Finnmark 2013 days 3 and 4

Mobile coverage in Pasvik is a precious commodity and when you do get some often or not it is a Russian provider. Hence no update before now. Pasvik has been hard on the mind, body and car. Apart from some sleep between 4 and 7 am we have been hard at it. We were active at night hoping for displaying waders but they were quiet - in fact most things were quiet and we could well have slept from 10pm until 4am.

Best bird has been Little Bunting (dvergspurv) and we habe found 8 singing males which is a very good total. One site had at least four with three audible simultaneously.

We worked hard to see Siberian Jay (lavskrike) and Siberian Tit (lappmeis) but ended up with a couple of sightings of both.

We really tried hard for displaying Broad-billed Sandpipers (fjellmyrløper) and Jack Snipes (kvartbekkasin) but drew a blank on the former and had just 15 seconds of the later.

The hide at Skrøytnes has been very productive with many ducks and waders. 31 Smew (lappfiskand) and 14 Shoveler were both very high counts in a Norwegian perspective. 

Best wader wasn't as rare as it appeared to be for the first 15 minutes before it flew and revealed black armpits - a 1st summer Grey Plover at long range had us thinking other possibilities entirely.

A random stop turned up a pair of Hazel Grouse which would have made a great photo if my lens was not steamed up again :-(

We now have a couple of hours left in Pasvik before needing to leave for the airport in Kirkenes. Plenty of time to find something rare