Farewell Værøy

last night saw a good display of northern lights. Here looking north with the island of Mosken in the middle and lights from the houses at the southern end of the (main) Lofoten Island

I had to leave Værøy today but cannot wait to return. Even though the major rarity did not turn up the birding was always quality, the company outstanding, every day brought surprises and there was always a feeling that there was a good bird around every corner.

My birding this morning was restricted to just one hour as I had to be at Helipad at 0845. There was no evidence of any new arrivals and I had to content myself with a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcaps, a couple of Snow Buntings and a Great Spotted Woodpecker searching for food on a house wall.

The helicopter flies quite low over the sea and two birds that flew up from the sea as we flew over were unmistakeably White-billed Divers (gulnebblom).

The Great Spotted Woodpeckers (flagspett) got more and more desperate for food as the days went by

Snow Bunting enjoying the first rays of morning sun

The south of Værøy from the helicopter with lush gardens to attract tired vagrants

to the left is the north of Værøy, in the middle the island of Mosken and on the right the southern tip of the main chain of the Lofotens

more northern lights