Birding Scandinavia   

The Scandinavian Birding Experience

Autumn Breaks From Manchester

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Morten Kersbergen, Frode Falkenberg and Jan Kåre Ness

Trip 1: The Western Coast Autumn 2008

Dates: 18-21/9 ** 25-28/9  **  2-5/10  **  9-12/10    
This trip is for the rarity hunter, the birder who likes to explore and find his own rare birds.  Though we will have good opportunities to study the local bird life, the emphasis on this trip will be finding something special. For this we will be dependent on weather conditions, so if the weather gods are in our favour then we stand a good chance of finding that extra special bird. We will be spending most of our time on the island of Sotra, but we will also be visiting the island of Fedje. Both islands have produced a host of mega rarities through the years.

Sotra has a rich and varied bird life with such autumn species as White-tailed Eagle, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Great Skua and Barnacle Geese.

Day 1 Friday

We will start the day with an early morning drive that will take us to the ferry out to Fedje. From here it is a short sea crossing and hopefully we may see something from the deck as we make our way out to the island. Once on the island we will start checking different parts of the island. Some of the best vegetation is found in peoples gardens, so don’t be surprised if we spend time looking over people’s fences. Though it may seem strange, the islanders are use to the strange antics of visiting birders. Before we leave the island we will also try and get in some sea-watching, if only to sit down and rest our legs.

Some of the more interesting species to be found on Sotra during the last few autumns, Two-barred Crossbill, Hume’s Warbler, Olive-backed Pipit and Isabelline Shrike

Day 2 Saturday

Today we will spend the day on the island of Sotra, covering it from end to end. Sotra is a large island so we will have plenty of localities to chose from, and when we are not looking for rarities, then we can study the local bird life, species like White-tailed Eagle and Grey-headed Woodpecker should be of interest for the visiting bird watcher. We will also spend some time sea watching. During September and October there is always the chance of seeing flocks of Brent and Barnacle Geese, returning south from their artic Breeding grounds. Autumn is also good for skuas and there is also a chance of a late shearwater or two.

Some of the more interesting species to be found on Fedje during the past few autumns. Short-toed Lark, Yellow-browed Warbler, Lanceolated Warbler and Pallas’s Warbler

Day 3 Sunday

Hopefully we will get in a few hours birding on Sotra before we will have to make our way back to Bergen and the airport for the return flight.

 

Information About The Trip

The trip starts and ends at the airport at Bergen

Travel Plan

This trip is based on scheduled flights too and from Manchester with SAS

The Trip
The trip is for 4 to 10 people. The following are included in the price: accommodation, all meals, transport, including toll roads and ferries, and lastly all guiding services. The following are not included in the price: Local airport transport, flights/travel to Norway, insurance, beverages of any kind and items of a purely personal nature

Accommodation
We will be staying at small friendly hotels with full facilities.

The Costs

Cost vary greatly according to the number of participants.

 Not only is the more the merrier, it is also the more the cheaper. Can you get a small group together? Send me an e-mail and we can discuss plans and costs.

Fedje is only 318 km from Shetland

The Harbour at Fedje with the new ferry

Only a stone-throw from the sea, Svellingen is always worth checking

Hotel standards are good on all the trips