norway

.... don't know why, it wasn't cold! Perhaps he was pleased to see me back after our short break away.;) He was sitting in one of the shrubs outside my window - handsome fellow isn't he. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas Day and got the pressies you liked.

.... she was concentrating so much on the sign she completely missed the view behind her! So I took it instead!! This is taken from a few meters higher up the pass than the ones I showed you (in the rain) on our outward journey. And so ends our Smola images, we now had to head home, a long...

Climbing up the big hill (mountain pass?) away from the coast, Ann suddenly pulled into a layby and jumped out to take a picture...... of this sign. I can't remember what it was all about now..... but..... (wait for next image);) Happy Christmas everyone. Sorry if I didn't get to see your...

I was all lined up to take the picture through the gap and clicked before I realised that there was a human photobomber! I waited then, hoping she'd move but she didn't. This is another view of the Tustna Stacks on the mainland. Sadly the end of that short break, on a beautiful island group...

Sadly we'd now arrived back at the ferry port, so I was back to trying for birds in flight again... namely the Common Tern. We also had plenty of time for me to explore the cafe (lovely cakes which I managed to sneak in before Ann saw me.... shhh don't tell her;)) and then went back for...

This was the sign board I took at the lay-by beside Flotjonna. As you can see from the pictures there's a number a species that I didn't spot! Some, no doubt, are winter stop-overs. Can't understand a word of what it says though. Translation of the information can be found in Ann's comment...

Continuing along the West Side Road, we came to a large pond, which was actually a nature reserve called Flotjonna. I did get the feeling that the whole island was a nature reserve though! Unfortunately for me, the light was all wrong and we were shooting against the sun. Ann may have done...

I'm really not sure where we'd got to on that west side road, but this would appear to be at the same place that we saw the Swallow and wagtails. Not a bad view for that farm, was it.

.... sorry if anyone now can't get that tune out of their head;) Around the place where the Swallow was, there were some White Wagtails... is this mum and daughter, or father and son. You pays your money and takes your choice LOL

Gosh! I very nearly forgot to post this one from the day before! There are three Smola habitats in this picture: marsh, fields and woods. The marshes were drained from the 1930's by local farmers, to make arable fields as an alternative to emigrating to the US. The marshes are areas that were...

A little further along that road we found another bird 'oasis' as I call them, after a mile or two of nothing, we then found a few birds hanging around some buildings. This is the first, of only a few Swallows I saw that were photographable anyway (think Ann did better at another location with...

Phewhh! They said, and settled down on the telegraph wires and posts. Go on.... count this lot - I dare you;)

Another view of the big lad. I got a couple more, but I won't bore you with them all;) Just wanted to treat myself as it's so long since I've been able to get any pictures of these eagles. Saw a couple on Mull a few years ago, but distant and bucketing rain for each of them! Not such a good...

As the eagle flew over, this Starling flock suddenly took to the air in panic. Who wants to count them?;)

We left the Starlings and went round the bend and I screamed at Ann to stop, for I'd spotted movement in the sky ahead. Of course they passed by Ann's side of the car so I had to jump out to get a view of them and managed a couple of pictures. Due to the lack of a white tail, it's a youngster...

This was another view from our table at the Villsaubutikken cafe. We were rather spoilt for choice, weren't we.

Another place on that road, where I've no idea where we'd got to. Heather Hopper was a bus service running in the Cairngorms National Park near here, sadly no more, but thought I'd pinch the name for my title. There was another huge flock of very mobile Starlings flitting around from side to...

We'd actually been a bit naughty and pinched some of the breakfast items from the hotel buffet to have for lunch, but just picked and munched at them as we went along. Proper refreshments were called for on occasion and passing the Villsaubutikken, a cafe cum shop type place at Jostolen... we...

Then I spooted this wee butterfly, for once one that allowed me to photograph it. Pretty little things aren't they. I've got it as a Common Blue, 'cos that's the only one I know like that. If anyone knows any different, please let me know.

Another of Ann's garden birds. This one appeared to be very bashful, don't you think, especially as there was a lady just out of shot LOL. To pinch Donald's words... a quick post and run for me, I'll catch up with you all later (if I don't fall over in the forecast freezing rain!) A rather busy...

Around the same site as the Greylag there were some flowers growing. Can't resist a thistle can I LOL. With it was a small yellow flower which is a Tansy. I got confirmation of the thistle name in the ID forum, and they also identified the Tansy for me. I see Tansy is a fly repellent, so I may...

Not sure how I thought of that title LOL. Anyway, neither am I sure exactly where we'd got to along that West Side Road, but moved on we must have. First we saw this Greylag looking very alert, from memory on the bank of a freshwater pool beside the road.

LOL!! This is a little place called Rakin (I think) it was where Ann had initially thought we might stay, but she couldn't get us booked in. Such a lovely quiet place, but I'm glad Ann was driving, as parking was a little tight!;) This was the view from a verandah overlooking the fjord.

Where we found the flock of Starlings, I also spotted this Meadow Pipit on an electric wire. Quite pleased with how that one turned out. LOL I've found out from Ann that "Vestsideveeien" means West Side Road!!! (We were on the west side of Smola!). I'd been looking on Google Maps for...

... just after we left Vestsideveeien, we came to a sudden stop when we saw all these Starlings had taken to the air. Had to try and get a picture of it all.