Stage 2 of summer hols 2026 is as usual in Beitostølen. We have escaped the hot weather but maybe a bit too much with rain and cloud threatening to put an end to buttering before it begins.
On the first morning I awoke at 4am and decided to head for Valdresflye. Dotterel, Shore Larks and Long-tailed Ducks were a treat but it is not a lemming year and I did not see a single raptor or Lt Skua although there has been the odd sighting of some wandering skuas in the last few weeks.
Female Dotterel (boltit). A few females were flying around «singing» perhaps in the hope of finding a male that was looking to nest again after a failed first attempt
Valdresflye looking west on 1 July at 05:21. Not much snow this summer
Shore Larks (fjellerke) were the most numerous passerine. This bird was collecting food for young whilst others were singing
Heading further north to one of my favourite buttering sites I was treated to some fantastic views but my hope of enough sun to have some butterfly action were dashed but I did find a few Alpine Argus (fjellblåvinge) sleeping on flowers which was perhaps even nicer than watching them flying around. This is one of my favourite butterflies and does not get the attention I think it deserves.
Views looking east over Øvre Sjodalsvatnet at 06:10
A sleeping Alpine Argus (fjellblåvinge). It was early (06:30), chilly (10C) and cloudy so no wonder it wasn’t flying
Yellow Wagtails (gulerle) seemed to be having a good breeding season with lots of alarm calling adults and birds with beaks full of food
There was some blue sky but any sunshine only lasted a few minutes
The only other butterfly I found sleeping were a few Small Heaths (engringvinge)
Birding surprise of the day was hearing a Quail (vaktel) singing from these fields at 900m alltitude
There are always lots of Sand Martins (sandsvale) at the butterfly site. I have never worked out where they nest but think it may be amongst the rocks that form the foundations for some old farm buildings
