Faroe Islands (1 Viewer)

I have to take 2 weeks holiday next year in the first 2 weeks of August I would like to go to the Faroe Islands but will the seabirds still be there as they usually have disappeared from our cliffs in the UK by then also what else could I expect to see as I'm sure I've read the Faroe Islands have only 50 species of breeding birds.

I was there over 10 years ago and have fond memories. The best place is Mykines, the westernmost island and the only one with breeding Gannets. You can expect many seabird colonies and waders. I'm not sure it there are actually any species not found in N Scotland, but birds are plentiful and interesting. And people are great!

Hi John, Haven't been to the Faroes although it's one of the places I most want to visit in Europe, more for cultural and hiking reasons than birding reasons (a bit of a busman's holiday for Icelandic birders).

As for seabirds then I suppose the situation in the Faroes will be similar to Iceland. In the first two weeks of August the majority of auks have left the cliffs here but may be seen dispersed on the sea (I never see auks except Puffins and Black Guillemots at breeding grounds after beginning of 10 August). Gannets are still present in Iceland at colonies at that time and the Faroes does have massive colonies of Storm Petrels and Leach's Petrels but seeing them will not be easy. Check this site out for more info
http://www.faroeislands.com/Default.asp?sida=670
You certainly won't come back with a long trip list but you'll have fond memories of some of the most spectacular sea cliffs in Europe (and a lot of mist and rain).

E

Storm and Leach petrels were easy at night at north coast of Mykines, don't ask me how I missed Manx Shearwaters there. Walking on top of grassy cliffs there was easy and reasonably safe. All are also on Sandoy (island S of Thorshavn, said to be the biggest Storm Petrel colony on the world - all S coast of island is big colony), but getting there at night is definitely risky - rocky, uneven area with big loose boulders. Dunno about if they still breed in August, though (I was in July).

And I had two "rarities": breeding White Wagtails and singing Chiffchaff! Both are apparently unusual on the islands.

jurek said:

And I had two "rarities": breeding White Wagtails and singing Chiffchaff! Both are apparently unusual on the islands.

Click to expand...

The Faroe Islands is surely a gold mine in terms of undiscovered rare birds. Halfway between Shetland and Iceland, the potential for vagrant birds is massive, but there are even fewer birders than here!

E

I watched a program last week about the Faroe Islands. A sailor chap was journying along the coast of the british isles and extenbded his journey up to the Faroes.

It look an impressive place. They appear to be very affluent, not at all what I'd expect from people living in the middle of nowhere.

They seem to have got wealthy by carefully managing their natural resources, thus sustaining their fish stocks at healthy levels, while mixing fishing with farming.

They enjoy a good puffin or whale stake, but I got the impression that these species where safe in their hands. They seemed to have a healthy balance, harvesting what they needed and not exploiting the wildlife to the point of decline.

Also the islands where amazingly beautiful, cliff faces rising out of the ocean, topped by aparently inaccessible grassy plateaus.

They have a beleif that the best sheep (tasty eating) are those fed on the most remote and dangerous grassy places. So they drop of their favorite rams on cliff edges of remote islands and return after the grazing to pluck them off. Not a little risk of falling to their own deaths.

I'd love to go one day.

If anyone has been, I'd be interested if they have any idea how black people are received over there. It's one of those important details when my mixed race family goes around the countryside. It can be irritating to be stared at and worse talked about "what are they doing here?" etc. It would never stop us going anywhere, but can take the relaxed pleasure out of a day. No-one likes being stared at, even if it's just innocent interest.

I think they are tolerant to black people, like Danish in general are.