Ruffs

Here is another video installment from the Oppland and Hedmark trip, this time lekking Ruff from Nekmyrene. Ruff have declined dramatically in Norway over the past two decades and this lek is probably the largest and quite possibly the only (?) in Southern Norway of a species that was once a common breeder. We saw 5 males and 2 females lekking together and at least two additional males elsewhere around the lake.
I remember having seen lekking Ruff at Fokstumyra around 2003 and on Saltfjellet in Nordland around 2000 but there are no longer birds here and even in Finnmark the population has declined by around 90%.

Enjoy these fabulous birds whilst you can.