Summer holiday 2022 has relocated to our cabin north of the arctic circle near Bodø. Normally I spend a few days on the 1300km drive north and get quite a bit of birding in on the way. This year though I had the company of Jr Jr and the Beast (Mrs OB and Jr had flown up ahead of us) and had agreed that we would drive up as quickly as possible with just one overnight stop half way in Steinkjer.
I agreed to drop the birding stops but didn’t say anything about butterflies or flowers 😉. I had planned to look for Apollo butterfly and Thor’s Fritillary on Sunday as both occured roadside. At the Apollo sight it was warm but cloudy with some drizzle in the air and I maxed out with half an hours looking without scoring and hardly any other butterflies on the wing. It was pouring down at the Thor’s site so I didn’t even bother looking. We arrived at our hotel after 10 hours driving and I was shattered.
Today (Monday) I sneeked in some drive by birding in Mo i Rana hoping to add Jackdaw to my Nordland county list (they are very rare this far north) but failed but did succeed in my flower stop (and Beast walking excuse) when I saw Lady’s Slipper Orchid for only the second time and the first time in flower😊 Quite amazing.
 |
| Lady’s Slipper Orchid (marisko) |
Driving was only 9 hours today and I was full of energy wanting to check out the local spots after getting to the cabin. A Black-winged Pratincole had been found only a kilometre from the cabin on 5 June and despite very few other sightings (and many people dipping) was seen again yesterday. I gave it three hours and did not see it but did see more breeding Lapwing and Curlew there than I have ever seen before. I also met Arkadiusz who found the pratincole and has a cabin nearby and therefore means I am no longer the only birder in the village 🤣
I will be looking for the pratincole again over the days but now time for a midnight beer 🍺
No comments:
Post a Comment