May 16th

This days trips ended with two new species of the year! From my livingroom window I saw that there was a Lesser Black-backed Gull (Sildemåke) together with the Glaucous Gulls (Polarmåke) in the delta. I hurried down and managed to get some pictures to document the gull. I then continued my drive and when I arrived at Hotellneset I found yet another dark gull. This time it was an adult Great Black-backed Gull (Svartbak). After this gull I got a short photo-session with a pair of Svalbard Ptarmigan (Svalbardrype). They were displaying quite well, but due to my hurry in getting the camera into shooting-position I didnt get the best of set-up so the pictures could have been much better. But the male was still stunning in the sunshine when he was watching over his mate, with his eyebrows puffed up in bright red. When I was done with the ptarmigans I drove further out towards Bjørndalen, and was awarded a nice meeting with an Arctic Fox (Fjellrev) It was running along the road so that I got many opportunities to take photos. The time now got close to the start of todays work, so I had to drive away again. But when I came to the large mixed-flock of Pink-footed and Barnacle Geese (Kortnebb- og Hvitkinngås) I felt I had to stop to take a few pictures. Thats when I noticed the two foxes that were out goose-hunting. It was amazing to watch them try to get un-seen into striking-distance from the geese. But the gees had everything under control, they lifted off when the fox was baout thirty meters away, and they werent really worried.
In the evening I had another trip out and managed to find a flock of four male Teal (Krikkand). I also photographed a 1cy/2k Glaucous Gull (Polarmåke) which is the lightest-colored individual that I have seen up here. Usually the young birds are quite dark up here, but this one was a nice exception.

Greater Black-backed Gull with GLaucous Gulls

Lesser Black-backed Gull with Glaucous Gulls

Lesser Black-backed Gull showing features better

Arctic Fox in morning light

Arctic Fox charging at geese

The second goose-hunting fox

Svalbard Ptarmigans in morningsun

Barnacle Geese on the look-out for foxes

Resting Pink-footed Geese

Sun-bathing Pink-footed Goose

Teal

Glaucous Gull 1cy/2k

May 22nd

This would show to be a day of gulls. The day started off with a Lesser Black-backed Gull ssp. intermedius (Sildemåke). This was my species number 50 on Svalbard. This bird was a two-year-old, and gave great views, and a good opportunity to photograph it. But when the bird finally flew off, my camera figured it was time to play the game on its own terms, and I didnt manage to get it to work as I wanted before the bird was far away. Maybe its time to swap the D200 with a D300 soon?

I found the Lesser Black-backed Gull at about 04.30 in the morning, and in the afternoon it was nowhere to be seen, but instead there was now an adult Common Gull (Fiskemåke) at the same location. It was rather photogenic, and I got some nice photos of it.

I then drove the normal route towards Bjørndalen and found the Tufted Ducks (Toppand) again, and then turned around and drove up the valley. When I arrived to the area around Mine 6 I slowed down the speed of the car and started looking for yesterdays Common Gull, but what caught my eye was a Great Skua (Storjo) that came flying over. Unfortunately it flew a bit too quick so I was not able to get the car stopped and the camera ready before it had disappeared off. I continued up towards the mine, and looked for Galucous Gulls (polarmåke) with color-rings. I found two gulls with rings, and in addition I found two two-year-old gulls. It is not that often that these young gulls are seen, so that was a nice ending of the day.