The Varanger ringing project- 2017

With autumn migration now well underway within the Arctic circle, the group are once again heading north towards northern Norway. After a day of travelling, we are now on our final flight and are due to land at Kirkenes once the sun has set.

From there, we again journey south to the boreal forests of the Pasvik valley, where we will be ringing at our usual site at Nyrud.  We currently have 2 members of the team based in Pasvik and initial observations seem promising. Here we hope to experience migration in full flow, with streams of Finches, Wagtails, Pipits and Buntings moving through. If the last few years are anything to go on, Pasvik has thrown up a few surprises and exciting birds.

As well as supporting the trilateral collaboration between the 3 countries that Pasvik straggles on the Norway side, we may have the opportunity to collarorate with ringing groups across the border in Russia, which may see an excursion ‘across the river’.

 We will spend over a week ringing and observing the birdlife of the area, before migrating north ourselves, to what may hopefully become a new regular ringing site for us near Vardø. Exciting plans may allow us the opportunity to experience some seabird ringing from here, which would be new and unchartered grounds for this years team.

A team of 5 people will be manning the project, with a familiar cast of members:

Fergus Henderson

John Hodson

Tim Dixon

Craig Reed

Espen Qunito-Ashman- A newbie for the project, currently working for Biotope in Vardo, who again are gratefully sponsoring the project.

We hope to keep an up to date log throughout the trip, which we will upload here daily, covering our exiting discoveries and adventures.

We are anxious to see what the morning brings… Bring it on.