Birding Scandinavia   

The Scandinavian Birding Experience

The West-East Passage

The Birding Scandinavia holiday program offers a selection of some of the best birding Norway can provide. Here you will find itineraries for birding trips to the far north, the west coast and the  west-east passage.

This trip is based on 7 days, travelling from the fjords in the west of Norway to the east. The trip can also be extended if you want a longer holiday, So you can pick your own time frame within the months of May and June or July.

This trip is perfect for the participant who wants to see some of the commoner species in Norway, and at the same time, get to know the country. Travelling from the west of Norway, we will head over the mighty Hardangervidda.  Our last days birding will be at Voss on the return trip.

 

 

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The White-throated Dipper. Norway’s national bird, and a species we will spend time looking for.

Day 1

After being picked up from the morning flight from London to Bergen we will head out to the island of Askøy where we will spend some time at Herdla, This locality is one of the better birding areas in the county and attracts a wide selection of the commoner species. One species we will be looking for is Eagle Owl and we just may see White-tailed Eagle, now wouldn’t that be a great way to start a holiday? From Herdla we have a 3 hour drive along the mighty Hardangerfjord  to Ulvik and our first nights stay. 

Bar-tailed Godwits can  be seen on passage, White-tailed Eagle are regularly seen and Rock Pipit breed.

Day 2

Our first stop will be Ulvikpollen. This is a small tidal bird reserve that holds some of the commoner species that can be found in fjord habitat.    The reserve also acts as a resting place for birds heading up to the Hardangervidda, with such specialities as Great Snipe and Broad-billed Sandpiper being recorded there. From Ulvikpollen we will cross the fjord and make our way to Eidfjord and the Sima valley. Here the mountains are spectacular and always worth checking for Golden Eagle. From Eidfjord the road up to the Hardangervidda climbs steeply, twisting and turning through a series of tunnels until it reaches Vøringsfossen. Though this is not a birding locality we will make a short stop to see Norway’s highest waterfall, but then its back to birding.  Spring is a great time on the vidda, and though there will still be snow on the ground and ice on some of the lakes, there will be areas of open ground and bare patches. It is this habitat that attracts the birds. Species like Eurasian Dotterel, Horned Lark, Bluethroat, Ring Ouzel, Lapland Longspur and Snow Bunting. If rodent numbers are good we might see Rough-legged Buzzard or Short-eared Owl.

Red-necked Phalaropes can sometimes be seen on road side pools while both Rough-legged Buzzard and Long-tailed Skua roam the vast expanses looking  for rodents

Common Teal are one of the first migrants to arrive at Hovsfjorden, while Wood Sandpiper are passage migrants. Goosander numbers can be good.

Day 4

We will soon leave the hustle and bustle of Oslo behind us and head towards our first stop at Hellesjøvannet. This small lake with it areas of farmland and pine forest has an impressive species list, Ospreys often hunt over the lake, while the areas of reed bed can hold Spotted crake. From Hellesjøvannet we will double back and make our way to the mixed woodlands at Fet. This is a part of one of Norway’s biggest nature reserves, and by May, the woodlands should be alive with singing Garden Warbler, Blackcap and Wood Warbler. There could also be a chance of both Black Woodpecker and Nutcracker. From Fet we can see the far side of the reserve, and our next stop. Årnestangen as it is known provides perfect habitat for both waterfowl and waders. From Nordre Øyeren we will head back towards Oslo and continue south east to the town of Horten. After Checking in at our hotel there will be an evening excursion to Borrevannet to listen to the evening serenade when such species as Thrush Nightingale, Reed Warbler and Marsh Wrabler try to out-sing each other. 

 

Day 3

After our overnight stay at Geilo we will start the day in the woodlands. Two of our target species will be Hazel Hen and Three-toed Woodpecker, these species are never easy to find, but while looking we should see a good selection of the commoner Scandinavian passerines. From the woodlands we will then head for the small bird reserve at Hovsfjorden. By May, Common Crane rest in the area and there is always a good selection of wildfowl and waders. From here it is back to the mountains, this time we will be following no more than a mountain track through some great scenery, and with the chance of seeing summer plumaged Red and Black-throated Diver, Hen Harrier and both Ptarmigan and Willow Grouse to name a few. Once we have crossed the mountains we head straight for Oslo, but not before we stop at the small bird reserve at Linestrand. This small reserve holds a small population of Thrush Nightingale, hopefully they will have arrived and started singing. Next stop will be Oslo. Here we will be staying in the city centre so you will have a chance to see Norway’s capital of an evening.

Three species that can be seen at Borrevannet  - Black Woodpecker, Marsh Warbler and Common Rosefinch

Day 5

After breakfast we will head for the neighbouring town of Tønsberg and the first of two localities. Both Presterødkilen and Ilene are small bird reserves with observation towers. Both these localities hold a selection of the commoner species and are definitely worth checking if one is in the area. The next stop will be Mølen. Situated on the coast, the peninsula at Mølen attracts migrants and has a good selection of interesting breeding species. The shallow fjords that surround the area  hold both Common and Velvet Scoters as well as good numbers of Common Eider and Red-breasted Merganser. From Mølen we start our return journey to the town of Kongsberg for our overnight stay.

Mølen has many interesting species. Barred Warbler is very rare, but it has breed on a few occasions. Red-backed Shrike can usually be seen while Velvet Scoter numbers can be good.

Day 6

Day six will start at a lake just outside Kongsberg that is known as Fiskumvatnet, and the bird reserve at its northern end. Here we will make our way down to the observation tower. Though the lake is deep, the reed fringed shores will hold a good selection of some of the commoner dabbling duck while further out both Great-crested Grebe and Tufted Duck will be seen feeding. From Fiskumvatnet we head west to our next destination, the pine woodlands Skurdalen to look for such species as Siberian Jay and Common Crossbill. From Skurdalen we have a long drive ahead of us, on the positive side it is through some great scenery and we will be taking stops to stretch our legs, and take some photos as we head over the goats back pass and down to Norway’s longest fjord, the Sognefjord.

 

Though the last leg of the trip will be long we have the chance of seeing some interesting species like Siberian Jay, Willow Grouse and
Golden Eagle

Some of the birds we will be looking for at Voss. Europe’s rarest woodpecker, the White-backed Woodpecker, Eurasian Wryneck and Icterine Warbler.