Gullfest 2014 was a bit experimental: instead of having a base camp in Vardø like GF2012&13 we designed this years Gullfest to be a tour of Varanger. With our invited guests and contributors we toured Varanger from the Pasvik taiga in the south to Vardø, Vadsø, Vestre Jakobselv and Berlevåg and Båtsfjord in the north. What an amazing experience it was! We managed some spectacular birding, we had three exhibitions, and we gave talks at a pub, a hotel, a guest house, a cultural insititution and a school. Our aim was to inspire people in Varanger with stories from the birding world, and to do some top arctic birding while we where at it!
Here we go again - The arctic sea ducks are back in Varanger, and Ørjan Hansens floating King Eider photo hide in Båtsfjord is already in place. It is carefully placed in the harbour where many of the eiders prefer to stay, close to the fish factory and the incoming fishing vessels. The February light is absolutely amazing, so this past Friday I simply had to take a trip to the northern part of the Varanger Peninsula
The following article outlines the Varanger winter birding experience. During the past few years I have received many emails from birders and bird photographers with questions about winter birding in Varanger. Now I have have collected my responses in this following article, with some advice about birds, sites, accommodation and more for a winter or early spring visit to Varanger (That is Varanger-Fjord / Peninsula + Pasvik in South Varanger)
King Eider Somateria spectabilis, adult male in Båtsfjord harbour, Northern Varanger Peninsula - 04.03.2012
We have just been on a two day trip to the northern part of the Varanger Peninsula. One of our main goals was to test a floating photo hide prototype made by fisherman and nature guide Ørjan Hansen in Båtsfjord. The harbour in Båtsfjord must surely be the worlds best place to experience King Eider (and more!) at close range.
A room with a view. young male Common Eider Somateria mollissima, 2cy
This too is ´another-day-at-the-office´ article: Our engagements let us meet, in our opinion, some of the finest people in Finnmark! Ørjan in Båtsfjord is one of those creative just-do-it-people we like to join forces with. The new floating hide was finished the night before we arrived Båtsfjord. The idea was to
