Gieranger, Norway

Friday23 June

Having left Tilbury, London late on Tuesday afternoon we arrived at the top of the long fjord in Geiranger, Norway early this morning.  After all the recent warm sunshine, including our cruising up the North Sea, the day started overcast and cloudy but at least dry.  However, we were off the ship using the tender just before 11 o’clock and started out lengthy walk around the fjord.

Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrelli with young (above)

No sooner did we come across a small inlet with a weedy beach that we found a pair of Oystercatchers with their two recently-fledged youngsters.  Also close at hand a pair of Pied Wagtails with what appeared to be just the single off-spring. Overhead, the regular passing of the local Herring Gulls.

One of the adults plus one of the young Oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus

Once on the far side from our mooring we came to a recently-harvested hay field and busy at work looking for worms to feed their youngsters were no less than four adult Fieldfare.  A quit moment as I watched these busy parents and thought of my late birding friend, Chris Bell of Worksop. In a couple of hours time it will be his funeral back in Retford and as I watched it reminded me of the many, indeed regular, reports from Chris earlier in the year informing me of all the Fieldfares he was presently (then) seeing on his daily local walks.  The Fieldfare have now departed north-east to their breeding quarters and here was I watching my first Fieldfare pf the year, not having seen any whilst down in the south of Hampshire.  Could it possibly be that one or more of these actual Fieldfares had been seen back in Nottinghamshire earlier on in the year?  How appropriate that would be to bring back memories of Chis.  Rest in peace dear friend.

Fieldfare Turdus pilaris

Continuing on along the lane on the other side of the fjord we then saw a small number of House Martins and Chaffinch and also recorded Blackcap, Blackbird, Chiffchaff and Great Tit. Now, with a bit of luck and a fair wind, just the off-chance that we might see a White-tailed Eagle as we cruise back down this long fjord and into the Norwegian Sea to continue our cruise northwards.

Birds seen:

Oystercatcher, Herring Gull, House Martin, Pied Wagtail, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Great Tit.

Amazing what you can see from a roof top!

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