VARANGER PENINSULA, NORWAY
Dream species can be found in arctic settings.
The Varanger Peninsula on the southern edge of the Barents Sea is in the Finnmark province in northeast Norway. Even though it’s 400 km (249 mi) north of the Polar Circle, the sea around it is open all year due to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream’s Norwegian Current. A lot of arctic seabirds winter on Varanger, especially Steller’s Eiders and King Eiders that come here in the thousands. Other waterbirds include Longtailed Ducks and Common Eiders.
With enough light and before the wintering birds have left, the best time for photographing the Steller’s and King Eiders stretches from the end of February throughout March. By the beginning of April, the birds start heading for their breeding grounds in northern Russia, and by mid-April they become much scarcer in the region.
In the 1990s it was easy to photograph these beautiful ducks in the harbors in Vadsø on the southern coast of the peninsula, and in Vardø on the eastern edge. The birds flocked in the harbors, feeding on the surplus fish and discards from the local fish factories. Vadsø harbor, for example, had at least 1,000 Common Eiders, 500 King Eiders, and hundreds of Long-tailed Ducks in February 1993.
Sides of the quays in Vardø harbor and the tip of the breakwater have long been traditional sites for photographing Long-tail Ducks and King Eiders.
The fish industry in Vardø and Vadsø is not as big as it used to be, and the same applies to the seabird flocks—Long-tailed Ducks occur in small numbers along with the odd King Eider. The population numbers themselves haven’t been reduced, but the birds are scattered out at sea around the peninsula.
In the past few years, Båtsfjord on the northern coast has become a better place to photograph both Long-tailed Ducks and King Eiders.
Another option worthy of consideration is to rent a boat with a skipper and sail out into the sea where the birds are. This requires calm winds, because stronger winds raise the waves, which can get quite high in the Arctic Ocean, making photography difficult or impossible.
In March and April, the Hornøya bird island just outside Vardø offers fantastic photo opportunities. Tens of thousands of seabirds breed on the island, and by mid-March most of the species that breed on the island have returned from their wintering grounds wearing their dashing breeding plumages. Although the island is a bird refuge, the limitations restricting free movement don’t come into force before the beginning of the breeding season in early May, so you can walk around the island freely and photograph in all the good spots. March usually still has lots of snow and snowfall, giving your images truly arctic settings. The snow reflects light back into the air, adding an extra glow to the birds’ undersides.
The website www.varanger.com contains information about the area, including useful contacts, transportation to Hornøya, and accommodations on the island. There is no regular boat connection to the island before May, so a boat trip would have to be booked in advance. Getting to the island in early spring can be difficult, especially in windy weather, because the main quay is not in use yet and the service quay on the other side of the island is particularly prone to the winds. The weather can turn bad fast, and stay bad for days, meaning that the boat cannot come to pick you up from the island. It’s good to stock up on extra food and water.
Steller’s Eiders often move in flocks (Polysticta stelleri)
Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 500mm f/4.0 plus 1.4x extender, 1/2000 second, f/7.1, ISO 500, continuous focus with 45 focusing points, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto 501 video head. Båtsfjord, Norway, March 2007.
A handsome Steller’s Eider male captured in flight (Polysticta stelleri)
Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 500mm f/4.0, 1/2000 second, f/4.5, ISO 400, continuous focus with 45 focusing points, handheld camera. Vardø, Norway, April 2006.
A King Eider in the Båtsfjord harbor, taken from a floating quay (Somateria spectabilis)
Canon EOS-1D Mark II N, 500mm f/4.0 plus 1.4x extender, 1/1000 second, f/10.0, ISO 400, continuous focus with an extended central focusing point, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto 501 video head. Båtsfjord, Norway, April 2006.
Overnighting is possible on the Hornøya bird island in the lighthouse keeper’s house
An Atlantic Puffin in a snowstorm (Fratercula arctica)
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, 500mm f/4.0, 1/125 second, f/10.0, ISO 250, one-shot focus with a central focusing point, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto 501 video head. Hornøya, Norway, March 2010.
Hornøya’s breeding birds include great numbers of Puffins, Common Murres, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Razorbills, European Shags, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls, plus lower numbers of Thick-billed Murres, Black Guillemots, Great Cormorants, and Ravens. The sheer volume of birds is portrayed in the image of the Common Murre flock in the chapter “Look for New Angles.”
From the top of the island you can photograph the birds from above as they fly past their breeding cliffs, or when they land on a nesting rock, with the dark cliffs in the background or the sea shimmering in the distance. The settings are superb, and with the birds constantly flying around, getting good images is only a matter of how much you are willing to stay out there and shoot.
A Razorbill braking (Alca torda)
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, 500mm f/4.0, 1/3200 second, f/5.0, ISO 1250, continuous focus with an extended central focusing point, handheld camera. Hornøya, Norway, March 2010.
The Common Ravens patrol the island, close to the steep cliffs, and they seem to be quite fearless. If you stand on the edge (within a safe distance, of course, because a fall would be lethal) and wait patiently, you will get good chances to photograph Common Ravens.
In addition to the breeding birds, there are daily sightings of White-tailed Eagles and Glaucous Gulls. One of the most sought-after birds on Hornøya is the Gyrfalcon. In early spring it hunts sporadically on the island, and in some years it isn’t spotted at all. During a weeklong stay in 2009 I saw a Gyrfalcon almost daily, whereas on a two-week trip the following year I didn’t see it once.
A Common Raven flying with the sea in the background (Corvus corax)
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 500mm f/4.0, 1/2000 second, f/9.0, ISO 1250, continuous focus with a central focusing point, handheld camera. Hornøya, Norway, April 2009.
Snow reflects light on the undersides of a Gyrfalcon’s wings (Falco rusticolus)
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, 500mm f/4.0 plus 1.4x extender, 1/2000 second, f/6.3, ISO 800, continuous focus with an extended central focusing point, handheld camera. Hornøya, Norway, April 2009.
Most birding tourists and bird photographers visit the island in the summer because there are regular, daily boat trips to the island, and landing is much easier than in late winter. There are more birds, but moving around the island is restricted and due to the boat connection timetables, you miss the best light conditions of early morning and late evening. Plus there is no snow to soften the sunlight. Despite these handicaps, Hornøya is worth a visit in the summer. You can stay overnight if there is room in the lighthouse keeper’s house, which is more or less staffed by researchers in the summer.
In the summer season, June and early July are the best times for bird photography. In the beginning of June the breeding birds have arrived, small birds are eagerly singing, and waders are displaying openly. From mid-June to mid-July the sun doesn’t set at all.
A Glaucous Gull and the moon (Larus hyperboreus)
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 500mm f/4.0, 1/640 second, f/4.0, ISO 1600, continuous focus with a central focusing point, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto 501 video head. Hornøya, Norway, April 2009.
A Sanderling posing on the colorful seaweed on Hamningberg’s wader shore (Calidris alba)
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, 500mm f/4.0 plus 1.4x extender, 1/200 second, f/6.3, ISO 500, one-shot focus with a central focusing point, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto 501 video head. Hamningberg, Norway, June 2007.
About 40 km (25 mi) northwest from Vardø lies a little village called Hamningberg, and on its western edge is a shallow pebble shore covered in seaweed. It’s very popular among waders; in early June Little Stints, Curlew Sandpipers, and Sanderlings can be spotted in their breeding plumage. Common Ringed Plovers, Eurasian Oystercatchers, and Ruddy Turnstones are common, and Snow Buntings visit the shore frequently to fetch insects for their young. When the wind is blowing from the north, Northern Gannets can be photographed in the eastern corner of the village as they fly close to the shore.
Hamningberg is the end of the road, so the way back is through Vardø toward Vadsø. En route, at Komagvaer, on the western side of the road is a large wetland area with bogs and small ponds where many species breed, such as Ruffs, Dunlins, Wood Sandpipers, Red-necked Phalaropes, Whimbrels, and Bar-tailed Godwits. A few Red-throated Loon pairs nest in the ponds, and it’s relatively easy to bump into Willow Ptarmigans. Lapland Longspurs, Bluethroats, and Red-throated Pipits are fairly common, too. This is a nature reserve, and you have to make sure that you’re not disturbing the birds, especially in the nesting season. Off-road driving in a nature reserve is strictly forbidden, so you cannot deviate from the roads no matter how picturesque the bird is or how even or easy the terrain looks.
A Red-necked Phalarope landing (Phalaropus lobatus)
Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 500mm f/4.0, 1/2500 second, f/4.0, ISO 400, continuous focus 45 with a central focusing point, handheld camera. Komagvaer, Norway, July 2009.
A Red-throated Pipit in flight (Anthus cervinus)
Canon EOS-1D Mark III, 500mm f/4.0, 1/2500 second, f/6.3, ISO 800, continuous focus with 45 focusing points, handheld camera. Norway, July 2008.
Long-tailed Jaegers arrive to the Varanger highlands when large areas are still covered in snow (Stercorarius longicaudus)
Canon EOS-1D Mark II, 500mm f/4.0, 1/1250 second, f/6.3, ISO 400, one-shot focus with a central focusing point, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto 501 video head. Norway, June 2005.
Another good stop along the road back toward Vadsø is the Ekkerøy Island, where thousands of Kittiwake pairs breed, as do a number of other seabirds. Ekkerøy is actually a high cape connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway. The seabirds nest on a steep cliff facing south. The top of the high point is a moor, where Lapland Longspurs nest, and some years a few Parasitic Jaegers nest there as well. The northern edge is a gentle slope with old meadows where several pairs of Red-throated Pipits nest every year.
The road to the Varanger Peninsula’s highlands goes past Vadsø through Varangerbotn to Tana, and from there toward Båtsfjord and Berlevåg on the northern coast. Nesseby, between Vadsø and Varangerbotn, has nice wader shores near the Nesseby Church. Another good spot to check is a small freshwater pond in a point pushing out to the sea west of the church.
Høyholmen, about 40 km (25 mi) from Tana toward Båtsfjord, offers good opportunities for photographing Temminck’s Stints and Parasitic Jaegers. The Lesser White-fronted Goose is a random visitor.
The distance from Tana to Båtsfjord is about 100 km (62 mi). At about the halfway point you enter the Varanger Peninsula National Park, which is an extensive and open highland area with ponds and lakes surrounded by bogs and no trees; it is excellent for birding, with breeding Red-throated Loons, Long-tailed Jaegers, Eurasian Dotterels, Rock Ptarmigans, Willow Ptarmigans, Long-tailed Ducks, Red-necked Phalaropes, Temminck’s Stints, Ruffs, Rough-legged Hawks, Lapland Longspurs, Bluethroats, and Horned Larks. Large areas are still under snow and ice in early June, but by the beginning of July most of it has melted with only some snow lingering in the highest altitudes or shade.
Eurasian Dotterels are best found on the peaks of the arctic hills (Charadrius morinellus)
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, 500mm f/4.0 plus 2x extender, 1/400 second, f/18.0, ISO 500, one-shot focus with a central focusing point, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto 501 video head. Norway, July 2008.
Rock Ptarmigans and Eurasian Dotterels are relatively easy to find by walking around the tops of the arctic hills. Both species are very confident and are usually agreeable to being photographed.
The Varanger Peninsula offers great opportunities for photographing many charismatic bird species in great settings. Add the spectacular light conditions in the dark-free nights, and in the late winter with early spring snowpack and snowbanks reflecting light abundantly and excessively, and you have a combination that isn’t just mildly addictive!