Geese and wading birds in Helgeland May 2016

I spent almost 3 weeks in the Helgeland region monitoring Barnacle Geese during their spring migration. It was my 28th season in a row. Lots of data to go through now, but I will spare you the boring details and show some photos of some of the highlights.

The stars of the show - Barnacle Geese Branta leucopsis (N=hvitkinngås)

A Pale-bellied Brent Goose Branta bernicla hrota (N=ringgås) together with Barnacles.

Greylag Geese Anser anser (N=grågås) - a common breeding bird in the area.

Pink-footed Geese Anser brachyrhynchus (N=kortnebbgås).

Snow Goose Chen caerulescens (N=snøgås). Presumably of captive origin.

Grey Herons Ardea cinerea (N=gråhegre) were plentiful at Tennvalen, where there was a huge shoal of small fish under the old quay. 

Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus (N=tjeld) is a relatively common bird in the area.

Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata (N= storspove). The species is in serious decline over much of it's range, including Norway. Helgeland is perhaps one of the species' last strongholds, although even here there has been a marked decline in numbers of breeding birds during the past 30 years or so.

Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus (N=vipe). Another wader species in serious decline. It was encouraging to find several broods of young in mid-May this year.

Ringed Plovers Charadrius hiaticula (N=sandlo) with three Dunlin Calidris alpina (N=myrsnipe) resting at Tennvalen. The Ringed Plovers are resting on their migration on their way to northerly breeding grounds at the same time as local breeding birds are hatching their young!

A small flock of Dunlin Calidris alpina (N=myrsnipe)

Common Redshank Tringa totanus (N=rødstilk)