SOME SIGNS OF SPRING AROUND THE BALSFJORD, N. NORWAY
Today, Easter Sunday, Tromsø enjoyed a this year until now rare sunny day, and
I decided to drive down the Balsfjord, the large and deep fjord that cuts far
inland southwards from the island of Tromsøya, in fact, the island and the not
very deep sounds around it form the sill of this fjord. I make this trip a few
times every year, and in fact have reported to the bird lists so many times
about this by now, that I fear little new can be said about it anymore.
My car had been snowed in for a few months, and when we now got it loose, the
battery was empty. But we got it recharged, so once more I can move a bit
further away from the home base. Day before yesterday i already visited the
Tisnes wetlands on Kvaløya: no flowering Saxifraga---my official start of
spring--- here as yet, but a very nice flock of some 50 Snow Buntings, also
busily recharging before embarking on the arduous flight across the Atlantic to
E. Greenland. The wetlands on the other side of Kvaløya, at Rakfjord, are still
mostly snow covered and the only birds there Hooded Crows; but some ten
reindeer already found something to graze on on the bare patches. In a shallow
bight of the sound some 10 Red-breasted Mergansers displayed furiously, a lot
of fun to watch for a while.
But today I started out as usual, making up a bird list as I drive along the
main road from Tromsø across the bridge to the mainland, and along the
Balsfjord to its much colder sidefjord, the Ramfjord, of which the innermost
10-15 km are still frozen. But the ice looks unhealthy and I saw no ice
fishermen today anymore. At the bottom of the Ramfjord, I leave the main road,
and choose a narrower sideroad along the other, southern shore of the Ramfjord,
narrow enough to need most of my attention to the driving---our roads usually
suffer quite a bit from snow, ice and frost during the winter. Still the fact
that 15 km on, in Andersdalen, at the mouth of the Ramfjord again, but now on
the other side, my list still only counts six bird species: Common and Herring
Gulls, Magpie, Hooded Crow, Red-breasted Merganser and Mallard, is not only the
result of inattention from my side---there ARE few birds here, especially
before the migrants are back. The first stop at Andersdalen, where a smaller
river flows out into the Balsfjord, adds a few 'usual suspect': Oystercatcher,
Curlew, Great Black-backed Gull and one more unexpected bird, a lone Goosander
(Common Merganser for the Americans) drake in a small flock with Red-breasted
Mergansers, the latter OUR common merganser species. My usual walk along the
road through a hill forest dominated by alder and birch at first yields no
birds whatsoever: the only sound is that of the meltwater, coming down the
steep slopes, often in tunnels under the snow, gurgling everywhere. A lone
Great Tit crosses the road, the only one I see all day; amazingly, also this
day passes without a single Greenfinch, nowadays probably our most numerous
small bird this time a year. On the way back I finally hear birdsong; two
far-away strophes sound to my ears like Redwings (their song varies a lot from
place to place and also from year to year), while a closer bird is unmistakably
and exuberantly a Chaffinch.
I next park my car, where I have parked it now in some 20 years (In fact, a
local asks me:; Are the birds on schedule this year?), at a large farm
surrounded by meadows---in one of them some ten Fieldfares forage, my first for
the year. The farm often has House Sparrows and Starlings, but not this time,
nor do I see the resident pair of Shelducks (they were back on Tisnes on
Friday). But there is always something to enjoy anyway; this time a Woodpigeon
starts up his 'Doe de deur dicht, zoete lief', the dutch version of its song,
from a tight stand of planted spruce. This is a newcomer to the area (and a
returning migrant); earlier one had to go to the inland to see them. Otherwise
there is little spring here as yet, although many fields are partially or even
wholly snow-free: this area is south-exposed, which is why we often get the
first returning migrants here. The only flowers are still the yellow stars of
Coltsfoot, but there are now many more than a week ago.
The Balsfjord enjoys local populations of both herring and capelin, both
demersal spring spawners, and their eggs are much sought after by various
diving ducks, maybe especially the scoters. This time they were all Velvet
Scoters, viewed in beautiful light with the sun behind me 'at the bottom of the
fjord'. Fewer ducks than usual, though, and no grebes at all. But a pair of
Red-throated Loons were again the first of the year; this is the species that
has become a town bird in Tromsø, with many pairs nesting on the small lake
Prestvannet on the island (still completely ice-bound).
In shallower areas 'in the inner corner', near the village of Storsteinnes, I
found some dabbling ducks: Mallards, Wigeons, and Teal, and also a small flock
of Tufted Duck, more common on freshwater here. And near the end of the road,
the beautifully situated church of Tennes, I glimpsed a well-remembered way of
flying; and yes, a pert White Wagtail sat on the roof of an outhouse, also just
back no doubt. From there I drove straight back home (c 100km), as our narrow
window of nice weather was already closing again. At the end of the trip I had
a list of exactly 20 bird species, which will probably not impress any of you.
We don't have all that many birds, and the weather is often also so-so, but the
scenery is truly wonderful. Sadly, I can't show that to you!
Wim
Vader, Tromsø Museum
9037
Tromsø, Norway
<>
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
http://birding-aus.org
===============================
|
