Svalbard - Spitsbergen (1 Viewer)

[ColinNorth]

I just posted this in another thread, probably wrongly, so I'm posting it here as well.

I'm off to photograph Polar Bears, hopefully, at the end of July. Is anyone able to advise on what birds I might also see. I've been told that there may be Snow Bunting around at that time and to watch out for an Ivory Gull, but what else is it possible I might bump in to? Svalbard is, of course, inside the Arctic Circle.

 

[chris butterworth]

Your birdlist won't be very long but it will be mainly truly class birds. Red-throated and Gt. Northern Diver, Barnacle and Brent Goose, Common and King Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Ptarmigan, Purple Sandpiper, Turnstone, Grey Phalarope ( occasionally Knot breed), Arctic, Pomarine and Great Skua, Glaucous and Gt Blackbacked Gull, Brunnichs ( much commoner than Common) and Black Guillemot, Little Auk and Puffin are almost guaranteed (allowing for the weather letting you see anything!).

Chris

There is a small breeding population of Dunlin as well.

c

 

[kitefarrago]

I've just responded in the other thread, which I think was placed in a sensible forum.

Great Northern Diver doesn't breed on Svalbard. As far as the weather goes: Fog is the thing that might prevent you from seeing something (we had one seriously foggy day), but I was surprised by the complete lack of wind (and correspondingly, a mill-pond like sea).

There's a Bradt Travel guide to coastal arctic wildlife. Or, if you want to be really serious, there's Rolf Stange's comprehensive book about everything Svalbard (he was our expedition leader - really knows his stuff).

Andrea

Andrea

 

[StuartReeves]

This thread might be of interest.

 

[chris butterworth]

My mistake on GND. I'm glad there are people out there who frequent sensible fora though.

Chris

 

[ColinNorth]

Thanks everyone for your input.

 

[ColinNorth]

What I overlooked to mention was that we will be on board the S/V Noorderlicht, a 153foot two masted schooner, shore hugging and sailing from Longyearbyen, or whatever the nearby port is called. It is supposed to do a complete circumnavigation of Svalbard, landing us a various points by small boats. The organisers guarantee seeing Polar bears, and if that should not occur, offer a free trip next year. I just hope that when we do see bears, they are not three miles away.

 

[kitefarrago]

If you do the circumnavigation and land in the `usual spots' you should catch up with the mammals mentioned. Also, you will definitely see gazillions of fulmarks, Bruennich's guillemot and little auks, as well as a good selection of skuas.

I think you'd have to be exceedingly unlucky not to get good views of polar bear. On our cruise (earlier in the season and so not the full circumnavigation) we had some in the pack ice, which was truly magical: Seeing them swim between ice floes, clambering onto one, rolling in the snow, taking a dump, plopping into the water again. I think this is hugely more satisfying than seeing them in Manitoba while they are desperate for the sea ice to come in...

Andrea

PS I think the best forum for the thread would have been the `Information wanted' one, but it's fine here too.

PPS Chris: I thought I was the only one who used that plural!

 

[ColinNorth]

Thanks again.