope</span></div>
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www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-67449115916187264732016-03-27T18:08:00.000+02:002019-06-13T12:44:02.304+02:00Øvre Pasvik - birding the arctic taiga - Gullfest pt.2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCmPGP8j-qIb1_yappQ4Dk2dfk2IaBPdlCQ6eRSZHJc2JmEPg46VqgqBnaNcggn4Gjr-MF97Fdl1SCZwEv7OcFSYLe_U2DbcV9wGdpwPCOOimFpYGbEDqKf4D_uXmLIpqAS6zkZrIfT4/s1600/Hawk+Owl+strike+Vaggetem+Pasvik+Varanger+March+2016+Gullfest+BIO_2074+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCmPGP8j-qIb1_yappQ4Dk2dfk2IaBPdlCQ6eRSZHJc2JmEPg46VqgqBnaNcggn4Gjr-MF97Fdl1SCZwEv7OcFSYLe_U2DbcV9wGdpwPCOOimFpYGbEDqKf4D_uXmLIpqAS6zkZrIfT4/s640/Hawk+Owl+strike+Vaggetem+Pasvik+Varanger+March+2016+Gullfest+BIO_2074+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the Pasvik taiga forest the arctic bird festival Gullfest turned into an Owlfest! The Pasvik section of Gullfest was an epilogue of Gullfest where we aimed to show our invited guests some of the finest birding in the arctic. The taiga forest of Pasvik is the northernmost coniferous forest in the world. The taiga forest stretches from Pasvik and all the way to the Pacific coast in the far east. The birding here is spectacular, when you where to look, that is. To maximise the niceness and chances of great experiences we teamed up with our Pasvik friends Ben Arne Sotkajærvi aka Mr.Pasvik and the good folks at Øvre Pasvik Camping.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pasvik complements the Varanger Peninsula in a spectacular way. On the Varanger Peninsula you can experience the tundra and the harsh arctic coast. In the deep Pasvik forest the taiga birding will provide you with some of the coolest bird species in the arctic. This year is good for mice which in turn is great for owls. We had stunning views of 10 or so Hawk Owls and we could enjoy singing Tengmalm´s Owl by the fireplace in the evening. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On our two day Pasvik Gullfest epilogue we enjoyed epic birding, featuring stunning views of top birds like Siberian Tit, Pine Grosbeak, Siberian Jay, Silver Willow Tit, Hawk Owl, Black Grouse, and a few more. We also had the chance to join our friends in Pasvik on ice fishing, and we did a snow mobile trip to Treriksrøysa, the Norway - Finland - Russia border. There are a lot of good things in progress in Pasvik and the development of Varanger as a premium arctic birding destination will be highly improved by bringing more attention to Pasvik. If you bought our new <a href="https://biotope.myshopify.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Birding Varanger guide book</span></a> you will also find maps and site descriptions of the key sites in Pasvik. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A very big thanks goes to our friends in Pasvik who made this a very mamorable experience for all: Ben Arne Sotkajærvi is a hunter and birder who spends a lot of time outdoors in the taiga forest. Thanks Ben Arne for inviting us all to your very cool basecamp in Vaggetem in Øvre Pasvik! Please follow Ben Arne on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/mrPasvik" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@mrPasvik</span></a>, for more news and views from the Pasvik taiga! You can also find <span style="color: blue;">Ben Arne on facebook</span>. Also thanks to Hanne Tove and the good folks at <a href="http://pasvikcamping.no/"><span style="color: blue;">Øvre Pasvik Camping</span></a>. It was our base camp for the Pasvik days of Gullfest. Based in Vaggetem it is great place to stay if taiga birding is on the menu! Check out <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PasvikCamping/?fref=ts" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Pasvik Camping on facebook</span></a> </span>too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are still in the video-making mode, and here is our "fast production" from the Pasvik birding section of Gullfest. <i>Also: click on any image for bigger, slide show views of the photos in this blogpost.</i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Birding Pasvik, Gullfest pt.2 - the movie</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1nKkCvYajojurKxTAxTmlikVuw_76r5yHF4UnvwOECThNxG5MHm6em82NUI5H_xGs02RCeYnIfMbr588cPHRwyMn0de6o2TQyr-DROD7iktJLpK5PP32EB2KkAJS5naBqvoqo0ka3-0/s1600/Hawk+Owl+near+Neiden+Varanger+Gullfest+2016+crop+BIO_0940+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1nKkCvYajojurKxTAxTmlikVuw_76r5yHF4UnvwOECThNxG5MHm6em82NUI5H_xGs02RCeYnIfMbr588cPHRwyMn0de6o2TQyr-DROD7iktJLpK5PP32EB2KkAJS5naBqvoqo0ka3-0/s640/Hawk+Owl+near+Neiden+Varanger+Gullfest+2016+crop+BIO_0940+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hawk Owl looking for mice</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAafiE6f_VCa_HgIeWIgAbVTeydsbkYAP93At1Rl1E69aiJbZ39g-LE8pOnDkzM0wNDzs5BgtOdVUiV1BBNDYJpLKi-Kvdqto8ddiGIUzm_s4oAK323QQ2SvJkvq6EQYIrcxj64VQwuaM/s1600/Darren+Woodhead+in+Pasvik+painting+Hawk+Owl+IMG_3032+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAafiE6f_VCa_HgIeWIgAbVTeydsbkYAP93At1Rl1E69aiJbZ39g-LE8pOnDkzM0wNDzs5BgtOdVUiV1BBNDYJpLKi-Kvdqto8ddiGIUzm_s4oAK323QQ2SvJkvq6EQYIrcxj64VQwuaM/s640/Darren+Woodhead+in+Pasvik+painting+Hawk+Owl+IMG_3032+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Darren Woodhead field painting Hawk Owl</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_Tdb5Lt8BOEJ3oOp25tz37gYLzNyn7lChzZGp3MtlIH0-tkb33mXIk2L021deuN2ha-tSvXXP1OOC68iRwEx6BlUBF3Z4QAvOd1_O4o2rCGk_2Oc26GqtufADoR5-SmpZqz9UAcTs4o/s1600/Ice+fishing+Vaggetem+Pasvik+Varanger+Gullfest+2016+BIO_1130+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_Tdb5Lt8BOEJ3oOp25tz37gYLzNyn7lChzZGp3MtlIH0-tkb33mXIk2L021deuN2ha-tSvXXP1OOC68iRwEx6BlUBF3Z4QAvOd1_O4o2rCGk_2Oc26GqtufADoR5-SmpZqz9UAcTs4o/s640/Ice+fishing+Vaggetem+Pasvik+Varanger+Gullfest+2016+BIO_1130+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ice Fishing at Vaggetem with Ben Arne Sotkajærvi and our friends at Øvre Pasvik Camping</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Visiting the new "Porten til Treriksrøysa" (the gate to Treriksrøysa) wind shelter on our way to the Norway - Finland - Russia border. Biotope design. Built by Ben Arne Sotkajærvi. Commishioned by <a href="http://www.nasjonalparkstyre.no/Ovre-Pasvik/" target="_blank">Øvre Pasvik Nasjonalparkstyre</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbal2Q9LyK-dh1ayRxz2ZH0RvjJfAXXlQYfPXAikiX9k4Xbd3O6GdhGs5Hb6wuieFuXKX_Y__F4PiiR2wTuVnBTitg95yFKf9ZFjMOpmdrLfcj8Gf35nC45bhR18WlE5kg5Dosr2IYx4I/s1600/Willow+Silver+Tit+Pasvik+Ellentjernkoia+MArch+Gullfest+2016+BIO_2405+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbal2Q9LyK-dh1ayRxz2ZH0RvjJfAXXlQYfPXAikiX9k4Xbd3O6GdhGs5Hb6wuieFuXKX_Y__F4PiiR2wTuVnBTitg95yFKf9ZFjMOpmdrLfcj8Gf35nC45bhR18WlE5kg5Dosr2IYx4I/s640/Willow+Silver+Tit+Pasvik+Ellentjernkoia+MArch+Gullfest+2016+BIO_2405+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Taiga birding: ´Silver Willow Tit´ - the eastern subspecies of Willow tit <i style="color: #252525; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Poecile montanus loennbergii</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Siberian Jay at Treriksrøysa</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Siberian Jays by Darren Woodhead</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Siberian Jay at Ellentjernkoia, Øvre Pasvik</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hawk Owl in full attack mode</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A very big thanks to everyone who followed Gullfest 2016 on Twitter at<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gullfest2016?src=hash" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">#Gullfest2016</span></a></span> and on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/biotope.no" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Biotope facebook</span></a> or the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VarangerBirding" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Birding Varanger Facebook</span></a></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2016/03/vard-arctic-norway-gullfest-part-1.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is the Gullfest part 1 blogpost: the Vardø, Arctic Coast birding section</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Varanger is an arctic birding destination in the making. Stay tuned for more niceness!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod A. / Biotope</span><br />
<br />www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-91003401675510374882016-03-25T14:32:00.001+01:002019-06-13T12:54:23.118+02:00Vardø, Arctic Norway - Gullfest part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgF4NHTDKGcz7wEMBAJaLBnlWWHvCBd6yRmtSm5zJ245RefsGxkhZ4htw-2lLJ7CkcjJT9UGOt-k76H72f68_0SwbQ3rSeLqNce-Y41-vB6q4qnBSXT87-avR3EXbqgagzR1P-5BW3rw/s1600/King+Eider+males+in+Vard%25C3%25B8+harbour+Vard%25C3%25B8+Varanger+Gullfest+2016+BIO_0371+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgF4NHTDKGcz7wEMBAJaLBnlWWHvCBd6yRmtSm5zJ245RefsGxkhZ4htw-2lLJ7CkcjJT9UGOt-k76H72f68_0SwbQ3rSeLqNce-Y41-vB6q4qnBSXT87-avR3EXbqgagzR1P-5BW3rw/s640/King+Eider+males+in+Vard%25C3%25B8+harbour+Vard%25C3%25B8+Varanger+Gullfest+2016+BIO_0371+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">King Eiders in Vardø harbour during Gullfest, March 2016</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gullfest 2016 was another successfull arctic birding festival. This year we celebrated the epic Vardø harbour. In town birding in Vardø is probanly some of the coolest in the world! Where else can you enjoy great fish food, a hot sauna followed by a swim with King Eiders?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are currently into our video blogging, and we hope you enjoy our vlog version of Gullfest. A few photos follow below as well. There will also be another blogpost coming up soon from the Pasvik section of Gullfest 2016. Stay tuned :)</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">GULLFEST 2016 - the movie</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gullfest poster on the Østre Molokrok building</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stellers Eider study by artist Darren Woodhead, from Vardø harbour, Gullfest 2016</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Artist Darren Woodhead in action on Hornøya during Gullfest</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5OtDBuiS5M4h-zE1lXqJ6gfqqbyKnuYpIgRMonXMoKKclWnjDa8yj5yapWzPGq2liFJ9856uJ5aF74IhEFQ_BlIsxVLYQeIfzPqzJkQJnfcTU1_kf7EvgdBgxvV1qZGgC02uMGH1ilc/s1600/Gullfest+2016+Vard%25C3%25B8+Varanger+Arctic+Norway+IMG_2603+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5OtDBuiS5M4h-zE1lXqJ6gfqqbyKnuYpIgRMonXMoKKclWnjDa8yj5yapWzPGq2liFJ9856uJ5aF74IhEFQ_BlIsxVLYQeIfzPqzJkQJnfcTU1_kf7EvgdBgxvV1qZGgC02uMGH1ilc/s640/Gullfest+2016+Vard%25C3%25B8+Varanger+Arctic+Norway+IMG_2603+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gullfest is celebrating the amazing Varanger nature</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJu1Il-c06lrYwKM2tfq1TfNE0f661VB3HiKj473k0U5tXJxIW__OMBzAMVx3efJwquY_zXqW3NbIztWlBTf_iudL4RA3jwTpBUSXoaSi_KFX7edDFTNZHKxnnwr-jRVToNLBXJ6fY3-k/s1600/Gullfest+2016+Vard%25C3%25B8+Varanger+Arctic+Norway+IMG_2900+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJu1Il-c06lrYwKM2tfq1TfNE0f661VB3HiKj473k0U5tXJxIW__OMBzAMVx3efJwquY_zXqW3NbIztWlBTf_iudL4RA3jwTpBUSXoaSi_KFX7edDFTNZHKxnnwr-jRVToNLBXJ6fY3-k/s640/Gullfest+2016+Vard%25C3%25B8+Varanger+Arctic+Norway+IMG_2900+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gullfest in progress</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gullfest ringing and kids art workshop</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Arctic birding in Vardø harbour during Gullfest 2016</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">King Eiders in Vardø harbour</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Soar throat? Have a Sea Urchin! Common Eider in Vardø harbour during Gullfest 2016</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The Gullfest is made possible thanks to a number of great people and businesses in Varanger and northern Norway. A very big thanks to <a href="https://snnstiftelsene.no/kulturnaeringsstiftelsen"><span style="color: blue;">SNN Kulturnæringsstiftelsen</span></a> for supporting Gullfest, which includes flying the worlds greatest bird artists to Vardø. <a href="https://www.arkitektur.no/nord-norges-arkitektforening"><span style="color: blue;">Nord-Norges Arkitektforening</span></a> also supports this nature destination development event. Thanks to them and Svein Harlad Holmen we could have en epic Gullfest party featuring a mobile sauna and swimming in the harbour! Big thanks ! <a href="http://www.vardohotel.no/"><span style="color: blue;">Vardø Hotel</span></a> are very kindly supporting Gullfest with rooms for our invited guests, speakers, bird ringers and artists! Its is the premium place to stay in Varanger for birding! Please give them a follow on their new Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/vardo_hotel" style="color: #3d85c6; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">@Vardo_Hotel</span></a> - Thank you! Northern Norways premium chef, Tor emil aka <a href="https://www.facebook.com/varangermeny/"><span style="color: blue;">Varangerkokken</span></a> support us with the most amazing local food. Thanks Tor Emil. The guys at <a href="https://www.vardohavn.no/">Vardø Harbour</a> / Vadø Havn KF kindly support us with boat trips. Vardø kommune and mayor Robert Jensen also support Gullfest. Thanks to the brilliant guys at Vardøbruket (the local fish ´factory´). Top guys! Also thanks to the Next Generation Birders for joining: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Follow them on twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/NGBirders" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">@NGBirders</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> Jonnie </span><a href="https://twitter.com/jonnie_fisk" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">@Jonnie_Fisk</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">, Tim </span><a href="https://twitter.com/TimsBirding" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">@Timsbirding</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">, Ben </span><a href="https://twitter.com/bardseyben" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">@BardseyBen</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">, James </span><a href="https://twitter.com/Jamesoneillii" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">@Jamesoneillii</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">, Olli </span><a href="https://twitter.com/metcow33" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">@Metcow33</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">, Ed </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://twitter.com/Ed_Birding" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">@Ed_birding</a>. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Kane Bries from WWT shared stories from his work and some of the innovative PR + science projects run by the <a href="https://www.wwt.org.uk/"><span style="color: blue;">WWT</span></a>. Follow Kane on Twitter </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://twitter.com/KaneBrides" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">@KaneBrides</a>. </span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Morten Helberg </span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">is one of the top gull experts in Norway. He has been involved with Gullfest from the very first Gullfest back in 2012, and he helped make another Gullfest possible. Thanks! </span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Graham White of the RSPB presented some of the thinking and practicalities behind making nature aka the RSPB nature reserves.</span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> Graham on Twitter</span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://twitter.com/BillyBloodworm" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">@Billybloodworm</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px;">Follow him for the latest on innovative reserve projects. </span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Darren Woodhead </span></span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">is one of the worlds most renowned bird artists. His art is truly one of a kind and it is admired by nature enthusiasts all over the world. Darren made en epic and very productive contribution to Gullfest 2016, both in his talk, his workshop and his field work. About 30 works of art was produced during Gullfest, in Vardø and in Pasvik. Check some of it out in the videos. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Follow Darren on Twitter </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://twitter.com/DarrenNWoodhead" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">@DarrenNWoodhead</a>. </span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Nils Arne Sæbø of NRK</span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: "droid sans";">,</span></span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> the national television broadcaster presented their big project for 2016: going live from Hornøya during the breeding season. Epic TV can be expected! </span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">SNO / Statens Naturoppsyn </span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">(</span><a href="https://www.miljodirektoratet.no/ansvarsomrader/naturoppsyn/" style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">the Nature Inspectorate</span></a><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">) are the field officers for the Norwegian national parks and nature reserves. Arne-Petter Sarre of the Varanger national park presented their work with saving the threatened Arctic Fox. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Lastly we want to thank the people of Vardø, the Vardø fishermen and everyone who came to visit our Gullfest 2016 basecamp in Vardø harbour. It truly was an event that smelt of fishing and birding! </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">We also owe a big thanks to everyone who followed us online during this arctic event. After all this is a web event too. Thnx all :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Also: check out the PASVIK BIRDING experience aka Gullfest 2016 part 2:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2016/03/vard-arctic-norway-gullfest-part-1.html">https://www.biotope.cloud/2016/03/vard-arctic-norway-gullfest-part-1.html</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">best wishes from the Biotope team:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Tormod, Elin, Alonza, Jonnie, Fay & Daniele</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white;">For more news & views:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On FB: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/biotope.no%C2%A0">www.facebook.com/biotope.no </a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice" style="color: #3d85c6; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">@BiotopeOffice</span></a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/Finnmarkbirding" style="color: #3d85c6; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">@FinnmarkBirding</span></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">+ find everything Gullfest on Twitter <span style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Gullfest2016&src=typd" style="color: #3d85c6; text-decoration: none;">#Gullfest2016</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-76305169627935034652016-03-14T23:02:00.000+01:002019-06-13T13:03:15.682+02:00Gullfest 2016 - fugl & fisk /// nature destination development<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The fifth arctic birding festival in Varanger is on! 17-22nd of March 2016 we celebrate the amazing bird life of the worlds coolest arctic birding destination. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gullfest 2016 is about <b>Birding Art, Architecture, Tech and Community.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Gullfest 2016 is open and free to join for anyone in Vardø from Thursday 17th to Saturday 19th. The daytime basecamp is at Østre Molokrok (northeast harbour in Vardø) from 10.00-15.00 Friday and Saturday (Gull ringing, trips, etc) + at Vardø Hotel from 20.00hrs on Thursday and Friday (talks). Welcome!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Gullfest 2015 in action</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ever since we moved north we believed that Varanger had resources that had not been properly promoted nor made valuable to people in Varanger to the extent that it could have. Varanger has some of the richest nature in Norway. That should be enought to make a lot of great things happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">People and nature relations is without a doubt one of the most important and pressing global issues. Not just at the moment, but it has been for a long time and will continue to be for a very long time. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">People affect nature in a profound way. We are all very well aware of that fact. However it does not seem like we allocate the appropriate resources and brain power to look into how we can make our relationship with nature more healthy. Gullfest is all about connecting people and nature. Not just at a local level, but we also want to inspire people anywhere to appreciate nature. Bringing people together to celebrate nature is a great way to do this. Especially when you have the opportunity to bring truly inspirational people and ideas together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gullfest is an arctic bird festival, but not a big one. We never aimed at making Gullfest big. However we did aim to make Gullfest a big statement. How much attention could we get from celebrating the gulls of Vardø harbour? That is how Gullfest started 2012, almost to prove a lot of nay-sayers wrong. Enough people advised against us moving to Varanger (in 2009), and enough people was of the opinion that birds and birding did not have a future in Vardø. Fast forward to 2016 and it is safe to say Vardø and Varanger have benefited hugely from focusing on nature based tourism and especially on birds and birding. But it is not only about business, it is also about awareness, knowledge and appreciation of nature. Unlike just 6 years ago, today you will have a hard time finding someone in Vardø or Varanger who have not heard of Steller´s Eiders, King Eiders, the amazing Hornøya bird cliff and the rich bird life of Varanger. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Local to global.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We moved to Vardø because Vardø and Varanger had a great international potential. Gullfest has played a key role in putting Varanger on the world map. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gullfest is not just a local event with a global audience. Gullfest also bring some of the most skilled people from the world of birding, nature based art and nature conservation to Varanger. In a small setting and cool (literally) atmosphere Gullfest have moved towards becoming almost a think tank for a key part of the nature scene. We also love to see how Gullfest have become an event that is expected to happen every year in Vardø and Varanger by people living in Vardø. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gullfest 2015 - interview with Tormod of Biotope, on the Gullfest and nature destination devlopment. Film by Reka Rozsa.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The people and the niceness</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Darren Woodhead</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">is one of the worlds most renowned bird artists. His art is truly one of a kind and it is admired by nature enthusiasts all over the world. <a href="http://www.darrenwoodhead.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Darren</span></a> only paints in the field and his style of working with the white space or the in between space is truly unique. Darren does not deliver photo like images of nature but he presents you with his own perspective, leaving much up the viewer of his art to interpret. Darren have already arrived Varanger and is currently in progress with with producing his take on the worlds coolest ducks: the Steller´s Eider, Varangers iconic species numero uno.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Follow Darren on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/DarrenNWoodhead"><span style="color: blue;">@DarrenNWoodhead</span></a></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jessie Barry of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">presents some of the most forward thinking tech in the global birding / conservation scene. The world of birding is a great example of how citizen science makes a huge impact. <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/">Cornell Lab of Ornothology</a> have fascilited for this and helped popularise birding to a massive extent in USA, and increasingly globally. Through technology the Cornell Lab deliver engaging content and creates platforms, such a <a href="https://ebird.org/home"><span style="color: blue;">Ebird</span></a>, for birders worldwide to share and record bird observations. They represent the future of social birding tech and citizen science.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Graham White of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">will present the worlds most innovative nature conservaton projects. In a time when people are destroying nature on a grand scale, <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/"><span style="color: blue;">the RSPB</span></a> is involved in the opposite: they build nature. The RSPB nature reserves are often built from the ground up. From industrial wasteland they are able to create som of the most biodiverse and rich habitats imaginable. Graham will present some of the thinking and practicalities behind making nature. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Follow Graham Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BillyBloodworm"><span style="color: blue;">@Billybloodworm</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Kane Brides </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">works for the <a href="https://www.wwt.org.uk/"><span style="color: blue;">Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust</span></a>, an organisation set up to safeguard the world´s wetlands and the birds that live in them. Kane works in the Monitoring Unit of the WWT´s Conservation Science Department, dedicated to studying some of the world´s most threatened birds. This job takes Kane all over the world, from counting birds in Kuwait and catching coots in the Netherlands to monitoring seabirds in Iceland and ringing Whooper Swans all across Britain. Kane will share stories from his work and some of the innovative PR + science projects run by the WWT. Follow Kane on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/KaneBrides"><span style="color: blue;">@KaneBrides</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Morten Helberg</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">is one of the top Gull experts in Norway. He has been involved with Gullfest from the very first Gullfest back in 2012. In addition to being a highly skilled birder, Morten also has through early involvement greatly </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">contributed</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to the new appreciation of gulls among the people in Vardø. Birds that used to be negatively looked upen have gotten a renaissance in Vardø. People have truly learnt to appreciate the awesomeness of gulls. After all they are global travellers with amazing capabilities. This year we have invited a lot of students of the Vardø schools to join Gullfest. With the help from Morten we aim to bring more gull and bird knowledge to the Vardø community.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Next Generation Birders</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">will join Gullfest in a 6 man strong team! Jonnie Fisk is one of the founders of NGB and now an emplyee of Biotope. 5 of his friends and fellow NGBirders will join us and give us their perspectives on birding, through talks and by joining the conversation that is Gullfest. The young birding scene is UK is impressively active and it is something that the Norway birding scene could learn a lot from. On Twitter and at Gullfest 2016: Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/NGBirders"><span style="color: blue;">@NGBirders</span></a> Jonnie <a href="https://twitter.com/jonnie_fisk"><span style="color: blue;">@Jonnie_Fisk</span></a>, Tim <a href="https://twitter.com/TimsBirding"><span style="color: blue;">@Timsbirding</span></a>, Ben <a href="https://twitter.com/bardseyben"><span style="color: blue;">@BardseyBen</span></a>, James <a href="https://twitter.com/Jamesoneillii"><span style="color: blue;">@Jamesoneillii</span></a>, Olli <a href="https://twitter.com/metcow33"><span style="color: blue;">@Metcow33</span></a>, Ed <a href="https://twitter.com/Ed_Birding"><span style="color: blue;">@Ed_birding</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Robert Jensen </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">is the mayor of <a href="https://www.vardo.kommune.no/"><span style="color: blue;">Vardø</span></a>, Norways northeasternmost community. Vardø is a small fishing community on its way back after years of decline. Fishing and birding is now making a big difference in Vardø. Fishing always have, but now the birding part will complement it. Robert will present the history of Vardø through a talk on Thursday evening. Vardø is now a town with a renewed sense of optimism, and Gullfest aim to make its contribution to promote Vardø. After all Vardø is the coolest town in the Arctic!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The Vardø fishermen and </b><a href="http://www.varangerkokken.no/"><span style="color: blue;">Varangerkokken</span></a><b> (´the Varanger chef´)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">will all be a key part of Gullfest. This year we focus on the natural resources of Vardø. Fish and birds are a key to Vardø´s future, but in order to make this truly valuable for Vardø this needs to be presented to the world in a refined manner. Good things are in progress and Vardø and Varanger is about to become a nature destination with world class products ranging from fish to birding and nature experiences. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Nils Arne Sæbø / NRK</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">represents Norway´s BBC, the national television broadcaster. This year <a href="https://www.nrk.no/"><span style="color: blue;">NRK</span></a> will run one of their biggest nature productions ever. <a href="https://tv.nrk.no/serie/ut-i-naturen"><span style="color: blue;">Ut i Naturen</span></a> is the Norwegian equivalent of UK´s ´Springwatch´, and Hornøya bird cliff will be the ´main character´ of a TV show lasting the whole summer. This wil be live streamed 24/7, full shows in the evenings and much more. Hornøya has already become an international celebrity. Now it is about to become a national star too. We look forward to hearing Nils Arne (head of Ut i Naturen) giving a talk about NRK´s Hornøya 2016 project.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>SNO / Statens Naturoppsyn </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(<a href="https://www.miljodirektoratet.no/ansvarsomrader/naturoppsyn/"><span style="color: blue;">the Nature Inspectorate</span></a>) are the field officers for the Norwegian national parks and nature reserves. Arne-Petter Sarre and Torkjell Morset are two SNO folks that have joined Gullfest since the very beginning. By setting up our earlier Lavvo camps and also by giving talks. They will join us this year too, and Arne-Petter will also give a talk sharing his work in the field on Varanger National Park. Who else in the world have jobs where their field cameras bring photos of Snowy Owls, Wolverines and Arctic Fox?! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Biotope </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">is as always the hosts of the worlds northernmost birding festival. We are now a 6 man team always aiming to connect people and nature. Being pro nature architects is about much more then designing buildings. It is about making good things happen, through architecture, through content creation, through photography, videography, through consulting, through making events and essentially through making good people meet and share ideas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gullfest 2015 - the movie - stay tuned for the 2016 movie!</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>Gullfest 2016 epilogue: the Pasvik Taiga (19th-22nd of March)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Follwing the Gullfest session in Vardø we move the Gullfest team to Øvre Pasvik where we will visit some key taiga birding sites, and continue our pro nature destination work with our partners in Pasvik: Øvre Pasvik Camping, Ben Arne Sotkajærvi and the Øvre Pasvik National Park board. More info to come soon on the Pasvik section of Gullfest.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The Gullfest is made possible thanks to a number of great people and businesses in Varanger and northern Norway. A very big thanks to SNN Kulturstiftelsen for supporting Gullfest, which includes flying the worlds greatest bird artists to Vardø. Nord-Norges Arkitektforening also supports this nature destination development event. Big thanks ! Vardø Hotel are very kindly supporting Gullfest with rooms for our invited guests, speakers, bird ringers and artists! Please give them a follow on their new Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/vardo_hotel"><span style="color: blue;">@Vardo_Hotel</span></a> - Thank you! Northern Norways premium chef, Tor emil aka Varangerkokken support us with the most amazing local food. Thanks Tor Emil. The guys at Vardø Harbour / Vadø Havn KF kindly support us with boat trips. Vardø kommune and mayor Robert Jensen also support Gullfest. Thanks Arne Petter and Torkjell from Statens Naturoppsyn (nature wardens). Thanks to the brilliant guys at Vardøbruket (the local fish ´factory´). Top guys! We also owe a big thanks to everyone who follow us online during this arctic event. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Stay tuned for the niceness to come!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">best wishes from the Biotope team:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>Tormod, Elin, Alonza, Jonnie, Fay & Daniele</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">for all the latest Gullfest news & views:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">On FB: www.facebook.com/biotope.no </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">On Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice"><span style="color: blue;">@BiotopeOffice</span></a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/Finnmarkbirding"><span style="color: blue;">@FinnmarkBirding</span></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">+ find everything Gullfest on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Gullfest2016&src=typd"><span style="color: blue;">#Gullfest2016</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-60871164991104622552016-02-07T10:29:00.000+01:002019-06-13T13:04:40.892+02:00Steller´s Eiders & snow caves - living the Arctic life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6giKtPN-43F2Wr0kupzA7vpt9WhYQ114_Edp8i4NPKDT5wYEHJIHp_fvVD32Pu4QJ93FogWfJUReLnb6dDBrJsaQTnl8jqWAShZz-HKqq9ROByOjjFS_PXzzzxTg_ASQ4F7EbO_WBW3g/s1600/Stellers+Eider+Kiberg+Feb+6th+2016+BIO_8577+sign+med+res+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6giKtPN-43F2Wr0kupzA7vpt9WhYQ114_Edp8i4NPKDT5wYEHJIHp_fvVD32Pu4QJ93FogWfJUReLnb6dDBrJsaQTnl8jqWAShZz-HKqq9ROByOjjFS_PXzzzxTg_ASQ4F7EbO_WBW3g/s640/Stellers+Eider+Kiberg+Feb+6th+2016+BIO_8577+sign+med+res+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Incoming Steller´s Eiders in Kiberg harbour. Photographed from water level, dressed in a drysuit, swimming in the harbour. The Steller´s Eider photos and the video was shot, yesterday, Saturday the 6th of February. The weather was just too nice not to go for a swim in the harbour. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kiberg harbour in outer Varanger Fjord is one of the best places in the world to get close to this iconic arctic seaduck. We are currently working on a Steller´s Eider photo hide so some research needs to be done. We like everything about our jobs, but this kind of fieldwork is on top of the ´love it´ list. So without further ado: here are a few Steller´s Eider photos and a 2 minute video of the experience. We hope you enjoy <span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">(click on any image for full screen view, for desktop)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A day in Kiberg, swimming with Steller´s Eiders.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Z-ppVT4IQoUvRrtavH5eR_oqfBDoHBncCYq4O45PAvxeLtFZYJ9Ir3SFUjz2XjTNyy5A1ggoaEWIQ9RxIR8us49MuL-0tDE2QPh1SNhciZ0PsNMRhMHMJrInbEDhoED5W4t5TE4hDso/s1600/Stellers+Eider+Kiberg+harbour+Feb+6th+2016+BIO_8549+sign+med+res+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Z-ppVT4IQoUvRrtavH5eR_oqfBDoHBncCYq4O45PAvxeLtFZYJ9Ir3SFUjz2XjTNyy5A1ggoaEWIQ9RxIR8us49MuL-0tDE2QPh1SNhciZ0PsNMRhMHMJrInbEDhoED5W4t5TE4hDso/s640/Stellers+Eider+Kiberg+harbour+Feb+6th+2016+BIO_8549+sign+med+res+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Steller´s Eider, male.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0x1RgrM09e1-S2Qh5TzIn-2Pc_CI_5S4Icpke2-Orma9UWqEHeql4-xauz9RU7geT9fXKGc20cJMZreXksnuJK76VlfbRubfQkUk7N0G-qP2o5ckMClUNC9owAVS5VW4-pvmzZAiibY/s1600/Stellers+Eider+Kiberg+feb+6th+2016+BIO_8642+sign+med+res+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0x1RgrM09e1-S2Qh5TzIn-2Pc_CI_5S4Icpke2-Orma9UWqEHeql4-xauz9RU7geT9fXKGc20cJMZreXksnuJK76VlfbRubfQkUk7N0G-qP2o5ckMClUNC9owAVS5VW4-pvmzZAiibY/s640/Stellers+Eider+Kiberg+feb+6th+2016+BIO_8642+sign+med+res+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Steller´s Eider. Male.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMumcdZp9SSLT9ZGJy426wpphyphenhyphen_b1-xKNhzmgP3Fyk4SrAoOu8QT0yhyphenhyphenEB4BzLQE9f_Y1I7YbXFJjM-hi-L8TN6SxyU12QUgNZwXHkpKM4Tu8oY2iEUPpi50oXpcMZqvJyWB-6rwM2qw0/s1600/Stellers+Eider+Kiberg+Feb+6th+2016+BIO_8582+sign+med+res+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMumcdZp9SSLT9ZGJy426wpphyphenhyphen_b1-xKNhzmgP3Fyk4SrAoOu8QT0yhyphenhyphenEB4BzLQE9f_Y1I7YbXFJjM-hi-L8TN6SxyU12QUgNZwXHkpKM4Tu8oY2iEUPpi50oXpcMZqvJyWB-6rwM2qw0/s640/Stellers+Eider+Kiberg+Feb+6th+2016+BIO_8582+sign+med+res+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Incoming Steller´s Eider</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Steller´s Eider, close up, water level.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Getting comfortable with snow caves and wind shelters</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Winter in Varanger can be a chilling experience. In Vardø we typically get a couple of weeks with 15-20 freezing celcius. Then add everything from a gentle breeze to full gale force winds, and you have yourselves a proper arctic winter. How to handle it? Get out and enjoy it! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Connecting people and nature is our aim as architects. When we are not in the office we enjoy being outdoors. Biotope started as a small family business of myself, Elin and our daughter Lila (today we are a 5 man office). We still take every opportunity to explore Varanger, or other destinations. We enjoy birding and being outdoors. It fuels our passion for making more pro nature things happen! This January myself and junior-partner at Biotope, Lila, enjoyed some arctic style outdoor living. Check out our 2 minute movie below:</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Arctic architecture</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vardø with a proper winter frost bite is absolutely stunning. Everything goes white. The walls of every building looks like they are covered in white sprayed on concrete. Below are a couple of photos of the Hasselnes bird hide / wind shelter. The hide sits at the very exposed north point, Hasselnes, in Vardø. Hornøya is seen in the distance in the below photo. In January Arctic seaducks from Siberia arrive our shores, and Hasselnes is one of the places they are first recorded from every year. Throughout the whole winter the waters around Hornøya always seem to have good numbers of King Eiders. This hide was <a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2015/03/hasselnes-wind-shelter-watching-auroras.html"><span style="color: blue;">opened last March</span></a>, just in time for the annual bird festival Gullfest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hasselnes bird hide / wind shelter. Hornøya in the distance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hasselnes bird hide / wind shelter with a frost bite.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Hasselnes bird hide / wind shelter by late evening. Vardø town in the background. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This year we aim to get more serious with video. Or perhaps less serious. Meaning: a few fast-to-make productions will arrive the interwebs regularily. We hope you will enjoy our weekly (that the ambition, at least!) video blogs, or vlogs. Some of them will eventually find their way to this blog (like above), but follow us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/biotope.no">www.facebook.com/biotope.no</a> for box fresh video updates. We store them <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVG9jzEb1CAcZCdbgzNguSw"><span style="color: blue;">on Youtube</span></a> too (but not much interaction is happening there. Sorry. Can´t be everywhere. Not enough time). Say hi on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice"><span style="color: blue;">@BiotopeOffice</span></a>...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks for tuning in!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod A / Biotope</span><br />
<br />www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-80062058555019122982015-12-22T19:01:00.000+01:002019-06-13T13:05:42.441+02:00Wallcreeper action at Chateau des Baux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vHUWB0xW5PgqKO8W5399lPptoRlsKMAis4T9Gx92Sn6E7Rq_mbkTnNf2I59O_ducOiayLW-9owq5yhNIDool3P9Lc807ba0Wsiorye4B2M8IBoEBYR9KyaPtlVzcZ6v4THCcg4o5Xjw/s1600/Wallcreeper+France+Dec+2015+BIO_4301+crop+med+res+sign+-+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vHUWB0xW5PgqKO8W5399lPptoRlsKMAis4T9Gx92Sn6E7Rq_mbkTnNf2I59O_ducOiayLW-9owq5yhNIDool3P9Lc807ba0Wsiorye4B2M8IBoEBYR9KyaPtlVzcZ6v4THCcg4o5Xjw/s640/Wallcreeper+France+Dec+2015+BIO_4301+crop+med+res+sign+-+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wallcreeper - a name that puts a dreamy face on every birder. It is after all one of the most iconic bird species in Europe. The non-birding reader of this blog should note that this is an alpine species that is often tricky to find, unless you know exactly where to look. It is a bird unlike any other species in Europe. Being northern birders we have an affinity for extreme species which seem capable of thriving in the harshest conditions.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The Wallcreeper is such a species. In summer it prefers vertical cliffs from 1000-3000 meters above the sea. In winter however it often decends to lower altitudes, and is more easily found. Wallcreepers live in the Pyrenees, the Alps and onwards to Kaukasus and Himalaya. It is a true mountaineer. In addition to its extreme lifestyle it got killer looks! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alongside other top birds like Steller´s Eider (just randomly choosing that as an example), the Wallcreeper is sure to be on top of most birders wish list. Ours too. It is one of those birds you will happily travel to experience, and we are dedicating the Christmas 2015 to seeing Wallcreeper! We being myself, partner and Biotope co-founder, Elin and our 7 year old daughter Lila (already a skilled birder and tester of bird hides). Running a family birding architecture business takes us to a few cool places. Earlier this year I hosted a <a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2015/08/birding-varanger-in-summer.html"><span style="color: #0b5394;">tour in Varanger</span></a> for Swarovski Optik. On this trip I met with spanish birder Gorka Gorospe, who invited us to Navarra and the Spanish Pyrenees to check out some sites and look at potentials for birding architecture projects. Having (unsucessfully) tried to connect with Wallcreeper in Spain before we decided to make this Christmas a chase for ultimate mountaineering bird, starting in France, then continuing along the Pyrenees to Navarra in Spain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our chosen starting point of this Christmas Biotope tour was Camargue and Provence in France. In particular we set out to see the Chateau des Baux, a 1000+ year old fortress. The steep walls of the fortress and the surrounding cliffs are well known for having a few wintering Wallcreepers. A brilliant combination for a birder architect. The Chateau is very impressive with all of its intricate stone architecture, however the main attraction for us has evolved through thousands of years to become one of the most epic bird species of Europe. And we got lucky on the second day! The following is a short blogpost, with a few photos of both architecture and nature. Stay tuned for more from the mountainous parts of Europe. We still have more bird species to see and new places to be. But for now I hope you enjoy these Wallcreeper photos. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #990000;"><i>By the way: click any photo for bigger slide show views of photos (for desktop).</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chateau des Baux, France - famous for wintering Wallcreepers + various people history..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The main attraction at the Chateau is often not so flashy. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosW2ZZ4Am8VYNbSNn30x9GeGW1DoKYMp3a4QMdaD5npfyWhKN395TNhHjyAs_0GWt0LR6bmDrENeLf7fRCCtfmGWrHm1KzYE_oemxXETbWaHaV_hzNxkaEMDCx1iAAWd7-dEScVf8g5c/s1600/Wallcreeper+France+Chateau+des+Baux+Dec+2015+BIO_4369+camo+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosW2ZZ4Am8VYNbSNn30x9GeGW1DoKYMp3a4QMdaD5npfyWhKN395TNhHjyAs_0GWt0LR6bmDrENeLf7fRCCtfmGWrHm1KzYE_oemxXETbWaHaV_hzNxkaEMDCx1iAAWd7-dEScVf8g5c/s640/Wallcreeper+France+Chateau+des+Baux+Dec+2015+BIO_4369+camo+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However when spreading its wings when flickering around the steep cliffs it reveals the striking butterfly-like, deep crimson coloured wing pattern. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The ultimate architecture and birding combination. At one occasion we were lucky to be positioned well for some very nice views of the Wallcreeper as it searched the fortress wall for food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wallcreeper - with some serious climbing gear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Keeping it tight</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Top left: Chateau des Baux seen from a distance, in a beautiful scenery. Right: The steep cliffs of the west side of the Chateau seemed to be the favoured place for the Wallcreepers, of which we had 4, possibly 5 individuals! Also well worth a mention is the brilliant workings of the birding world on Twitter. After an unsuccessfull first day at the Chateau, we returned to our guesthouse in nearby town Saint Remy, tweeting about our lack of Wallcreepers. It did not take long before advice on specific sites and places at and near the Chateau to find Wallcreepers became the topic of a twitter conversation. Thanks especially to @Aminflitti and @JFDEcologist for input! Upon arriving the next day at the Chateau Elin got onto the birds imidiately when we arrived, Lila picked up a second bird in flight, and yours truly enjoyed being guided to the bird by Lila. The rest of the day was spent enjoying great views of Wallcreepers in very cool surroundings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A great bonus experience (there always is that when birding) was seeing Alpine Accentors feeding on the cliffs. Another hard core species. I have never before seen them actually peel of pieces of rock from the cliff surface when searching for food. When food is scarce you learn to find it anywhere. A trait of a another tough alpine species. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We truly enjoyed getting the opportunity to study this unique species, and getting close enough for some decent photos too. Stay tuned for more mountainous birding as we proceed to bird the Pyrenees. Follow us on twitter for regular news and views on tour: <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice"><span style="color: blue;">@BiotopeOffice</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Best wishes Tormod, Elin & Lila - a Biotope team on tour</span></div>
<br />www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-8422511807538502632015-12-03T20:25:00.001+01:002015-12-09T10:38:38.894+01:00Avitourism - Birding in Norway (fugleturisme i Norge)<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #042eee; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; min-height: 19px; text-align: center;">
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<b>An introduction to of the world of birding and avitourism and its potential in Norway</b></div>
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© Biotope & Innovasjon Norge / 2015 </div>
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This report was written and researched by Tormod Amundsen and Jonnie Fisk of Biotope. Biotope is the world´s first and only architecture office specialising in birding. We combine more then 25 years of experience as dedicated birders with the field of architecture. Biotope specialise in nature destination development, from designing bird hides to destination schemes to advising tourism businesses on how to operate and engage in the birding niché.</div>
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We would like to thank Innovation Norway for asking us to make this report. Our gratitude also goes to all the keen birders and nature enthusiasts who helped us with information and opinions. We hope this report will give the reader a better undestanding of a niché or culture that millions of people worldwide feel connected to, but perhaps is not so well known in a mainstream setting. Birding is on the rise and this will change. We hope this report is one helpfull step forward. Thanks for reading and engaging.</div>
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Tormod Amundsen</div>
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Architect (M.Arch) & Birder / CEO Biotope<br />
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<i><b>Additional note for this blogpost version of the ´Birding in Norway´ report:</b></i></div>
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<i>The report is written in English as the topic of birding and avitourism has worldwide interest. In addition we have interviewed several key people in the international birding community. A very big thanks goes out to those who contributed with thoughts, ideas and information! It is also worth noting that this report is intended to inform and widen the horizon for those who are less familiar with the international birding scene. We believe that specialised tourism, such as the birding niché, has a key role to play in future nature conservation work. We hope this report will inform and inspire more people, destinations and businesses to work with birding. However it is worth noting that birding is not for everyone or everywhere, but where there is potential it can have a great and very positive impact.</i></div>
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<i>You can also find the full report as a pdf on Innovation Norway´s website, with a </i><a href="http://www.innovasjonnorge.no/no/Reiseliv/Nyheter/fuglekikking-i-vinden/#.VmAWNrQqQ7v"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255); color: #0433ff;"><i>Norwegain introduction + pdf link</i></span></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(10, 83, 148); color: #0a5394;"><i>Find more info on travel in Norway on </i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/innovasjonnorgereiseliv"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255); color: #0433ff;"><i>Innovation Norway´s Travel & Tourism facebook page</i></span></a></span><i> </i></div>
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<i>For questions or feedback to Innovation Norway, connect with advisor on niché tourism Haaken Christensen on twitter </i><a href="https://twitter.com/haakenc"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255); color: #0433ff;"><i>@HaakenC</i></span></a><i>, or follow </i><a href="https://twitter.com/InnovasjonNorge"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 51, 255); color: #0433ff;"><i>@InnovasjonNorge</i></span></a><i> to stay tuned with latest news and views from Norway. </i><br />
<i>Here you can also find the <a href="http://bit.ly/1N7UTUx">full report as a pdf</a> (may take some time to open as it is a 160mb file)</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Introduction</span></b></div>
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Birding or birdwatching is on the rise. As the world becomes smaller and more accessible, travel is easier and cheaper. The digital age lets people connect on a person-to-person level. The keen birders have always found ways to connect and share information. It lies in the essence of birding itself. You can only discover more when you have a grasp of the present knowledge. Birding is for the curious minded. The tourist who, when travelling, will not call himself a tourist, but rather consider himself to simply pursue his passion, wherever it takes him. The fascinating thing with birding is that there is always more to explore. </div>
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When dedicated people meet and connect you develop a culture and a common understanding of things. This is why being a birder anywhere in the world seems almost effortless. Connections are made in an instant. Catering to birders can be a tricky thing if you don´t understand the culture. A birder can travel to a new country and a new culture, but once he meets with a local birder chances are he will instantly connect. The culture of birding is a worldwide culture, complete with its “language”, ideals, morals, websites, businesses and so much more. This report aims to give the reader a better understanding of birding in general, and the potentials in Norway in particular. It is produced on behalf of Innovation Norway <a href="http://www.innovasjonnorge.com/"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">www.innovasjonnorge.com</span></a></div>
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(Front page photo by Blomquist Kunsthandel of painting of Romsdalshorn, adaptation by Biotope)</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Birders</span></b></div>
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<i>“Birding is hunting without killing, preying without punishing and collecting without clogging your home”</i> - Mark Obmascik<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">1</span></span></div>
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The sheer joy of birdwatching (or birding) can be hard to explain to those who do not pursue it. At its simplest form, it is a celebration of nature. For many, it is the complete unpredictability of birding thats makes it attractive. You can go out with a basic idea of what birds you might see, but you will almost certainly come back having witnessed something you did not expect to. You may chance upon an unusual bird species for the area, or a familiar bird doing something unexpected like associating in the “wrong” habitat, wearing a plumage or exhibiting behaviour you have not seen before. Yes, the swallows (svaler) leave in the autumn and return in the spring but year-to-year they may arrive late, or depart early. They may have a good breeding season or completely fail. </div>
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For some, birding is all about little discoveries: what is the date of your earliest Swift (tårnsvale) back from Africa for the spring? What is the biggest Oystercatcher (tjeld) flock recorded on the local beach? How close do Sparrowhawk (spurvehauk) breed to your house? For others, it´s an expression of their primal hunting instinct: stalking the bird, using fieldcraft to make yourself near invisible, then (rather than killing the bird) achieving that perfect view or dream photo. For others it is the chase of rare and unusual species. Everyone considering themselves as birders or birdwatchers have an admiration for nature and a desire to see more, to understand more and to experience more. Birding is both connectedness and exploration.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*1(Obmascik, M.,The Big Year, 1 New York, Free Press, 2004)</span></i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: small; text-align: start;"><i>A keen birder will know at least a few of the above people. Everyone will see passionate people into birding and nature.</i></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Birding culture</span></b></div>
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When we use the term “hobby” to describe birding, that is selling short the community of people who make the identification, movements and behaviour of birds their life. Perhaps “counter-culture” or “tribe” is a more appropriate term. Better still: it is a lifestyle. Birding for many is a passion that extends far beyond hobby or pastime.</div>
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Worldwide birding is so large, it really does have its own culture. Many will describe it like being in one giant friendly club. It is quite normal to turn to a stranger next to you in the bird hide and strike up a pleasant conversation. “Anything good?” or “is it showing?” are universally understood questions within the birding community. Binoculars or a telescope are like ID badges, identifying yourself to other birders.</div>
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A 2011 study in the United States found there to be 47 million Americans who identified themselves as “birdwatchers”. To be counted as a birder in this study, an individual must have “either 1.) taken a trip one mile or more from home for the primary purpose of observing birds or 2.) closely observed or tried to identify birds around the home”. 18 million (38%) fell into the first category, arguably the more “birder-ish” of the criteria. The figure is likely to be higher, since teenagers under 16 were not counted and the survey did not reach every citizen<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*2</span>. 18 million was the figure of birders that were estimated to travel away from home within the U.S at least once annually.</div>
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In the UK, birding is a seriously popular pastime, or rather <i>lifestyle</i>. Within the UK, a national survey of 36,000 people in the UK April 2014 - March 2015 found 7.8 million people to have “an interest” in bird watching, 3.7 million said they went birdwatching occasionally and 1.9 million go birdwatching regularly (Sleight, A., Bird Watching Magazine, pers. comms., 2015)</div>
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It is rather hard to give very accurate estimates of numbers of birders in a country, as it varies a lot how formally organised the birding communities are. In UK the number of people who support charities and pro-nature organisations is high, and who consider themselves either to be birders, birdwatchers or keen nature enthusiasts. Most famous in the birding world is the RSPB or the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The RSPB has over 1500 employees, 18 000 volunteers and more than 1.1 million members (including 195 000 youth members), making it the largest wildlife conservation charity in Europe. The RSPB has many local groups and maintains 200 nature reserves.</div>
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In membership terms the RPSB is closely followed by The Wildlife Trusts, an organisation made up of 47 local Wildlife Trusts in the United Kingdom. The Wildlife Trusts, between them, look after around 2300 nature reserves covering more than 90 000 hectares. As of 2011 they have a combined membership of over 800 000 members. However many of these members are not necessarily dedicated birders. Many will be of the “lighter” category of birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*2(</i><i>Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2013)</i></span></div>
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<b>Twitching</b> (usually only by very keen birders) is also very big within the British birding</div>
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community. The British Isles are well placed to receive wind-blown vagrant birds from both far East Asia, the Eastern Seaboard of America and practically everywhere in between. Of the approximately 600 bird species recorded occurring in Britain, the majority are species which have occurred fleetingly, sometimes in numbers of less than 10 per year. When discovered, a rare bird may spark a twitch, generally attracting more birding visitors the rarer it is. One of the most famous twitches in British birding history took place in February 1989 in Kent after a Golden-winged Warbler, an incredibly rare (and very lost) species that should have been in Central or South America for the winter, not car park in the south of England. Thousands of British birders came to see it feeding in the bushes, and at one point the road was so crowded the local bus could not pass through!<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*3</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*3(</i><i>Loseby, T., pers. comms. 2015)</i></span></div>
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The birding world has become so large and so well-connected internationally that there are a number of <b>birding “trade-shows”</b> held every year across the world. Largest of all is The British Birdwatching Fair (more commonly called <i>The BirdFair</i>) held annually in Britain at Rutland Water every year since 1989. The Birdfair goes one step further than being a place for companies and charities to exhibit themselves. It lays on back-to-back lectures and entertainment features, guided walks and bird ringing demonstrations. Its popularity has exploded and The BirdFair now hosts 25 000 visitors and over 400 exhibitors annually<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*4</span>.</div>
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On top of this, there is a wide number of annual birding festivals across the world. The aim of most of these is to bring people together to go birding and celebrate a certain area. The <i>Eilat Birds Festival</i> champions all things birding in Israel. Participants pay to take part in guided tours around the birding hotspots and evening presentations. In 2014, 215 birders were registered taking part in the festival, with c.4000 birders visiting the area that spring<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*5</span>. In Ohio, the <i>Biggest Week In American Birding</i> is a 10-day pilgrimage for many birders to THE place in the world to see the colourful North American wood warblers. Guided tours, lectures, ID workshops, birding celebrities and of course, fantastic birding are all part of the programme. The USA is well served with similar events occurring at the <i>Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival</i> (Harlingen, Texas, 2288 visitors 2014<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*6</span>), <i>Cape May Fall Festival</i> (Cape May, New Jersey, c.1500 visitors 2014<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*7</span>), <i>Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival</i> (Florida, c.5340 visitors 2014<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*8</span>).</div>
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As is common in the birding world, these festivals become increasingly niche, with one American bird festival titled the <i>Alaska Hummingbird Festival</i>: celebrating the spring return of the hummingbirds to their state. In Louisiana, the<i> Yellow Rails and Rice</i> festival purely revolves around the harvesting of the rice fields, with birders following the machinery and watching any rails (small secretive waterbirds) that fly out from the crop - particularly the scarcely observed Yellow Rail. These are simple ideas that work extremely well.</div>
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With the hundreds of birding festivals around the world it can be hard to know which ones to attend if your primary goal is not to go birding, but rather to meet potential customers and to to engage with other birding related businesses. To a large extent you can meet potential customers on any birding festival. The trick however is to be a birder yourself. That makes everything easier. After all, sharing an interest or passion for the topic at hand is what matters if you want to relate to people.</div>
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There are hundreds of birding festivals around the globe, but a much smaller selection of “trade shows” or “fairs”. This is where people in the birding business meet, exhange ideas, build relationships, make deals and much more. They are also often attended by a large number of birders who are there to be inspired, learn about new destinations to visit or check out the latest optics or books on birds and nature.</div>
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Key trade shows or fairs to visit are (covering the biggest markets today):</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•The Rutland Birdfair (The British Birdwatching Fair): The worlds greatest gathering of birders with 25 000 people attending over a weekend in August.<br />
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Scottish Birdfair, still very big with over 6000 people attending over weekend in May.<br />
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The American Birding Expo, a newcomer to the scene, arranged for the first time in USA in October 2015. This sets out to become The Birdfair of USA. A much needed development, as the US birding scene seems very dispersed in a myriad of smaller festivals and businesses, but until now without a shared space to meet and mingle.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*4(</i><i>Birdfair History, http://www.birdfair.org.uk/birdfair-history/, 2015)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*5(</i><i>Meyrav, J., Israel Ornithological Center, pers comms, 2015)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*6(</i><i>Mahathey, S., Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, pers. comms., 2015)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*7(</i><i>LaPuma, D., Cape May Bird Observatory, pers. comms., 2015)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*8(</i><i>Harris, N., Brevard Nature Alliance, pers. comms., 2015)</i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The categories of birders</span></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: helvetica;">Birdwatcher</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"> </span></div>
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is an ambiguous term. Generally, birdwatchers are people who do just that: watch birds. They may simply look at the birds in the garden. They might take binoculars on walks in the park. They may go on a bird watching walk in nice weather. But apart from that, they do not have the obsession or dedication that <i>birders</i> do. “Birder” is a phrase that became common parlance in the American bird watching scene in the 20th century. Most serious birders now much prefer the term to “birdwatcher”. Birdwathcers will have binoculars, but neccesarily a telescope. Birding is more of a hobby then a serious lifestyle. Mostly on Facebook, a little less on Twitter. Often on Instagram.</div>
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<b>Birders</b><br />
are birdwatchers who have made birds their life. They rise at 4am to catch the early bird. They are out in all weathers with optical equipment that may have cost them upwards of 10-20 000 NOK. They write notes on birds they see, record the calls of birds they hear. Free time not spent in the field is used reading books on birding, surfing the internet for the latest papers on bird identification or planning their next trip abroad to experience amazing wildlife. They use the term “bird” as a verb. “Where are you going?” “Birding”. Will have binoculars, a telescope and a camera to document sightings. Birding as a lifestyle. They will engage widely on Facebook, they will very likely run a blog, and Twitter is a favoured social media for sharing the latest news and views from the birding world. Keen birders can be your very best ambassadors. Take good care of them.</div>
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<b>Twitchers</b><br />
are a birders with an express interest in chasing rare birds. They may travel vast distances to see vagrant birds, to study an unfamiliar species, to add the bird to their list <i>(see glossary)</i> or simply to be part of the birding “event” surrounding this birds occurrence. For twitchers, the thrill of the chase is often as important as seeing the bird. British birder Graham Gordon expresses the cocktail mix of panic and euphoria when a rare bird turns up. In this scenario he is stuck on a boat full of non-birders as he tries to travel to another island to spot a very rare bird that has been blown off-course by hurricanes from North America.<i>“It wasn't just tension, you understand: it was the sheer, unadulterated joy within of being on Scilly when something BIG was happening. I just wouldn't have been able to put it into words for these humans. I needed to be with my own subspecies!”<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*9</span></i>. Twitching can be an all-consuming lifestyle. They will follow several Facebook pages dedicated to birding. Twitter is a key media, providing fast and easy to reach information. Instagram is not used much. </div>
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<b>Bird / wildlife photographers</b><br />
are often focusing on the creative side of birding, and uses a camera to express his or her relationship with nature. However a birdwatcher/birder/twitcher can also fall under the umbrella of bird/wildlife photographer, often using the camera to document his or her finds. There are also people who are bird/wildlife photographers without being birders. There is a growing market for photographers, and they are very often willing to spend a lot of money on achieving their “dream” shot. They are attracted to places which offer the possibility of capturing spectacular wildlife in exciting circumstances. They may be less bothered about seeing rare birds or gathering a long list of species. For example, the White-tailed Eagle is a relatively common bird in Norway but is very popular with photographers. The eagles are impressive looking birds, and offer the possibility of being photographed in a range of scenarios. Bird / wildlife photography related products often offer opportunities make a business outside of guiding or accommodation. Pay for photo hides are becoming more widely used. The bird photographer will most certainly have his own blog and / or a website, a dedicated photopage on Facebook. They are often on Twitter but many are not. Instagram is also widely used.</div>
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<b>Active nature enthusiasts</b><br />
are a very large group of people. They constitute they major bulk of RSPB´s membership. They are often families who are into nature, but not necessarily deeply into birding. They are an important group to cater to as they more often will need and / or benefit from more information and better presentations of nature. A large number of people worldwide will express a deep interest in birds and nature when presented to it in a clever or very nice manner. This can be through use of guides, exhibitions in nature centres, nicely designed bird hides and wind shelters. Unlike the keenest birder / birdwatcher fraternity they will often not be actively engaging with the birding community on social media. This is one of the most underestimated benefits of the birders: when treated nicely they are your best PR people, through very active blogging and presence on social media. The active nature enthusiasts are more often found on Facebook and Instagram.</div>
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<i>*9(</i><i>Gordon, G., Days to Remember Northern Waterthrush on St Mary’s, http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=3195 2012)</i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: small;">Puffins - one of the world´s most well known birds</span></i></div>
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<b>Birding glossary</b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•Blocker</b>: A twitcher´s term for a very rare bird species that has not been seen in an area for a long time. It has been “blocked” for the twitchers who did not see it before. When one finally turns up again and is seen by more people, it has been “unblocked”. <i>“I was so glad Masked Shrike became unblocked last week!”</i>.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•Bogey bird</b>: One species that a birder has always had trouble seeing. Usually unique to each birder. <i>“Another year over and I still didn't see a Red-breasted Flycatcher. It´s become my bogey bird”</i>.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•Dip/dip out</b>: Failing to see a rare bird after attempting to do so. <i>“We tried to twitch the Black Stork but we dipped”</i>.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• Dude</b>: A derogatory name used by birders to describe other birdwatchers who have little knowledge of birds or all the gear but no idea.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• Jizz</b>: The “feel” of the bird using a combination of movement, shape, behaviour etc. Expert birder can identify a bird in silhouette or from a great distance by its jizz. <i>“At first I wasn't sure, but it moved with that classic Common Sandpiper jizz”</i>. </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• Lifer</b>: A bird species that the observer has not seen before. <i>“I hope we get Corncrake on this trip. That would be a lifer”</i>.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• List/lister</b>: Listers are birders that keep lists of the birds they see e.g. <b>Life list</b> (every bird you see during your life, sometimes confined to your home country), <b>year list</b> (all the birds you see in a calendar year) with the aim of seeing more (having a longer list) than your fellow listers. Listers often adhere to rules set out by bird listing organisations on what they can and can´t “tick”.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• Patch</b>: An area local to a birder where they regularly go birding.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• Scope/bins</b>: Shorthand for telescope and binoculars.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• String</b>: The act of making up a bird sighting (not mis-identifying). Birders who do this are “stringers”. <i>“Have you seen this report of an Aquatic Warbler? Total string”</i>.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• Suppress</b>: When a particular rare bird is found but its presence is not broadcast, wether it be for the good of the bird, the refusal of the land owner or the malice of the birder who found it. Birders who do this are suppressors. <i>“I´m so annoyed with those suppressors in Norfolk, I was 10 minutes away from the Black-eared Kite and I had no idea it was there!”</i>.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• Tick</b>: The first time you've seen the bird, meaning (if you keep a list) you can “tick” it off. Divided further, for example <b>year tick</b> (first time you've seen the bird this year), <b>country/county/garden tick</b> (first time you've seen the bird within that given area).</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• Twitch</b>: When birders descend upon an area due to a sighting of a rare bird. e.g. “the Glaucouswinged Gull in Vardø sparked a big twitch”. People who twitch are called twitchers. They may keep a list of how many rare bird species they see, with the aim of seeing as many as they can. <i>“There was a bunch of twitchers here yesterday ticking the Pacific Eider”</i>.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• Vis-mig / viz-mig</b>: The act of watching birds <b>vis</b>ibly <b>mig</b>rate. There are many specific lookouts birders congregate at during the migration periods to watch this. <i>“The viz-mig was crazy this morning - a thousand Bramblings came through!”</i>.</div>
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<b>The travelling birder & nature enthusiast</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Survey overview with comments and video interviews</span></b></div>
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<b>Survey: birding and avitourism</b></div>
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As a part of this report about avitourism we aim to describe key characteristics of the travelling birder / nature enthusiast (short: NE) scene. Birders and NEs love to travel. Birds themselves migrate amazing distances to find the best breeding and feeding grounds. As a natural extension of being deeply into birds comes an urge to travel and see various bird species in the wide array of habitats they use.</div>
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The following section is based on in depth interviews with key / relevant people in the international birding community and an international online survey we made in order to complement our finds with more data. The below statistics are the result from this survey made as a part of this report. In the survey we aimed to get feedback from the keen birders and nature enthusiasts. As such the survey was set up to last for only 3 days and it was spread throughout the birding community via twitter, direct mails to our contacts, and with the help of several key online birding services (like <a href="http://www.birdguides.com/home/default.asp"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">Birdguides</span></a><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 104, 165); color: #0068a5;"> </span>and <a href="http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/index.aspx"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">Rare Bird Alert</span></a><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 104, 165); color: #0068a5;"> </span>in UK). 346 people completed the survey. A very nice result, and when read with background knowledge of the birding scene this survey provides a lot of interesting and representative information. We wish to thank all the people who did the survey and the ones who helped us spread it to a very targeted community of birders and nature enthusiasts.</div>
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Each survey page (with statistic results / summaries) is followed by comments and interpretations and a video interview.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The BirdFair video interviews</span></b></div>
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Complementing the birding survey is a series of interviews we did with selected group of people in the world birding community. The Rutland BirdFair is the worlds largest gathering of birders and nature enthusiasts. Every year 25 000 birders and NEs gather for a weekend of inspiration, sharing ideas, doing business, etc. There are more the 400 exhibitors at the fair, with every branch of the birding business and conservation represented. The range is from over 80 countries, to all the major optics brands, key nature conservation organisations, etc. We took the opportunity to make the following 3-8 minute interviews at the Birdfair.</div>
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We aimed to get a variety of people interviewed, in order to be able to better portray the wide variety we find in the international birding community. Topics covered range from use of social media like blogging, to preferences in travel, to input on which are the top world birding sites, and which destinations in Norway is highly regarded. The interviews and the opinions shared are also reflected in the survey. For example, when asked, a lot of people find it difficult to mention birding destinations in Norway outside of Varanger. Varanger also ranks far above any other destinations in Norway in our survey. Of interest is also the variety of approaches taken by countries on how to brand themselves and how to reach out to potential customers. A rather typical feature is that many countries do not have an official presence at Birdfair, but a country is rather represented by independent parties or networks of businesses. There are several models which all work differently. </div>
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We wish to extend our gratitude to the 11 people who contributed with their thoughts and and shared their stories in the interviews. We are certain that the following chapter will be inspirational for some and enlightening for others. </div>
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<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; text-indent: -36px;">Most birding holidays last for 1-3 weeks, and are made with birding friends, however birding will and can be done with anyone.</b></li>
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<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; text-indent: -36px;"><b>Independent travel is by far the most popular </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">(It is also the segment that Varanger aimed for, and that contributed to successfully increase the visitors to the region significantly).</span></b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; text-indent: -36px;">Birding is the main focus. Everything else is secondary!</b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; text-indent: -36px;">Hotels and lodges rule, but everything goes!</b></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial"; text-indent: -36px;"><b>Credible information is key: Advice from other birders is by far the most important when deciding on where to travel.</b></span></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; text-indent: -36px;">Destination websites are often considered less valuable, as birding information there is often is found to be less trustworthy.</b></li>
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<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; text-indent: -36px;">Local tour operators (of the non-birding kind) are often not considered to serve trustworthy information, but when a hotel is run by birder they can provide very valuable information. A deeper then average knowledge of the local birdlife can be a key selling point. If you do not have this interest of knowledge yourselves, connect with someone who has.</b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Arial; text-indent: -36px;">Destination bird guide books are (almost) always written by a birder or someone with good knowledge of birding in the region. These are often considered to be very valuable, and in many cases having a destination guide book will help launch the destination in the birding world. The key is detailed site information, with good maps and / or descriptions.</b></li>
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<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">64% of travelling birders will sometimes hire a guide. Many prefer to travel independently, but being able to hire a guide for parts of a holiday will give a great introduction to an area, but the sense of exploring on your own is still important.</b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">75% will ALWAYS by a guide book for the destination. Make sure one is available.</b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Additional products are very valuable, and if available very often used. Make </b><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">sure unique experiences become available products.</b><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;"> </b></li>
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<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">There are enough birders in the world to have birding happening at every price range. However birders are often willing to spend considerable amount of money of their passion and hobby.</b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Birders most commonly travels internationally once or twice a year. However some travel much more.</b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Birders are very focused on the birding experience but 60% still prefer to pay more for comfort and / or good food.</b></li>
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<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Birding happens at every age, from teenager to retired. Birding is a lifestyle. Once you have chosen birding it will stay with you for life. Birders are by many hotel and lodge owners considered to be some of the ´best kind of guests´. They are often very skilled about local conditions (every birder research a lot before a trip). Birders are also very often easily satisfied (providing the birding is good!). They are also often return customers for many years.</b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">In Europe a large portion of birders are male. In USA however there are just about more women then men who are into birding. The survey used here had a high input from the UK birding community, hence the high portion men in the above result. This is also reflected in many European birding destinations.</b></li>
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<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Pay-for photo hides are not widely used by travelling birders. This survey was aimed more at the keen birding community and a smaller number of wildlife photographers contributed. Photographers will very often like to use pay-for photo hides. Sometimes a good photo hide is a reason to go. Preferably a destination needs more then one kind of photo hide to become attractive to an international audience. When travelling to Norway one often spends considerable money on travel and having more attractions available will make it more worthwhile.</b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Public bird hides and / or wind shelters are very often used. They make birding more comfortable and more easily available. They are also often a sign of a good birding location. Such facilities also makes it easier to bring family on trips. Bird hides and wind shelters come at a low cost compared to the high value they provide.</b></li>
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<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">In Europe: Most birders live in UK. End of story. UK can with its long tradition of "natural history" almost be considered the homeland of birding.</b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Birding is popular in the other western European countries. It is on the rise in most other countries.</b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Birding is very big in USA (but with a more relaxed / less intense style of birding).</b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Birding in Asia is on the rise. In particular in China (where people come into birding via photography).</b></li>
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<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Birding destinations are popular based on 1.) being easily accessible and safe 2.) being exotic and / or adventurous 3.) providing a very high diversity of bird species.</b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Norway ranks very high on being the world´s easiest available arctic birding destination. Surely some of the people taking this survey will have had Norway on their mind when taking the survey, simply based on where the survey comes from. Still, even with this taken into account, the survey result is very positive for Norway!</b></li>
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<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Spain is cleverly marketed, and has key regions become famous destinations. It is very easily available from the main European market, UK.</b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Norway offers unique and very exotic birding, easily available. Again, survey bias considered, it is a very good result for Norway, and should fuel the work to make Norway more attractive for birders.</b></li>
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<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Varanger is by far the most famous birding destination in Norway. In the birding world sense it is Norway´s flagship destination.</b></li>
<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Northern Norway holds the most interest for an international audience. Lofoten / Tromsø has undeveloped potential. Key birding destinations in southern Norwegian context has potential to go bigger (but most likely in a Scandinavian context).</b></li>
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<b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> How big is birding?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">By birders, for birders</span></b></div>
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“By birders, for birders” seems to be the industry standard. The global birding business scene is made up of people who have made their passion their job. This in turn can make it difficult for a non-birder or a non-birding business to relate to the birding scene. This is a good thing. It is a means of securing quality throughout the scene. For example a tour operator specialising in birding tours could not do so successfully without intimate knowledge of both birds, birding and birders. In mainstream tourism business you will every now and then be confronted with a product or service of low quality, in the sense that the provider is obviously in it simply for the money. The result can be charging a high price for a low quality product, but coated in a professional packaging (with nice brochures, websites,etc). If you are met with a product of lower quality in the birding world you will more often find that it is the presentation that is of low quality, but the products are often surprisingly good. However throughout the international birding scene there are an amazing number of very high quality businesses, catering to an often very quality minded audience. This ranges from specialised guesthouses, lodges, B&Bs, hotels often run by birders, or people who's interest in nature has become above average. Running a bird tour operator business and being a guide for birders is not something you based on a weekend course in birding. Your guests will expect you to be able to identify any bird in your region, by sight and by sound. Achieving these skills requires years of fieldcraft. The international birding scene is big enough to have a huge number of people who are great at both birding and business. The standards are high, but there is always room for more, new and better. The key is to know your niche.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;">Birders on tour in Varanger with world birding experts Ruth and Alan of "The Biggest Twitch" (birding tour company).</span></i></td></tr>
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As previously mentioned birding is a worldwide culture. With that comes much more then just business. There are a wide range of other initiatives that are important. Bird and nature</div>
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conservation is always very closely linked to the birding scene. There is a wide range of nature reserves that, both private and charity owned, that consider it their job to protect and facilitate for nature to thrive, but with centres, shops, guided tour, etc, it is also a business model. </div>
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Another example of the bird conservation scene is the 24-hour bird races occur worldwide, the simple aim: to clock up as many bird species as you can in one day. These are hardcore events for hardcore birders, participants are up from dawn until dusk, getting very little rest and making as few comfort stops as possible - any time not spent birding is time lost!</div>
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In Israel, teams from across the world compete in the Champions Of The Flyway, the name</div>
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celebrating the position of Southern Israel for major bird migration “flyways”. The event has really taken off, with teams from the USA, South Africa and even a joint Israeli/Palestinian team taking part, showing how birding can bring people together. All money raised by teams goes towards a specific charity. For 2015, money went to the organisation BirdLife Cyprus to aid their work in preventing the illegal trapping and killing of migrant birds. The overall winning team is the one which records the most species of birds in the 24 hours. Similar well-known events occur with the World Series of Birding and the American Birding Association´s Christmas Bird Counts in the USA. These events of course also provide great PR for the destinations they are being held in.</div>
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Birding is in the literature scene as well, and there are several books that are near-essential reading for birders. American-oriented novels <i>The Big Year</i> by Mark Obmascik and <i>Kingbird Highway</i> by Kenn Kaufman tell the tale of competitive year-listing, where birders travel far and wide to see as many bird species as they can within the USA during one year. Pete Dunne is widely regarded as one of the best “birding writers” out there and his books <i>Golden Wings</i>, <i>Tales Of A Low Rent Birder</i>, the sequel: <i>More Tales Of A Low Rent Birder</i> contain series of short stories, some true, some fictional, mainly revolving around Cape May Bird Observatory in New Jersey.</div>
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Not even popular culture is safe from birders. In 2002, they broke into Hollywood thanks to James Bond 007 himself. In Die Another Day Pierce Brosnan´s character went undercover as a birdwatcher in Cuba (a top birding destination). Birding takes centre stage in the 2011 film The Big Year (based on a book of the same name) as characters played by Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson compete to see as many North American birds in one year as possible. Birds were also in the spotlight for the independent film A Birder´s Guide To Everything released in 2014, a coming-of-age story about four young birders on a road trip.</div>
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Across the world, there are thousands of organisations and charities committed to wild birds. The biggest of these is BirdLife International, a non-governmental organisation that brings together countries across the world to conserve birds and their habitats. Each country has its own organisation that represents BirdLife International as a “partner (designate)”.</div>
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The largest Birdlife partner is the UK´s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB); a world famous charity that runs over 200 reserves across the UK and supports a huge variety of projects that protect, celebrate and enhance Britain´s birdlife. They have over 1.1 million paying members who provide the majority of the charity´s funding through membership, donations and legacies.</div>
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Perhaps as (if not more) famous as the RSPB is the Audubon Society of the USA. Named after the “father” of American ornithology, John James Audubon, who <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">published a huge book in 1838 documenting over 700 species of North American birds with life-size paintings. It has been dubbed the first proper “field guide” to North American birds, even if it stood a metre tall. Now the Audubon Society promotes birding and the conservation of birds, with each US state having their own Audubon Society branch. </span></div>
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Despite its (largely false) image as a hobby for the older generations, the birding community is a rapidly increasing one, supposedly the second-fastest growing outdoor hobby in the U.S. It is estimated that by 2050 there will be 127.8 million birders in the U.S alone<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*10</span>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*10(</i><i>Birding Expo, pers comms 2015)</i></span></div>
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<b><i>BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*11</span></i></b><i> (complete list per September 2015)</i></div>
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<i>Andorra: Associació per a la Defensa de la Natura (ADN), 420 members</i></div>
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<i>Argentina: Aves Argentinas (AOP), 970 members</i></div>
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<i>Armenia: Armenian Society for the Protection of Birds (ASPB), 15 members</i></div>
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<i>Australia: BirdLIfe Australia, 10000 members</i></div>
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<i>Austria: BirdLIfe Austria, 2500 members</i></div>
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<i>Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan Ornithological Society (AOS), 300 members</i></div>
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<i>Bahamas: Bahamas National Trust (BNT), 3000 members</i></div>
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<i>Bahrain: Bahrain Natural History Society (BNHS) (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i>Belarus: BirdLife Belarus (APB), 2700 members</i></div>
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<i>Belgium: Natagora (Wallonia), 14550 members & Natuurpunt (Flanders), founded 1951, 87150 members</i></div>
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<i>Belize: Belize Audubon Society (BAS), 1700 members</i></div>
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<i>Bolivia: Asociacion Armonia, 256 members</i></div>
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<i>Botswana: BirdLife Botswana (BLB), 500 members</i></div>
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<i>Brazil: SAVE Brasil, (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i>Bulgaria: Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB), founded 1988, 21200 members</i></div>
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<i>Burkina Faso: NATURAMA, (no information on date founded/members on BirdLIFe International website)</i></div>
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<i>Burundi: Association Burundaise pour la protection de la Nature (ABN), 100 members</i></div>
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<i>Cambodia: BirdLife International Cambodia Programme (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i>Cameroon: Biodiversity Conservation Society (CBCS) (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i> Canada: Bird Studies Canada (BSC), 7500 members & Nature Canada, 5000 members</i></div>
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<i>Chile: Comité Nacional Pro Defensa de la Flora y Fauna (CODEFF), 4800 members</i></div>
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<i>Cook Islands: Te Ipukarea Society (TIS), 92 members</i></div>
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<i>Croatia: Association BIOM, 100 members</i></div>
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<i>Cuba: Centro Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CNAP), 38 members</i></div>
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<i>Cyprus: BirdLife Cyprus, 520 members</i></div>
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<i>Czech Republic: Czech Society for Ornithology (CSO), 2100 members</i></div>
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<i>Denmark: Dansk Ornitologisk Forening (DOF), 14800 members</i></div>
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<i>Dijibouti: Djibouti Nature, 495 members</i></div>
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<i>Dominican Republic: Grupo Jaragua (GJI), 54 members</i></div>
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<i>Ecuador: Aves y Conservación, 36 members</i></div>
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<i>Egypt: Nature Conservation Egypt, 39 members</i></div>
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<i>El Salvador: SalvaNATURA (SN), 500 members</i></div>
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<i>Estonia: Estonian Ornithological Society (EOS), 500 members</i></div>
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<i>Ethiopia: Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society (EWNHS) (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i>Falkland Islands: Falklands Conservation, 568 members</i></div>
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<i>Faroe Islands: Faroese Ornithological Society, 210 members</i></div>
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<i>Fiji: NatureFiji-MareqetiViti, 200 members</i></div>
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<i>Finland: BirdLife Suomi, 11000 members</i></div>
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<i>France: Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), 44000 members</i></div>
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<i>French Polynesia: Société d'Ornithologie de Polynésie (MANU), 110 members</i></div>
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<i>Germany: Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), 450000 members</i></div>
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<i>Ghana: Wildlife Society (GWS) (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i>Gibraltar: Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (GONHS), 400 members</i></div>
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<i>Greece: Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS), 2600 members</i></div>
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<i>Hong Kong: Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (HKBWS), 1500 members</i></div>
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<i>Hungary: BirdLife Hungary, 8600 members</i></div>
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<i>Iceland: Fuglavernd – BirdLife Iceland (ISPB), 1100 members</i></div>
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<i>India: Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), 4400 members</i></div>
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<i>Indonesia: Burung Indonesia, 3055 members</i></div>
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<i>Iraq: Nature Iraq, 1100 members</i></div>
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<i>Ireland: BirdWatch Ireland, 15000 members</i></div>
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<i>Israel: Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), 40000 members</i></div>
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<i>Italy: Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli (LIPU), 30000 members</i></div>
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<i>Ivory Coast: SOS-FORETS (SF) (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i>Japan: Wild Bird Society of Japan (WBSJ), 47000 members</i></div>
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<i>Jordan: Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), 2000 members</i></div>
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<i>Kazakhstan: Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK), 160 members</i></div>
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<i>Kenya: NatureKenya (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i>Kuwait: Environment Protection Society (KEPS), 400 members</i></div>
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<i>Kyrgyzstan: Nature Kyrgyzstan, 100 members</i></div>
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<i>Latvia: Latvian Ornithological Society (LOB), 400 members</i></div>
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<i>Lebanon: Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL), 135 members</i></div>
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<i>Liberia: The Society for Conservation of Nature in Liberia (SCNL) (no member information on BirdLife</i></div>
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<i>International website)</i></div>
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<i>Liechtenstein: Botanisch-Zoologische Gesellschaft (BZG), 200 members</i></div>
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<i>Lithuania: Lithuanian Ornithological Society (LOD), 400 members</i></div>
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<i>Luxembourg: natur&ëmwelt, 13000 members</i></div>
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<i>Macedonia: Macedonian Ecological Society (MES), 90 members</i></div>
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<i>Madagascar: Asity Madagascar (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i>Malawi: Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM) (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i>Malaysia: Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), 5000 members</i></div>
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<i>Malta: BirdLife Malta, 3200 members</i></div>
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<i>Mauritius: Mauritius Wildlife Foundation, 17 members</i></div>
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<i>Mexico: Pronatura (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i>Montenegro: Center for Protection and Research of birds of Montenegro (CZIP), 62 members</i></div>
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<i>Morocco: GREPOM, 130 members</i></div>
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<i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Myanmar: Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA) (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i>Nepal: Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN), 560 members</i></div>
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<i>Netherlands: Society for the Protection of Birds (VBN), 153000 members</i></div>
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<i>New Caledonia: Société Calédonienne d’Ornithologie (SCO), 81 members</i></div>
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<i>New Zealand: Forest & Bird, 40000 members</i></div>
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<i>Nigeria: Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), 6000 members</i></div>
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<i>Norway: Norwegian Ornithological Society (NOF), 9500 members</i></div>
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<i>Palau: Palau Conservation Society (PCS), 549 members</i></div>
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<i>Palestine: Palestine Wildlife Society (PWLS), 120 members</i></div>
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<i>Panama: Panama Audubon Society (PAS), 106 members</i></div>
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<i>Paraguay: Guyra, 300 members</i></div>
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<i>Philippines: Haribon Foundation, 400 members</i></div>
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<i>Poland: Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP), 3500 members</i></div>
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<i>Portugal: Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA), 3200 members</i></div>
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<i>Puerto Rico: Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña, Inc. (SOPI) (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i>Quatar: Friends of the Environment Centre, 1400 members</i></div>
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<i>Romania: Romanian Ornithological Society (SOR) & BirdLife Romania, 1100 members</i></div>
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<i>Rwanda: Association pour la Conservation de la Nature au Rwanda (ACNR), 50 members</i></div>
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<i>Saudi Arabia: Saudi Wildlife Authority (SWA) (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i>Serbia: Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia, 214 members</i></div>
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<i>Seychelles: Nature Seychelles, 75 members</i></div>
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<i>Sierra Leone: Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL), 511 members</i></div>
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<i>Singapore: Nature Society (NSS), 1500 members</i></div>
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<i>Slovakia: SOS/BirdLife, 1000 members</i></div>
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<i>Slovenia: BirdLife Slovenia (DOPPS), 1000 members</i></div>
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<i>South Africa: BirdLife South Africa (BLSA), 2000 members</i></div>
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<i>Spain: SEO/Birdlife, 12000 members</i></div>
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<i>Sri Lanka: Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL), 600 members</i></div>
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<i>Sweden: Swedish Ornithological Society (SOF), 16000 members</i></div>
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<i>Switzerland: SVS/BirdLife Switzerland, 63000 members</i></div>
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<i>Syria: Syrian Society for Conservation of Wildlife (SSCW), 65 members</i></div>
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<i>Taiwan: Chinese Wild Bird Federation (CWBF), 10000 members</i></div>
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<i>Thailand: Bird Conservation Society of Thailand (BCST), 3000 members</i></div>
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<i>Tunisia: Association Les Amis des Oiseaux (AAO), 700 members</i></div>
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<i>Turkey: Doğ a Derneğ i (DD), 1000 members</i></div>
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<i>Uganda: NatureUganda (NU), 400 members</i></div>
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<i>Ukraine: Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Birds (USPB), 450 members</i></div>
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<i>United Kingdom: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), 1090000 members</i></div>
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<i>United States: Audubon Society, 400000 members</i></div>
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<i>Uruguay: Aves Uruguay (GUPECA), 110 members</i></div>
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<i>Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan Society for the Protection of Birds (UzSPB), 200 members</i></div>
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<i>Vietnam: BirdLife International in Indochina (no member information on BirdLife International website)</i></div>
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<i>Zambia: BirdWatch Zambia, 133 members</i></div>
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<i>Zimbabwe: BirdLife Zimbabwe (BLZ), 730 members</i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*11(</span></i><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">BirdLife Partners, http://www.birdlife.org/worldwide/partnership/birdlife-partners, 2015)</span></i></div>
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<b style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Birding online</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uv4CtlF4tQs/VmBUjKzUiTI/AAAAAAAAARg/yxjQVhKGWe4/s1600/Snip20151202_8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uv4CtlF4tQs/VmBUjKzUiTI/AAAAAAAAARg/yxjQVhKGWe4/s640/Snip20151202_8.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;">Screenshot from the Birding Frontiers blog - one of the most popular birding blogs in Europe. Being featured on this blog has helped put Varanger on the world birding map.</span></i></td></tr>
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The invention of the internet has changed the game for birders. Limitless information can be found on millions of websites: optics equipment can be bought, photos browsed, holidays planned and bird sightings scoured. </div>
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If you took 100 “ordinary” people, most certainly less than 5% would run a blog. This is different with birding, where the community is very focused on sharing information. Most serious birders run a blog, or if not, they certainly follow a good number of them. It is the easiest way to share photographs, news and itineraries from birding trips. The world of birding blogs is wonderfully diverse - they go from the serious to the simply silly. Most bird observatories have an official blog or website. The Spurn Bird Observatory (<a href="http://www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/sightings/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/sightings/</span></a>) blog list daily the bird species recorded in the area with no personal opinions or narrative. It received an average of 18518 page views a month in 2014, with a high of 31748 views for September (peak autumn bird migration).</div>
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The popular Birding Frontiers blog (<a href="http://birdingfrontiers.com/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://birdingfrontiers.com</span></a>) showcases the latest developments in bird ID and challenges what we think we know about bird species and populations. In 2014, it had an had an average of 57.5 thousand views a month, with a high of 87122 in February. </div>
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On the other end of the spectrum; Reservoir Cats is a satirical birding blog poking fun at recent news from the birding world. Reservoir Cats (<a href="http://reservoircatz.blogspot.no/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://reservoircatz.blogspot.no</span></a> ) publishes news report parodies, for example “RSPB scientists to create new super predator”. The blog Gyr Crakes (the name a play on words of the band Dire Straits, but replaced with bird names) (<a href="http://lalarinho.webs.com/gyrcrakes.htm"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://lalarinho.webs.com/gyrcrakes.htm</span></a>) contains cartoons and famous songs parodied to have birding themes. One song describes the history of British birding to the tune of <i>“We Didn't Start The Fire”</i> by Billy Joel. Another uses only bird names that rhyme with the lyrics from Queen´s<i> “Bohemian Rhapsody”</i>. On Facebook and Tumblr, one American birder creates parodies Bill and Jeff Keane´s <i>The Family Circus</i> cartoons that feature in thousands of newspapers across the world. <i>Birding Family Circus<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*12</span></i> adds humorous captions that really only make sense if you´re a birder. These show that birding is so much more then just a hobby, when people spend their free, unpaid time making others in the birding community smile.</div>
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Social media is very popular within the birding community. </div>
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This is because birders are, on the whole, extremely social. Birders are very often not the “lone wolves” seeking solitude, although for many that is a part of it. They love to share news, to debate issues and learn from others. Rarely an unusual bird turns up now without being discussed at length online. The increase in smartphone use has meant a birder can be out in the field and notifying others of any birds they see at the same time.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*12(</i><i>https://www.facebook.com/BirdingFamilyCircus?fref=ts)</i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SeG-cr6kzzY/VmBUQD_5N6I/AAAAAAAAARY/V5ySKyYF-Z8/s1600/Snip20151202_9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SeG-cr6kzzY/VmBUQD_5N6I/AAAAAAAAARY/V5ySKyYF-Z8/s640/Snip20151202_9.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Social media is not worth much without actual interaction - social media is a way to stay connected and build relationships, but at the base of it all is real life events! Photos above is from the bird festival Gullfest in Varanger - made inspirational thanks to great people, made widely internationally recognised thanks to social media.</span></i></td></tr>
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<b>Facebook</b> is still the most widely used social media platform for birders. In UK most counties or regional areas have their own Facebook group. Wildlife photographers share their images on personal pages. A niche within the niche group like the Facebook group “European Gulls” has 1177 members, purely discussing the identification, moult and distribution of gull species. There is even a car-sharing Facebook group for British twitchers to offer and ask for lifts to rare birds. It has about 250 members.<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*13</span> </div>
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<b>Twitter</b> has become increasingly popular, particularly with British birders. Birders now have a way to share their experiences with other birders instantly. Pre-internet, twitchers would pay a subscription for a rare bird news pager which would alert them to the discovery of rare birds. With Twitter, most rare birds are reported almost instantly thanks to the bird finder´s need to get the information out there. Messages can be conveyed in a simple concise format. Hashtags make finding information easier, for example a birder wanting to see tweets about rare birds in the county of East Yorkshire simply needs to search for #rbnEYK, thanks to the Twitter account @RareBirdNetwork (13,000 followers).</div>
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<b>A few twitter accounts worth following</b> (if you want to get an idea of how the birder twittersphere works):</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@Scillypelagics <a href="https://twitter.com/Scillypelagics"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/Scillypelagics</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@_ieuan <a href="https://twitter.com/_ieuan"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/_ieuan</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@punkbirders <a href="https://twitter.com/punkbirders"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/punkbirders</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@BoyWonderBirder <a href="https://twitter.com/BoyWonderBirder"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/BoyWonderBirder</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@BirdGuides <a href="https://twitter.com/BirdGuides"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/BirdGuides</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@MarkAvery <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkAvery"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/MarkAvery</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@robert_yaxley <a href="https://twitter.com/robert_yaxley"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/robert_yaxley</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@NGBirders <a href="https://twitter.com/NGBirders"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/NGBirders</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@nzbirds <a href="https://twitter.com/nzbirds"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/nzbirds</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@BirdingBeijing <a href="https://twitter.com/BirdingBeijing"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/BirdingBeijing</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@DarrenNWoodhead <a href="https://twitter.com/DarrenNWoodhead"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/DarrenNWoodhead</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@RSPBbirders <a href="https://twitter.com/RSPBbirders"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/RSPBbirders</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@cmbobirds <a href="https://twitter.com/cmbobirds"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/cmbobirds</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@Finnmarkbirding <a href="https://twitter.com/Finnmarkbirding"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/Finnmarkbirding</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@TheBirdfair <a href="https://twitter.com/TheBirdfair"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/TheBirdfair</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@KaneBrides <a href="https://twitter.com/KaneBrides"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/KaneBrides</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@BiotopeOffice <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@_BTO <a href="https://twitter.com/_BTO"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/_BTO</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@birdingetc <a href="https://twitter.com/birdingetc"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/birdingetc</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@sepponet <a href="https://twitter.com/sepponet"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/sepponet</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">@RareBirdAlert <a href="https://twitter.com/RareBirdAlertUK"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">https://twitter.com/RareBirdAlertUK</span></a></span></div>
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Most birding organisations have a Facebook and Twitter account, which are loyally subscribed to by large numbers of birders. The RSPB has 174 000 Twitter followers of its main account, The Audubon Society´s account has 80 9000 followers, BirdLife International has 41 8000. On Facebook these organisations have 131 000, 498 2000 and 167 000 “likes” respectively.<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*14</span> </div>
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Other social media has not been adopted so readily. Instagram, a platform for sharing photos, is not so widely used by birders. It is more widely used by some wildlife photographers to showcase their images. Others favour sites like Flickr, or even more commonplace have their own photographic websites where images can be displayed in higher resolution. A search on Instagram for the hashtag #birdwatching gave 355,819, #birding gave 217,266 results. The birding side of <b>Pinterest</b>, <b>Tumblr</b>, <b>Google+</b> and <b>Vine</b> are relatively non-existent. For wildlife-based tourism companies, promoting themselves via Facebook and Twitter are the most sensible options, and can be engaged with a huge effect. Although as with all social media, being simply on it is not enough. It requires care, a good strategy or passionate engagement (preferably both!). </div>
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On top of social media, there are several online resources for birders to share and gain information. Perhaps the biggest (and most notorious) is BirdForum. Launched in 2002 it currently hosts over 140,000 members who post and comment on a variety of threads (ever-changing but at 01/10/15 the figure was 289,648 threads) from bird ID queries to a discussion about Jackdaws nesting at Stonehenge. Everything bird related can and will be discussed.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*13(</i><i>figures correct as of 11/09/2015)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*14(</i><i>all figures correct as of 11/09/2015)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A few key online resources</b>:</span></div>
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<b>BirdGuides -</b> Varied web resource for birders, partly operating as a rare bird news provider for subscribers. Also contains photo galleries, past records of rare birds, bird news and articles from rare bird finders. <a href="http://www.birdguides.com/home/default.asp"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.birdguides.com/home/default.asp</span></a> </div>
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<b>Rare Bird Alert -</b> always up to date news on rare and scare birds in UK. Widely followed. <a href="http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk</span></a></div>
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<b>BirdForum - </b>famous worldwide forum where users can post threads on anything to do with birds. Includes ID help forums, photo galleries and wikipedia-style entries for every bird species and birdwatching site. <a href="http://www.birdforum.net/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.birdforum.net</span></a></div>
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<b>Sufbirds -</b> Contains news, photo galleries and forums where birders can submit their own photographs. <a href="http://www.surfbirds.com/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.surfbirds.com</span></a></div>
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<b>Bubo Listing -</b> Resource that allows users to keep track of their various bird lists and compares them in league tables against other birders. Lists can be made to fit various criteria e.g. British list, Norwegian list, British 2015 year list, etc. <a href="http://www.bubo.org/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.bubo.org</span></a></div>
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<b>eBird -</b> American-based website where birders from across the world can submit their sightings. Includes features to view sightings of birds in areas and the data submitted is used to create bird migration “forecasts”. <a href="http://ebird.org/content/ebird/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #551a8b;">http://ebird.org/content/ebird/</span></a></div>
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<b>Tarsiger -</b> A Finnish site dedicated to recording rare birds within the Western Palearctic (Europe, North Africa and Middle East) and beyond. Includes search features to look up occurrence of individual species, birds on specific dates and specific countries. <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;"><a href="http://www.tarsiger.com/home/index.php?sp=&lang=eng">http://www.tarsiger.com/home/index.php?sp=&lang=eng</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CXvFmFbtHuM/VmBT__g93JI/AAAAAAAAARQ/gDVqIG4gBAc/s1600/Get%2Blow%2Bbird%2Bphoto%2Bin%2Bkiberg%2BSteller%2Beider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CXvFmFbtHuM/VmBT__g93JI/AAAAAAAAARQ/gDVqIG4gBAc/s640/Get%2Blow%2Bbird%2Bphoto%2Bin%2Bkiberg%2BSteller%2Beider.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TH5tfzX_gb4/VmBTz19OKcI/AAAAAAAAARI/gybrIDxSAa0/s1600/King%2BEider%2BVortes%2Bw%2BPacific%2BEider%2BMarch%2B2013%2BAmundsen%2B%25C2%25A9%2BBiotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TH5tfzX_gb4/VmBTz19OKcI/AAAAAAAAARI/gybrIDxSAa0/s640/King%2BEider%2BVortes%2Bw%2BPacific%2BEider%2BMarch%2B2013%2BAmundsen%2B%25C2%25A9%2BBiotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;">To attract birders from around the world a destination must offer unique experiences. </i><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">Photo: the famous “Varanger King Eider Vortex”, the worlds largest gathering of King Eiders.</i></span></td></tr>
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Birding online is very much about sharing stories of birding. Propelling Varanger into fame in the birding world is based on sharing stories from the north (and great photos are very important).</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Birding In Norway</span></b></div>
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Birding can be done anywhere. But this does not mean everywhere is desirable for birders. Birders visiting from abroad make the effort to travel in order to see new bird species or experience wildlife in an exhilarating way. Within Europe, or even the world, there are popular “must-see” destinations for birders. Ask a group of birders their top travel destinations and you will hear many repeats. Morocco, Turkey and Hungary may high on their wish list. Luxembourg and Macedonia are probably not. Becoming a must-visit destination requires great birdlife and unique birding opportunities, and skilled people who can promote it. </div>
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Thanks to readily available information and the desire of birders to see new and exciting birds, you can name a country and a birder will list the top places to go birding there. When you say “Romania”, they picture the Danube Delta, “Finland” gets them thinking about Oulu and Kuusamo; with “Iceland” it´s Mývatn in an instant. How do they know this. Online trip reports from other birders, guide books and birding tour operators have all helped to define certain areas as the places to see birds within a country/county/continent. It´s birding branding.</div>
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A strong birding brand is important in order to attract birders from across the world. Most often this will be based on a series of bird species that is characeristic of the destination. For example birding in Finland is characterised by woodpeckers (7 species), owls (up to 10 species) and birds for which Finland is their toehold in Europe, such as Red-flanked Bluetail. While visiting birders will see many more birds than just these, they are the ones that they travel the distance for. These are the <b>target species</b>. You need a certain variety of species, but having an iconic species is also important. Finland has become famous for being the best place in the world to experience the Great Grey Owl (lappugle). Similarly, birding in Iceland is characterised by species that are essentially American or Arctic, but their distribution stretches to accessible Iceland. Harlequin Duck (harlekinand), breeding Red Phalarope (polarsvømmesnipe) and Gyr Falcon (jaktfalk) are the main draws.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Photo: Harlequin Duck, a target species to see for any birder visiting Iceland (photo T.Amundsen). Being good looking and having restricted occurrence is a good start to become a target species.</span></i></td></tr>
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In a European context Spain is <i>very</i> popular with birders. Most who are serious about seeing European birds will make at least one trip to Spain. Many of the species that can be easily observed there are difficult to see elsewhere in Europe (Marbled Teal, Spanish Imperial Eagle, Pin-tailed Sandgrouse etc.). The habitats are varied, the birds attractive and the country is accessible by road and air.</div>
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While the country is large, visiting birders have no uncertainty in where to visit. Spain is expertly split into several birding destinations or “hotspots”. Every site has its own lineup of desirable bird species and wildlife spectacles. Each site is vastly different from the next. They are all served well with airport and road links. The Spanish tourist boards and birding travel companies advertise these hotspots as THE places to go birding in Spain. It is birding tourism done very well - if you ask a birder that has never been to Spain before where they'd like to go, they'll probably start listing these locations “Extremedura, the Pyrenees, Straits of Gibraltar and Coto Doñana…” </div>
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There is a key lesson to be learned from how Spain presents itself to an international audience. Rather then trying to make all of Spain sound interesting for birding, they have chosen to foucs on a select few regions or destinations. There are of course a number of other great birding sites in Spain, but these are the regions or destinations that holds both a wide number of species and some iconic species, and that are consistently good, even for many days in a row. This is important. One should not try to promote everything possible, but rather focus on the places with a quality level of international interest.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">The main birding destinations / regions in Spain (http://www.birdwatching-spain.com)</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">King Eider - one of a few very exclusive bird species that will bring birders from around the world to Norway.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bluethroat / blåstrupe - an attractive species found breeding in many places in Norway</span></i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Norway´s best selling points</span></b></div>
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<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Norway retains a feeling of a wilderness, with dramatic scenery, harsh but beautiful weather and an extant megafauna such as bears, wolverines, moose and whales. </span></b></li>
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Working with birding in Norway in many ways needs a similar approach to that of Spain. In a European perspective, Norway is unique. There is still a feeling of untouched nature in some areas, with pristine forests, mountains and beautiful fjords. Much of the land is intact nature, providing good birding in amazing sceneries. Other natural wonders such as the aurora borealis only help to cement Norway as a world-class nature location.</div>
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For birds and wildlife, Norway is also spectacular. The habitats are varied and by extension so are the birds. There are extensive marshes, tundra, vast forests, mountains and endless kilometres of coastline, all with their own supporting cast of wildlife. Especially notable are Norway´s seabird colonies which provide an experience for all the senses.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: small;">Above photo: Norwegian bird cliffs are spectacular (Hornøya in spring, a heaven for bird</span></i></div>
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There is an exclusivity with the birdlife of Norway, mainly thanks to the Arctic species to be found in Northern Norway, and in particular in Eastern Finnmark. The combination of species here at any time of the year are unique and unlike any European country, making this area extremely desirable to birders. A birder cannot find another easily accessible location where they have the chance of seeing King and Steller´s Eiders, Snowy Owls, White-billed Divers, Brünnich´s Guillemots and Gyrfalcon all within the same trip. Without Varanger the birdlife of Norway, while still spectacular, is made up of species which can be seen elsewhere.</div>
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The country lies on a flyway, a path which migratory birds take on their seasonal journeys. Large numbers of birds including waders, wildfowl and birds of prey, pass south down the country in the autumn and return north again in the spring. Sites such as the Lofoten Islands and Lista, Røst and Utsira are well-known for being migrant-magnets: islands that provide birds with a rest-stop during their long journey. The sight of migrating birds can be spectacular at times and as such the latter islands mentioned have all become popular among Norwegian birders. Every year, each site sees many thousands and birds pass through, including many rare birds that should not be there but have become caught up in the migration of other species, or appear as wind-blown strays. In fact, many of these islands have bird observatories in their own right, purely to study birds. </div>
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Migration is also evident at other specialised sites, including Slettnes on the Nordkyn Peninsula. Every spring birders gather to watch the annual migration of seabirds, the main draw being Whitebilled Divers (gulnebblom) and skuas (particularly Pomarine Skua / polarjo) moving north to breed on Siberian tundra in Russia. Nordkyn is considered to be a part of the wider Varanger region. However it does have large potential for much more fame and recognition internationally. Nordkyn is still relatively unknown, and could easily see an increase in numbers of visitors provided more promotion and work to better cater to birders.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Above photo: Slettnes, Nordkyn peninsula, one of the best sites for seabird migration in Norway, and highly undercommunicated as a birding attraction in Norway.</span></i></td></tr>
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Unlike many countries, Norway has retained its megafauna (large herbivores and carnivores - mainly mammals) which a big draw for wildlife-watchers. Many want to see them as evidence of a healthy working ecosystem, as each plays an important part in the habit they occur in. Brown Bears, Grey Wolves, Wolverine, Elk, Musk Ox, Reindeer, Eurasian Lynx and a variety of whale species are all possible to see in Norway. In Svaldbard there is also the Polar Bear which is a huge attraction. </div>
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There is massive potential for wildlife-based tourism centred on these creatures which is yet to be explored in Norway. Looking over to Finland, there are several specialised Brown Bear, Wolverine and Grey Wolf photohides: large, secure hides in the taiga forest which are baited with carcass of livestock. Photographers (or even simply dedicated wildlife watchers) pay good money to spend several hours in these hides*. It is exhilarating nature, up-close-and-personal. Visitors to these hides also see a range of bird species like White-tailed Eagles. This market is not just unique to Finland, with hides available to hire in Estonia and Slovenia amongst others. A similar hide experience in Norway would be extremely in-demand. There is obvioulsy a challenge with the conflict between large predators and livestock. Legislation dictates that Norway´s Brown Bear numbers are culled every year to “reduce livestock predation”. There are around 150 bears in Norway, yet in the 1800s, 200 - 300 were killed every year, showing how much larger the population used to be. The story is similar with Wolverines, lynxes and wolves in Norway. A photohide project would rely on an area having at least a relatively healthy population of the desired predator and a good working relationship with those that work and live on the land adjacent. There is already great interest in the Musk Ox in Dovrefjell national park, central Norway, with organised safaris for wildlife watching tourists to get great views of these animals. Musk Ox used to occur across Scandinavia but were hunted to extinction. In the 1940s, animals from herds in greenland were brought back to Norway and bred to create the two small herds that exist today.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">* </span>http://www.wildfinland.org</div>
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Another advantage Norway has over many similar locations is it is <b><i>hassle-free birding</i></b>. The chances of getting mugged or experiencing a threatening situation is virtually zero. The infrastructure is secure, the government stable and all of places will have English speaking residents. Roads are well developed, easy to use and open all year. This is particularly true for the “off the beaten track” locations such as Arctic Norway, where you can still get about easily by car to wildlife sites on good roads that are managed to be drivable even in the heart of winter. Both accommodation and food are easily available and are of a high standard. All the above is not a matter of course in many of the worlds most desired to visit birding destinations. </div>
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<b>Seasonal changes</b>: A birder visiting in June will see an entirely different cast of birdlife than one visiting in February. In the north, particularly in popular Varanger, this is even more apparent. Summer is characterised by a wide range of breeding waders, singing passerines (perching birds like Bluethroats / blåstrupe and Arctic Warbler / lappsanger) and migratory birds which spend the winter in warmer climates. The 24-hour sunlight means the wildlife-watcher can theoretically be out at any time in the lookout for nature. A return visit in winter or early spring will not only give a totally new range of species, but a completely different experience, but of the same place. I winter the species are fewer in number but it is still “high quality” birding, with rare seaducks, white-winged gulls from Siberia and the aurora borealis on show in a pristine snowy landscape. This vast polarisation over the seasons creates a higher level of “site loyalty” for many wildlife watchers, who may come in one season and are interested in seeing the location at another time of the year. This is huge attraction to many visitors, and should not be underestimated.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Northern lights and midnight sun are both considered bonuses for any birder visiting Northern Norway.</span></i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Top destinations / products in Norway</span></b></div>
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Internationally the Varanger region is by far the most famous region for birders and nature enthusiasts. As reflected in our survey there really is not much competition when you ask birders from around the world to mention top places in Norway. Varanger has been a name in the birding world for about 100 years. However the book “Arctic Summer” by Richard Vaughan from 1979 but Varanger on the map in particular in the UK birding community. Several international bird tour operators have been running tour to Varanger during the past two decades. The bird tour operator Finnature has been a key operator as they made Varanger a part of their Finland itinerary, as an Arctic coast extension to their trips. They have helped put Varanger on the map. Still Varanger was not a very well known international birding destination before 2009. The fact that nearly all international birders visiting Varanger came to the region via Finland shows the significance of Varanger as an add-on to a Finland birding experience. In 2009 Biotope started the first effort to build Varanger as an indipendent world class birding destination in its own right. The idea was to promote Varanger as an easily accessible birding destination, that would provide specacular birding based on the arctic tundra, taiga and the arctic coast. Kirkenes was the natural hub of the destination. This nature destination work was made possible in a large extent to Innovation Norway, as IN supported the first efforts to establish Varanger as a birding destination based on a new approach to destination development. Biotope aimed not to work with tour operators, but rather connect directly with birders from around the world.</div>
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With the timely rise of social media, it seemed a natural step forward: to simply by-pass the traditional destination - tour operator relationship, and rather connect with independent travellers. Via blogposts, Facebook, Twitter, direct mail contact, meetings, etc. it was relatively easy to connect with birders from anywhere. Providing locally based news and views from a destination with very high interest proved to spark a new interest in Varanger. During the past 6 years the numbers of visitors to Varanger has doubled many times. All the guest houses and hotels in Varanger have increased their capasity. This growth has been organic and driven by a person-to-person system. The development and fine tuning of Varanger as a birding destination is still in progress. Varanger is now being promoted as “the world´s easiest accessible Arctic birding destination”.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Above photo: Ptarmigans (fjellrype) is exceptionally approachable on Svalbard, making them very photogenic. Svalbard has much more to offer then Polar Bears. Birding can be done successfully in and around Longyearbyen. It is another example of undercommunicated potential.</span></i></td></tr>
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<b>Svalbard</b><br />
is highly regarded as a wildlife destination, but less as a birding destination. Mammals are the key attraction on Svalbard, especially Polar Bear, but also Walrus, various species of whale, Arctic Fox and Svalbard Reindeer. Birding in Svalbard clearly has a potential for more development, and simply being based in Longyearbyen will provide you with great birding experiences near the town. The Advent valley / Adventsdalen is very bird rich, and species like the Red Phalarope is very high on the wish list of any international birder. Still other Arctic specialities are not as common as in Varanger, such as Steller´s Eider and King Eider. In short: birds will not be Svalbard´s main draw, but any birder will be highly interested in seeing the mammals of Svalbard, and the additional birding will make a trip to Svalbard highly desirable. There is much more to be done here.</div>
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Nature based tourism is on the rise in Svalbard, but there are currently not many operators doing dedicated tours for birders or bird / wildlife photographers. In this context it is well worth mentioning the company Wild Photo, run by wildlife photographers Ole Jørgen Liodden and Roy Mangersnes. They have successfully become a provider of high-end nature and wildlife experiences, catering to an international audience of highly demanding photographers. They do trips to other top destinations worldwide, but Svalbard has become their speciality. Roy considers the European market to be the biggest, but Asia is on the rise too (especially China). Their company is growing and this year and last year they provided unique experiences for approx. 170 people, each paying up to and over 60 000 NOK, on trips lasting from 8-10 days. This is niche done very well.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Above photo: Whale watching with company ´Basecamp Senja´, exploring the combination of whale watching with birding has a huge potential.</span></i></td></tr>
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<b>Lofoten / Tromsø / Senja regions</b><br />
is in a birding context not very well known, however there is much potential to develop the region as a birding destination. The region is already famous for its impressive landscape of mountains and fjords. The Northern Lights are also considered to “live” in the region. This status has helped the region establish itself as a premium nature destination. The region is lacking a steady presence of key arctic species like Steller´s Eider and good numbers of King Eiders. Here Lofoten will for example have to compete with Varanger. When a birder from UK chooses to go to Norway for birding, it will be tough competing with Varanger. However birders come in many forms, and the northwest coast of Norway has a huge attraction with whales, Northern Lights and stunning scenaries, in combination with great birding. This will make the region more attractive to birdwathcers (less intense then birders) and other nature enthusiasts. As with all destinations outside of Varanger, one relies more on the local entrepreneur, nature guide or someone who can make a product more available or presentable. In short: Varanger has enough to “handle itself”, while other places are more in need of a presenter / facilitator. Well worth mentioning is the newly established company <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(67, 144, 178); color: #4390b2;">Lofoten Birding</span>, who aim to make the region´s birdlife more accessible through guided services. This will most certainly have an immediate and positive effect. Most likely however is the success bound to come from more guiding of birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts. Still there are some products that are still waiting to be explored: like wintering White-billed Divers (gulnebblom) off the northwest coast and in the fjords. Providing great photo opportunities of White-billed Divers will be an in-demand product, and something that can help to establish a bigger interest in the entire region, as this will attract world class photographers who are always on the look out for something new.</div>
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Whale watching has always been popular. It offers humans a tiny glimpse into the lives of these colossal creatures before they disappear below the waves. Norway is blessed with a wide range of cetacean species that can be regularly seen from the coast. Thankfully most nations have realised that whales are much better alive than dead, with whale watching tour operators bringing in a lot more money to an area than whaling vessels. There is no shortage of whale watching tours available in Norway, <a href="http://www.arcticwhaletours.com/safari/whale-safari"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.arcticwhaletours.com/safari/whale-safari</span></a> Arctic Whale Tours operates from Stø in Nordland. Their tours incorporate a trip to island for breeding seabirds (e.g. puffins) and White-tailed Eagles in addition to the whales. A wider range of businesses are now in the process of establishing themselves as providers of Whale watching experiences, especially based out of Tromsø, Senja and Andøya.</div>
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<b>Vega and Helgelandskysten</b><br />
also has a lot of potential to develop nature based tourism. In the world of birding there are always interest in special species like owl. The region has a relatively healthy population of Eagle Owl (hubro) which would be huge attraction if this became approachable in a sustainable manner. This would basically mean great photo opportunites, from photo hides, to avoid disturbance of this fragile species. If great products were developed, the region would also have enough interesting birdlife to make it enjoyable for many days of birdwatching / birding. Eagle Owls are found elsewhere in Europe, but the big draw would be seeing them by night, when it is still light from the midnight sun. </div>
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<b>Trondheimsfjorden / Trøndelag</b><br />
forests is relatively famous for bird and wildlife photographers. The region holds good numbers of northern bird speceis like woodpeckers, owls, grouse, Golden Eagles, etc. Again it is much thanks to local and skilled people like Terje Kolaas who delivers great photo opportunities with his bird photo hides. It takes skills and deep knowledge of what´s around to run a photo hide business. The region certainly holds enough species in a concentrated area to provide visitors with non-stop good birding for a week or more. However to be of international interest it is likely to be photo hide based, and cater to the international photographer community. That being said: if birding opportunities was better developed and presented the region would have a potential to attract more of the birder / bird photographers segment.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.northernbirding.com/">http://www.northernbirding.com</a></span> and <a href="http://www.bird.dintur.no/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.bird.dintur.no</span></a> specialise in birding tours and photo hides in the <i>“middle of Norway, just a few miles north of Trondheim and west of Åre in Sweden”</i>. According to their website, photographers can use hides which are placed to target species like Slavonian Grebe, Pink-footed Goose, Eider, Goshawk, Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Capercaille, Black Grouse, Hazel Grouse, Great Snipe, Red-necked Phalarope, Siberian Jay, Crested Tit, Bullfinch. The stunning results from bird photographers visiting these hides can be found here: <a href="http://www.bird.dintur.no/photo-hides-norway/goshawk_photo_hide_trondheimsfjord.aspx"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.bird.dintur.no/photo-hides-norway/goshawk_photo_hide_trondheimsfjord.aspx</span></a> <a href="http://www.bird.dintur.no/photo-hides-norway/greatsnipe-lekking-trondheimsfjord.aspx"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.bird.dintur.no/photo-hides-norway/greatsnipe-lekking-trondheimsfjord.aspx</span></a> </div>
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<b>Dovre and the mountainous regions south of Trondheim</b><br />
is quite well established as a great destination to visit for those interested in wildlife and birds. The Musk Ox is the big draw, but the region also hold enough other interesting bird species and stunning landscape to be considered top destination to visit. The importance again is having a key target species, but enough high quality birds to hold the interest of a visitor for many days. Other places in Norway has the target species, but have not yet developed enough possibilities to hold birders in the region for more then a few days. One such place is the island of Smøla, on the westcoast of Møre and Romsdal. Almost all the bird photography activity is based around the company Smøla Naturopplevelser (<a href="http://smolanaturopplevelser.no/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://smolanaturopplevelser.no</span></a>). They provide high-end eagle photo hides and eagle photography opportunities from boat. They are also developing new photo opportunities based on floating photo hides. This is something to follow closely as it is certainly on the rise and about to put Smøla on the map in a big way in the wildlife / bird photographer community. Audun Lia Dahl of Smøla Naturopplevelser estimates that they have catered to 500 guests in 2 years. The guests visit Smøla most commonly 2 days, each paying 2500,- NOK pr day (for photo experiences + accommodation).</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: small;">Above photo: Smøla Naturopplevelser delivering one of Norways finest bird photography products.</span></i></div>
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<b>Jæren</b><br />
just south of Stavanger is part of a huge wetland system and it has a rich coastal area providing lots of space for a wide range of bird species. It is very well known in Norway as one of the finest birding areas in Norway, but internationally it is less known. The international potential is also not very big, as most of the bird species that can be seen on Jæren are also found in UK, Denmark, Germany, etc. In short: Jæren does not hold enough unique bird species to draw an international crowd. However: if the already very rich birdlife of the region was combined with great photo hide products it would certainly draw an international crowd. Simply developing public facilities in a place like Jæren would not make it interesting enough for an international crowd, but if it was complimented with high quality photo hides it would potentially be great. These are points worth considering if one were to aim to develop more nature based tourism in Jæren.</div>
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<b>Lista</b><br />
in southernmost Norway already has a large number of visitors, as the Lista Lighthouse draws more then 30 000 visitors a year. Of these, however, very few are birders or nature photographers. Similarily to Jæren, Lista has a great birdlife and is very well known in the Norwegian birding community. Lista also has more ambitions to develop as a birding destination, and it certainly has the potential, but again the birdlife in itself is not enough to put it on the globalmap. Lista has the rich birdlife, a community (Farsund Kommune) who is working towards developing a nature destination, but the missing piece is the high end photo hide opportunities. Still even with both public bird hides, a rich birdlife and photo hides, there are limits to Lista as a birding destination. As with Jæren the birds species of Lista can to a large degree be seen elsewhere in Europe too. But there certainly is a lot of <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">potential to further develop Lista as a birding destination. Not only for birders but also a a unique experience for any visitor to the region.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Above photo: Lista outdoor amphitheater and birdtower. Designed by Biotope, comissioned by Farsund kommune as a step towards making a nature destination.</i><i> </i></span></div>
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<b>Utsira</b><br />
on the south west coast of Norway is perhaps Norway´s best known autumn birding destination. This little island can easily be walked by foot. Every autumn a 100 to 150 birders (of the keenest kind) visit the island in search of rare birds, often blown of course by winds. The island has a very impressive list of birds observed which has gained Utsira international fame among keen birders. However few birders from other places in the world will have travelled to Utsira. Again the reasoning is simlar to that of Jæren and Lista: the bird species found on Utsira can just as well be seen at certain sites in the UK. Still there is certainly a potential to develop birding as a more important base of income for Utsira island. There are already a lot of houses for rent of the island in the birding season, but this could probably have been expanded upon if Utira was better promoted as a must-visit place at least for birders in northwestern Europe. In UK there are a lot of man-made nature reserves. If Utsira decided to develop even better bird habitats, with complementing bird photo hides, Utsira could establish itself as a must visit destination. This however would take dedicated and clever work to make this happen.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;">Above photo: Talks and evening meetings at ´Bombeuka´ on Utsira island. Norways most famous island for birder and chasers of rare birds. Attended by 100-200 Norwegian birders every year.</span></i></td></tr>
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<b>Hedmark / Elverum</b><br />
and the eastern forested regions in Norway holds decent numbers of owls, which will attract a lot of birders and bird photographers - if presented and managed well! For owls the latter is particularly important, since owls are easily disturbed. Finland (with Finnature) have established themselves as the owl capital of Europe. However this has not been done overnight. They have carefully monitored the owl populations, made nesting boxes, surveyed the breeding birds and often fed the wintering birds. Successfully presenting owls is dependent on skilled people with high standard “code of conduct”. If handled badly and a lot of disturbance is caused an effort to build nature based tourism around owls may just as well backfire and become very bad press. No one in the birding community likes poor handling of fragile species. But - handled well by skilled people, owls in Norway´s eastern forests can be a very attractive product! It would also potentially combine very well with places like Varanger. </div>
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<b>In general</b><br />
it is worth mentioning that very few places have the variety of bird species and enough unique bird species to be a complete birding destination in its own full right. Perhaps only Varanger region is the only birding destination that will easily hold the interest of visiting birders for weeks on. Birders visiting Varanger are very often also returning visitors. Still, Norway is full of potential for more birding related products, but developing these is much more depended on skilled people or well-defined products to be the key attraction.</div>
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To get an impression of the Norwegian birding scene as it is defined today: One of the most comprehensive sites for researching about birding abroad is www.fatbirder.com. Each country has its own page with the top birding sites and species listed. Fat birder includes Lista Bird Observatory, Flekkefjord, Jaere <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">wetlands, Øyeren, Hardangervidda, Runde island, Varanger Peninsula (“probably the most spectacular birding Norway can offer”) and Røst as good sites for birding in Norway. There could be a lot more information present here: </span><a href="http://fatbirder.com/links_geo/europe/norway.html" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://fatbirder.com/links_geo/europe/norway.html</span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Birding products in Norway</span></b></div>
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In this instance, it can be assumed that there are two different types of “product” available within the birding and wildlife-watching niche. </div>
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The first is a whole geographical area as a product or attraction. Varanger and Pasvik can be considered as such since they are totally unlike any other area within Norway. </div>
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Other products include services and experiences that provide an exhilarating interface between man and nature, or contribute to creating that. Typically this can be boat trips to experience unique bird species, or photo hide based products for bird / wildlife photographers. The product based experiences can be based almost anywhere in Norway (but the previously mentioned destinations will be best suited for developing a product with a surrounding high quality nature to make it a top nature destination). The quality of a product is based on how close to the birds or animals you will be able to come (without disturbing them!). </div>
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In terms of actual products, different types of wildlife-watchers will require different services: </div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Binocular, telescope, tripod hire</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">: serious birds will not require this service but general nature enthusiasts may not possess their own optics. Having good quality optics available to hire will vastly enhance the wildlife experience for those that take advantage of the service. It is possible that looking at the natural world through a pair of binoculars may make a birder of them!</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Destination site guidebook</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">: this will be used by all types of wildlife-watchers for local information on the best places to see their desired species.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Maps</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">: for those that are driving around the given area, doing their own birding, local maps are invaluable. This may not be as vital if the local guidebook contains good maps of the area.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Bird field guide</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">: many nature enthusiasts may not own a bird field guide, but see birds on their trip which they would like to identify or find more about. Good field guides include Collins Bird Guide: The Most Complete Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe and any site-specific guide (of which there are virtually none available in Norway).</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Waterproof dry suit rental</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">: really only necessary where wildlife-watchers may be going on a boat or in snow but very useful when this is the case, or for non-heated photo hides.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Photohide service</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">: will provide bird / wildlife nature photography opportunities without disturbing the wildlife. Very popular and widely used worldwide. A great business opportunity if handled well.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Photo lens hire</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">: likely to only be required for serious photographers who have noticed a photographic opportunity for which they do not have the correct lens (often in combination with renting a photo hide).</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Popup-tent photo hides</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">: for photographers, these provide a way of remaining unseen to wildlife when photographing it. Some species become accustomed to the non-human shape of the tent and behave normally around it. However, it should be reminded that excessive photographing of one pair of birds, when not done discreetly, can have an adverse effect on their breeding behaviour and even individual health, if they are not allowed to feed or rest.</span></span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iF4qHprlchc/VmBQpH38mEI/AAAAAAAAAPY/LqN0oRuZC9I/s1600/2%2Bbrusfuglefotografer%2BKomagdalen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iF4qHprlchc/VmBQpH38mEI/AAAAAAAAAPY/LqN0oRuZC9I/s640/2%2Bbrusfuglefotografer%2BKomagdalen.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Above photo: Pop-up tents are popular among bird and nature photographers. Here at Komagdalen, Varanger.</span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Above photo: ´Vadsø Fjordhotell - the birders base camp in Varanger´. It is Norways first hotel to market itself as a birder hotel. “With the recent years rapid increase in birders visiting the region it only made good sense to specialise in this niché”, says owner and manager Frode Fjerdingøy.</span></i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Case study Varanger</span></b></div>
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In our survey of birders and wildlife watchers, when asked to name 3 locations for birding and / or wildlife in Norway, 85% of people mentioned Varanger (or at least one site within Varanger). It is fair to say that when birders think of birding in Norway, most of them turn to the Northeasternmost Norway. Varanger (including Pasvik) is the most accessible arctic birding destination in the world. It offers the chance to see a combination of species that are specialised to the area. The landscape is wild and beautiful. All birding in Varanger can be categorised into one of three habitats: taiga, tundra or Arctic coast, and a visitor can experience all three within a day´s drive. This is impossible to do in pretty much any other Arctic birding destination. A birder could start their morning watching Siberian Tits in the taiga forest, have their telescope focused on White-billed Divers on the coast by</div>
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the afternoon and finish the day experiencing the breeding wading birds of the high tundra.</div>
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Target species for most birders taking the trip to Varanger will be northern specialities including King Eider (praktærfugl), Steller´s Eider (stellerand), White-billed Diver (gulnebblom), Gyrfalcon (jaktfalk), Brünnich´s Guillemot (polarlomvi), Northern Hawk Owl (haukugle), Siberian Jay (lavskrike), Siberian Tit (lappmeis), Pine Grosbeak (konglebit), Arctic Redpoll (polarsisik). Even commoner birds can be seen in amazing circumstances. In winter and early spring, Common Eiders / ærfugl (as well as Steller´s and King Eiders) gather in flocks numbering 15 000 individuals. Fishing vessels are followed by flocks of Fulmar (havhest), including the northern “blue” forms, which are rare outside Arctic waters. On the island of Hornøya, 100,000 seabirds of 10 species cover the cliffs, a breathtaking spectacle. In summer, roadside fields can be full of lekking Ruff (brusfugl), one of the most spectacular courtship displays in the birding world. It is not just birds</div>
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that hold the visiting wildlife-watcher´s attention. Those driving the tundra will keep a look out for Arctic fox (even if chances are slim you will actually see one). Lucky visitors to the taiga forest may spot an elk, brown bear or wolverine. The sea holds many species of whale as well as seals and otters.</div>
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<i>Above: The Varanger leaflet, page 1+2: the first destination in Norway to be promoted as a birding destination. With support from Innovation Norway Biotope developed the concept and the brand "Varanger - the world´s easiest accessible Arctic birding destination". Divided into winter, spring and summer, a series of target bird species is promoted in one destination package.</i></div>
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Varanger has become synonomous with the bright orange colour so characteristic of the target species Steller´s Eider. The Steller´s Eider graphics are now found on the leaflets, on postcards, as street art pieces, in exhibitions, etc. In a world that has been to a large extent dominated by people from a natural history / biologist background, Biotope have approached birding from a creative background as architects and designers (but as keen birders as well, which is key to the success). Varanger has been largely promoted via social media and blogposts, making sure that great information is searchable and inspirational: The blogposts are both full of advice on birding, in addition to great photos and links to accomodation, etc. A search in Google using the term ´Birding Varanger´ will give you an impression of the search engine ranking. This is essential to consider and work with when developing a birding destination.</div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Birding Varanger in winter and spring </span><a href="http://www.biotope.no/2013/12/birding-varanger-in-winter-early-spring.html" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">http://www.biotope.no/2013/12/birding-varanger-in-winter-early-spring.html</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Birding Varanger in summer </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);"><a href="http://www.biotope.no/2015/08/birding-varanger-in-summer.html" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">http://www.biotope.no/2015/08/birding-varanger-in-summer.html</a></span></span></li>
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Birding has benefitted the economy of Varanger. There is a relatively large density of businesses that operate with birds and wildlife as their focus. In Vadsø, Frode Fjerdingøy runs the Vadsø Fjordhotell, famously branded the “Birder´s Basecamp in Varanger” reflecting the site´s attraction for birding. The harbour contains King and Steller´s Eiders in winter and spring. White-tailed Eagles make close flights past the hotel. The garden birdfeeders attract Arctic Redpoll. The whole area is a great place to station yourself to drive to other birding locations in the Varanger Peninsula. The coastal road takes you to top Arctic birding locations like Nesseby, Ekkerøy and Vardø. Vadsø town is well served with restaurants, cafés, supermarkets, etc. Frode Fjerdingøy estimates that about 40% of his guests are birders or at least very keen nature enthusiasts, for whom the regions rich birdlife is a reason to go there.</div>
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Båtsfjord is a harbour town in the north of Varanger. The sheltered harbour is an incredible draw to large numbers of King and Steller´s Eiders in winter. Floating in one corner of the harbour are two specialised photo hides. The Arctic Tourist<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*15</span> business is run by Ørjan Hansen, a local fisherman turned wildlife tourism business owner. Ørjan takes photographers and birders on his boat into Båtsfjord harbour to the hides, where they each pay 1700 NOK to spend 4-5 hours on the water (hide + short boat trip) amongst flocks that can number hundreds of eiders. It is an experience like no other and provides the finest photographic opportunities for King Eiders in the world. Ørjan Hansen runs the photo hide from February 1st to April 10th. In this time hundreds of photographers will have spent time in the photo hide, effectively providing a decent one year´s salary for the owner of the hide. Though it is not to be underestimated the amount of work that goes into maintaining and hosting such a photo hide. The local hotel have also partnered with Ørjan and is now nearly fully booked in March, a time that used to be slow before the hide product was available.</div>
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Vardø Harbour runs multiple daily boat trips in-season to Hornøya Island from Vardø, letting visitors experience the 100,000 nesting seabirds up-close. Boats run from mid-March to timetables are on display in Vardø harbour. Once they have landed on the island, many visitors head straight to the bird hide and wind shelter that is close to the jetty. In here there is information on the bird species of Hornøya. It is a great location to watch the cliff out of the wind. The island is served by paths that take visitors around the south of the island, past huge numbers of nesting birds and up towards the lighthouse. The lighthouse has electricity, running water and has beds to accommodate 11 people for a fee of 350 NOK pr person pr night.</div>
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In addition to these, guesthouses, campsites, hotels, restaurants, car-hire companies etc. etc. in Varanger will have all had birders and wildlife-watchers as customers. Varanger has with the past few years of efforts become world famous as an arctic birding destination. The regions tourism businesses have all benefitted from this. In addition we have seen a significant rise in the local awareness and appreciation of the the regions unique wildlife. This is also important when working towards establishing a birding destination. Again, a birding / nature destination in its full right should be about more then business - and it is good for business when it is. </div>
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Unique for the effort to establish Varanger as a birding destination is the dedicated attention to making a series of unique bird hides, wind shelters and photo hides. Biotope have been the architects behind this. 12 small pieces of architecture can now be found around Varanger, each unique to their site, but still recognisable as open and inviting public bird hides. The hides have various owners and have been realised through a collaboration of several parties, most notably, Nasjonale Turistveger, Innovasjon Norge, Finnmark Fylkeskommune, Vardø-, Vadsø- , Berlevågog Båtsfjord kommuner, Finnmarkseiendommen and Fylkesmannen i Finnmark. Varanger is now a complete birding destination, from dedicated birder hotels and guest houses, to the niche architecture and the overall branding of the destination.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*15(</i><i>http://www.arctictourist.no)</i></span></div>
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Birding infrastructure: wind shelters in Varanger (Biotope design)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Above photo: Safety Sound in Nome, Alaska. The Seward Peninsula in Alaska has many similarities to Varanger, but it is generally more expensive and varied birding is less accessible.</span></i><br />
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It is not worth thinking of other destinations as “competition” for Norway, as every one offers something different. The real competition is other priorities. Norway is desirable as a birding and wildlife watching destination for reasons stated above. However, Norway can be seen as having “competition” from two different sources: other Scandinavian destinations and other Arctic destinations. Other Scandinavian countries have similar wildlife to Norway, though are lacking in the combination of birds found in Varanger. Finland provides perhaps the biggest draw for visiting birders in regards to other Scandinavian countries, thanks to its fame for hosting several owl and woodpecker species which are characteristic of northern forests. These include the hard-to-see Great Grey, Ural, Tengmalm´s and Pygmy Owls, Grey-headed Woodpecker and White-backed Woodpecker. It is common for many birders visiting the Varangerfjord to first fly to Finland and see the owls, woodpeckers and other forest wildlife, before driving North into Norway to see the birding attractions there. All the owl and woodpecker species are actually also present in Norway, particularly around Eastern Norway (for example: Elverum) though this is not widely known. There is potential for the “Finnish experience” to be had in Norway, though due to the secretive nature of the species mentioned, hiring experienced nature guides would be the most reliable option for birders to see them. </div>
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The second theoretical competitor for Norway is all other Arctic birding destinations. Varanger has edge over its Scandinavian rivals thanks to the near-unique Arctic wildlife. However, there are several other destinations that occur above the Arctic Circle with great birdlife which are very attractive for visiting birders. Alaska, Siberian Russia and Arctic Canada are all destinations with spectacular Arctic wildlife. Where Norway potentially “wins” here is thanks to its accessibility, and in this context, even price. European birders are, on the whole, able to reach the Arctic birding destinations in Norway after plane journey from Oslo airports. For some Alaskan destinations, getting there means several internal (and expensive) flights. For many Siberian birding hotspots, transport there might include several planes, a helicopter and all-terrain vehicle (and it is very unpredictable). In addition, once in Arctic Norway, travelling around is no harder than hiring a car and driving on well maintained, frequently cleared roads, or taking reliable public transport. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bear-watching is a huge draw in Alaska. Experiences are provided by a wide range of businesses.</span></i></td></tr>
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The Arctic in general is expensive and in a European sense, Norway is expensive. However, taking into account the fact that the majority of birding visitors to Noway want the Arctic wildlife experience, Norway is actually the cheapest Arctic destination in the world. Visitors to Arctic Norway pay much less than they would in a similar Arctic location such as Alaska or Russia for accommodation and car rental. Because of its accessibility, visitors are spending less on transport. <b>This is probably the most underestimated selling point of Norway: the fact that Arctic Norway is the world´s cheapest arctic birding destination</b>. Car rental and hotels in Nome, Alaska (the US equivalent of Varanger) is for example considerably more expensive than in Norway. Nome will provide similar set of Arctic species, however to get the same variety as in Varanger with both tundra, taiga and arctic coast, you need to do 1 or 2 internal flights, which in turn themselves are twice the price of internal flights in Norway. Even for an American birder, Arctic Norway has a huge potential to be their arctic destination of choice, as it will in fact be cheaper to visit then a trip to Alaska (unless you already live in Alaska)! Norway´s uniqueness and attractiveness is best promoted worldwide as an arctic destination. In short: Norway is the most expensive country in Europe, but it is the cheapest in an Arctic context.</div>
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In the popular book <b>Top 100 Birding Sites Of The World</b>, author D. Couzens lists the Varanger Peninsula as one of these must-visit destinations, stating it <i>“offers the chance to see some northern specialities that are hard to find elsewhere on the European continent”</i>. Norway´s competition is the global market of the other 99 destinations listed in this book. Birders and nature photographers will travel worldwide in search of spectacular nature experiences. If anything, the biggest challenge for Norway is to promote itself in an arctic context and to not become the most expensive destination in Europe, but rather the best, easiest accessible, and cheapest arctic birding destination in the world. For Norway to stand out in a global context is will be wise to focus on the Arctic part. This is where the most attractive species are found, and where Norway is unlike other destinations. That being said, a great product can be made many places in Norway, provided the right person run it. In a Scandinavian context, there are several places with potential for much more development, however the number of potential international visitors will be less in places like Lista, Jæren and Utsira. One thing is certain: there is room to do much more with birding and wildlife experiences as a niche in Norway.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Sustainability</span></b><br />
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<i style="font-family: helvetica;">Below photo: Minsmere nature reserve. Among the most famous of nature conservation initiatives in the world is the RSPB´s nature reserves. More then 200 reserves in UK are designed and often made from nearly scratch to become wildlife havens rich in birdlife. In addition these reserves are great examples of conservation and business. The reserves themselves are visited by up to 100 000 visitors a year at a reserve, fuelling the economy of both the reserves and the nearby towns / communities.</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">How can wildlife-based tourism be sustainable?</span></b></div>
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<li><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-indent: -36px;">Engage in conservation</b></li>
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Sustainability for wildlife-based tourism is about more than reduced carbon emissions and recycling plastic and paper. The nature of the hobby is to intrude into the lives of animals, but do so with as little impact as possible. </div>
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In the very widest sense engaging in nature conservation means to take action to make people presence a benefit for birds and wildlife. This approach is undertaken to excellence by conservation organisations such as the RSPB (Royal Sociaty for the Protection of Birds). Through the design and making (often from scratch) of over 200 nature reserves in UK, the organisation is providing resting, feeding and breeding grounds for an enormous amount of birds. Wildlife in UK and Europe would have been much poorer without these efforts. A vast number of birders, birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts make this happen, through memberships, volunteering, donations, etc. For a country of destination it is important to facilitate for conservation efforts. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Photos above: the RSPB Minsmere shop and the work station for the machinery used to manage the reserve.</span></i></td></tr>
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In Norway the state is expected to handle all nature reserves, but there is a vast landscape of opportunities that are not explored yet. Bird observatories, privately or publicly made nature reserves can have a great future in Norway, perhaps with a shared private and public effort new ideas could be explored.</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Examples of engagement in conservation</b>:</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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Species across the world are under threat. There are many thousands of wildlife conservation organisations working to prevent extinctions, save habitats and build awareness of many threatened species. Funding for many of these projects is low. As an act of sustainability, to help preserve some of the nature they are also enjoying, many wildlife-based tourism companies and organisations choose to support a conservation project financially. British birding tour operator Bird Holidays has a policy of supporting conservation efforts in different parts of the world, including one scheme that funds the purchase and reforestation of land in Ecuador alongside the World Land Trust* and Jocotoco Foundation**. Native plants are reestablished on the land to recreate habitat for rainforest species. This means that all the flights taken by the tour company´s guides and clients are carbon neutral. Bird Holidays also supports the Spoon-billed Sandpiper through BirdLife International by registering as a BirdLife Species Champion.***</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">* </span>http://www.worldlandtrust.org</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">** </span>http://fjocotoco.org</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">*** </span>http://www.birdholidays.co.uk/carbon%20balanced.htm</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">The code of conduct: “The interests of the birds come first”</span></b></div>
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In Britain, a series of wildlife and birding organisations have created the “birdwatcher´s code”, a code of conduct that should be practiced by all birders as a means to maintaining the enjoyment of the hobby for themselves and others in a sustainable way. Birds respond to people in many ways, depending on the species, location and time of year. If birds are disturbed they may keep away from their nests, leaving chicks hungry or enabling predators to take their eggs or young. During cold weather, or when migrants have just made a long flight, repeatedly disturbing birds can mean they use up vital energy that they need for feeding.</div>
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Intentionally or recklessly disturbing some birds at or near their nest is illegal in Britain. Whether you are particularly interested in photography, bird ringing, sound-recording or birdwatching, remember to always put the interests of the birds first.</div>
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<li><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Avoid going too close to birds or disturbing their habitats – if a bird flies away or makes repeated alarm calls, you’re too close. If it leaves, you won’t get a good view of it anyway.</span></li>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;">In UK the BTO have issued this "code of conduct": </span>http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u10/downloads/taking-part/health/bwc.pdf </div>
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The increased disturbance by wildlife watchers is often the reason particular pairs of some species fail to breed or move away to a different area. In Britain, Long-eared Owls are famous for being disturbed during their winter roosts (often in bushes in plain view) by overzealous birders and photographers. Following the code will stop observers intruding into the lives of wildlife, particularly when it may be vulnerable e.g. wasting precious energy flying away during harsh winter months. This code should also be taken onboard by wildlife tour operators, many of whom take clients to the same single pair of a particular species as they know they are present. While this is fantastic for the clients who get to see the species, the animals themselves may be put under increased pressure from frequent visits and this has the potential to impact upon the birds breeding success.</div>
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In the effort to act sustainably in Norway one should consider: </div>
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<li><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Each individuals responsibility as a a visitor (code of conduct). It is the hosts / destinations responsibility to create awareness of this, and preferable develop a code of conduct that is perfectly tailored to the destination and its wildlife. </span></li>
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<li><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">A nature destination or a nature based company should somehow engage in conservation. The possibilities are endless, and when well handled it can be a great business model in itself.</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GzOF3zfhtks/VmBOV168blI/AAAAAAAAANs/ZWiA0voSw1M/s1600/King%2BEider%2Bfloating%2Bphoto%2Bhide%2BBa%25CC%258Atsfjord%2Bfeb%2B2014%2BAmundsen%2BBiotope-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GzOF3zfhtks/VmBOV168blI/AAAAAAAAANs/ZWiA0voSw1M/s640/King%2BEider%2Bfloating%2Bphoto%2Bhide%2BBa%25CC%258Atsfjord%2Bfeb%2B2014%2BAmundsen%2BBiotope-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">The floating King Eider photo hide in Båtfjord was designed to maximise photo opportunities and to minimise visual movement of people, in order to avoid disturbing the ducks in the harbour. The photographic results are amazing, and much better then those taken when the photographer is exposed.</span></i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The birding business</span></b></div>
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No one gets into birding for the money.</div>
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Despite this, the birding world has a surprisingly large economy, and all based off natural processes that are entirely free. The birds take no charge for migrating every year, they ask for no wage when they visit a birder´s garden. Nature is a resource from which everyone benefits. </div>
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Find a number of good quotes about the birding business here:</div>
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http://www.audubon.org/magazine/september-october-2015/welcome-warblerstock-ohios grooviest </div>
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In one study, of the 47 million self-confessed US birders, 84% were found to earn an “above average” (more than $20,000) salary<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*16</span>. It is no lie that birders are on the whole, 16 quite well-off financially. They are prepared to spend more money pursuing their interest than many other people would spend on their hobby. In the U.S., the total annual economic impact of the birding market came to $107 billion<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*17</span>. </div>
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Total expenditure from birding trips across the USA for 2011 came to almost $41 billion, including $26 billion just spent on wildlife-watching equipment, from binoculars to boat rental. In an independent study of travelling birders (of predominately British origin), the majority stated they spent 1000 - 2000 GBP on each birding or wildlife holiday (with most birders travelling once or twice a year for birding trips) though 5% spent 8000 GBP or more on their birding / wildlife holidays. </div>
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<b>Example, Israel</b>: Thanks in part to the Hula Valley Birding and Eilat Birds Festivals, plus Champion Of The Flyway birdrace, birding brings around $4million to Israel per year<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*18</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">.</span></div>
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<b>Example, New Zealand</b>: New Zealand is a highly desired birding location for many travelling birders since a huge proportion of the wildlife is totally unique to the islands. One online New Zealand Birding Guide lists 48 different companies offering personalised tours, boat trips, walking trails and accommodation all completely catered to birding and birders. There will doubtless be more companies that were not listed. They go from reserves containing many species to extremely niche operations such as guided tours of an Australasian Gannet colony<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*19</span>. </div>
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As well as being a great way to get people together, showcase and celebrate all things birds, birding festivals bring in big money for the immediate area they are held in. In a study, daily spending at U.S. birding festivals came to $250-$350 daily per person and $1,000-$1,400 weekend/person. </div>
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At the Space Coast Birding Festival in Florida, the local economy received a $1.29 million pump from the visiting birders over the 5 days. Ohio hosts not only the Biggest Week In American Birding festival but also some of the best places to see North American Wood Warblers and other attractive birds. 6 birding sites across the north of the state helped the county rake in $26.4 million annually. In Maine, birding and nature travel brought $345.9 million. The Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas is one of the USA´s most popular birding destinations for its specialist birdlife and pleasant climate. Thanks mainly to the visiting birders, the region receives $463 million annually through birding and nature travel<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*20</span>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*16(Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of the <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Interior U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2013)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*17(Feathered Impact: The Demographics and Power of Birding in the United States http://<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">www.americanbirdingexpo.com/featheredimpact/#/featheredimpact1)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*18(Meyrav, J., Israel Ornithological Center, pers comms, 2015)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*19(New Zealand Bird Guide, New Zealand Birding Network Incorporated, 2012)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">*20</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">(</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">American Birding Expo)</span></i></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9hq3iNfwSXg/VmBNobrnkWI/AAAAAAAAANc/CCSZ3qpy1cA/s1600/Snip20151202_12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9hq3iNfwSXg/VmBNobrnkWI/AAAAAAAAANc/CCSZ3qpy1cA/s640/Snip20151202_12.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">Above photo: The Cape May Autumn Birding Festival, one of more then 100 birding festivals in USA. Photo T. Amundsen.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5v5FsZJ17vQ/VmBNIVKZl7I/AAAAAAAAANU/rxLFCoQMT88/s1600/Snip20151202_13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5v5FsZJ17vQ/VmBNIVKZl7I/AAAAAAAAANU/rxLFCoQMT88/s640/Snip20151202_13.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Magazines</span></b></div>
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British birders are well catered for, with nature reserves, rare bird news services and many birding magazines to subscribe to. Perhaps the most popular of these is BirdWatch magazine. First published in 1992, it now has a print run of approximately 12,000 copies per month on top of c.400 subscribers to the digital edition of the magazine<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*21</span>. This is alongside BirdWatching magazine, also published in the UK, that has approximately 9100 monthly subscribers and just under 4800 newsstand sales every 4 weeks<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*22</span>. The story is similar for the rest of Europe, where birding is also very popular. In the Netherlands, Dutch Birding has 1900 monthly subscribers to its bilingual journal<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*23</span>. Going back to the USA, Bird Watcher´s Digest has a print circulation of 40 000 copies a month.</div>
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<b>Dutch Birding</b> - Bilingual, bimonthly Dutch-published journal. Includes Western Palearctic bird news, and Dutch rare bird reports.</div>
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<b>BirdWatch</b> - British-published magazine aimed at more serious birders. Includes ID features on similar bird species,</div>
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rare bird finder accounts and articles on rare birds, migration and recent findings.</div>
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<b>Bird Watching</b> - British-published monthly magazine aimed at the average bird watcher. Content includes site guides, trip reports and recent sightings from across the country.</div>
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<b>BirdWatching</b> - Bimonthly American magazine. For bird watchers of all abilities. Features book reviews, conservation news and location tips for seeing birds.</div>
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<b>British Birds</b> - A partly scientific, partly birding journal published in Britain. Features collections of peer-assessed papers, news articles and high-quality photographs.</div>
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<b>Birding World</b> - British-published journal aimed at serious birders and twitchers. Included recent rare bird reports, significant birding events and Western Palearctic bird news.</div>
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<b>Birding</b> - Published by the American Birding Association of the USA. Aimed at experienced birders.</div>
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<b>Bird Watcher´s Digest</b> - Bimonthly. USA-published magazine based at birdwatchers of all abilities.</div>
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<b>Birding ASIA</b> - Published by the Oriental Bird Club twice a year. Includes latest news on birding in Asia including conservation projects and trip reports.</div>
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<b>North American Birds</b> - Published by the American Birding Association. Quarterly journal. Includes unusual bird records, changes in range and migration patterns of birds in North America.</div>
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<b>Audubon</b> - Published bimonthly by the National Audubon Society. Contains news articles on birds in North America and photographic content. https://www.audubon.org/past-magazine-issues</div>
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<b>Roadrunner</b> - Swedish magazine published by Club300. Focuses on rare birds in Sweden with particular emphasis on identification, where to find rare birds and occurrences.</div>
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<b>Birder</b> - Japanese-published magazine. Showcases bird photography, top species to see in Japan and birding tips.</div>
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<b>Sandgrouse</b> - Biannual journal published by the Ornithological Society of the Middle East. Focuses on birds, bird conservation and birding in the Middle East region.</div>
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The US publication The Birder's Directory - Travel Issue lists 68 locations in 22 states which <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">specifically carter for birders, plus 113 festivals in 37 states, just a small fraction of birding sites and events that are looking to attract birders.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*21(Mitchell, D.,BirdWatch, per comms, 2015)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*22(Fairburn, L., Bauer Media, per comms 2015)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*23(Doodeman, D., Dutch Birding, pers comms, 2015)</i></span></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6TmLSj59K2o/VmBMnOaWIgI/AAAAAAAAANM/4MWxHXiRr4g/s1600/Snip20151202_14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6TmLSj59K2o/VmBMnOaWIgI/AAAAAAAAANM/4MWxHXiRr4g/s640/Snip20151202_14.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Blogs</span></b></div>
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<b>general (comes in 1000s, the below is to show a few examples)</b></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://ofpiesandbirds.blogspot.no/">http://ofpiesandbirds.blogspot.no</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://pewit.blogspot.no/">http://pewit.blogspot.no</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://birdingfrontiers.com/">http://birdingfrontiers.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://cmboviewfromthecape.blogspot.no/">http://cmboviewfromthecape.blogspot.no</a></span></div>
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<b>birding institutes (serious)</b></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://fibowarden.blogspot.no/">http://fibowarden.blogspot.no</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/">http://www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk</a></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"> 18518 average monthly views 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://portlandbirdobs.blogspot.co.uk/">http://portlandbirdobs.blogspot.co.uk</a></span></div>
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<b>gulls (niche within the niche)</b></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.anythinglarus.com/">http://www.anythinglarus.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://tomsgulls.blogspot.no/">http://tomsgulls.blogspot.no</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://chrisgibbins-gullsbirds.blogspot.no/">http://chrisgibbins-gullsbirds.blogspot.no</a></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JftAWBuu10c/VmBKTHE3hXI/AAAAAAAAANA/qB0sQ6-cpxY/s1600/Snip20151202_15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JftAWBuu10c/VmBKTHE3hXI/AAAAAAAAANA/qB0sQ6-cpxY/s640/Snip20151202_15.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">Above screenshot: from the Wildphoto website, one of very few tour operators in Norway.</span></i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Tour operators</span></b></div>
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<b>BirdQuest</b> - Famous for being one of the most successful birding tour companies <a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1609981923"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.birdquest-tours.com/">www.birdquest-tours.com</a></span></div>
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<b>Tropical Birding</b> - Also organises photography and custom tours <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;"><a href="http://www.tropicalbirding.com/">http://www.tropicalbirding.com</a></span></div>
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<b>Birding Ecotours</b> - Specialises in small groups <a href="http://birdingecotours.com/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://birdingecotours.com</span></a></div>
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<b>Oriole Birding</b> - includes multiple regional trips to the UK as well as abroad <a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1609981929"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oriolebirding.com/index.php">www.oriolebirding.com/index.php</a></span></div>
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<b>Rockjumper</b> - Leads tours in 100 countries <a href="http://www.rockjumper.co.za/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.rockjumper.co.za</span></a></div>
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<b>Zugunruhe birding tours</b> - Specialists in Alaskan tours. Also runs niche tours for particular</div>
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species (e.g. migrating Ross´s Gulls) and one tour based on the sampling the birds and beers of California.</div>
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<b>Naturetrek</b> - largest expert-led wildlife tour company in the world <a href="http://www.naturetrek.co.uk/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.naturetrek.co.uk</span></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>Wings</b> - <a href="http://wingsbirds.com/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">http://wingsbirds.com</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>Sunbird</b> - <a href="http://www.sunbirdtours.co.uk/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">http://www.sunbirdtours.co.uk</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>Limosa Holidays</b>- <a href="http://www.limosaholidays.co.uk/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">http://www.limosaholidays.co.uk</span></a></span></div>
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<b>Ornitholidays</b> - first birding tour company in the world <a href="http://www.ornitholidays.co.uk/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.ornitholidays.co.uk</span></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>WildWings</b> - <a href="http://www.wildwings.co.uk/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">http://www.wildwings.co.uk</span></a></span></div>
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<b>Birdfinders Birdwatching Holidays</b> - <a href="http://www.birdfinders.co.uk/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.birdfinders.co.uk</span></a></div>
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<b>Bird Holidays</b> - Offset all carbon from their tours by funding the acquisition and reforestation of rainforest in South America <a href="http://www.naturetrek.co.uk/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.naturetrek.co.uk</span></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black;"><b>Avian Adventures</b> - <a href="http://www.avianadventures.co.uk/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238);">http://www.avianadventures.co.uk</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.birdwatchingbreaks.com/">http://www.birdwatchingbreaks.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.heritage-expeditions.com/">http://www.heritage-expeditions.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.islandholidays.co.uk/">http://www.islandholidays.co.uk</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.sarusbirdtours.co.uk/">http://www.sarusbirdtours.co.uk</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.thebiggesttwitch.com/guided-birdwatching-trips">http://www.thebiggesttwitch.com/guided-birdwatching-trips</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.wildlifewilderness.com/">http://www.wildlifewilderness.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.wildlifeworldwide.com/">http://www.wildlifeworldwide.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.zootherabirding.com/">http://www.zootherabirding.com</a></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5RYOmIAHpok/VmBKJ8S98YI/AAAAAAAAAM4/kIQ6gpVdN2M/s1600/Hawk%2BOwl%2Bin%2BPasvik%2BNyrud%2BAug%2B2015%2BVaranger%2BAmundsen%2B%25C2%25A9%2BBiotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="452" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5RYOmIAHpok/VmBKJ8S98YI/AAAAAAAAAM4/kIQ6gpVdN2M/s640/Hawk%2BOwl%2Bin%2BPasvik%2BNyrud%2BAug%2B2015%2BVaranger%2BAmundsen%2B%25C2%25A9%2BBiotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;">Owls are often tricky to find and having an experienced bird guide or access to local knowledge is key. Photo of Hawk Owl in Pasvik, South Varanger</i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bird observatories</span></b></div>
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An overview of Europe´s bird observatories shows an overwhelming effort and interest in UK. Bird observatories are often run by very keen birders, and in many cases they function as a tourist information for birders and nature enthusiasts. Their efforts are often based around scientific and conservation purposes, but in effect they are focus points for a vast number of birders. A travelling birder will often turn to a bird observatory for credible information, rather then an official tourist board / website. A bird observatory can be a great way to combine tourist information (of the niche kind) and conservation efforts. Norway has several bird observatories, but all of these have a lot of development potential in the sense of becoming information hubs for an international birding community. There are also plans in progress of the making of a bird observatory in Varanger.</div>
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Spurn Bird Observatory - East Yorkshire, England</div>
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Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory - Gwynedd, Wales</div>
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Dungeness Bird Observatory - Kent, England</div>
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Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory - Kent, England</div>
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Fair Isle Bird Observatory - Shetland Islands, Scotland</div>
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North Ronaldsey Bird Observatory - Orkney Islands, Scotland</div>
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Isle of May Bird Observatory & Field Station - Fife, Scotland</div>
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Filey Bird Observatory - North Yorkshire, England</div>
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Flamborough Bird Observatory - East Yorkshire, England</div>
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Gibraltar Point Bird Observatory - Lincolnshire England</div>
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Holme Bird Observatory - Norfolk, England</div>
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Languard Bird Observatory - Suffolk, England</div>
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Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre - Dorset, England</div>
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Skokholm Bird Observatory - Pembrokeshire, Wales</div>
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Hilbre Bird Observatory - Wirral, England</div>
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Walney Bird Observatory - Cumbria, England</div>
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Calf of Man Bird Observatory - Isle of Man, UK</div>
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Copeland Bird Observatory - County Down, Northern Ireland</div>
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Cape Clear Bird Observatory - County Cork, Ireland</div>
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Vogelwarte Helgoland - Heligoland Bight, Germany</div>
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Antikythera Bird Observatory - Greece</div>
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Kvismaren Fågelstation - Sweden</div>
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Flasterbo Fågelstation - Sweden</div>
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Ottenby Fågelstation - Sweden</div>
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Gedser Fuglestation - Denmark</div>
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Lista Fuglestation - Norway</div>
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Utsira Fuglestation - Norway</div>
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Røst Fuglestation - Norway</div>
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Mølen Fuglestasjon - Norway</div>
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Store Færder Fuglestasjon - Norway</div>
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Revetangen Fuglestasjon - Norway</div>
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Jomfruland Fuglestajon - Norway</div>
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Vogelwarte Sempach - Lucerne, Switzerland</div>
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Capri Bird Observatory - Italy</div>
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Strait of Gibraltar Bird Observatory - Spain</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-94RxXHp2sis/VmBJ8K2RhsI/AAAAAAAAAMw/KDA1-CAuU8A/s1600/Utsira%2Bokt%2B2011%2BMerkebua%2BTAmundsen%2BBiotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-94RxXHp2sis/VmBJ8K2RhsI/AAAAAAAAAMw/KDA1-CAuU8A/s640/Utsira%2Bokt%2B2011%2BMerkebua%2BTAmundsen%2BBiotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; text-align: start;">Bird observatories often focus in bird ringing and / or migration surveying (conservation). They are also often a destinations information hub. Photo from Utsira Bird Obervatory (T.Amundsen)</i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Online resources</span></b></div>
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Websites which contain trip reports by other birders are invaluable for planning a holiday where you are not hiring a guide. This is backed up by the survey figures: c.70% agreed that online trip reports were “very important” for planning a trip abroad. Trips reports (in pdf. form or blogposts) are essential to the birding community. </div>
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Birder-written trip reports offer an honest view of an area for birding and may include “in-the-know” tips about accommodation, the best sites and perhaps even local custom that should be adhered. For many areas of the world, there is no written guide book for bird or wildlife watching, or if there is, may be extremely out of date. Sites which they describe as being reliable for certain species may no longer be relevant, or even exist at all! Trip reports written recently will be much more reliable references for birders visiting the area. </div>
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Of course there are limitations - one birder´s idea of what is notable may not be another´s. A enthusiastic gull-watcher´s trip report may not be of any interest to a world-lister who is wanting information on where to see as many species as possible. It is also worth remembering that not all birders are great writers! </div>
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Cloud Birders <a href="http://www.cloudbirders.com/"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(4, 46, 238); color: #042eee;">http://www.cloudbirders.com</span></a> is a particularly exhaustive site and supposedly the only website entirely for birding trip reports. There are very few countries that this site does not have at least one trip report for. There are 1016 different reports for Spain (!). 1086 for the USA. Norway has 111 reports, largely based in Finnmark and particularly Varanger<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*24</span>. Many of these are links to birders´personal blogs. Surfbirds also has a trip report search function, though with fewer trip reports and fewer locations documented. </div>
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Our survey showed that travelling birders found information from official destination portals (typically www.visit*destination*.com and other official tourist boards) less important when organising a trip, with almost half selecting an answer midway between “very important” and “not important”. This reflects on the specialism of birders and the generalised information often found on these sites. They may be of use for finding accommodation or sites of cultural interest (if the travelling birder and their party are interested in that sort of thing) but rarely do they provide adequate information about where to watch birds and wildlife. Unfortunately when these sites do try to convey some interest for birders, they often get it disastrously wrong (but in a way that only birders could notice).</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*24(</i><i>All figures correct as of 01/10/15)</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: small; font-style: italic; text-align: start;">The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is one of the world´s pioneering producers of new birding technology and content (photo T.Amundsen)</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Guidebooks</span></b></div>
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Not surprisingly using bird/wildlife guidebooks for an area was rated as “very important” by most travelling birders on the survey. When up to date and reliable, guidebooks are invaluable. While many will use online trip reports, unless these are printed out they may be totally inaccessible upon reaching your destination to find you have no internet signal. A guidebook also saves hours trawling the internet for trip reports covering areas you are visiting, that aren't out of date and that focus on the same sort of birding that you are into. As another plus, should one site fail to deliver, the guidebook is likely to display other areas to view the particular bird a you have attempted to see or other good birding sites nearby. To reflect on the value of a guidebook, almost 78% of those surveyed stated that they “always use / buy” a bird or wildlife guidebook to the area. Good guidebooks are not to be underestimated. It is in a birding destination´s interest to have a great guide book available. Make sure it is written by a birder or someone with deep and exact knowledge of the destination at hand. This is not something to be outsourced to the lowest bidder. A guide will make the destination much more available to a much larger audience.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The birder´s checklist:</span></b></div>
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<b>From planning to departure back home</b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Information</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;"> - If there is no information about the area´s wildlife, birders will not go. Simple as that. The more knowledge of the area a birder can gain about the area the better. Knowing where their target species will most likely be, what time of year is the best for their particular desired wildlife, how they can get around the area, the prices of accommodation/transport/ amenities etc. etc. will help them decide quickly and easily whether this place is for them. Birding guidebooks and links to online trip reports by birders who have visited the area are very important. Public websites / destination websites are less valued, but can be of importance if they provide a good overview of accommodation (preferably with maps).</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Ease of getting there</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;"> - This may vary on how dedicated the birder is to get to a place and obviously a world lister who is intent on seeing the birdlife of Burkina Faso is expecting to have to research a bit for flights. But as a whole, being able to get to a destination with relative ease is key. A nearby airport and easy flight connections makes a place much more attractive for visiting birders. A lot of birders want to travel independently, but troublesome flight research is often a barrier. Make sure options are well researched and presented. Before 2009 nearly all birders came to Varanger via Finland. The single greatest difference made by working with birding from Varanger itself is that Kirkenes has been promoted as the best and most easily available option. Today most birders visiting Varanger arrive via Kirkenes.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Transport</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;"> - There are hardly any places in the world where a birder or wildlife watcher can see all their target species without travelling the area. Car hire, taxi services, reliable public transport or even bicycle rental are all options that allow birders to get out and about explore more of the area they are visiting. Car rental is key, as, again, most birders want to experience a destination on their own.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Accommodation</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;"> - Wildlife watchers are extremely grateful for services that provide them with an experience with nature. This may be as simple as a bird feeder placed by a window. Depending on the local wildlife, there are many resources that hotels and guesthouses could provide. The Fujiya Hotel in Japan is fortunate to have Blakiston´s Fish Owls visit a pond in the hotel grounds. A TV in the lobby shows the pond under an infrared camera, allowing guests to see if the owl is fishing in the pond. The hotel even goes so far as to offer a “owl wake up call” service, alerting guests to when the owls are visiting the garden<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*25</span>. Local maps should always be available.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Local guide</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;"> - In some places in the world, birding without a guide is almost out of the question. Guides are able to impart a vast amount of local knowledge, lead groups to great sites for wildlife and in some instances, take clients to see species which perhaps they only have permission to access. Birding with a guide usually means the customers are more likely to see their target species. However, it is another expense thats adds on to a holiday.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Specialist trips</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;"> - Birders and wildlife watchers represent a clientele which may desire services that no other tourist group require. Boat trips to visit islands full of seabirds, photography hides that allow visitors to achieve incredible shots of wildlife. These services which originally cater to wildlife-lovers may be lapped up by the “everyday” tourist, such as ever-popular whale-watching boat trips that occur from California to the Canaries.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Non-birding interest features</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;"> - More casual birdwatchers may are likely to not want to spend every waking hour “in the field”. Especially those with non-birding family in tow. Therefore these birdwatchers probably require some other sort of recreational activity to keep themselves/their family occupied during their holiday. This could include kayaking/museums/. </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">However</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;"> it is important that these activities do not impact negatively on the quality of wildlife to be found in an area. Setting up a canoe rental right next to a tern colony is likely to cause the terns to abandon their nests. Less nature for all to enjoy.</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Places to eat</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;"> - Birders and wildlife-watchers are not a single-interest group of people. Many, upon entering a new country and culture, wish to sample the food of the area. Others may simply want to enjoy good meals after a long day´s birding. Stores where food can be bought are also paramount since many other birders will be up and out way before cafés start saving breakfast, and return to their lodgings long after final orders for dinner have been taken.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">Sightings service</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;"> - It makes for a much better birding experience when visitors know exactly what´s around and where </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">right now</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; text-indent: -36px;">. Many areas are serviced by online bird club or organisation broadcasting all the sightings of birds an other wildlife. In Finnmark, Norway, the twitter account @Finnmarkbirding<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*26</span> provides a service letting viewers know of birds that are present in the area. On a more local level, the popular birding destination of Spurn Point also has a twitter account, @spurnbirdobs<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*27</span> tweeting multiple times daily on the birds in the area, manly relying on birders present to tweet their findings directly to the account. It has 3.5 thousand followers. Accommodations could display a blackboard with the most recent sightings of wildlife in the area - supplied by their guests as well as the online news to be found on twitter and blogs.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*25(http://www.fujiyahotel.jp/en/)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*26(https://twitter.com/Finnmarkbirding)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>*27(https://twitter.com/spurnbirdobs)</i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Thank you</span></b></div>
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<b></b><br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">
Tim Appleton, Leicstershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust / Rutland Birdfair</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">
Jonathan Meyrav, Israel Orthinological Centre</div>
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Dale Forbes, Swarovski Optik</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">
Wendy Clark, Bird Watcher´s Digest</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">
Graham Catley</div>
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Tim Jones</div>
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Martin Garner, Birding Fronteirs</div>
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Stephanie Mahathey, Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival</div>
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Garry Taylor, Spurn Bird Observatory</div>
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David La Puma, Cape May Bird Observatory</div>
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Neta Harris, Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">
Lynne Fairburn, Birdwatching Magazine</div>
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Andrea Sleight, Birdwatching Magazine</div>
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Debby Doodeman, Dutch Birding</div>
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Dominic Mitchell, Birdwatch Magazine</div>
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Nate, Birding Family Circus (wishes to remain "pseudo anonymous")</div>
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Rare Bird Alert</div>
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Birdguides</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">
René Pop, Dutch Birding</div>
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Tim Loseby, photographer</div>
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Dave Appleton, photographer</div>
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Jari Pältomaki, Finnature</div>
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Chris Wood, eBird</div>
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Jessie Barry, eBird</div>
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Lynette Buurman, Encounter Kaikoura</div>
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Nigel Jones, Ornitholidays UK</div>
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Mike Watson, Birdquest</div>
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Rochelle Stevens, BirdLife Australia</div>
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Roy Mangersnes, Wildphoto</div>
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Ørjan Hansen, Arctic Tourist</div>
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Frode Fjerdingøy, Vadsø Fjordhotell</div>
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Graham White, RSPB</div>
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Adam Rowlands, RSPB</div>
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Audun Lie Dahl, Smøla Naturopplevelser</div>
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Everyone who took part in ´travelling birder´ survey</div>
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+ all the hundreds of birders and nature enthusiasts we have met in Varanger and other</div>
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birding destinations around the world.</div>
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A very big thanks to Innovasjon Norge / <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(67, 144, 178); color: #4390b2;">Innovation Norway</span>, both for comissioning this</div>
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report and for being a key supporter and katalyst of the making of Varanger as a world-<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">class birding destination.</span></div>
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Building a birding / nature destination is made possible thanks ot a shared effort of many. Above is a few of the makers and contributors to "Birding Destination Varanger". We hope this report can inspire and inform more people to venture into the birding business!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A few words to sum it all up…</span></b><br />
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No one goes into birding for the money, but many have made birding their business. This is a market of very passionate people. For most people in the birding business it is a lifestyle, not just a job. This makes the birding world very exciting to work with, and an incredibly productive one. Worldwide millions of birders enjoy their passion, and millions travel internationally every year in search of great nature experiences.</div>
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The birding world is highly decentralised, making it very tricky to "get into". There is not a clear hierarchical structure, but rather a flat structure or culture with millions of contributors. There is a birding tour company for every taste or age, there are magazines to cater for every variety of the interest, and on top of that a very high percentage of birders are producers of content themselves. </div>
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In birding you need to find and work with your niche within the niche. Coming from an outside point of view can be tricky. For example: a destination marketer will have trouble with engaging with the birding community, and perhaps his or her job should not be to be the marketer of birding, but rather seek the management skills and understanding to support the right people for the job. The new digital world with high engagement and a wide variety of social media is a perfect fit for a decentralised niche such a birding. Learn to love it and work with it. Remember there is a person behind every "like" or "retweet".</div>
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We hope this report will inspire action. We also aim to further this work and to build on this report. It is by no means a complete overview of the birding world, but it will give you a great understanding and insight to the very complex world of birding. Please feel free to give feedback directly on mail to Tormod Amundsen on email: tormod@biotope.no</div>
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Thanks again to all contributors!</div>
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Tormod Amundsen / Biotope<br />
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www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-86198877244736350792015-08-20T09:41:00.003+02:002019-06-13T13:30:17.168+02:00Birding Varanger in summer <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1p826I52D3aXrEVHXTQH4JCZrEkaZ7ZtJsactzBRkRvXUtHCaOpiB1yz1GylJxbPBXdY2xC232Bgx1WN5pPHYIENjDGSrG75sWlnIEt6UGw7JUMpQpaol2ouFub31Av913-W2SSIDQE/s1600/Komagv%25C3%25A6r+komagdalen+%2526+beach+aerial+pano+sommer+2014+july+med+res+sign+%25C2%25A9+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1p826I52D3aXrEVHXTQH4JCZrEkaZ7ZtJsactzBRkRvXUtHCaOpiB1yz1GylJxbPBXdY2xC232Bgx1WN5pPHYIENjDGSrG75sWlnIEt6UGw7JUMpQpaol2ouFub31Av913-W2SSIDQE/s640/Komagv%25C3%25A6r+komagdalen+%2526+beach+aerial+pano+sommer+2014+july+med+res+sign+%25C2%25A9+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The arctic summer in Varanger: The midnight sun seems to energize all living creatures and spectacular birding can be enjoyed 24/7. Displaying waders in their full breeding plumage, passerines singing and bird cliffs teeming with life is an experience of a lifetime. We hope the following blogpost provides you with both inspiration and information for your next arctic adventure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The flamboyant gentlemen of the tundra. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Going at it every time a lady Ruff visit the lek site. Ruff lekking can be seen several places in Varanger. However the Komagvær valley is a good place to look. <span style="color: #990000;">(click on any image for slide show view)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bluethroat in song flight. A character bird found all over the Varanger peninsula. A visit to Varanger in summer can produce around 150 species. But I still believe its is seeing top birds in a beautiful pristine arctic landscape that will stay with you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Red-throated Divers are plentifull in Varanger. They breed on lakes and ponds across the peninsula, and fly to the fjord to feed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Birders enjoying the sceneries (from our trip with Swarovski Optik in mid June 2015). </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Varanger - a birding destination in progress</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If it has got to do with birding in Varanger there is a rather good chance Biotope is involved. By now we have arranged series of tours, workshops, events, festivals, ringing schemes and organized trips for TV teams and film productions. It is all part of building Varanger, and creating awareness for the regions unique birdlife. We do our outmost to make sure people who visist will have a great experience. One of our recent projects involved being organisers for Swarovski Optik on their new product launch tour. We are very grateful for Swarovski choosing Varanger. It is well worth mentioning that Biotope is a Swarovski ambassador, and we are provided with their fines optics. But then again I have been a Swarovski ambassador since the age of 14 when I spent all my savings on my very first expensive thing: a pair of Swarovski SLC 10x42 binoculars. An investment that fueled my birding passion even more. Never regretted that, and afterwards I could not afford to do anything else then going birding (which is almost free if you have a bicycle and nearby birding areas). It was money well spent. Now being able to take a group of dedicated top birders from around the world on a tour of our favorite birding destination was true pleasure. We themed the tour ´Varanger behind the scenes´ and made sure that we not only enjoyed some great birding, but also got to meet all the good people that make a visit to Varanger a great experience: from the chef Tor Emil at Vardø Hotel, to Frode, the owner of Vadsø Fjordhotell, and Øystein Enoksen the fisherman looking into bringing birders on his fishing vessel, Kate Utsi the modern Reindeer herder (& birder!) and Åse Winsents the owner of the completely rehabilitated village of Veines, in North Varanger peninsula. Enjoying Varnger in the company of great birders and enthusiastic locals is brilliant. Make sure you get to experience that!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope have for more then 6 years been working with the development of Varanger as a world class birding destination. The region has of course been well known to quite a few birders for many years, but with the recent years work I guess we can safely say we have proppelled Varanger into being recognized as the worlds finest arctic birding destination. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpJLd-65u6CLdDNS95m0n_h4ABg3vS-bE_hjNVzXJaMaJr-VUujKXX7y2rELevpE_TpifsBCSiQ7W8SZDJm2FtO9aIroEOmuBfuGbiiY0lMYe30_k26C-nF50RFvZ3TV_E0XrE_iULlI/s1600/Varanger_birding+destination+folder_2015_low_res+%25C2%25A9+Biotope+-+page1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpJLd-65u6CLdDNS95m0n_h4ABg3vS-bE_hjNVzXJaMaJr-VUujKXX7y2rELevpE_TpifsBCSiQ7W8SZDJm2FtO9aIroEOmuBfuGbiiY0lMYe30_k26C-nF50RFvZ3TV_E0XrE_iULlI/s640/Varanger_birding+destination+folder_2015_low_res+%25C2%25A9+Biotope+-+page1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our latest birding Varanger leaflet, showing the Varanger peninsula, the Pasvik taiga in south Varanger, and also including the Norkyn peninsula in the west (as it is an amazing seawatching, migration site in May, at Slettnes lighthouse). The leaflet features a few key birding sites, and also the sites of bird hides / wind shelters currently in place in Varanger. Most visitors arrive via plane to Oslo, Norways capitol, then take the two hour flight to Kirkenes, from where they rent a car. From Kirkenes to Vardø is a 3,5 hours drive, but be sure to visit Pasvik, the taiga forest in the south of Kirkenes, and the northern Varanger peninsula, from Båtsford to Berlevåg. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is well worth reading our ´<a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2013/12/birding-varanger-in-winter-early-spring.html"><span style="color: blue;">Birding Varanger in winter</span></a>´ article which features even more relevant info on travel and accomodation in Varanger.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgopgzW-mXZ4D2xx2nJ6zQ5ZpR0al5JF9xSa3aCksysc59KIwGBmAGUnICPo-l66_-1eSYNU7KZp5-MD2tILvp2qYC0ihFJQxaIy72naWiDCd3N1d57qlL_7cQJBbry_WalNUYVn3oCY/s1600/Swarovski+filming+on+Hasselnes+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgopgzW-mXZ4D2xx2nJ6zQ5ZpR0al5JF9xSa3aCksysc59KIwGBmAGUnICPo-l66_-1eSYNU7KZp5-MD2tILvp2qYC0ihFJQxaIy72naWiDCd3N1d57qlL_7cQJBbry_WalNUYVn3oCY/s640/Swarovski+filming+on+Hasselnes+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bird hides, wind shelters and more</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ten bird hides / wind shelters / photos hides designed by Biotope are now found at key bird sites around Varanger. They are designed to be open and inviting, strategically situated for birding and easy to find. Our aim is simply to birdify Varanger: That is to make the regions rich and unique birdlife easily accessible both for visitors and to people living in Varanger. We are very thankful for our collaboration with key partners in Varanger. National Tourist Routes, Innovation Norway, Finnmark Fylkeskommune, The Environment Agency, the Varanger comunities, and even private businesses like Arcitc Tourist, with rentable photo hides like <a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2014/02/golden-birding-in-batsfjord-king-eider.html">the floating King Eider hide</a> in Båtsfjord (a winter experience). They all make building the birding destination possible. After a few years of work these hides are getting some attention too, from architecture reviews to our personal favorites, like Swarovski Optik featuring one in their <a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2014/02/golden-birding-in-batsfjord-king-eider.html">latest binocular release / promotional movie</a>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SmHSxrNEfBz_csaExqHXIQOCaIugcQSlwXXTtUqz17z3KjseNUU9FYF6xatpfVWX0_-d79xRBVct24U5-EMI13zxclaaRx_wwxCe3wa7jJKyP00WgwPeY6QW-jtuEfgNPhdL4SvKRzE/s1600/Kiberg+Exhibition+march+2015+sign+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0SmHSxrNEfBz_csaExqHXIQOCaIugcQSlwXXTtUqz17z3KjseNUU9FYF6xatpfVWX0_-d79xRBVct24U5-EMI13zxclaaRx_wwxCe3wa7jJKyP00WgwPeY6QW-jtuEfgNPhdL4SvKRzE/s640/Kiberg+Exhibition+march+2015+sign+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bringing birding and nature to the people: The new Varanger Peninsula National Park Exhibition in Kiberg. Desinged by Biotope, produced in collaboration with Vardø Museum and the National Park Board. This exhibitions is not a traditional exhibition showcasing the regions nature with stuffed birds. It is rather showing a selection of top species in photos, placed on what surely is Norways biggest super-detailed floor map. Over 40 m2 of detailed map from wall to wall, lets the lazy take the walk across the peninsula, and the curious can explore the valleys and peaks of the peninsula before exploring it. Find the exhibition in Kiberg, outer Varanger Fjord.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdKhAx25-d2h7ZwemZI4gV9cgEPJuCGopd2hDU49sU7rzgs9V6suB866GekjxsQ5kXng2xDIq_FbUC_NO25Q4AyJyfBg0JJNKMc8IcKezKxhMGWjzI6XU9LeX-F28xoxvB_z-y7g0hIU/s1600/Kiberg+national+park+exhibition+aerial+panorama+Varanger+April+2014+med+res+sign+Amundsen+Biotope+f%25C3%25B8r+etter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdKhAx25-d2h7ZwemZI4gV9cgEPJuCGopd2hDU49sU7rzgs9V6suB866GekjxsQ5kXng2xDIq_FbUC_NO25Q4AyJyfBg0JJNKMc8IcKezKxhMGWjzI6XU9LeX-F28xoxvB_z-y7g0hIU/s640/Kiberg+national+park+exhibition+aerial+panorama+Varanger+April+2014+med+res+sign+Amundsen+Biotope+f%25C3%25B8r+etter.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Varanger national park exhibition in the old Kiberg school, before and after</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kiberg, a 250 people town, have experienced heavy decline, with everything from shops, postoffice and cafés closing and jobs disappearing. Lets hope some of the local and new initiatives is the start of a new and good things happening in Kiberg. The starting point for the exhibition was the local run down and abandoned school building. It is just a start and there is lots more to be done. There is a new bird hide / wind shelter about to be built in Kiberg too. It is one of the places you must make sure to visit. Particularily in winter the harbour is one of the best places in Varanger to see Steller´s Eiders. In summer the beach and river outlet is often a good place to find a Glaucous Gull or more, or even an Iceland Gull. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Varanger high tundra</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Make sure you visit the high tundra of Varanger. The vast rolling mountains can be reached both by car or by foot. In fact almost 70 % of the Varanger Peninsula is designated as the Varanger Peninsula National Park. It covers large areas of the central peninsula. There are several entrance points, but three stand out clearly on the south side: Vestre Jakobselv valley, Komagvær valley and Sandfjord valley. Gravel roads will take you a few kilometers off the main road, closer to the national park border. The Komagvær entrance is most used. Though the term ´most used´, should not be understood as busy. It is not. This is one of the fantastic features of Varanger: Vast areas of amazing nature and relatively few people. Despite increasing numbers of birders visiting Varanger is still very much under watched as a birding destination. It is also worth noting that in Varanger being inside or outside the national park makes little difference for the quality of the birding or the nature experiences. In fact most people stick to birding the areas close to the fjord. This also provides some of the finest birding in the arctic. If you are not up to a long walk in the national park, don´t worry. You will have a spectacular time anyway. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then there is the northern part of the Varanger peninsula, providing you easy access to brilliant high tundra birding: When driving from the south to the north you will pass Varangebotn, drive along the Tana River valley (watch for Hawk Owls!) and from Austertana to the Kongsfjord and Båtsfjord mountains. One of the top sites here is the Gednje intersection, where you can continue to either Båtsfjord or to Kongsfjord and Berlevåg. The ponds around the intersection often holds good numbers of waders and ducks. It is also worth stopping at high points before or after Gednje to look for Dotterel, Ptarmigan, Shorelark, Snow Bunting, Bar-tailed Gowits, Lapland Buntings, Arctic Redpolls, Purple Sandpiper and more. The mix of very cool birds and amazing landscape will stay with you forever!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aerial of the Gednje intersection and the Varanger high tundra</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbDFrldiCJmkYpkSPlK9H8m8iuSQ2W93R_VwKXKEJodNgbQnHnh1M_s3THoKHPPvxZvZJD32fAlOkviFAhdiop1yIQhoyF9GXr-Vh19fQ6TP8osuWqZ29nSrzx56p557zsqmOb3vwXuQ/s1600/Dotterel+male+on+nest+Ba%25CC%258Atsfjord+mountain+june+21st+2015+-+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbDFrldiCJmkYpkSPlK9H8m8iuSQ2W93R_VwKXKEJodNgbQnHnh1M_s3THoKHPPvxZvZJD32fAlOkviFAhdiop1yIQhoyF9GXr-Vh19fQ6TP8osuWqZ29nSrzx56p557zsqmOb3vwXuQ/s640/Dotterel+male+on+nest+Ba%25CC%258Atsfjord+mountain+june+21st+2015+-+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dotterel, male (the "unshaved" look is a characteristic of the male, females have clean white throats).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KcKFX8TKjeIsogcymKqcIbF5TkeYm4-bYvFkmmrQVf_1jHs-He_-nqzB-6YfzlT6VsztXU6HkcUVB38e5clAmmEmcT7lgIHcxZzVCKG4Ff0kMZBBKM8e-CKMBWIsl9vYHjQKY-axR7U/s1600/Long-tailed+Skua+Ba%25CC%258Atsfjordfjellet+June+2015+Kates+cabin+Fjelljo+pa%25CC%258A+bakken+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KcKFX8TKjeIsogcymKqcIbF5TkeYm4-bYvFkmmrQVf_1jHs-He_-nqzB-6YfzlT6VsztXU6HkcUVB38e5clAmmEmcT7lgIHcxZzVCKG4Ff0kMZBBKM8e-CKMBWIsl9vYHjQKY-axR7U/s640/Long-tailed+Skua+Ba%25CC%258Atsfjordfjellet+June+2015+Kates+cabin+Fjelljo+pa%25CC%258A+bakken+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Long-tailed Skua. Always a great bird to see. Just make sure you respect their territories.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vrwg0uqUkStk1gh9swLN6TbF4YVsqylwkakSLyP3LIULSopo4mAZ_YbRsTIcqtrN-IKL6WnpziPPQcLGVbY2qK6MHJ1qAPCyfpNI-5ZyQF04mnd4Bxm0J2_rzjAq4xpL-3fOSaBKyWI/s1600/Greater+Scaup+bergand+female+Gednje+Ba%25CC%258Atsfjord+Juni+2014+digiscoped+w+Swarovski+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vrwg0uqUkStk1gh9swLN6TbF4YVsqylwkakSLyP3LIULSopo4mAZ_YbRsTIcqtrN-IKL6WnpziPPQcLGVbY2qK6MHJ1qAPCyfpNI-5ZyQF04mnd4Bxm0J2_rzjAq4xpL-3fOSaBKyWI/s640/Greater+Scaup+bergand+female+Gednje+Ba%25CC%258Atsfjord+Juni+2014+digiscoped+w+Swarovski+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Greater Scaup, digiscoped at the Gednje pond (Swarovski ATX 95mm + Sony RX100 m2)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU28ZJhJjxX7PQl99e1RSCbLWqxwgkLNwy82PhY3gmNAoveJxxC8osvLllHADQb8HjG7qH5V1DaFEaRDwIwPP-T_NDTSS6aOPUfUPZ7y0Com0AsQALVoiFR4x569nSZdU6aQ2x5AZX6Lk/s1600/Red-necked+Phalarope+female+Nesseby+june+2015+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU28ZJhJjxX7PQl99e1RSCbLWqxwgkLNwy82PhY3gmNAoveJxxC8osvLllHADQb8HjG7qH5V1DaFEaRDwIwPP-T_NDTSS6aOPUfUPZ7y0Com0AsQALVoiFR4x569nSZdU6aQ2x5AZX6Lk/s640/Red-necked+Phalarope+female+Nesseby+june+2015+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Red-necked Phalarope, female. A common breeder all over the Varanger peninsula</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinEkh7glFJm7cWM7OGanxSJx_ZyWU7ZcVRQwaM15D_w0lRsFPV6OigmT9RqPpekf-cAEyCDqxXYwgFcwHkEl4Rts9VHQcmc40m5IZPjKh1XYbg78HW4yOl4xKjN9g4kt03axXfq7sGwP0/s1600/Red-necked+Phalaropes+5+Vard%25C3%25B8+aug+2011+T+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinEkh7glFJm7cWM7OGanxSJx_ZyWU7ZcVRQwaM15D_w0lRsFPV6OigmT9RqPpekf-cAEyCDqxXYwgFcwHkEl4Rts9VHQcmc40m5IZPjKh1XYbg78HW4yOl4xKjN9g4kt03axXfq7sGwP0/s640/Red-necked+Phalaropes+5+Vard%25C3%25B8+aug+2011+T+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Young Red-necked Phalaropes finding food in the surf in Vardø. If you are in Varanger in late summer / August make sure you visit Vardø as hundreds of Red-necked Phalaropes can be recorded. Our day record is 750+ birds seen from our office window in the south harbour in Vardø.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Birding along the Varanger fjord</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When driving along the Varanger Fjord there are many places to stop with brilliant birding to be enjoyed. Varangerbotn to Hamningberg is about a 2,5 hours straight drive, but if you are to enjoy some quality birding then you can easily spend a week or more. Inner Varanger Fjord is great with the areas around Nesseby nature reserve being a highlight. In easterly winds be sure to do some seawatching from Nessebyodden. Easterly winds often concentrate birds in the inner parts of the fjord. Rarities can be seen and some top birds seen on a Nesseby seawatch includes Soft-plumaged Petrel and Stejneger´s Scoter. Like on all seawatching: you never know what can fly by.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The outer Varanger Fjord: From Vadsø you are basically driving nonstop through premium birding territory. Stops should be made all along the fjord, but be sure to stop at Skallelv bay and Komagvær bay. The past summers have seen a Bearded Seal rest on the river bank in Skallelv, and the birding is generally great, with good numbers of waders, like Temminck´s Stint, and passerines, like Lapland Bunting and Bluethroats. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Accommodation wice we recommend a stay at the <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.visitvaranger.no/nb/vadso-fjordhotell-birders-basecamp-varanger">Vadsø Fjordhotell</a> </span><span style="color: blue;">or the</span><span style="color: blue;"> <a href="https://www.scandichotels.no/hotell/norge/vadso/scandic-vadso?&cmpid=ppc_BH2d&mckv=sI1Vpcj1n_dc%7Cpcrid%7C114422210808%7Ckword%7C%2Bscandic%20%2Bvads%C3%B8%7Cmatch%7Cb%7Cplid%7C&gclid=CJ-jwc6u8M0CFcL2cgodTo0ImQ" target="_blank">Scandic Hotel in Vadsø</a></span>. Both hotels are centrally placed in Vadsø town, and offer great birding within walking ditance from the hotels. The Fjordhotell is strategically placed on the (good for birdng place) Vadsøya island (connected to Vadsø town by a bridge) and Scandic is just a minutes walk from the Vadsø harbour, where you will find lots of arctic seaducks in winter and spring.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For those seeking a more secluded experience we recommend staying at Ingjerd Tjelle´s <a href="http://www.ekkeroy.net/"><span style="color: blue;">Ekkerøy Feriehus</span></a>. Very nice apartmens beautifully situated in the middle of great birding on Ekkerøy. Perfect for families and groups of friends. Though the Barents Sea is never ideal for a swimming holiday, the white sandy beaches provides great walks and birding. The nearby Havhesten (´The Fulmar´) restaurant is usually open all summer, with good local food. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In collaboration with our many partners in Varanger we aim to provide visitors and locals with bird hides, or rather, wind shelters at key sites along the Varanger Fjord. Ekkerøy is such a place where you will find a wind shelter. Nicely situated at the north shore on your way out to Ekkerøy. This is always a very bird rich bay. In winter with many hundreds, sometimes thousands, of Steller´s Eiders and King Eiders. In summer this is also good place to search for one of the few summering Steller´s Eiders, but mind you, they can be tricky to find, and seem to hide anywhere along the fjord. The waters around Ekkerøy is also a good place to look for summering White-billed Divers (typically 2cy birds). Then theres is the Kittiwake cliff on Ekkerøy facing the fjord. 40 000 pairs of Kittiwakes is spectacular, and you can walk very close to the birds. The bird cliffs of Varanger is also the best places to look for Gyrfalcons. Be sure to spend some time at the cliffs as Gyrfalcons hunt there daily. Just keep an open eye when the bird cliff goes in to mass panic mode! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLDx5CsmiHCmqLmx9uM6s-QTYyss0tJrAsy6AZOwaj24qdkhfXJCTx26v7PL6Hx_JsU054zxGcoKEehHMQ_y_tbljPn6BoMwErLXDenMLJjrx7hs566PkE5_lAFUExwAPsAKasE8bqQk/s1600/ekker%25C3%25B8y+aerial+panorama+Valen+mot+ekker%25C3%25B8y+crop+aug1st+2014+sign+amundsen+biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLDx5CsmiHCmqLmx9uM6s-QTYyss0tJrAsy6AZOwaj24qdkhfXJCTx26v7PL6Hx_JsU054zxGcoKEehHMQ_y_tbljPn6BoMwErLXDenMLJjrx7hs566PkE5_lAFUExwAPsAKasE8bqQk/s640/ekker%25C3%25B8y+aerial+panorama+Valen+mot+ekker%25C3%25B8y+crop+aug1st+2014+sign+amundsen+biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ekkerøy aerial </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoSDbrjujs6IUSEzSovg4ukmByQM2SwVljhvG_DgStIpP985xju1-kMpAJmJd1o9Bggs5zpDFGjz7SBZ1KCbDDDIDPGJ_NW_SzNL69UFp5KNMbGTPlHmpAaalm3sytHKvA3gROkwQ9S4/s1600/Ekker%25C3%25B8y+bird+hide+%2526+wind+shelter+side+view+Aug1st+2014+med+res+%25C2%25A9+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoSDbrjujs6IUSEzSovg4ukmByQM2SwVljhvG_DgStIpP985xju1-kMpAJmJd1o9Bggs5zpDFGjz7SBZ1KCbDDDIDPGJ_NW_SzNL69UFp5KNMbGTPlHmpAaalm3sytHKvA3gROkwQ9S4/s640/Ekker%25C3%25B8y+bird+hide+%2526+wind+shelter+side+view+Aug1st+2014+med+res+%25C2%25A9+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ekkerøy wind shelter, found near the beach on the northeast (upper left next to the beach in photo above)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicR0njf2GnNqln5Yc2mBmy3okAAqOtv97JSpulpX0e3Xh9Eto2XU8C3AC2cVCgQwinlCJ6gg4rYJJBx5pJQ7R84RKW4GAZT9s-27uYWfA_KEbbvbga0pNSDGDG6wUbuAMTPXc9ooe3Vtw/s1600/kittiwake+mageplask+1+Vard%25C3%25B8+bussesundet+july2013+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicR0njf2GnNqln5Yc2mBmy3okAAqOtv97JSpulpX0e3Xh9Eto2XU8C3AC2cVCgQwinlCJ6gg4rYJJBx5pJQ7R84RKW4GAZT9s-27uYWfA_KEbbvbga0pNSDGDG6wUbuAMTPXc9ooe3Vtw/s640/kittiwake+mageplask+1+Vard%25C3%25B8+bussesundet+july2013+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kittiwakes are plentiful in Varanger. This one was photographed with a wide angle from a boat, attracted by fish guts after we did some fishing. Good food and cool birding sorted.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkWdSxUsUaO-0uAB1ApYN03jNIPKMxvmEFwjP9jn2hFFJoggRKjdEAWo8DQcl-ZdgxDXnaRw7Xa3uK_cihOhYOD7GHgJd45Fbbw9_kEDCXHAKDjDdT1goLgLqL9pcBB5cfFsRGvx24Z8/s1600/kittiwake+mageplask+2+vard%25C3%25B8+bussesundet+july2013+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkWdSxUsUaO-0uAB1ApYN03jNIPKMxvmEFwjP9jn2hFFJoggRKjdEAWo8DQcl-ZdgxDXnaRw7Xa3uK_cihOhYOD7GHgJd45Fbbw9_kEDCXHAKDjDdT1goLgLqL9pcBB5cfFsRGvx24Z8/s640/kittiwake+mageplask+2+vard%25C3%25B8+bussesundet+july2013+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bellyflopp</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Midsnight sun birding</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vardø island, is the easternmost town in Norway, further east then Istanbul, and truly a one of kind place in the world! When me and Elin back in 2008 laid plans on where we had to move to start the worlds first birder architect office, we quickly arrived at Vardø. Varanger was given, as it clearly had the biggest potential of all places in Norway, in regards to building a world class birding destination. We looked at all the towns in Varanger, but figured we had to move to the most extreme place possible. Vardø seemed like an unpolished diamond to us. But in 2009 Vardø was not a place oosing with positivity and productive energy. In fact it had just been ranked as the worst community in Norway (!) out of 430 communities, to start a business. Needless to say enough people adviced us against moving to Vardø. However: we knew that Vardø had amazing potential, and it seemed so obvious that the very rich and very unique birdlife around Vardø and in the Varanger region just had to have the potential to help renew the town, its self esteem and its economy. Not to say that birding was going to save Vardø, but there is no doubt that appreciation of your near surroundings is important. That has been some of our goal in Varanger: to contribute to raising awareness of the rich and amazing nature in Vardø and Varanger. This truly is a unique place, and there is no reason for anyone to think Vardø is worst in Norway, when it in fact is a place of world class qualities. Few places can make that statement! We wanted to help make that become obvious. I think a new sense of positivity and optimism is found in Vardø and Varanger now. It is of course much more then building a birding destination that makes this happen, but there is no doubt birding has made a very solid contribution. Not only financially, but just as importantly how everyone sees their living environment. Sure there still struggles to be had. One of the problems in Vardø is simply too much architecture. There are too many buildings in a town built for 4000+ people, but inhabitet by only 2000. At the same time I think a renewed sense of possibilities is taking place. I think building a destination starts with local entrepreneurship, slowly but steadily building jobs and businesses based on local recourses, but with an international focus and audience. So, with no further ado: here is Norways northeasternmost town bathing in the midnight sun. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0ZPC0gP4XK4iPk1155dL_qKGHBcpGiWP_3XvAGGj6_Chnw7MP5xCsPnpe_iU8iigoRSsh5qcsLjSduGgyI2z7VssY0GE8K8Juw1e-U9jTk9ZF_UbO0xS-ir6YrTAgij0amK6EZHpboU/s1600/vard%25C3%25B8+summer+aerial+north+harbour+july+2013+med+res+sign+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0ZPC0gP4XK4iPk1155dL_qKGHBcpGiWP_3XvAGGj6_Chnw7MP5xCsPnpe_iU8iigoRSsh5qcsLjSduGgyI2z7VssY0GE8K8Juw1e-U9jTk9ZF_UbO0xS-ir6YrTAgij0amK6EZHpboU/s640/vard%25C3%25B8+summer+aerial+north+harbour+july+2013+med+res+sign+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Make sure you visit <a href="http://www.vardohotel.no/"><span style="color: blue;">Vardø Hotel</span></a> and dine at the restaurant (the best in Varanger: Cod is great!). Vardø Hotel is brilliantly situated for birders: in winter you can see often see both King and Steller´s Eiders from your hotel room, and in summer the Brünnichs Guillemots often visit the harbour, and can be seen from the hotel restaurant or your room.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This place need to be on your must visit list. The birding is spectacular and unlike anywhere else. In the above aerial is Hornøya bird cliff to the right. An island, 5 minutes boat ride from the town harbour, with 100 000 seabirds. In winter there are megarafts of King Eiders and Common Eider at times numbering more then 25 000 birds, of which the majority are King Eiders. In March we have recorded megarafts of 400 000++ Brünnich´s Guillemots. This is some of the richest waters in the world. It is awesome (think that is the first time I have used that word in our blog, but it is very appropriate). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Puffin on Hornøya</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_jYBoGFDb5Y73gIW_b5FaO4FMgFYwqF1en_Jz79ZnBfuAQbcSWuBw6YMWJHF4UvFCwDYoh_vZG9wI4XvIB8UkUxDjzncFaC8JVRR7Ee1-O3kcT-ArjT0RMWwVJUIwCWf48XubZjW2ss/s1600/Horn%25C3%25B8ya+Bru%25CC%2588nnichs+Guillemots+sign+T+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_jYBoGFDb5Y73gIW_b5FaO4FMgFYwqF1en_Jz79ZnBfuAQbcSWuBw6YMWJHF4UvFCwDYoh_vZG9wI4XvIB8UkUxDjzncFaC8JVRR7Ee1-O3kcT-ArjT0RMWwVJUIwCWf48XubZjW2ss/s640/Horn%25C3%25B8ya+Bru%25CC%2588nnichs+Guillemots+sign+T+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brünnich´s Guillemot on Hornøya</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">About 10 000 pairs of Puffin breed on Hornøya, and since you can walk around the bird colony (following the path) you will get up close and personal with some of the most amazing seabirds. Then there is the Brünnich´s Guillemots too. A target species for many visitors. 500+ pairs breed on Hornøya. Just visit. You don´t even have to be a birder or have binoculars to enjoy this place.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A life and death drama</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is so much happening in Varanger, from when the light returns in late January to the autumn migtration in September / October. The movement of birds is spectacular, and following the life of birds in Varanger is a privilege. One of the highlights is the Guillemot Run in that takes place in late July. This is at the end of the breeding season when all the Guillemot chicks jump from the bird cliff and fight their way to the sea. Witnessing this is absolutely spectacular. Sometimes this happens concentrated over a couple of days (usually with a peek day or two), other times this happen over a few more days. Again every year in Varanger is different, depending on weather, food availability, etc. This year I was lucky to be on Hornøya the day all the Guillemot chicks seemed to agree on leaving the cliff. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6bftuS4nMeO6bF3jK36QM2dVDiu4aoSPMsi8JEw3ZUxIFmMYNbY0sYjmWzwd3IhDmPzc98wKQpaAzH8QHldPZKLmkTVA3WeEseujGLqFZ5F_YRe53cV4kMc_HZWoezhGzEvz5tpHnn8/s1600/Guillemot+adult+calling+chick+Horn%25C3%25B8ya+july+2015+med+res+sign+%25C2%25A9+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9%25C2%25A0Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6bftuS4nMeO6bF3jK36QM2dVDiu4aoSPMsi8JEw3ZUxIFmMYNbY0sYjmWzwd3IhDmPzc98wKQpaAzH8QHldPZKLmkTVA3WeEseujGLqFZ5F_YRe53cV4kMc_HZWoezhGzEvz5tpHnn8/s640/Guillemot+adult+calling+chick+Horn%25C3%25B8ya+july+2015+med+res+sign+%25C2%25A9+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9%25C2%25A0Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An adult male calling for its chick, encouraging it to make its way to the sea. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hundreds, if not thousands, Guillemot chicks jump from high up in the bird cliff, then run, hide, shelter, jump and crawl their way to the sea. Some survive, some are eaten by gulls, some die from crashing into the rocks after a 40+ meters free fall. This truly is nature at its most brutal and amazing. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQ2c1XS5ruTAVfpLsSRhcE2_9N4nH9fEAJp-5bPiQ8I91RTAHjoYt8X9usz8I_gBk_4KFnb-RtJn0ezL-zydfghVDJpYW3GLq40NAAcl49LAracfte7h7ZzSyzW8eeT5Q8YR4SQC-U7U/s1600/Guillemot+and+chick+Horn%25C3%25B8ya+bird+cliff+july+2015+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQ2c1XS5ruTAVfpLsSRhcE2_9N4nH9fEAJp-5bPiQ8I91RTAHjoYt8X9usz8I_gBk_4KFnb-RtJn0ezL-zydfghVDJpYW3GLq40NAAcl49LAracfte7h7ZzSyzW8eeT5Q8YR4SQC-U7U/s640/Guillemot+and+chick+Horn%25C3%25B8ya+bird+cliff+july+2015+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A guillemot chick getting some guidance. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHU4a1lMM9pbEaf2hNFAlcRqtWxSbe0d1LOehyphenhyphenYZeVqkVhOR8o0qXw6vTrSLfL5irb-VIYpproplfV9UcHVTwyzt9opWGbHy0eVq1wqdQCHyGZaMrFgyFwhe7nsQVrvBArIfPJtTCSeKU/s1600/Guillemots+chicks+and+dads+on+sea+Horn%25C3%25B8ya+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9%25C2%25A0Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHU4a1lMM9pbEaf2hNFAlcRqtWxSbe0d1LOehyphenhyphenYZeVqkVhOR8o0qXw6vTrSLfL5irb-VIYpproplfV9UcHVTwyzt9opWGbHy0eVq1wqdQCHyGZaMrFgyFwhe7nsQVrvBArIfPJtTCSeKU/s640/Guillemots+chicks+and+dads+on+sea+Horn%25C3%25B8ya+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9%25C2%25A0Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As they finally reach the sea, there are thousands of adult Guillemots searching for their chick. Its all based on sound recognition, and the soundscape is deafening. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWW68SZ0lotZxrjMPTIJQGzhcgyAO6jzZ5g_yZNFwQUCPWYgL_O322phhEgELL9CTeP5xdTdRXGnk9q8LJ-ninF7jR4oNN8PpUhOWmcy1sgmcO-C4RCokseJM6OFy-T5k8RsKBEKAVtI/s1600/Guillemot+chick+dead+on+rock+Horn%25C3%25B8ya+July+2015+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgWW68SZ0lotZxrjMPTIJQGzhcgyAO6jzZ5g_yZNFwQUCPWYgL_O322phhEgELL9CTeP5xdTdRXGnk9q8LJ-ninF7jR4oNN8PpUhOWmcy1sgmcO-C4RCokseJM6OFy-T5k8RsKBEKAVtI/s640/Guillemot+chick+dead+on+rock+Horn%25C3%25B8ya+July+2015+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="502" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The free fall from high up in the cliff means some chicks die on impact, while others, quite amazingly, survives the impact. Some pass out for a few minutes, then walks off as if it was nothing. I have nothing but the outmost respect for these little free fall base jumpers. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLMqSdvlCjyOzyREKpm_yDzWPyJCGsldZTQ6KZbijZlKGgSPCpbhK001OEYIM9mHFRoIkHh6Dfewf2AS1x56FfQAKpKzfHuOBCuTq0LYsZXWcOz9deWakJ-6ngD-dU0PI4stIUBg4ElI/s1600/Guillemot+chick+on+sea+Horn%25C3%25B8ya+july+2015+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLMqSdvlCjyOzyREKpm_yDzWPyJCGsldZTQ6KZbijZlKGgSPCpbhK001OEYIM9mHFRoIkHh6Dfewf2AS1x56FfQAKpKzfHuOBCuTq0LYsZXWcOz9deWakJ-6ngD-dU0PI4stIUBg4ElI/s640/Guillemot+chick+on+sea+Horn%25C3%25B8ya+july+2015+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Made it. It may not be a long journey from the cliff to the sea, but witnessing the hardship of every step is a privilege.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Visit the new <a href="http://www.hornoya.com/">www.hornoya.com</a> website for more information on Hornøya birding</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fisk & Fuggel - fish & birds</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Varanger was one of the first places in Norway to become inhabitet, more then 10 000 years ago. The abundance of natural resources is the reason. The Varanger Fjord is shallow making food easily available for birds. The Varanger is Norways only eastern facing fjord, it also has no threshold, making it both relatively sheltered and with ocean currents refreshing all of the water in the fjord, all the time. Very unique features all contributing to the richness of the fjord. In addition to an abundant birdlife, there are always whales and dolphins to be seen. Minke Whale, Orca, Beluga, Finn Whale, White-beaked Dolphins, Humpback Whales, etc are seen every summer, but be sure to spend some time seawatching.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6z2nGACdDWKXB81qCOJeL4JOeGUKi5__Lsq99HZzIhKn6mtMNfMa6n8Ge0qpwkCQjuTqJeTbV_YdOYMQ5rBqAlF1WKJDMIPh0Ob2RH20j-QvGBFkUFlDfb54h__BxrCYaxuWoERh17A/s1600/Swarovski+tour+in+Varanger+Fishing+with+%25C3%25B8ystein+enoksen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6z2nGACdDWKXB81qCOJeL4JOeGUKi5__Lsq99HZzIhKn6mtMNfMa6n8Ge0qpwkCQjuTqJeTbV_YdOYMQ5rBqAlF1WKJDMIPh0Ob2RH20j-QvGBFkUFlDfb54h__BxrCYaxuWoERh17A/s640/Swarovski+tour+in+Varanger+Fishing+with+%25C3%25B8ystein+enoksen.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Going fishing with Vardø fisherman Øystein Enoksen (from the mid June 2015 Swarovski trip). </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejkEf3z4C6ce_5lTZpTRkqEfuD-3iwyXLvdpVjTMmW-AsOLUV3nmwrtrqeJ75YEv6i9Y2-b0o7SQSP9Vo8yLgErAgYkbySS28OzEYQ0j9_jvE-hhz6fD6VWDIwE4o7knD075lUmPMZCc/s1600/Swarovski+blue+fulmar+pelagic+%2526+fishing+with+enoksen+med+res+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejkEf3z4C6ce_5lTZpTRkqEfuD-3iwyXLvdpVjTMmW-AsOLUV3nmwrtrqeJ75YEv6i9Y2-b0o7SQSP9Vo8yLgErAgYkbySS28OzEYQ0j9_jvE-hhz6fD6VWDIwE4o7knD075lUmPMZCc/s640/Swarovski+blue+fulmar+pelagic+%2526+fishing+with+enoksen+med+res+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fishing and birding goes very well together, especially when Blue Fulmars are part of your audience when fishing.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vadsø harbour - solid birding architecture</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like with Vardø, Vadsø is also situated in the middle of great birding. The shallow waters and the tidale landscape around Vadsø is great for waders. The harbour is in winter, particularly, one of the best places to get close to arctic sea ducks, like Steller´s Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Common Eider and King Eider. In summer there are always a few Steller´s Eiders around, and they tend to be found in Vadsø as well. But don´t come to Varanger in summer expecting great views of Steller´s Eiders. King Eiders, however are seen in small flocks of 5-20 birds in summer (often toyng males, females), and typically in outer Varanger Fjord (around Vardø, in Persfjord or Sadnfjord). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Vadsø harbour a new wind shelter was recently built on the end of the harbour breakwater. This shelter is made in solid concrete, and designed to survive a 100 year wave. That is the glass walls, creating the various wind shelter spaces will break, but the concrete construction will stand. Architecture adapted to the changing climate, so to speak. This is also an exhibition space featuring info on the local birdlife and a Vadsø map and aerial. More birding to the people in progress.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vadsø harobur wind shelter / Vadsø naturrom</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKKxi1O6Xl4PJYyIUJvKC0qawBnZhgqMR5UzUOjtpszTp2ZYJqIQqGvoKZzv0UlYHREpbneMkgS2gkGr8aes_45Lh3i3FnjYm0759ORfCm99hBToz3CZYeICMDXC5fmGiG-g1s7NmGWM/s1600/Vads%25C3%25B8+aerial+panorama+crop+w+sun+july21st+2014+medium+resolution+copyright+sign+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKKxi1O6Xl4PJYyIUJvKC0qawBnZhgqMR5UzUOjtpszTp2ZYJqIQqGvoKZzv0UlYHREpbneMkgS2gkGr8aes_45Lh3i3FnjYm0759ORfCm99hBToz3CZYeICMDXC5fmGiG-g1s7NmGWM/s640/Vads%25C3%25B8+aerial+panorama+crop+w+sun+july21st+2014+medium+resolution+copyright+sign+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Vadsø town and harbour. The green area is Vadsøya which is a brillinat birding area</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJDv-5GUGRRci41MEcvaM5yiarYxXFRKG2Wd18h6zMcE0pg1ZHBfAg1n8dJZ-nxH6fQSuNi0yw1m2sOJSmiCspYsDQ3R7ptabOQ8VNd-rTCvMXiPVMY1Xu5u_-LO7RwSL4zqOabyqu_0/s1600/Vads%25C3%25B8+naturrom+2ndHorisontal3xpano+med+res+April28th+2015+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJDv-5GUGRRci41MEcvaM5yiarYxXFRKG2Wd18h6zMcE0pg1ZHBfAg1n8dJZ-nxH6fQSuNi0yw1m2sOJSmiCspYsDQ3R7ptabOQ8VNd-rTCvMXiPVMY1Xu5u_-LO7RwSL4zqOabyqu_0/s640/Vads%25C3%25B8+naturrom+2ndHorisontal3xpano+med+res+April28th+2015+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vadsø harbour wind shelter from the front. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcD7bdaNYTJqB-XGPnhwUm0ZgAI7sW9cGgeiIsdxaI3cct4YAdoIJgW9WG1rGa0lR1O-IAB-hQBBy28JEWASGGVBmP5JbttrvHP2-kO6KoEsgKMyB5U5b-YINqC6yKVu5Yp5PSCGtyenw/s1600/Vads%25C3%25B8_molo+hide+Wall_poster_2015+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcD7bdaNYTJqB-XGPnhwUm0ZgAI7sW9cGgeiIsdxaI3cct4YAdoIJgW9WG1rGa0lR1O-IAB-hQBBy28JEWASGGVBmP5JbttrvHP2-kO6KoEsgKMyB5U5b-YINqC6yKVu5Yp5PSCGtyenw/s640/Vads%25C3%25B8_molo+hide+Wall_poster_2015+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The 1.6meter wide poster found in the Vadsø hide</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> From Russia with vole</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pasvik is a must visit too. The taiga is a vast forest stretching from Pasvik all the way to the Russian Pacific coast. This is where you go to find northern specialities like Siberian Jay, Siberian Tit, Pine Grosbeak, Black Woodpecker, Capercaillie, Hawk Owl and much more. We are currently working with several people and businesses in Pasvik, aiming to fascilitate better for birders visiting the region. The taiga can be a difficult place to bird but with more feeders in place, and better overview of key sites we are in progress on making Pasvik a complementary experience to your Varanger / Arctic Norway adventure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This year we are running a ringing scheme at Nyrud in Øvre Pasvik in collaboration with the Øvre Pasvik National Park Board. Ringing of birds is a way to learn more about the birds' migratory routes and population trends. This is the first systematic bird ringing scheme researching which birds migrate through the Pasvik valley. The project has both scientific value, while also looking at new opportunities to develop Pasvik as a destination for birders and nature enthusiasts. And like all project we are involved in we make sure that locals people and local schools get to visit the ringing site, and experience birds up close and personal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aerial over Nyrud, the police station is the little group of houses next to the river, and also the base camp for this years bird ringing scheme. The Pasvik river is the Norwegian Russian border. It was great seeing how Hawk Owl daily came flying in to Nyrud from Russia carrying voles to feed their chicks. Nature has no borders. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMRARrnAmqaJb1E_kdBNtCj4zNqgSE0RKo2t17IooYAvNw9I4B41t8t75T3qJkIkZxp8he9HSz_rK6KOTSCLdLSFEFsGnDmt5J3N3H_c_Xj9oNOVXw__LXHguKr1cnwRlBzD1bX7VrOQ/s1600/Hawk+Owl+in+Pasvik+Nyrud+Aug+2015+Varanger+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMRARrnAmqaJb1E_kdBNtCj4zNqgSE0RKo2t17IooYAvNw9I4B41t8t75T3qJkIkZxp8he9HSz_rK6KOTSCLdLSFEFsGnDmt5J3N3H_c_Xj9oNOVXw__LXHguKr1cnwRlBzD1bX7VrOQ/s640/Hawk+Owl+in+Pasvik+Nyrud+Aug+2015+Varanger+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hawk Owl calculating an attack on a Squirrel. Saw it happen a few seconds later. Photographed in Pasvik, South Varanger near the Nyrud bird ringing station. The Squirrel got away after two attempts by the Hawk Owl. An amazing birding experience!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Biotope team is growing slowly but steadily. Birder & artist Jonnie Fisk is now on the team. We are very pleased to have hired a skilled birder and a very talented artist. Biotope is now a 4 man team, aiming to bring people and nature closer! We will continue to make birding in Varanger better and more widely recognised, both by locals and visitors alike. In addition we are very plsead to now contribute with our ideas, experience and enthusiasm for nature and birding at other destinations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stay tuned.. And do call us if you need a birder architect!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We hope this article have given you both inspiration and information on what you can expect from a visit to Varanger. Feel free to find much more info in our collection of <a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/p/birding-varanger.html"><span style="color: blue;">Birding in Varanger blogposts</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe see you in Varanger!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod A. / Biotope</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you for liking our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/biotope.no"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Biotope Facebook</b></span></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and following us on twitter <b><a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice"><span style="color: blue;">@BiotopeOffice</span></a></b></span><br />
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www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-22828966689577200062015-07-21T13:47:00.003+02:002019-06-13T13:34:03.856+02:00Birding Iceland in summer - destination development in progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2PcOg5EMrCNMbL6ofrKdMFSsj2Ar7gK057G23-BlyFuLIWZSRxpWwns4_YJI5MPijA_PAKa0kYg5IYfV1JoGliLjDvx2l01QZS8NpqGjf_wieRqzM9opekfehJwWvpSYTaG8zlhw8zQ/s1600/Great+Northern+Diver+Iceland+july+2014+Raufarhofn+-+crop+sign+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2PcOg5EMrCNMbL6ofrKdMFSsj2Ar7gK057G23-BlyFuLIWZSRxpWwns4_YJI5MPijA_PAKa0kYg5IYfV1JoGliLjDvx2l01QZS8NpqGjf_wieRqzM9opekfehJwWvpSYTaG8zlhw8zQ/s640/Great+Northern+Diver+Iceland+july+2014+Raufarhofn+-+crop+sign+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVP7UZC_eD8g-Ax2csxIDTQVY2XquJWNZLhYB8sUmJu82U26f3fE0C-T8Yq6eXHlYq0whCX1mxng7A4mc2A972T7E9MDjvP2zGq3-xhYex04v_cVHPd2Sg9ReVPrSDuWmdCJ6XjHthhQE/s1600/Raufarhofn+aerial+wetland+Iceland+2015+med+res+crop+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9%25C2%25A0Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVP7UZC_eD8g-Ax2csxIDTQVY2XquJWNZLhYB8sUmJu82U26f3fE0C-T8Yq6eXHlYq0whCX1mxng7A4mc2A972T7E9MDjvP2zGq3-xhYex04v_cVHPd2Sg9ReVPrSDuWmdCJ6XjHthhQE/s640/Raufarhofn+aerial+wetland+Iceland+2015+med+res+crop+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9%25C2%25A0Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Iceland is known throughout the world as the land of fire and ice. Large parts are covered by glaciers while others steam of boiling water from the ground. There are few countries where nature has such a strong presence. Then there are the birds. Rich wetlands, rivers and coastal sites are filled with amazing birdlife. A dream destination. We recently visited Iceland, invited by the good people of the Northeast Iceland Birding Trail. Together with a group of nature based tourism businesses and local communities we aim to put northeast Iceland on the map, and to develop better infrastructure for visitors and local communities. In October last year we spent 2 weeks visiting people and seeing sites. Our recent 2 week July trip was a great follow up, looking into a few new places, analysing potential of previously visited sites and, as always, meeting people who are into making new things happen!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The following blogpost show some of the sites we visited and a few of the birds we saw. This visit was part of our research leading up to a broader destination development scheme.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also check out our previous <a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2014/10/birding-iceland-lake-myvatn-harlequin.html"><span style="color: blue;">Icleand trip in October 2014</span></a> for more info. The two photos above is of a Great Northern Diver, and the wetlands outside Raufarhöfn in the northeast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Top sites visited included Husavik, Laxa river, Myvatn, Langanes, Melrakkasletta, Flatey, etc</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBEtpMZLefNaA157yQKe9NS9xiXUYni6wA3Tlp0dyDwnqG9cdnj9httXCxItwsUfZSmFBD0XpivXd1rzlSRP97Tj1NydgCrRtJ-Q93V4TO8o27lzDJnOfqf141RwLspQIUnOi0CT71Is/s1600/Northeast+Iceland+birding+trail+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBEtpMZLefNaA157yQKe9NS9xiXUYni6wA3Tlp0dyDwnqG9cdnj9httXCxItwsUfZSmFBD0XpivXd1rzlSRP97Tj1NydgCrRtJ-Q93V4TO8o27lzDJnOfqf141RwLspQIUnOi0CT71Is/s640/Northeast+Iceland+birding+trail+map.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Northeast Iceland offers the most concentrated and finest birding in Iceland. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mind the bird poo - Birding architecture in progress</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One example of a an early phase design project: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are a lot of parameters that goes into placing and designing a bird hide or a photo hide. With the folks at the northeast Iceland birding trail we really hope to make a couple of cool pieces of birding architecture. The iconic Harlequin Duck is of course on top of the wish list for a photo hide. With good help from Husavik-based birder Gaukur we just might have the perfect place. At a stream near Husavik there are nearly always Harlequin Ducks present. With a properly placed and designed hide, the photo opportunities will potentially be amazing. In order to make a design that fits the site we have made detailed measurements and drawings of the site itself. Considering both sea winds, valley breeze, wave heights and spring melt water in the stream is key. Then a sheltered approach to the site is important, making sure the birds are not scared and fly away. Finding out where the birds prefer to stay is actually easy - where there is most bird droppings is their favoured site. Then there is a whole lot of other things to sort out too. Work is in progress...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Lhz6nwO6DE72qFHuPeM3zdnb5BROVGySWldpSr50eUWYp6D_dpdhQgxO4qSWEmrzMOkw6EZ_bHWn2y5GR6neJvlF_AJI9fXB8PU-Z1riWdaI8fMj9QZJLvqpwLYeMQjPJ0u8kLJ9GA4/s1600/Harlequin+Duck+Husavik+stream+july+2015+-+sign+crop+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Lhz6nwO6DE72qFHuPeM3zdnb5BROVGySWldpSr50eUWYp6D_dpdhQgxO4qSWEmrzMOkw6EZ_bHWn2y5GR6neJvlF_AJI9fXB8PU-Z1riWdaI8fMj9QZJLvqpwLYeMQjPJ0u8kLJ9GA4/s640/Harlequin+Duck+Husavik+stream+july+2015+-+sign+crop+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope+.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Harlequin, male and female at the stream site </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Measuring potential site for Harlequin Duck photo hide</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Husavik - the hub of northeast Iceland</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HNmPuNRRpaUijcUoyB3c_-y0tqMkZuSmEOrXaRUn0-8BWvvjK9DSYG1QhFcLPYo_nEgAEA7GrpVLmfviHqk5eXaDkRxJ7rZPNdrwFQAwdnZzZsyOBIrjfRw2niDvcxMkD0YanVg9UYo/s1600/Iceland+July+2015+Aerial+Husavik+-+crop+med+res+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HNmPuNRRpaUijcUoyB3c_-y0tqMkZuSmEOrXaRUn0-8BWvvjK9DSYG1QhFcLPYo_nEgAEA7GrpVLmfviHqk5eXaDkRxJ7rZPNdrwFQAwdnZzZsyOBIrjfRw2niDvcxMkD0YanVg9UYo/s640/Iceland+July+2015+Aerial+Husavik+-+crop+med+res+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope aerial of Husavik, our base camp for many of our days in northeast Icleand. Just five minutes from Husavik you can find one of the best places in Europe to see and photograph Great Northern Diver. This very nice pond is in fact man made. At the nearby building project run by the Husavik municipality they decided to use the waste material to build a small dam and a pond. A very forward thinking project that made sure Husavik now have a beautiful and very bird rich pond near the town. Great for visitors, schools, kindergartens, etc. Now we aim complement this pond with better infrastructure, providing sheltered viewing opportunities and even better photo opportunities. In short: a birding to the people project. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Man made pond, with Husavik in the background</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfTf_-LG7z0iCRFGqQttis-i9wX0CQ8wwfC8coJb3U71l0hs5_5JMcJaFZ7Rr6lUKGqT8_TqQnoMGtb78JfKuB0XuKHzaWfmSvsAXFdrwGbS7un7who_hSHDYiXbH8v_eiH41Sw7Ynp8/s1600/Great+Northern+Diver+Iceland+july+2014+Raufarhofn+sign+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfTf_-LG7z0iCRFGqQttis-i9wX0CQ8wwfC8coJb3U71l0hs5_5JMcJaFZ7Rr6lUKGqT8_TqQnoMGtb78JfKuB0XuKHzaWfmSvsAXFdrwGbS7un7who_hSHDYiXbH8v_eiH41Sw7Ynp8/s640/Great+Northern+Diver+Iceland+july+2014+Raufarhofn+sign+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Great Northern Diver</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Buzzing at lake Myvatn and river Laxa</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">13 species of duck breed in this area. A waterfowl species count higher then anywhere else in Europe for such a concentrated area. Myvatn basically means ´mosquito lake´. To a large extent the birds in the area feed on their larvae. However they are not mosquitos. Thankfully the Myvatn Blackflies are not bloodsuckers, which makes a very big difference. In fact there are no bloodsucking mosquitos in Iceland, and for someone used to the king size Taiga bloodsucking mosquitos this is a huge relief. Sure, the Blackflies can be intensely annoying, but they only occasionally bite (lightly). Thanks to the rich insect life the wetlands of Myvatn and the river Laxa is amazingly bird rich. We spent a couple of days checking out a series of sites and of course we enjoyed some great photo opportunities too. A big thanks to <a href="http://www.myvatn.is/"><span style="color: blue;">Myvatn Sel-Hotel </span></a>for providing accommodation. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rY-WGinKPxqa-i-f-8zjDXDk_I_73IqHMd6rwzVcs_06IKL70N7VbI92qJxiDzb932XDf5KFyx-2xu4bwwW_cmmdrxc3iUfnMPo7S0FUCTI3bqkrU-6gLwCzm9ng1GFS18bdLz65T-I/s1600/Myvatn+Biotope+aerial+-+july+2015+-+medium+res+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rY-WGinKPxqa-i-f-8zjDXDk_I_73IqHMd6rwzVcs_06IKL70N7VbI92qJxiDzb932XDf5KFyx-2xu4bwwW_cmmdrxc3iUfnMPo7S0FUCTI3bqkrU-6gLwCzm9ng1GFS18bdLz65T-I/s640/Myvatn+Biotope+aerial+-+july+2015+-+medium+res+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope aerial over Myvatn and the nearby ponds and lakes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFm3O7TaEaf5MaVzE_gxQS4rUMn6q9eKSmjbEBsRGHviIht9wsEDyFNu5MJAxcpkpCwSXxXewS2aX0m8KisvQQDHq2q0OA2OWkFlISvdinbvTB__IIYrK-ThsCp5TFrpiG_PAwT05Rc8/s1600/Harlequin+Duck+diving+Myvatn+July+2015+-+med+res+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFm3O7TaEaf5MaVzE_gxQS4rUMn6q9eKSmjbEBsRGHviIht9wsEDyFNu5MJAxcpkpCwSXxXewS2aX0m8KisvQQDHq2q0OA2OWkFlISvdinbvTB__IIYrK-ThsCp5TFrpiG_PAwT05Rc8/s640/Harlequin+Duck+diving+Myvatn+July+2015+-+med+res+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Diving Harlequin Duck</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FI30NZosBkKSsF74KlAqw3bUQfjXTrYg1Xm8EA2st_JZM5fjr6zvKg69w-JqF6R7i1r64ZFIWMVymm0ae4pif2J9DjV__vXR0L_aLqfcXQ23nIzlIKilZ5xG8MCz8LZfINgLGBGVd74/s1600/Harlequin+Duck+drake+Myvatn+July+2015+-+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FI30NZosBkKSsF74KlAqw3bUQfjXTrYg1Xm8EA2st_JZM5fjr6zvKg69w-JqF6R7i1r64ZFIWMVymm0ae4pif2J9DjV__vXR0L_aLqfcXQ23nIzlIKilZ5xG8MCz8LZfINgLGBGVd74/s640/Harlequin+Duck+drake+Myvatn+July+2015+-+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Drake Harlequin </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Barrow´s Goldeneye drake - another Iceland speciality. In icelandic it is called ´husand´, which translates to ´House Duck´, as they like to breed in boxes at farmhouses. In addition they breed extensively in hollow lava rock. If I could rename this bird then Lava Duck would be a pretty cool and fitting name. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOodrsVwn51TkCH270leDcbPurHFrhpNqfoP8nPZPJLl8raKQK9qkKP8B22qNlVuU9AIkVi9fiuW7WBgjO-i1nd_TdIDJltD46Lta3jGsKE9aVDtGUQ0FCSYkOfrzIrbm16tVmbjdLBfk/s1600/Wigeon+Northeast+Iceland+July+2015+-+med+res+-+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOodrsVwn51TkCH270leDcbPurHFrhpNqfoP8nPZPJLl8raKQK9qkKP8B22qNlVuU9AIkVi9fiuW7WBgjO-i1nd_TdIDJltD46Lta3jGsKE9aVDtGUQ0FCSYkOfrzIrbm16tVmbjdLBfk/s640/Wigeon+Northeast+Iceland+July+2015+-+med+res+-+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wigeon, female. One more of the gazillion ducks we saw during our Iceland trip. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Herding and birding at Ytra Lon Farm Hostel </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mirjam and Sverrir run the <a href="https://www.ytralon.is/">Ytra Lon Farm Hostel</a> at Langanes, the norteasternmost corner of Iceland. They have built the farm from the ground. At the Langanes peninsula they have made their living from sheep herding and a another Iceland speciality: eider down collecting. <span style="text-align: center;">We always enjoy meeting people with whom we share a passion for nature. Seeing how Mirjam and Sverrir have worked with the land to make it productive both for themselves and for the local eider population is really great. The care that goes into their work is inspiring, and in return nature gives back to them. When they started their farm in the early 1990s there was about 25 eider nests on their land, today there are more then 350 eider nests on small islands at their farm lake. And Sverrir is planning to make another eider island to provide the eiders with nesting sites the fox can not reach. We joined Sverrir on a day out checking the eider nesting sites. At the end of the breeding season Sverrir collects the down from the nests. This is premium quality down harvested without hurting any animal (unlike what we see in goose down industry). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ytra Lon Farm in amazing surroundings. Ptarmigan, Golden Plovers, Artic Terns, Common Snipes and many more species are everywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enjoying a day out with Sverrir, checking the local eider population. A great experience! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAtgy6TCAOCtju4593BUqmc8-n9dtX5ScCa1Sah6CYHFrIgeULV2PEqU1tpLBI6qc6sm7AtV1JCI9solvGpU5KSPMV7T48OnyIi1U0Naj22xyyiAGclxc5ChVGgVqpnp2c1Mt2TaNCEY/s1600/Ytra+Lon+farm+hostel+eider+down+farming+July+2015+med+res+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAtgy6TCAOCtju4593BUqmc8-n9dtX5ScCa1Sah6CYHFrIgeULV2PEqU1tpLBI6qc6sm7AtV1JCI9solvGpU5KSPMV7T48OnyIi1U0Naj22xyyiAGclxc5ChVGgVqpnp2c1Mt2TaNCEY/s640/Ytra+Lon+farm+hostel+eider+down+farming+July+2015+med+res+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mirjam and Sverrir explaining the eider down harvest. In the boxes are down from about 325 nests.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Melrakkasletta and the northeast shores</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks to the kind support from <a href="https://www.nesthouse.is/"><span style="color: blue;">The Nest guesthouse</span></a> we stayed to nights in </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Raufarhöfn. This is a perfect base camp for a couple of days of exploring the little visited wetlands, ponds and shores of the northeast. Again we where amazed by the numbers of birds present.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzq40rjFgS_Vpp-mJZ7Hu3_7Em01wVfs4rE4ncu8BJFUR6xFX580kkEb7vmZXl-pfypwHT-Lx_i9ZoHa3G3eyh3QSmeSKLttc30fHR1Ue7ubDaPaYJXCDOoNP1tCqafQouNZx7AIIwBjc/s1600/Raufarhofn+aerial+2015+Iceland+crop+med+res+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzq40rjFgS_Vpp-mJZ7Hu3_7Em01wVfs4rE4ncu8BJFUR6xFX580kkEb7vmZXl-pfypwHT-Lx_i9ZoHa3G3eyh3QSmeSKLttc30fHR1Ue7ubDaPaYJXCDOoNP1tCqafQouNZx7AIIwBjc/s640/Raufarhofn+aerial+2015+Iceland+crop+med+res+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Raufarhöfn</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy_eKOQSgVgdLudxg5xAyCFbZO6abj7YQkg89p7Kj0RryofyFu547l4yl1j45Ddw2gZoBdUvOtHaI8Nyy-mhKJjJxl6bmzFgSPU6RPtU3jn42lk-vb-ZQ890bgMMQaLou_UaAe2qmoCY/s1600/Dunlin+stretching+Myrsnipe+Myvatn+Iceland+july+2015+-+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoy_eKOQSgVgdLudxg5xAyCFbZO6abj7YQkg89p7Kj0RryofyFu547l4yl1j45Ddw2gZoBdUvOtHaI8Nyy-mhKJjJxl6bmzFgSPU6RPtU3jn42lk-vb-ZQ890bgMMQaLou_UaAe2qmoCY/s640/Dunlin+stretching+Myrsnipe+Myvatn+Iceland+july+2015+-+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dunlin stretching </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7Pg3oDAoaRiDtoycp11J1ahAFt0lBdyHrwaYhFRLMV3IgvnT54buEVhrXR7kqWeRhgQqfJA57xszF4kJ6SNs1dZ7r36cjs-_FpaE6rJnOtESWKilg15neL7H5ptnVabp7gHTsjcLcSA/s1600/Golden+Plover+Flatey+Iceland+july+2015+med+res+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7Pg3oDAoaRiDtoycp11J1ahAFt0lBdyHrwaYhFRLMV3IgvnT54buEVhrXR7kqWeRhgQqfJA57xszF4kJ6SNs1dZ7r36cjs-_FpaE6rJnOtESWKilg15neL7H5ptnVabp7gHTsjcLcSA/s640/Golden+Plover+Flatey+Iceland+july+2015+med+res+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Golden Plover </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissSQ7b8F7h53W4XSrXpJMfjnyFEzYtJCxBVO6orT4dUBT3JkVI2SpuvLn-2DJrzCSj8W5IzBzGTmaQ84xdh8zZrw11fKslqaRMGTCNvFdLpwwOkC6AoyVVXHDSX0LcK5C4iYv5ZfPue0/s1600/Purple+Sandpiper+Melrakkasletta+July+2015+Iceland+-+med+res+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissSQ7b8F7h53W4XSrXpJMfjnyFEzYtJCxBVO6orT4dUBT3JkVI2SpuvLn-2DJrzCSj8W5IzBzGTmaQ84xdh8zZrw11fKslqaRMGTCNvFdLpwwOkC6AoyVVXHDSX0LcK5C4iYv5ZfPue0/s640/Purple+Sandpiper+Melrakkasletta+July+2015+Iceland+-+med+res+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Purple Sandpiper </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Flatey bird paradise</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This island is a 30 minute fast boat ride from Husavik. It truly is a bird paradise, with Icelands biggest Arctic Tern colony, counting several thousand individuals. In addition Red-necked Pahalaropes are everywhere. The same goes for Puffins which are becoming more numerous every year on the island. Flatey is also the place to go in Iceland to see the very stylish Red Phalarope. We had one Red Phalarope and 1000+ Red-necked Phalaropes. At Flatey we looked at how one can best preserve this beautiful place for birds and for people, while fascilitating for more visitors. A great place that needs to be treated with the outmost care. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPdre9DYzpzqrH2dttI79-0vx-kev5xHysizrwMkWoXTVwjEX1mmcctZiBq6JSArwoap9gJIFcBVXICeP4Zy2ZEq8RdsTDeJ1F4kK9Uatrg17QUSnsL_IO9CGM5_PxTr3L8AAhc9PEjc/s1600/Flatey+aerial+panorama+july+2015+crop+med+res+-+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPdre9DYzpzqrH2dttI79-0vx-kev5xHysizrwMkWoXTVwjEX1mmcctZiBq6JSArwoap9gJIFcBVXICeP4Zy2ZEq8RdsTDeJ1F4kK9Uatrg17QUSnsL_IO9CGM5_PxTr3L8AAhc9PEjc/s640/Flatey+aerial+panorama+july+2015+crop+med+res+-+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Biotope aerial over Flatey. The pond next to the harbour was filled with phalaropes.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKAeeDyySYpyu_u7KpftOiiRdBruf19xKSyfANNECYdNBOQLz6M5-3MRqSy2RCe6Mz-Q-KN13kyK_WqxIftdj5ReYFQkyzIgqVU99Kou0HRmpO-qk2-PZiS1ZBBR8VkF7aRF7cohmd0c/s1600/Red+Phalarope+-+Grey+Phalarope+Flatey+Iceland+2015+-+med+res+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKAeeDyySYpyu_u7KpftOiiRdBruf19xKSyfANNECYdNBOQLz6M5-3MRqSy2RCe6Mz-Q-KN13kyK_WqxIftdj5ReYFQkyzIgqVU99Kou0HRmpO-qk2-PZiS1ZBBR8VkF7aRF7cohmd0c/s640/Red+Phalarope+-+Grey+Phalarope+Flatey+Iceland+2015+-+med+res+sign+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Red Phalarope, male.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjspKeaHsxg7k3YXk070JBpXUMREbGIz_ul5jcyCYErYDsuYkr24SZfLadmrINVQSdPnuD0D3KknX46LJamKs89zWznLwjWxNlO8CZO1UpLMttvdRIQfHKWDNIC-eXcYBUwBuYwrYtZJF8/s1600/Rednecked+Phalarope+in+flight+Flatey+Iceland+July+2015+-med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjspKeaHsxg7k3YXk070JBpXUMREbGIz_ul5jcyCYErYDsuYkr24SZfLadmrINVQSdPnuD0D3KknX46LJamKs89zWznLwjWxNlO8CZO1UpLMttvdRIQfHKWDNIC-eXcYBUwBuYwrYtZJF8/s640/Rednecked+Phalarope+in+flight+Flatey+Iceland+July+2015+-med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fly by Red-necked Pahalarope </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eskUZuviOR-pP26L8aQ9N0uGFS-XE8e1MGDapxRpNX1g9hgQZ_pxPKkOt944SuJ7uUPyGZW8HEAe5_BTNzfuhzwNv6MQvJXD52d8zsFa44tS0BXtwQisPstTQntmaxXp97y0Z24_1F0/s1600/Puffins+harbour+colony+Flatey+Iceland+2015+med+res+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eskUZuviOR-pP26L8aQ9N0uGFS-XE8e1MGDapxRpNX1g9hgQZ_pxPKkOt944SuJ7uUPyGZW8HEAe5_BTNzfuhzwNv6MQvJXD52d8zsFa44tS0BXtwQisPstTQntmaxXp97y0Z24_1F0/s640/Puffins+harbour+colony+Flatey+Iceland+2015+med+res+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Puffins breed in thousands on Flatey.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OaTAxivzlJ2hC9bsM-lqSwtoPPP9KU8rl7I5uPeALgaJyLj1vaa9LJMU8U7Bo2MZQhosdC2mVHVNqzAXyIXywcfQgXzKOozxJnaTLb4Gr_YlXKZU9h6E6RkkuqYW8APmf_6MsC1APA4/s1600/Puffin+head+Iceland+july+2015+-+med+res+-+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OaTAxivzlJ2hC9bsM-lqSwtoPPP9KU8rl7I5uPeALgaJyLj1vaa9LJMU8U7Bo2MZQhosdC2mVHVNqzAXyIXywcfQgXzKOozxJnaTLb4Gr_YlXKZU9h6E6RkkuqYW8APmf_6MsC1APA4/s640/Puffin+head+Iceland+july+2015+-+med+res+-+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No visit to Iceland is complete without great views of Puffins. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXBn6W_UHx6-46UujIm7hjAp_9hcj2gFOmqCF5eojDd5UL9pI76sn3oNZC0dElb0CFkDv1IlKhG6EWyUpli0xE9DYxbaiSRZtZWxZ7FSRSuK8c5sFYlg5YQGHE6jIcxP370kNyR9fMCc/s1600/Arctic+Tern+Flatey+Iceland+July+2015+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXBn6W_UHx6-46UujIm7hjAp_9hcj2gFOmqCF5eojDd5UL9pI76sn3oNZC0dElb0CFkDv1IlKhG6EWyUpli0xE9DYxbaiSRZtZWxZ7FSRSuK8c5sFYlg5YQGHE6jIcxP370kNyR9fMCc/s640/Arctic+Tern+Flatey+Iceland+July+2015+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Arctic Tern drinking water at a pond </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtY504NyrjFHH4PmjB881NfDnfRnTKlAe54fGmsYrkEhaR8O_FZrNIVCCdxO0imzyVNZATgaBzxdZyF8gjMWnOzAoKu99j0D_Z38GN6mgulakKt9cym8SmG_gCudyYEBvqU-hYgctqSpk/s1600/Arctic+Tern+Flatey+northeast+Iceland+July+2015+med+res+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtY504NyrjFHH4PmjB881NfDnfRnTKlAe54fGmsYrkEhaR8O_FZrNIVCCdxO0imzyVNZATgaBzxdZyF8gjMWnOzAoKu99j0D_Z38GN6mgulakKt9cym8SmG_gCudyYEBvqU-hYgctqSpk/s640/Arctic+Tern+Flatey+northeast+Iceland+July+2015+med+res+Tormod+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Arctic Tern</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks Iceland - see you again soon</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A very big thanks goes to Hermann Bardarson of the <a href="http://www.birdingtrail.is/"><span style="color: blue;">Northeast Iceland Birding Trail</span></a> with whom we have visited lots of sites, met a lot of people and businesses in the northeast. Also a very big thanks to Gunnar at <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://fjallasyn.is/"><span style="color: blue;">Fjallasyn guide company</span></a> </span>for providing us with a great car during our stay in Iceland. And I forgot to mention the Gyfalcons: we saw a total of 14 Gyrfalcons. All in all: brilliant birding, great people, top sites and potential! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stay tuned for more niceness from northeast Iceland. Good things are in progress...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AP1Hbg7OFHVf3J2zuTa88n9uge3TqOqYtPJIwtubhKszaC1ntQqPocQuWY3jpIHLWoUPPx-K7iSUgzpO5LJl7g687nrwhiNZDalb8mh6tY7HDLfdF9EuD7cinBTQWPSJSVHnJZqJWjw/s1600/Harlequin+Duck+Iceland+Myvatn+pond+July+2015+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AP1Hbg7OFHVf3J2zuTa88n9uge3TqOqYtPJIwtubhKszaC1ntQqPocQuWY3jpIHLWoUPPx-K7iSUgzpO5LJl7g687nrwhiNZDalb8mh6tY7HDLfdF9EuD7cinBTQWPSJSVHnJZqJWjw/s640/Harlequin+Duck+Iceland+Myvatn+pond+July+2015+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod Amundsen</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Architect & birder / Biotope</span></div>
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www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-36478309590413079142015-06-03T22:01:00.000+02:002019-06-13T13:36:21.287+02:00Birding Nome, Alaska - spring in the US Arctic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This May we set out on a 4 week adventure to explore some of the top birding destinations of the North American Arctic. Birding the Alaskan tundra of the Seward Peninsula is strangely familiar to our own region, the Varanger Peninsula. The landscape, the birds and even the architecture is similar in many ways. The following is the last of a trio of blogposts from our recent Biotope Alaska birding trip. We arrived Nome on May 17th and spent 4 days birding the Seward Peninsula before we flew to Gambell, St.Lawrence island on the 21st of May. We spent 4 days on Gambell before returning to Nome where we spent our last 3 days of our Alaska adventure. The timing was brilliant as we got to experience the sudden arrival of spring. In just a few days Nome and the surrounding areas exploded with life. Nome´s Safety Sound instantly became our favourite hotspot for birding. The wetlands was packed with birds as this was one of few productive places with open water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The below Biotope aerials are taken just 5 days apart! What an amazing speed of melting. The intensity of birdlife in the sound as ´spring breaks´ was unbelievable. Duck, geese, divers, waders and passerines in thousands foraged in the melting wetlands. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Safety Sound on May 20th</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Safety Sound on May 26th</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As birders and architects we are interested in experiencing places with similar qualities as Varanger of Arctic Norway. We are also pursuing an idea of exploring the northern hemispheres top nature destinations. The Arctic regions of the world is getting more and more press, but to us it seems too much of this is from oil and gas projects. More pro nature press and awareness is needed. There are few people living in the Arctic and the communities are small and fragile in many ways. We are interested in exploring how nature based tourism, conservation and science can play a positive role in the north. In Varanger we have been part of a positive development based on the regions unique bird life and nature. The aim for all the projects we engage in is to have a positive impact on a community while keeping things local and sustainable. We believe that nature based tourism plays a key role in this. When handled nicely this generates both increased incomes in small communities, and also increased awareness and appreciation of nature.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope birding Alaska, the Nome / Seward Peninsula section, May 17-20th + 24-27th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We enjoyed days of driving the dirt roads of Seward Peninsula. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Emperor Goose in Safety Sound. We had a total of 5 of these US Arctic specialities. Stunning birds. They stayed at the western part of the sound during the first half of our trip, and as soon as the snow and ice melted they where gone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A huge highlight of our trip was to see hundreds of Pacific Eiders. They where obviously hunted pretty heavily as they were impossible to get close to. Someone should make bird photo hides in Nome. This could provide some absolutely amazing photo opportunities of a series of very cool bird species. By the way: <a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2014/03/pacific-eider-in-vard-again.html"><span style="color: blue;">Europes first and only Pacific Eider</span></a> was found from the Biotope office in Varanger, and stayed in Vardø, Varanger for more then a month. Surely the most stylish of the Common Eiders!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had 11 Short-eared Owl in one day in Safety Sound. Amazing birds, and like the ever present Lapland Bunting (several hundreds every day) these are species we have in Varanger as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hunting Short-eared Owl in Safety Sound </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fox Sparrow </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Golden-crowned Sparrow</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Teller Road</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We took one day to drive the road to the small village Teller. The gravel road drive takes about two hours, but if you bird as you go it takes a full day to Teller and back. The treeless tundra landscape reminded us very much of Varanger. The abundance of Rock Ptarmigan and Willow Grouse was different. These birds are often few in Varanger and far apart (unless you come over the occasional 150 individual wintering flocks roaming the snowy tundra). We also enjoyed great views of Musk Ox. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Teller village, home to 250 natives, with Brevik village in the background. Snow melting was happening much later here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Musk Ox, outside Nome, on the road to Teller. What a match for the landscape!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Willow Grouse hung around the gravel roads in good numbers, and unlike the Varanger birds they provided us with nice photo opportunities. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rock Ptarmigan. Stunning views. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Safety Sound</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This became our favourite place to bird. The birdlife was constantly changing, and you could drive the Safety Sound road several times a day, and still have new birds coming in and discover new groups of arriving ducks and geese. During our first days in Nome there was more ice then water in Safety Sound. During the last few days the ice was almost all gone. Still as in all Arctic sites, despite sunshine and great weather the wind chill was considerable and almost ever present. This is where a few nicely situated bird hides / wind shelters would have made a great difference! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope, is like mentioned in previous blogposts, a family run architecture office. Which means mine and Elins daughter Lila joins us on most of our trips. A great learning experience and an opportunity to share our passion for nature and wildlife. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The highlights of the Nome section of our Alaska adventure was many, but seeing the Bering speciality Aleutian Tern was a huge hlghlight. We had two Aleutian Terns on the 19th of May, sat of drift ice in the sea. By the time the ice had melted we had another 8 Aleutian Terns, hunting and dancing (courting in a dancelike display on the beach). We also had a total of 8 Sabine´s Gulls. A great number of Long-tailed Skuas, and a couple of Arctic Skauas and Pomarine Skuas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Northern Harrier hunting along the Safety Sound beach grasslands </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Pacific Diver take off. Another highlight species.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Arctic Architecture</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As architects we like to study how people live and build in the Arctic. Again the similarities to Varanger, and several other Arctic destinations, is striking. It is not locally sourced materials that matter. It is rather industrial materials, reused, leftovers and repurposed. We have collected a wide range of examples by photography. Below is a couple of the cabins in Safety Sound, mostly built for summer use, for hunting and gathering food. They share the same modesty in size and price, but these cabins are brilliant in their display of personality, character, inventiveness and diversity.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nome sweet Nome</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We stayed at the Dredge 7 Inn (highly recommended) and used that as a base for our entire stay, as all places are available within a days drive from Nome town. Biotope aerials below. About 3000 people live in Nome. Surprisingly few deal with nature based tourism. We hope to come back and perhaps even one day contribute as birder architects. With the rich and amazing wildlife of this regions there certainly seems to be unexplored potential in the region. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Check out our other two blogposts from Alaska:</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2015/05/birding-alaska-in-spring-homer-seward.html">Birding Alaska in spring - Homer & Seward / the Kenai Peninsula</a></span></h3>
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<a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2015/05/gambell-stlawrence-island-alaska-spring.html" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gambell, St.Lawrence island - Alaska spring birding</span></b></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks for tuning in! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod Amundsen </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Architect & birder // twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice"><span style="color: blue;">@BiotopeOffice</span></a> // <a href="http://www.facebook.com/biotope.no">www.facebook.com/biotope.no</a></span><br />
<br />www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-9456094536358002242015-05-30T17:18:00.000+02:002019-06-13T13:38:44.612+02:00Gambell, St.Lawrence island - Alaska spring birding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gambell is the westernmost point in USA, with Russia seen in the horizon, surrounded by the Bering Sea. It is one of the most remote places to bird in the US, and some exceptionally cool arctic birding can be enjoyed here. On our recent Alaska adventure we spent 4 days on Gambell. This is a small Yupik (eskimo) community of approx 650 people living on the northernmost point on St.Lawrence island. They are mostly hunter gatherers, but every year a few birders find their way to this remote place and as such makes a little contribution to the local economy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On our recent Biotope Alaska trip we selected a few top birding destinations to visit. We are interested in exploring places that are similar in character and climate to our own region Varanger in Arctic Norway. It is interesting to see how relatively little birding as a tourism niché is developed in Alaska. There are of course several guest houses and hotels that specialize in catering to birders, but most nature tourism based facilities are quite general in character and not specifically aimed at birders (finding photo hides, for example, seems impossible). That, however does not make the birding less spectacular. It simply could have been made more comfortable and more easily available. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As keen birders we of course had our target bird species that we very much hoped to see. The Kenai Peninsula and Nome was great, and Gambell too provided some brilliant birds! We met and talked to quite a few locals, who told us we where the first visitors / birders to the island this year. We arrived in snowy / foggy conditions, but we are used to that from Varanger. The Auklets had just started to settle in the bird cliff near town, and the seabird migration was simply awesome! In addition we hoped our early arrival would provide us with the very rare McKay´s Bunting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We hope you enjoy this trip report from our brief (21-24th of May) birding adventure in Gambell:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gambell, Alaska - Biotope on tour</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Arriving Gambell with Bering Air </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Birding Gambell - the movie (a 3 minute fast forward Biotope production)</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">McKay´s Bunting - white on white</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of our target species in Gambell was the worlds whitest bunting. A true Bering speciality, of which there is only about 6000 individuals left in the world. It actually took two days of walking around the town and its surroundings to find this bird, which we finally found at the foot of the bird cliff. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The strikingly beautiful McKay´s Bunting: an adult male. A cool feature well worth noticing is the dark feathering under the white. The dark ´undercoat´ helps absorb heat from the sun, while the white maintains its snowy camoflage (when there is snow, that is). These are the same characteristics as a Polar Bear, with its white fur and dark heat absorbing skin. </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>(click on any image in blogpost for slide show view / bigger photos)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are also quite a lot of Snow Buntings around, which is also great to see, as they are of the Russian / Aleutian subspecies<i> Plectrophenax nivalis townsendi.</i> They are very similar to the subspecies <i>vlasowae</i> which we seem to get a few of in Varanger in early spring, arriving slightly before the ´standard´ Snow Bunting. The eastern subspecies are characterised by very little dark on their backs.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hi peeps!</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When arriving Gambell you very quickly realize that you have arrived a place where market economy is not a driving force. In fact the Sivuqaq Lodge or Inn is the only place to stay in Gambell (unless you have some contacts that can set you up privately). The Inn is run by Sivuqaq Inc. the local community organization. They know very well that they are the only place to stay and charge you accordingly. This was by far the most expensive place we stayed in Alaska, costing 210 US dollars pr night. But then again, you are visiting a community that is not geared towards tourism, but a hunter gatherer community. Exept from a few locals that make carvings (of Walrus tusks) there is very little to spend any money on. Which as birders is very ok with us, and since the lodge is run by the community organisation it is quite ok to spend a little extra on the accommodation. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUHnFmfonoRuVMKPZOkwPza1SoexbHUuTyNUJk4-yXfp3mcLmgRwyFoky5hCl3EaePYnbeknvXXKa6UL5VbfxT94nNSpX0igwB9lM8_znbs8VjbH0POIbBG0dQgKuDEk7xWG9uHE6pfI/s1600/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Elin+%2526+Lila+at+Gambell+Sivuqaq+Inn+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUHnFmfonoRuVMKPZOkwPza1SoexbHUuTyNUJk4-yXfp3mcLmgRwyFoky5hCl3EaePYnbeknvXXKa6UL5VbfxT94nNSpX0igwB9lM8_znbs8VjbH0POIbBG0dQgKuDEk7xWG9uHE6pfI/s640/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Elin+%2526+Lila+at+Gambell+Sivuqaq+Inn+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Basic, yet welcoming - the Sivuqaq Inn, Gambell.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Gambell store. By the way - there are no cars in Gambell, only ATVs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gambell housing. Most architecture in the Arctic it is not made of locally sourced materials, but rather it is a mix of cleverly used and reused industrial materials. We will make a blogpost on Arctic architecture later - a topic well worth looking into. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The singing bird cliff</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The bird cliff in Gambell is full of Auklets, primarily Least and Parakeet Auklets, but also Crested Auklet, Horned and Tufted Puffins. The soundscape is absolutely amazing! It is very unlike the sharp Kittiwake scream and Guillemot murring bird cliff in Varanger, at the</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Hornøya bird cliff. The Gambell bird cliff is a singing bird cliff. The high pitched Auklet vocals makes for a wall of sound. The fog just added to the amazing atmosphere of the place.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJHJ9UOqfdphitB-ntGObzwe-8LELRG5aSg-y_AM5Q4C8Wj3gdetlcmyglQ8wVoeoHwYWV9I9Og69qeHWTO68hOmNRrD9pQ2g_3zDc_3bSPw7ITlHGAz0O0hjv6VYOhQBOse5k3bCh_8/s1600/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Least+Auklet+incoming+Gambell+bird+cliff+%2526+Tormod+digiscoping+-+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJHJ9UOqfdphitB-ntGObzwe-8LELRG5aSg-y_AM5Q4C8Wj3gdetlcmyglQ8wVoeoHwYWV9I9Og69qeHWTO68hOmNRrD9pQ2g_3zDc_3bSPw7ITlHGAz0O0hjv6VYOhQBOse5k3bCh_8/s640/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Least+Auklet+incoming+Gambell+bird+cliff+%2526+Tormod+digiscoping+-+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Incoming Least Auklet</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3bO9keam-tkcz5HU-nBIUt7ZBrE938QCP0MsamG0_t4dCeh0RKr2kfgbV7Ohql-BA4-4a9piNwVkCghZ-h58_TdGvaItZqYmuA9G-IIZ2WgYyppY8UNaWR3JFb_Wpky_avgoCOEGgPo/s1600/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Parakeet+Auklet+take+off+-+med+res+Gambell+bird+cliff+-+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3bO9keam-tkcz5HU-nBIUt7ZBrE938QCP0MsamG0_t4dCeh0RKr2kfgbV7Ohql-BA4-4a9piNwVkCghZ-h58_TdGvaItZqYmuA9G-IIZ2WgYyppY8UNaWR3JFb_Wpky_avgoCOEGgPo/s640/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Parakeet+Auklet+take+off+-+med+res+Gambell+bird+cliff+-+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Parakeet Auklets</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2EHfsnPdtYRJJY5Fi09NUvr3mLvpU17z_eC6f8M6AzqOK_ngPpVX3YsBa7_C_3EAneGq1KErzaG2GmZ6nTL2-0uyp7BCrWNxIwpLI7HtKyZfEn8XMktqRyaOwv5XcH3iTCwug0jBfYY/s1600/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Least+%2526+Parakeet+Auklet+in+Gambell+bird+cliff+-med+res-+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2EHfsnPdtYRJJY5Fi09NUvr3mLvpU17z_eC6f8M6AzqOK_ngPpVX3YsBa7_C_3EAneGq1KErzaG2GmZ6nTL2-0uyp7BCrWNxIwpLI7HtKyZfEn8XMktqRyaOwv5XcH3iTCwug0jBfYY/s640/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Least+%2526+Parakeet+Auklet+in+Gambell+bird+cliff+-med+res-+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Least and Parakeet Auklets. We also saw Crested Auklets in the cliff, but not any puffins. Cleary we arrived Gambell just as the first birds had started to settle in the cliff.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19H_1wEnbAYq31oZmpKRawscFwsDgHTOsMcU3lDOKJpAIK0lig14tR-kZ1L6XbOjPKHA9xXSMEbmr7KNXXWdfJKJsxXu6yHXa3_zGbGxZ9GSnjTgrTZs7NHJjyZ40J4N5Uk7FWa0Zn4M/s1600/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Least+Auklet+flying+incoming+Gambell+bird+cliff+-+med+res+-+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19H_1wEnbAYq31oZmpKRawscFwsDgHTOsMcU3lDOKJpAIK0lig14tR-kZ1L6XbOjPKHA9xXSMEbmr7KNXXWdfJKJsxXu6yHXa3_zGbGxZ9GSnjTgrTZs7NHJjyZ40J4N5Uk7FWa0Zn4M/s640/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Least+Auklet+flying+incoming+Gambell+bird+cliff+-+med+res+-+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Boneyards</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The hunter gatherer leftovers are easy to deal with: you dump it outside town and nature will consume it to the bone. In fact the boneyards of Gambell are the most productive places bird wise: this is where plants grow, passerines, waders and other birds find food. Simply put: the garbage rots, and becomes food again. However the hunter gatherer way to deal with garbage does not go very well with the consumer lifestyle: processed food in plastic packaging and endless amounts of plastic bags does not rot. Its simply becomes a hazard to wildlife and a very obvious pollution problem. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRHipMAVVMo8myJtutXXudoOuj-otuJqnAndMDlSK6d8ZQtIhFRoAgV9TJGiEJkJjhytnKxXIa7qoBQZw3-pxz-lHfhxUhCuWcfNiowSsFRRYZpF-DVv42cbSYA1t7UUYvj7WBS2_A98/s1600/Gambell+May+21st+2015+the+Dump+%2526+the+Gambell+boneyards+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRHipMAVVMo8myJtutXXudoOuj-otuJqnAndMDlSK6d8ZQtIhFRoAgV9TJGiEJkJjhytnKxXIa7qoBQZw3-pxz-lHfhxUhCuWcfNiowSsFRRYZpF-DVv42cbSYA1t7UUYvj7WBS2_A98/s640/Gambell+May+21st+2015+the+Dump+%2526+the+Gambell+boneyards+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The consumer dump versus the hunter gatherer dump</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUbhIHB8AG5vf8IyroDfmIfPotFhqfE1omCsNjItTG5n5G4XRsSLLv4NhysosRmF3iZwkU6IVZNjXo7Cs1ROtUAkd_PyxDQGDBQXQez1me-I02gkZhlrI0FMhgJbv0N021iLhce_wKEs/s1600/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Tormod+%2526+Lila+Walrus+%2526+Bowhead+whale+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUbhIHB8AG5vf8IyroDfmIfPotFhqfE1omCsNjItTG5n5G4XRsSLLv4NhysosRmF3iZwkU6IVZNjXo7Cs1ROtUAkd_PyxDQGDBQXQez1me-I02gkZhlrI0FMhgJbv0N021iLhce_wKEs/s640/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Tormod+%2526+Lila+Walrus+%2526+Bowhead+whale+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Walrus and Bowhead Whale</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMthPE0rqnZ_RMvnPj28HWJ8XcKTgNgY67gjHbPFYSFEjUzXoMvTUV_bvmDE4Oz9F8K25VVlXj5gnQe16PDUDOUpOCWp2I1Hii9-h2KlYIHUSBiMC7KAwNrIRK7UkQTd9gmKYga0XUArE/s1600/Lesser+Sandplover+in+flight+Gambell+Alaska+May+23rd+2015+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMthPE0rqnZ_RMvnPj28HWJ8XcKTgNgY67gjHbPFYSFEjUzXoMvTUV_bvmDE4Oz9F8K25VVlXj5gnQe16PDUDOUpOCWp2I1Hii9-h2KlYIHUSBiMC7KAwNrIRK7UkQTd9gmKYga0XUArE/s640/Lesser+Sandplover+in+flight+Gambell+Alaska+May+23rd+2015+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Birding the boneyards was productive, and we were treated with this rare Russian visitor, a Lesser Sandplover.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gambell seawatching</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyFCRBO1uLZAJd0k-cckTq9fisK9zEFLnA2zpFWT0YmuYR2kYXTvZGWEC5wipfPqEL7aoaSqCxES9uUb96hcwOcDvPxvkFiWdfjeqW169-Bvq_k6V1GMRmDwGmMxrZhUamXvUyIfYFIM/s1600/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Elin+%2526+Lila+at+the+Point+seawatch+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyFCRBO1uLZAJd0k-cckTq9fisK9zEFLnA2zpFWT0YmuYR2kYXTvZGWEC5wipfPqEL7aoaSqCxES9uUb96hcwOcDvPxvkFiWdfjeqW169-Bvq_k6V1GMRmDwGmMxrZhUamXvUyIfYFIM/s640/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Elin+%2526+Lila+at+the+Point+seawatch+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seawatching at Gambell is spectacular! A constant stream of Auklets fill the horizon, in ten thousands streaming by each day. I read about it when prepping our tour, but seeing it with our own eyes was absolutely amazing. Seawatching very quickly became our favored thing to do in Gambell. We where lucky to find a boat well placed on the beach, which acted as our wind shelter for two days (then someone needed it). The wind chill is considerable and I am certain we are not the first birders visiting The Point wishing there was a bird hide / wind shelter there. Maybe it is something we should make happen?!! No doubt the Gambell community can increase the numbers of visiting birders by slight improvements like wind shelters at key sites in Gambell. I am also certain that locals would enjoy such facilities as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gambell seawatching is world class: The constant stream of birds off the shore made it incredibly interesting, and the variety of species was very good too: In three days of seawatching we had Parakeet, Crested and Least Auklets in many thousands, we had 15 Harlequin Ducks, 1200+ Long-tailed Ducks, 250+ Pacific Eiders, 430 King Eiders, 8 Steller´s Eiders and 6 Spectacled Eiders. The latter was another one of our Alaska target species. Stunning birds, and what a great place to see them! We also had 25 Pomarie Skuas, several Long-tailed and Arctic Skuas, 28 White-billed Divers, 2 Red / Grey Phalaropes, 25 Red-necked Phalaropes, lots of Guillemots and Brunnichs Guillemots, Glaucous Gulls, White-winged Scoters, Black Scoters, Pintails, Surf Scoters, Horned and Tufted Puffins, lots of Fulmars (ssp rodgersii), 250 Short-tailed Shearwater, etc</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHrbYsUVJBQNgeZECX_Hv214fpjnoEAcYox7J2m1FKsfYdiFIOUa5V6hwUphpHbg00zi9uzsVnVziZjiwQ6cssw-QrneFeT4hwSjbdINTKScDm-3mZzDNd5WXjf71ModzsnW99J5yB44/s1600/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Elin+%2526+Lila+at+the+Point+seawatch+behind+boat+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHrbYsUVJBQNgeZECX_Hv214fpjnoEAcYox7J2m1FKsfYdiFIOUa5V6hwUphpHbg00zi9uzsVnVziZjiwQ6cssw-QrneFeT4hwSjbdINTKScDm-3mZzDNd5WXjf71ModzsnW99J5yB44/s640/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Elin+%2526+Lila+at+the+Point+seawatch+behind+boat+-+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lila and Elin seawatching behind the shelter of a boat.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5uq27sLqElLYxJ3yDerTl25bXPbyMxgp62drj7MxpimlBXHmr0WtOcppK2g3q1QIqVWXNGr0tVTeMH4tRxK9KUyDigyzItRO12OkAQ6BIyFYLsyQayTT398ZcAR0naDIyUfCteUYQzI/s1600/Gambell+May+21st+2015+ssp+rodgersii+Pacific+Fulmar+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5uq27sLqElLYxJ3yDerTl25bXPbyMxgp62drj7MxpimlBXHmr0WtOcppK2g3q1QIqVWXNGr0tVTeMH4tRxK9KUyDigyzItRO12OkAQ6BIyFYLsyQayTT398ZcAR0naDIyUfCteUYQzI/s640/Gambell+May+21st+2015+ssp+rodgersii+Pacific+Fulmar+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fulmar of the Pacific subspecies <i>Fulmarus glacialis rodgersii (pale and semi pale type)</i></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bering Sea ice architecture - instant wind shelter</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_7NoklOWarULy5xK_89fYGKXERVi1lmXI3pAOLjJgnChEyaxyacxrJfT7X-nybXFJ1BPZLSTbr_mxPGUYRP0lLawxhO547_3CYSAp4_EzpbW51u1WoMHvuVo2iQT2l19uXS8X2r3P8s/s1600/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Bering+sea+ice+wind+shelter+at+the+Point+seawatch+-+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_7NoklOWarULy5xK_89fYGKXERVi1lmXI3pAOLjJgnChEyaxyacxrJfT7X-nybXFJ1BPZLSTbr_mxPGUYRP0lLawxhO547_3CYSAp4_EzpbW51u1WoMHvuVo2iQT2l19uXS8X2r3P8s/s640/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Bering+sea+ice+wind+shelter+at+the+Point+seawatch+-+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I enjoyed one last evening of seawatching, but our wind shelter boat was gone so I had to improvise: the Bering sea ice on the beach made for nice building blocks, and a pallet made for a nice chair. Voila: a basic but very comfortable and well functioning seawtching wind shelter.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxccNg2ZUhj71ZITzxoxqIQ7rXyaST-QnagwZQqroeBhp3dQAeaYz1UL9UgzQ6O0olUmoK_cDnJmUIKre2Ek-vt_hEHlVKEbpHjxh6jgtpgYuyOZJNsqVYYoKbi9jtxC_4_t7knZQJ9VE/s1600/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Seawatching+off+The+Point+in+Gambell+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxccNg2ZUhj71ZITzxoxqIQ7rXyaST-QnagwZQqroeBhp3dQAeaYz1UL9UgzQ6O0olUmoK_cDnJmUIKre2Ek-vt_hEHlVKEbpHjxh6jgtpgYuyOZJNsqVYYoKbi9jtxC_4_t7knZQJ9VE/s640/Gambell+May+21st+2015+Seawatching+off+The+Point+in+Gambell+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few scenes from the Gambell seawatch</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFVDNm_lrRIhhqnDG2SF9CfBAqHO13o1u_ULdrNNFwYWNSP1ozHL6qKp5rGbMwlE-Mc6fPbS2OzpehEi6S1oIL2Bdk_wVepn-2Jv125_T-SrLheyPs501k8IuLh22nbe3RhHlhvWbKqY/s1600/Gambell+Bering+Air+incoming+-+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFVDNm_lrRIhhqnDG2SF9CfBAqHO13o1u_ULdrNNFwYWNSP1ozHL6qKp5rGbMwlE-Mc6fPbS2OzpehEi6S1oIL2Bdk_wVepn-2Jv125_T-SrLheyPs501k8IuLh22nbe3RhHlhvWbKqY/s640/Gambell+Bering+Air+incoming+-+sign+Amundsen+%25C2%25A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our lift back to Nome, and our final few days in Alaska.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We have one more blogpost coming soon from the Nome section of our Alaska birding adventure. Meanwhile check out the first blogpost from the Kenai Peninsula: <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2015/05/birding-alaska-in-spring-homer-seward.html">birding Homer and Seward</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also out now: </span><a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2015/05/gambell-stlawrence-island-alaska-spring.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Gambell, St.Lawrence island - Alaska spring birding</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks for tuning in!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Please follow, like, or comment on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/biotope.no"><span style="color: blue;"><b>facebook</b></span></a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice"><span style="color: blue;"><b>twitter</b></span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Best wishes </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod Amundsen / Architect & birder / Biotope</span><br />
<br />www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-25252142164566589292015-05-19T19:29:00.001+02:002019-06-13T13:40:29.632+02:00Birding Alaska in spring - Homer & Seward <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The name Alaska rings of wilderness and grand nature. At Biotope we have a thing for the northern birding. Which is why we live and bird in Varanger, Arctic Norway. However, we allways need a bit of inspiration and fresh ideas to fuel our birding passion. Since moving to Varanger a few years ago we have started a project to visit top nature destinations around the northern hemisphere. </span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We have visited northern Japan twice, Iceland, Svalbard and now Alaska. Our aim is to see these places from a birder architects viewpoint. We look at similarities, like how fishing is key to the northern communities, and how nature based tourism is becoming increasingly important. We are very interested in studying how these places work with dedicated nichés like the birding niché. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As most keen birders and nature enthusiasts we like to travel. Seeing spectacular nature is always great, and meeting people and hearing their stories from the northern communities is inspiring. It helps us become better birder architects, in the sense that in our work we always aim to connect people and nature.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope is a small family business, and on this tour was Elin & Tormod of Biotope with our up and coming birder, Lila. A good mix of family holidays and business. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Birding Alaska, part 1: Kenai Peninsula </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Visiting Alaska have been a dream for a long time. Finally we are here. This short blogpost was written on tour as we just arrived Nome, and start part two of our Alaska adventure. This blogpost features some highlights from the first section of our Alaska trip: the Kenai Peninsula. Our tour was based on quite lot of planning in advance. We wanted to do so much more then we had time to do (like the Aleutians). Birding Alaska has its similarities to birding Varanger, but to get to the right mix of birding habitat, like boreal forest, tundra and arctic coastal waters you need several flights and destinations. In any case Anchorage is your main hub. For our first section of the tour we rented a car in Anchorage, then drove to Homer, which takes a day of birding and driving. In Homer we stayed at the very nice Lands End Hotel at the Homer Spit. A bit pricy (surprisingly more so then in Norway in general), but the views of the Kachemak Bay was brilliant, and birding from our hotel room was great! We had our first Marbled Murrelets from our room. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> We had timed our visit with the Kachemak Bay Bird Festival and the arrival of thousands of waders. Mostly Western Sadnpipers and Dunlins, all in very stylish summer plumage. Our other target birds in Homer was Black Turnstone and Tufted Puffin (at Gull Island). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> A key reason for going to Homer was also the convenient option to fly to Katmai National Park, which is about an hours flight away (in a 6 seater plane). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The Kenai Peninsula interior also offers some great boreal forest birding along the Kenia River, and in other creeks, valleys and ponds. We enjoyed great views of other target species like the brilliantly looking Steller´s Jay and Gray Jay.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Lastly we had enjoyed a visit to Seward, from where we took a boat to the Chiswell Islands. This is a series of small islands and home to thousands of seabirds. Tufted Puffin and Horned Puffin are among the key species here. What absolutely stunning birds! Like our own bird cliff Hornøya in Vardø, there are some amazing places in the world that is worth visiting and taking care of. The Chiswell Islands is such a world class place. Want to see a Tufted Puffin Vortex? Stay tuned..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Below follows a series of photos from our Alaska adventure. We will make a blogpost from Alaskas Nome and St.Lawrence island too. For now we hope you enjoy these photos from the Kenai Peninsula. For the occasional trip update (limited internett access in Nome) follow us on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice"><span style="color: blue;">@BiotopeOffice</span></a> - Part 2 coming soon..</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscZOFq-udv_wy1lghicOTFHnwwGWp6He9GYpUiTmdvG_BY3CuETm_rQBlcl2Namj0ShqcsgmipceOy6QvG4tf59PAMaxrmSBXxXw8ea2RVWyekPK8rhoOfB61fH8cHAGE5naooWIuLKw/s1600/Biotope+birding+Alaska+map+of+tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscZOFq-udv_wy1lghicOTFHnwwGWp6He9GYpUiTmdvG_BY3CuETm_rQBlcl2Namj0ShqcsgmipceOy6QvG4tf59PAMaxrmSBXxXw8ea2RVWyekPK8rhoOfB61fH8cHAGE5naooWIuLKw/s640/Biotope+birding+Alaska+map+of+tour.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Biotope´s birding Alaska tour map, featuring part 1 / the Kenai Peninsula (to the right)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>click on any image for slide show view / bigger photos</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPHvH0sqJrcaP8m8zG_2mFSDWANDgTH3F-5sVZbZumMjoqquoZ1T9iXqGRoHwrIrbB9EAkdmzsNbONwTmWngulPGKJbMTj-XNBGflH7AfdR5ms66bjO8yqZM3CkpxEidMK_bZ4CaK1l8/s1600/Alaska+2015+May+Homer+The+Spit+aerial+-+sign+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPHvH0sqJrcaP8m8zG_2mFSDWANDgTH3F-5sVZbZumMjoqquoZ1T9iXqGRoHwrIrbB9EAkdmzsNbONwTmWngulPGKJbMTj-XNBGflH7AfdR5ms66bjO8yqZM3CkpxEidMK_bZ4CaK1l8/s640/Alaska+2015+May+Homer+The+Spit+aerial+-+sign+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Homer</b>: the Spit. We stayed at the Lands End Hotel and the furthest end on the Spit. Most of the birding in takes place from the Spit towards the town centre. As always, it is great seeing a buzzing fishing harbour. Gull Island is in the distance (did my first Tufted Puffin sighting from a kayak which I paddled from the harbour to Gull Island). </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bear with me</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The highlight part 1 of the Alaska tour: Brown Bear viewing in Katmai National Park. Amazing animals. I took a tour with Alaska Bear Viewing Tours, one of the three original companies in Homer that will take you out to meet Bears up close. Very professional, yet intimate and personal. In fact I was very early in the season, and this was their first trip so excitement was high when we spotted our first massive Brown Bear from the small plane. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Bears are curious, but not aggressive towards people (normally..). We landed on a beach in Katmai where we spotted a saw with her (probably) three year old cub. The Bears came close, but was politely ´hushed´ away by our guide Michael. We hung around the bears for nearly three hours on the beach, watching them feast on Clams.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bears have five times better sense of smell then a dog, and by smell they seemed to find Clams on every attempt, despite no visible sign on the surface. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A Bears paw and claws is a delicate tool when needed. They are true proffesionals at opening Clams nicely. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seafood is best fresh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bear searching for Clams on a Katmai beach. What an amazing experience!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aerial view over a small part of the Katmai National Park, which is home to an estimated 3000 Brown Bears. There is certainly a lot to learn in Norway from how they handle Bear tourism in Alaska and live with Bears. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shorebird bonanza</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Part of a 3000+ flock of Western Sandpipers (70%) and Dunlins (30%) and Mud Bay, Homer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Western Sandpiper in stunning breeding plumage</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIo7o7kIjWmBOXrXFudtl8FIC1lUlLURz2frLsaAwEPZERKJsOwbu-MXsFOzelIT0nPgIYHJ_kq2vaY0NGPSBRlKI941ERwAHlb8GIlF61XU_H5XENl_aexiN3KpJ25xtgWHmWMlgMtk/s1600/Alaska+2015+Black+Turnstone+the+Spit+med+res+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIo7o7kIjWmBOXrXFudtl8FIC1lUlLURz2frLsaAwEPZERKJsOwbu-MXsFOzelIT0nPgIYHJ_kq2vaY0NGPSBRlKI941ERwAHlb8GIlF61XU_H5XENl_aexiN3KpJ25xtgWHmWMlgMtk/s640/Alaska+2015+Black+Turnstone+the+Spit+med+res+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of our top target birds: The Black Turnstone. We had about 15 of these along the Homer Spit, accompanied by 600+ Surfbirds and a few Rock Sandpipers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another target species for us: the Rock Sandpiper. Very stylish birds, and in many ways similar to our Purple Sandpipers. A hardy Calidris for sure. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chiswell Islands and the Tufted Puffin vortex</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In many ways the Alaskan coastal landscape is similar to Northern Norway. From the fishingport Seward we took to boat trips out to the Chiswell Islands and visited the Kenai Fjords. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course the Norwegian Fjords are rarely accompanied by bears, like this Black Bear we saw from the boat in Aialik Arm / Holgate Glacier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Despite the awesomeness of Black Bear and calving glaciers, the highlight of the last part of our Kenai Peninaula trip was the amazing numbers of Tufted Puffins.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHTQtn89ZexJBx_0svQL8jpyjEMF1khuMReAwBdrUVCHQ5vy6Chyc-lyrC6J1liZp9DQCMpvajjyjgnpfzxaMMcgQtkafjhROVGU74ujx0mfRDtezr2IeSFcicInQB9qVBmQEjx_WTCQ/s1600/Alaska+2015+May+Tufted+Puffin+flyby+Chiswell+Islands+Seward+dark+background+-+sign+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHTQtn89ZexJBx_0svQL8jpyjEMF1khuMReAwBdrUVCHQ5vy6Chyc-lyrC6J1liZp9DQCMpvajjyjgnpfzxaMMcgQtkafjhROVGU74ujx0mfRDtezr2IeSFcicInQB9qVBmQEjx_WTCQ/s640/Alaska+2015+May+Tufted+Puffin+flyby+Chiswell+Islands+Seward+dark+background+-+sign+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tufted Puffins are spectacular birds, in their striking black plumage, and probably one of the most wanted birds on any European seawatch!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One is cool, but the Chiswell Islands will present you with a couple of thousand Tufted Puffin. It is hard to say how many we saw, but in total it must have been 2500+ Tufted Puffins around the Chiswell Islands. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdX_htGUOzrcyXV4dsaPjztvY0dgciKv-CvUhHmy9awGcOUh8EfKFBy2jV4j22Of1jxsP4W-Hnptw7pSXCyzQ5Q45BpBsCVwOmBRVpEkjyVoUiOoyYZtOvhKxWgZa2wLvF_2fnj5pHlk/s1600/Alaska+2015+Tufted+Puffin+vortex+Chiswell+islands+full+frame+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdX_htGUOzrcyXV4dsaPjztvY0dgciKv-CvUhHmy9awGcOUh8EfKFBy2jV4j22Of1jxsP4W-Hnptw7pSXCyzQ5Q45BpBsCVwOmBRVpEkjyVoUiOoyYZtOvhKxWgZa2wLvF_2fnj5pHlk/s640/Alaska+2015+Tufted+Puffin+vortex+Chiswell+islands+full+frame+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had never thought I would see a Tufted Puffin Vortex. The experience of being surrounded reminded we of our very own King Eider Vortex in Varanger. Again: world class birding!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chiswell Islands are steep, many, and perfect habitat for seabirds, set in the middle of very rich waters. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Horned Puffin - equally great to see. Fewer in numbers, but still around with 150 birds seen on the two trips we did. Our first trip was with the biggest Fjord tour company is Seward. Too big, too crowded, but birding was still amazing. Second day of birding was better as I got Louis who run a local Seward Water Taxi to take me out to the Chiswells. Seawatching is so much better when it is all about birding, and you get to decide where to go..</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhtFrwvzC_hItbiB5cvLLCU6_S6SESzf5ZMHrkYPMBdPpWsfShe_enOKRJvjB5ztQPOvJKVL5DrdnZQUko-u4UsHY_5RirE1SW545cK6ESIE5Udj8ZsW8dnHPa7gFHVoBWRTCrWpP7qA/s1600/Alaska+2015+May+Chiswell+island+Tufted+&+Horned+Puffins+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhtFrwvzC_hItbiB5cvLLCU6_S6SESzf5ZMHrkYPMBdPpWsfShe_enOKRJvjB5ztQPOvJKVL5DrdnZQUko-u4UsHY_5RirE1SW545cK6ESIE5Udj8ZsW8dnHPa7gFHVoBWRTCrWpP7qA/s640/Alaska+2015+May+Chiswell+island+Tufted+&+Horned+Puffins+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Horned and Tufted Puffins and Chiswell Islands. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53hPVraJR3Un4DKEKqjs7dGChFpQHbIzFwUxgziMk_i-6beeb-O9cZ-bc9PNTPI-_bxuRS4zCqG2u5CJDlWQ0iuCqE8l_TiQWNTnJGqAg1bwz70wBFEyMyoOBCNjM4Edupu3O0pFG4UI/s1600/Alaska+2015+May+Otter+Homer+med+res+%C2%A9+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53hPVraJR3Un4DKEKqjs7dGChFpQHbIzFwUxgziMk_i-6beeb-O9cZ-bc9PNTPI-_bxuRS4zCqG2u5CJDlWQ0iuCqE8l_TiQWNTnJGqAg1bwz70wBFEyMyoOBCNjM4Edupu3O0pFG4UI/s640/Alaska+2015+May+Otter+Homer+med+res+%C2%A9+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And the ever present Sea Otters. Always relaxed it seems. Dining must be good and generous.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Same, but different</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the great things about birding the northern hemisphere is how similar many things are, yet different. Climatic conditions, landscape and seascape make life and its challenges similar for species in northern Norway, Hokkaido in Japan and in Alaska. Still some of the excitement is seeing the endless nuances and variations of nature in these destinations. They are truly some of the premium birding destinations in the world. Experiencing these places and the varied birdlife and nature they have to offer is a privilege. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pigeon Guillemot at Gull Island, Homer</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gray Jay, at Cooper Landing, Kenai River</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Best wishes from Nome, May 2015. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stay tuned for more Biotope birding Alaska coming up soon..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gambell, St.Lawrence May 21-24th 2015:</span><br />
<a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2015/05/gambell-stlawrence-island-alaska-spring.html">https://www.biotope.cloud/2015/05/gambell-stlawrence-island-alaska-spring.html</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod Amundsen </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.biotope.no/">www.biotope.no</a> // <a href="http://www.facebook.com/biotope.no">www.facebook.com/biotope.no</a> // twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice"><span style="color: blue;">@BiotopeOffice</span></a></span><br />
<br />www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-68686503613527024322015-03-26T14:48:00.002+01:002019-06-13T13:58:32.256+02:00Hasselnes Wind Shelter - Watching Auroras in Varanger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBS1efy3q2UtlT5EBUosmdT1KQzdraFPkSurcyJiVK5T2yq_lfVTUUIiUAAidkbjfWQB0oo1tduEaSJpQPL8GcI8g5QR4u1fTFhgA20AI8SwsyHkbaKQsNKkW6XXd6XLHsqq0W8qEHuM/s1600/Hasselnes+Aurora+borealis+bird+hide+wind+shelter+march24th+2015+med+res+ps+edit+sign+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBS1efy3q2UtlT5EBUosmdT1KQzdraFPkSurcyJiVK5T2yq_lfVTUUIiUAAidkbjfWQB0oo1tduEaSJpQPL8GcI8g5QR4u1fTFhgA20AI8SwsyHkbaKQsNKkW6XXd6XLHsqq0W8qEHuM/s1600/Hasselnes+Aurora+borealis+bird+hide+wind+shelter+march24th+2015+med+res+ps+edit+sign+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aurora-watching from the new Hasselnes bird hide and wind shelter. To left in the distance is Hornøya bird cliff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hornøya bird cliff is one of the key attractions in Varanger. We are currently working on a project aiming at improving the fascilities on Hornøya, and to connect Hornøya more with Vardø island. At Hasselnes, northeasternmost Vardø island, you have great views of Hornøya bird cliff. Hasselnes used to be the town dump. With the new bird hide and windshelter we aim to make Hasselnes an attractive place to visit. It is already a key place for birders and all visitors to Vardø, but fasilities and information have been absent. During our recent bird festival Gullfest 2015 we opened the Hasselnes wind shelter.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> With its varied seatings and spaces it gives you shelter from the main wind directions. The views towards Hornøya bird cliff and the bird rich Reinøysundet is brilliant. And in the evenings it works brilliantly as a Northen Lights watching shelter.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6xGJTaC9Uh_kSceHpCE44MBdB4NJiY8gZqiUSws0ZJgYqPyZR1cmTILfnErqGWKrznEuCXybGC5sLQDWFt3RAf6Nx78Vn-Al1DBt2h1VCAFdVzzLP4duH8JBJjoPjHW7vlAL9Uc-olA/s1600/Hasselnes+bird+hide+windshelter+march+2015+med+res+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6xGJTaC9Uh_kSceHpCE44MBdB4NJiY8gZqiUSws0ZJgYqPyZR1cmTILfnErqGWKrznEuCXybGC5sLQDWFt3RAf6Nx78Vn-Al1DBt2h1VCAFdVzzLP4duH8JBJjoPjHW7vlAL9Uc-olA/s1600/Hasselnes+bird+hide+windshelter+march+2015+med+res+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A spectacular polar front over Vardø is nicely viewed from new shelter at Hasselnes, northeasternmost point on Vardø island.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pro nature development in progress</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823;">The Hasselnes project was made possible with the kind contributions from </span><a href="https://www.vardo.kommune.no/"><span style="color: blue;">Vardø Kommune</span></a><span style="color: #141823;">. A big thanks goes out to Erik and his collegues at the municipality office who built the fundament. </span><a href="https://www.miljodirektoratet.no/"><span style="color: blue;">Miljødirektoratet</span><span style="color: #141823;"> </span></a><span style="color: #141823;"> / the Norwegian Environment Agency supported the project with funding for all materials and carpentry. A very big thanks to them for believing in this project, and for contributing to the ongoing </span><a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2014/04/hornya-bird-cliff-site-development.html"><span style="color: blue;">Hornøya project</span><span style="color: #141823;">.</span></a><span style="color: #141823;"> This project is all about making nature easily accessible and more valued by both locals and visitors. Transforming an old dump into an attraction is a pretty cool thing to do in this respect. Together with </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nye-Vard%C3%B8-N%C3%A6ringsforening/249183748510379"><span style="color: blue;">Vardø Næringsforening</span></a><span style="color: #141823;"> (the local commerce organisation) we run the Hornøya project. Making the Hasselnes shelter is a good starting point for creating more local awareness of this world class attraction. Vardø-carpenter Ken Lorentzen have built the hide, together with Alonza from the Biotope office. </span><a href="https://www.xn--finnmarkentreprenr-w4b.no/">Finnmark Entreprenør</a><span style="color: #141823;"> have contributed with both transportation and garage space for this prosject. A very big thanks to all involved! Vardø and Varanger just got a little bit better!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bird hides and wind shelters are a key part of developing Varanger as the worlds finest arctic birding destination. The idea is to make easily available and inviting pieces of architecture at key sites in Varanger. We also aim to use local resources whenever necessary. The Hasselnes shelter is built with locally sourced Pasvik timber, delivered by Ben Arne from Pasvik.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklVDqvhHvsh2vf64RIncvFB-n7O0rKeKe4cQB3tm_iTJDAaaB6AYO9Z1gmiokkRijXaO2ZECmO6QHxOL0aB0wZ2DN7ka6USEp5nLQAPdbkFy1XQSOkpZCPtHdAAq8qEm8YDujFObIeaw/s1600/Hasselnes+bird+hide+wind+shelter+in+garage+march2015+Vardo+Varanger+%C2%A9%C2%A0Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklVDqvhHvsh2vf64RIncvFB-n7O0rKeKe4cQB3tm_iTJDAaaB6AYO9Z1gmiokkRijXaO2ZECmO6QHxOL0aB0wZ2DN7ka6USEp5nLQAPdbkFy1XQSOkpZCPtHdAAq8qEm8YDujFObIeaw/s1600/Hasselnes+bird+hide+wind+shelter+in+garage+march2015+Vardo+Varanger+%C2%A9%C2%A0Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From the building of the hide in Finnmark Entreprenørs garage in Vardø. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSo6diMUbZjS8IxglkGT9bHFK33A-1pqtNFgYEZWZz1Tc5k2IgBFmqTp8yAzuWsFGhEJulKheN8LgzfZS5do0dzfzlm0B5FT81ff-SNY6CPMZ0Jk2qFtH1dXpoad6-HPEkc9h70147Ek/s1600/Hasselnes+bird+hide+wind+shelter+-+Vard%C3%B8+-+in+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwSo6diMUbZjS8IxglkGT9bHFK33A-1pqtNFgYEZWZz1Tc5k2IgBFmqTp8yAzuWsFGhEJulKheN8LgzfZS5do0dzfzlm0B5FT81ff-SNY6CPMZ0Jk2qFtH1dXpoad6-HPEkc9h70147Ek/s1600/Hasselnes+bird+hide+wind+shelter+-+Vard%C3%B8+-+in+progress.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Erik from Vardø kommune making the foundation for the hide. This is a part of a process of turing the old dump into an attraction. The concrete slabs are recycled material from an old building in town. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmpFQNOmkWQmbD319rCiogB3PgiqArB9lKYEGMXV6jl3psQowEjQJgvrYpAG3r5an5jhGJWCcTCUmr2r2b-YthmZjNxEbaWI0LIUwi6XORYouPeLUyZwo7u-oXpbWKsp8SgjywVkByJM/s1600/Gullfest+2015+Hasselnes+Birdhide+on+truck+march2015+%C2%A9%C2%A0Biotope.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmpFQNOmkWQmbD319rCiogB3PgiqArB9lKYEGMXV6jl3psQowEjQJgvrYpAG3r5an5jhGJWCcTCUmr2r2b-YthmZjNxEbaWI0LIUwi6XORYouPeLUyZwo7u-oXpbWKsp8SgjywVkByJM/s1600/Gullfest+2015+Hasselnes+Birdhide+on+truck+march2015+%C2%A9%C2%A0Biotope.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The main part of the project was built in the garage, then taken to the site for finalizing. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUO_4uaBezwu-1LnaXTT9yIkdo6S0knAPVHKM-gT6Ay1zQ1pYda8uNLyb8xoECDCdEITBnfhdMBQ8rOXYGL-1RU5LX277ClcRZNMUb6BfhMIGGGrm6eG675z-CM1K_hL4bu1J8z7N2TM/s1600/Gullfest+2015+Hasselnes+birdhide+finishing+march+%C2%A9Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPUO_4uaBezwu-1LnaXTT9yIkdo6S0knAPVHKM-gT6Ay1zQ1pYda8uNLyb8xoECDCdEITBnfhdMBQ8rOXYGL-1RU5LX277ClcRZNMUb6BfhMIGGGrm6eG675z-CM1K_hL4bu1J8z7N2TM/s1600/Gullfest+2015+Hasselnes+birdhide+finishing+march+%C2%A9Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Carpenter Ken Lorentzen working on site.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vardø - Hornøya - Varanger</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hornøya is perhaps the finest nature attraction in Varanger. The birdlife of Hornøya bird cliff have become famous among birders and nature photographers around the globe. In Vardø locals have a long tradition of gathering eggs on Reinøya and Hornøya, however this has not been practiced in recent years. Now locals are also increasingly becoming aware of Hornøya Island's unique position as a nature attraction. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JWqmgfgGmz63IJBQVnc7RrOG0QmRZ15D2SR8AetZVmsWNm_xTKTm56P1fW7F_jvpo1WSAIhYMURpfyglhzwsuiMSflDyfrc9mp2_nEM6PKIrVBHqWn46qdx7h2BRDALeUCkCR8eCaWA/s1600/Vard%C3%B8+panorama+d800+&+300mm+fra+Hornoya+March+2014+medium+resolution+sign+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JWqmgfgGmz63IJBQVnc7RrOG0QmRZ15D2SR8AetZVmsWNm_xTKTm56P1fW7F_jvpo1WSAIhYMURpfyglhzwsuiMSflDyfrc9mp2_nEM6PKIrVBHqWn46qdx7h2BRDALeUCkCR8eCaWA/s1600/Vard%C3%B8+panorama+d800+&+300mm+fra+Hornoya+March+2014+medium+resolution+sign+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vardø island seen from Hornøya bird cliff. Hasselnes is to the furthest right in the photo. The concrete pier on Hasselnes is actually the old sea dump. What was not burnt on land was dumped in the sea. Now Hasselnes is on its way to becoming a new attraction in Vardø town.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2-sEmfP-JPKWOizO8p5YhtAry4sKfV-eHU-b6b0jkcOZl0GKH1hRyYdDYxBDja3G7w3hxWyBpIJ-ipiH4tEyUxeiiPoPlELr8P2LVT7GVliNsBN8g9LiOI8WdIebE6tMVBshXPfFZCI/s1600/Horn%C3%B8ya+panorama+from+Hasselnes+d800&300mm+March+2013+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2-sEmfP-JPKWOizO8p5YhtAry4sKfV-eHU-b6b0jkcOZl0GKH1hRyYdDYxBDja3G7w3hxWyBpIJ-ipiH4tEyUxeiiPoPlELr8P2LVT7GVliNsBN8g9LiOI8WdIebE6tMVBshXPfFZCI/s1600/Horn%C3%B8ya+panorama+from+Hasselnes+d800&300mm+March+2013+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hornøya bird cliff photographed from Hasselnes. This is home to 100 000 seabirds. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Glaucous Gull flying past Hasselnes. Photographed during the recent bird festival <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2015/03/gullfest-2015-art-architecture-science.html"><span style="color: blue;">Gullfest 2015</span></a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">King Eiders are gathering in huge numbers around Vardø island. This is part of a megaraft of 7500+ birds seen from the Hasselnes bird hide during Gullfest 2015 .</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfvlN-WMzXV67Av5-d_lydG-qeMPvvSr8yRSM4y40RVI-9nExYSFdgmoVORL3RvtH7_AreM28qhchh-C2DkYxgCIAMjKhLDDdUfaAxHcCCdCIqiVPtOCszBc1dVjQMRlcLZMKE5IFpCk/s1600/gullfest+2015+basecamp+art+lars+jonsson+Stellers+E+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfvlN-WMzXV67Av5-d_lydG-qeMPvvSr8yRSM4y40RVI-9nExYSFdgmoVORL3RvtH7_AreM28qhchh-C2DkYxgCIAMjKhLDDdUfaAxHcCCdCIqiVPtOCszBc1dVjQMRlcLZMKE5IFpCk/s1600/gullfest+2015+basecamp+art+lars+jonsson+Stellers+E+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bird artist Lars Jonsson was one of the first to use the new hide. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLE_lLh7QgKVRgHev6tLcSdRLLaLlQrp4O0KFFoYI307nIQAyq8p5UYZ7nCh4HV0FdEf0BtU8TcArw0i-r7ZzroCT3C6KlQXPbLF3NR3yrlgRbdV3VRGb_nE24uKsN-dvHQewrMv1nmg/s1600/Hasselnes+bird+hide+wind+shelter+interior+view+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%C2%A9+biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLE_lLh7QgKVRgHev6tLcSdRLLaLlQrp4O0KFFoYI307nIQAyq8p5UYZ7nCh4HV0FdEf0BtU8TcArw0i-r7ZzroCT3C6KlQXPbLF3NR3yrlgRbdV3VRGb_nE24uKsN-dvHQewrMv1nmg/s1600/Hasselnes+bird+hide+wind+shelter+interior+view+med+res+sign+Amundsen+%C2%A9+biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The design is based on creating sheltered spaces, but with great views towards the rich birdlife around Hasselnes. Depending on wind and weather you can choose your place to sit. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCd51nIf0bn0q-hjkyU4ipzX6qu2wiOi7uJJN43eiTzWFh0S-e7joSrdmx_fZElKYQjejMhvYqeQ2FUVtHN67ErkrFkZIiXOHwKyL0iIFJ2rIjfiCRJjivlAWsexnwzW24Mg4apytIvc/s1600/Hasselnes+bird+hide+wind+shelter+gopro+cam+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCd51nIf0bn0q-hjkyU4ipzX6qu2wiOi7uJJN43eiTzWFh0S-e7joSrdmx_fZElKYQjejMhvYqeQ2FUVtHN67ErkrFkZIiXOHwKyL0iIFJ2rIjfiCRJjivlAWsexnwzW24Mg4apytIvc/s1600/Hasselnes+bird+hide+wind+shelter+gopro+cam+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A long bench on the east side of the hide provides great views of Hornøya. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjdsUMJzAgI0dT4zD4QUxXqtEPQNrNSP46lfilOwglujKHdBQrkxlxM9dMKkaJ0Sj2dCdc0SVtrhJz6cS7VpVlzGwu0wxdmZBA1ta6D3ucuAItbKwCDIR9mzvq0P65_YqgRpZlPORFhg/s1600/Hasselnes+Aurora+borealis+bird+hide+wind+shelter+march24th+2015+med+res+sign+with+logos+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjdsUMJzAgI0dT4zD4QUxXqtEPQNrNSP46lfilOwglujKHdBQrkxlxM9dMKkaJ0Sj2dCdc0SVtrhJz6cS7VpVlzGwu0wxdmZBA1ta6D3ucuAItbKwCDIR9mzvq0P65_YqgRpZlPORFhg/s1600/Hasselnes+Aurora+borealis+bird+hide+wind+shelter+march24th+2015+med+res+sign+with+logos+Amundsen+%C2%A9+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A very big thanks to all involved in this project!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Varanger is becoming icreasingly better, and we hope you find the bird hides both sheltering and inviting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Follow us on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BiotopeOffice"><span style="color: blue;"><b>@BiotopeOffice</b></span></a> or like us on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/biotope.no"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Biotope Facebook page</b></span></a> to stay tuned with more pro nature projects fromVaranger and beyond.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod A. / Biotope</span><br />
<br />www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7272374640241993956.post-61155532090211380352015-03-22T18:35:00.003+01:002019-06-13T14:00:05.581+02:00Ivory Gull in Varanger - the great white<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd39HK2gUYConycs_majxD1i8f3s8vxzmm5dHZ9o8banOH6XAFfB8VmrxpviKNIJh98AJBLJtdYbvXeq2St8ou4ShQRYEN1FQKY7VHKrme7lx7kgwwleETE386ldHi3SuphqMUmlsI8d4/s1600/Ivory+Gull+Svartnes+harbour+Vard%C3%B8+march22nd+2015+on+shore3+sign+%C2%A9+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd39HK2gUYConycs_majxD1i8f3s8vxzmm5dHZ9o8banOH6XAFfB8VmrxpviKNIJh98AJBLJtdYbvXeq2St8ou4ShQRYEN1FQKY7VHKrme7lx7kgwwleETE386ldHi3SuphqMUmlsI8d4/s1600/Ivory+Gull+Svartnes+harbour+Vard%C3%B8+march22nd+2015+on+shore3+sign+%C2%A9+Amundsen+Biotope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ivory Gull. The name itself rings of exclusiveness. This is the great white of the Arctic. A dream bird rarely seen unless you travel to the high arctic.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> This bird was found by visiting birders <a href="http://www.thedeskboundbirder.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: blue;">Simon Colenutt</span></a> (check out his account fo the find!) and Trevor Codlin. Thanks to a quick alert on our Varanger bird news twitter feed <a href="https://twitter.com/Finnmarkbirding"><b><span style="color: blue;">@Finnmarkbirding</span></b></a> (via Simon Rix) I headed out to Svartnes instantly. This is luckily just a five minute drive from the Biotope office. The big harbour of Svartnes hosts one fish / crab factory and the spill water from this attracts a lot of Gulls. Among them today: a beautiful Ivory Gull. I am sharing these photos I just took less then two hours ago. I am now on my way to Båtsfjord on the Hurtigruten (Coastal Express). This is the second time I have seen this bird in Vardø, but last time was a more distant, but still very nice flyby in February 2011. Well, no need to overdo the writing. I will simply let the photos do the talking. This is arctic birding at its finest. Lets hope it stays a while..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you are in Varanger at the moment, it is worth noting that a new bird hide / wind shelter is in place at Hasselnes in Vardø. It has great views towrds Hornøya bird cliff, and large numbers of Gulls, King Eiders, Alcids and the occasional Gyrfalcon has been seen from the hide already. It was opened during the recent <a href="https://www.biotope.cloud/2015/03/gullfest-2015-art-architecture-science.html"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Gullfest 2015</b></span></a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps a bit over the top with an Aurora photo now... But the polar nights are still dark enough for some amazing Northern Lights, so please don´t go indoors just because the daylight is gone! This photo is taken from Gullringnes in southeast Vardø island. 10 000+ King and Common Eiders are currently hanging out on the sea, well viewed from this point. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Please feel free to share any birds news from Varanger / Arctic Norway on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Finnmarkbirding"><span style="color: blue;">@Finnmarkbirding</span></a>, or email tormod@biotope.no or on phone to Tormod 0047 99 33 49 82</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We will pass on news to birders visiting Varanger. Thank you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tormod A. / <span style="color: blue;">www.biotope.no</span></span><br />
<br />www.biotope.nohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14830288247551936695noreply@blogger.com