This is actually a trip report, for the island of Runde, mid-north Norway,
for 1st and 2nd of August 2009. However, it raised a few issues that I'll
mention later.
Runde is one of those places that draws birders from around the world. I'm
staying in Bergen for a year, and so it was one of the things I'd promised
myself I was going to do. After all, what self-respecting birdo would come
back from Norway without a Puffin? I got home from a family holiday in
Britain with increasing twitchiness, as the nesting season on Runde was
drawing to a close.
Armed with Internet-located cheap flights and car hire, I left Bergen
airport and arrived at Ålesund 40 minutes later, at about 8:30pm. My
miniscule hire car wasn't available, so I got the larger Ford Focus instead.
The tunnel to Ålesund was closed for maintenance, so the replacement ferry
delayed me. Some tunnels, bridges and ferries later I arrived at Runde
Vandrerhjem (Youth Hostel) a bit after midnight. The warden was very nice
about it, after I'd called him from the first ferry with the news that I was
going to be well after my planned arrival time of 10:30. There are two
major places to stay on Runde, the vandrerhjem and Goksøyr Camping. The
Hostel is very basic, as many others are, you having to provide your own
sheets and pillowslip, but it's very comfortable, and the morning warden is
a good birder. The camping place looks very nice as well, but was full of
Dutch tourists, making things a little cramped. There are a number of other
private rooms available on Runde as well, if you're desperate.
My itinerary was that I would climb to the plateau on the southern side of
the island in the morning, to get a view of the cliffs and get the general
lie of the land. Then I would take a boat trip around the island, which
would take me through to about 3pm, and then after a late lunch (in the
mainland town of Fosnavåg, as there are no shops on Runde, apart from cafes)
I would climb to the northern end of the island.
The morning's climb was very steep, but the trail was easily visible. Before
leaving the shore, however, I had a good close look at the Greater Black
Backed Gulls, a pair of which were duetting, with a call that sounds like a
cross between a dog and a frog. Also around there were Magpies, White
(pied) Wagtails, Herring Gulls, a Wood Pigeon, a couple of Wheatears, a
Lesser Whitethroat and several Great Skuas circling high overhead. Rock
Pipits were (perhaps not surprisingly) on the rocks, but I didn't see any
Meadow Pipits until higher up, above the tree line. Barn Swallows were
common, a Wren was hanging around the hedges with a couple of House Sparrows
and a Blackbird. On the rocks themselves were some Shags, hanging their
wings out, Oystercatchers, and some Hooded Crows, but I didn't see Common
Sandpipers anywhere on the island (they're easily seen all round Norway).
On the climb to the plateau I passed through some smallish conifer copses,
and these were inhabited by Robins and Crested Tits. I think I might have
seen a Coal Tit, but it was only fleeting and might have been a Crested Tit
who was feeling a little down in the mouth. The plateau itself is quite
flat and marshy, in stark contrast to the rocky cliffs on the Western side
of the island, and there are even a few small shallow lakes here and there.
At one of these lakes an immature White Tailed Eagle was wading, but flew a
short way away as I approached. Further along the coast the cliffs began
providing habitat for colonies of Kittiwakes and Gannets, but alas the
Fulmars had already left the island, their breeding season having failed due
to lack of food. I had to hurry back down to catch the boat.
The boat was a fairly typical Norwegian fishing vessel, the "Aquila". The
skipper (I'm not nautical at all, so correct me if I'm wrong) allowed me
onto the boat as a extra passenger, all the seating areas having been taken
(the other passengers were Dutch) so I spent most of the time on the bow,
having wonderful views, but it's lucky I don't get seasick. We set out
around the island in a clockwise direction, seeing Shags and Great
Blackbacks as well as some dolphins and a single Black Guillemot. As we
rounded the Southern tip of the island we ran into groups of Guillemots and
eventually found some rafts of Puffins. Puffins remind me very much in some
ways of Little Penguins. They disperse for feeding, then gather in large
rafts before venturing ashore to their nest burrows. The Puffins were
fairly wary of the boat, and so we didn't get closer than about 15 metres,
which on a rocking boat doesn't really allow good views. After a while we
moved in to the bottom of the cliffs and got close views of Shags and the
Kittiwake colonies. Every few minutes a White Tailed Eagle would lazily
idle past, on the lookout for opportunities. Further on was the huge Gannet
colony, clinging to the side of the Rundebranden cliffs. The gannets were
constantly swirling above, taking off and landing. I was just wondering how
they avoided collisions when I saw a juvenile clip an adult. There was a
squawk, clearly heard above the background noise, and they continued off,
wobbling and clearly ruffled, but no real harm was done. You never quite
forget the smell of a Gannet colony, either. The rest of the
circumnavigation passed with only Common Tern as additional birds, although
there were several groups of Shags loafing around the Northern tip of the
island. The Fulmar colonies are normally on the North East side of the
island, but these were deserted.
As planned, I had my lunch in Fossnavåg on the mainland, picking up only
Greylags and Grey Heron as a new bird for the day's list. Fossnavåg is an
excellent place for supplies, with several supermarkets and minibanks
(ATMs).
On my return, I began walking from Goksøyr, about half way to the end of the
road on Runde. Parking can be tricky at peak times of the year, as the end
of the road is strictly reserved as a turning bay (a pity, as it's a good
place for birding). The path winds steeply up to the marshy plateau, and I
chose the path that followed the line of cliffs on the Northern side of the
island. From a rock near the top I sat and watched Great Skuas coming and
going from hidden nests in the grass, and felt as though I had to duck on a
few occasions as they came very close. The boat operator had warned us the
they do attack, and when they do, they don't tickle. Meadow Pipits were,
however, the most common bird in the marsh, but Swifts and Swallows were
also numerous. Time was growing short, so I made my way to the top of the
Gannet colony for my dinner (which somehow didn't taste all that great - see
above comments about Gannet smell.). There's something terribly impressive
about Gannets up close - they're such a handsome bird with their black
wingtips, and their size. Watching, I noticed that the Gannet chicks were
under constant attack from Hooded Crows and Ravens, Peregrines and White
Tailed Eagles. Talk about growing up adversity.
Eventually the sun began to angle downwards in that oddly flat way it does
in high latitudes, so I made my way to the top of the cliff at Lundeura. A
clamber down the top part of the cliff was a little treacherous in parts,
especially at a place where they've put up a somewhat weathered looking
wooden ladder, but a group of about 20 people had gathered with their
cameras behind a rope barrier awaiting the arrival of the Puffins. Again, I
was reminded of the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island. The weather was clear
and bright, so the Puffins stayed out to sea, visible only to the sharp-eyed
or those with binoculars. There are around 100,000 pairs at this colony, so
the rafts were extensive. The previous day was dull, and the birds had come
in just after 8pm. Once again, like Little Penguins, individuals would
approach, flying circling up the side of the cliff, before making fast
passes and returning to the rafts. It wasn't until well after 9:30 that
they began landing, and the people were getting cold. Typically, birds
would land, stand outside for a while, as though they knew they were on
display, before disappearing into their burrows. Some reappeared and even
flew off again. The main bulk of the colony was lower on the cliffs, and I
expect the burrows lower are more valued, with the energy expenditure of
returning from the surface being lower. After some time admiring these
fantastic creatures I decided to call it a night, and began the trek back to
the vandrerhjem, looking out on the way for attacking Great Skuas, but not
seeing any up close. I think they've learned to nest away from the path.
The next day was spent returning home to Bergen. First the car, crossing
bridges and ferries, and then the aeroplane from Ålesund.
When I returned, I had a look at the receipts. For five ticks (Puffin,
Great Skua, Lesser Whitethroat, Crested Tit, Rock Pipit), probably three of
which I could easily have got elsewhere, I had shelled out the following:
Airfare:1397 kr
Car hire: 948.25kr
Ferry from Valderøy to Ålesund: 60kr
Ferry from Sulasundet to Hareid: 84kr
Two nights accommodation: 400kr
Boat trip: 180kr
Ferry from Hareid to Sulasundet: 84kr
Undersea tunnel from Ålesund back to the airport: 60kr
Petrol: 100kr
Total: 3313.25kr, about A$750, or between $150 and $375 per bird, depending
on whether you count the species I could have got elsewhere. Add to this
the fact that I'd used a car for two days and taken two jet trips, which
adds to my carbon footprint.
This made me think about the value we place on seeing birds. The question
is, in the grand scheme of things, was my seeing these birds justified? Is
it good enough for me simply to know that there are birds out there that I
decide never to see, or do I have to see them, and in doing so, release
carbon and ultimately harm the birds I love? What good was done by my trip?
Clearly, there was no benefit for the birds, and none to other humans
(unless my family discovers that I'm less grumpy after the trip, or people
REALLY like reading this trip report).
Bill Stent
Excellent maps of Runde including aerial photos are at
www.gulesider.no/kart.
A guide to the island and walking, including a map is at
http://www.runde.no/english/walking-in-mountain.htm
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