FULL SUMMER IN TROMSØ, N. NORWAY, BUT NOT REALLY SUMMER
WEATHER
Last time I reported on seasons and birdlife up here in N.Norway, I ended
with an optimistic weather forecast that promised warmth and summer at last.
As so often before, it did not really happen! Last Sunday, it is true, the
temperature here in town crept just above 20*C for an hour or two in the
afternoon, but that was all, and now, after a few rainy days, we are back
where we were before: nice sunny weather, but chilly NE winds,and maximum
temperatures just above 10*C; great if you can sit in the sun and out of the
wind, but less ideal to walk along the shore.
So yesterday I decided to seek solace in the inland, where there is often
less wind, and drove part of my usual 'spring Balsford trip', about which I
have reported too many times before, in my idea. But now in summer there is
seemingly less birdlife to enjoy here: there is much less song, and the
woods form an almost inpenetrable wall of green along the road (no longer
the many different hues of green of spring, but all melted together into the
same 'summergreen'), Also, the birds show themselves less this time a year.
But the forest itself is nice, full of very richly flowering Rowans Sorbus
aucuparia (we may well get a bumper crop of berries this year), and with the
fields a riot of colours: white of Cow Parsley Anthriscus, violet of
Cranesbill Geranium (which earlier I have mistakenly called Storksbill,
translating directly from the Dutch and Norwegian names. Sorry!), yellowish
green of Lady's Mantle Alchemilla, and butter yellow of the Buttercups
Ranunculus.
I walked my normal walks during this route, the first bit in hill forest
just past Andersdalen, where the birch, rowan and alder forest stands on a
steep south-exposed hillside, culminating above in steep cliffs where Ravens
nest. No bird orchestra here anymore, only a few birds tuning up here and
there, so that one nevertheless gradually gets the whole roster of 'the
usual suspects'; the big four: Fieldfare, Redwing, Brambling and Willow
Warbler, the 'southern voices' of European Blackbird and Chaffinch, of
course the ubiquitous Greenfinches and the dry rattles of the Redpoll, and
even once or twice the soft interrogative whistle of the Bullfinch. The next
walk is along more open terrain, farms and fields along the shore, where in
spring I find often interesting shorebirds and ducks. Not now, though, only
the always present gulls, Arctic terns, and Oystercatchers, and a few time
alarming Redshanks, or an aloof Grey Heron along the shore. I know that the
nestboxes on these farms contain both Great and Blue Tits and also Pied
flycatchers, but I neither see nor hear them.
During the drive I do not see too much either; usually I am unable to
identify the small birds crossing the road in front of me. It may be lack of
birding knowledge, but I think it is mostly my bad eyesight that creates
these problems. A few birds stand out, nevertheless. A male Merlin cruises
over the fields at Ramfjordbotn, while 10 km later I chase up two very
yellow Yellowhammers, no longer common here either. A Cuckoo sits in the
open on a telephone wire.
While on my way 'down the Balsjord' (It is 80 km from Tromsø to the bottom
of this fjord; I suddenly decide, on the spur of the moment , to drive to
the isolated little village of Jøvik, 'on the next fjord' north, the
Ullsfjord, a 45 km long dead-ending road. (From there I can look across the
fjord to the house of my daughter's parents-in-law at Sjursnes, but along
the road it is no less than 100km from Jøvik to Sjursnes: mountains and
fjords create problems that way!) Jøvik is interesting in that this village,
quite a ways (60-70 km) inland in the fjord, has a small colony of
Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla, that has survived for many years now. The birds
nest on a derelict wooden pier and some sea-houses close by, and a rough
estimate today gives some 300 pairs, many with small young. There are also a
few Cormorants on this pier, but these do not nest here, I think.
Today the wind felt a little less unfriendly, and I went to our airport, to
the remnants of the wetland and shore habitat here. I have told you about
this area before; there are large areas of neglected fields, completely
overgrown with Cow Parsley, and clearly ideal for Sedge Warblers, one of
the few birds still in full song. Otherwise this area, and the little sandy
beach in front is the domain of shore birds, along a few hundred feet of
sandy beach I counted 7 pairs of Ringed Plovers, two pairs of
Oystercatchers, two pairs of Turnstones and at least three broods of
recently fledged White Wagtails. Afterwards I walked along the bicycle path
along the new 4-lane road between the sea and the airport; there are broad
verges along this road, and a mostly dry ditch, followed by a tall
chain-link fence protecting the airport terrain, Here for some reason large
heaps of earth have been dumped. The terrain is sandy and completely yellow
with Lotus clover flowers, but now the 'normal summer road-verge flowers'
are also out; white and red clovers, several species of vetch Vicia, and the
ubiquitous Yarrow Achillea millefolium, Thousands of very small Eyebright
Euphrasia are easily overlooked at first sight. I even see the first flowers
of some species that I in my mind classify as late summer flowers: Yellow
Rattle Rhinanthus minor, and even Grass of Parnassus Parnassia palustris,
This unassuming looking area was full of alarming birds: Several pairs of
anxious Redshank at the same time, handing me over to the next pair when I
walked along the fence (and nobody can sound as anxious as an alarming
Redshank!), Oystercatchers of course, but to my surprise also several pairs
of Turnstone, sounding indignant rather than anxious, one alarming Lapwing
(not a really common bird here), and to my great pleasure even a single
Temminck's Stint, a bird that used to nest here, but which I though had
disappeared. Also many wagtails and Meadow Pipits. And here and there nice
tall orchids, I suspect Dactylorchis fuchsii.
Wim Vader, Tromsø Museum
9037 Tromsø, Norway
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