vadso

Bird watching IN NORWAY

Tekstboks: Vadsø is the main town of the area, and many birders, use it as base camp for exploring the Varanger Peninsula. Here you will find shops and hotels etc, but for the visiting birder, the local rubbish tip will be of more interest. Like most rubbish tips there is always a good collection of gulls, and always a chance of finding both Iceland and Glaucous Gulls. As for passerines, I have seen Red-throated Pipit and there is always a chance of Snow Bunting. The area of small birch trees near the camping site at Vadsø is also worth checking. Here you will find Fieldfare, Willow Warbler, Brambling and both Common and Arctic Redpolls. There is always a chance of Bluethroat as well. Moving on to the coast, stop at Kiby, for the Arctic Tern colony, and the chance of seeing marauding Arctic and Long-tailed Skuas. Always be on the look-out for Pomarine Skua as well. Ekkerøy and the island of Store Ekkerøy lies east of Vadsø. This is one of the better bird watching localities in the area. The island is known for its Black-legged Kittiwake colony, with over 10,000 birds, but a host of other interesting species can be found as well. White-billed Diver can sometimes be seen, as can both King Eider and Steller's Eider. Other sea ducks that can be found include Long-tailed Duck and Velvet Scoter. All areas of sandy shoreline should be checked, if only for some of the commoner waders such as Eurasian Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Turnstone, Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin and Common Redshank. Looking away from the shoreline, species like Eurasian Curlew, Temminck’s Stint and Red-necked Phalarope prefer the grassy boggy areas with many small ponds. It is however sea birds that dominate the island. Other than the hoards of Black-legged Kittiwake on the south shore of the island, you should look for Great Cormorant, Shag, Common Guillemot, Brunnich's Guillemot, Razorbill and Atlantic Puffin. Away from the coast, the higher inland areas should produce European Golden Plover. In areas with Willow scrub look out for such species as Horned Lark, Bluethroat, Lapland Longspur and Snow Bunting though all the later named species can be seen almost any where along the coastline. How to get there: Vadsø can be reached by air from Kirkenes. There is also a local bus service that follows the coastal road. Situated on route 950 Vadsø can't be missed.
Click here for map

Vadsø

Three species of Eider can be seen in the harbour at Vadsø

Accommodation

Varanger Panorama