During springtime the coast thrives with millions of birds heading north to their arctic breeding grounds. Localities such as Jæren, just south of Stavanger, provide some great birding with the chance of seeing divers (gaviiformes) and grebes (podicipedformes) as well as wildfowl (anseriformes) and waders (charadriiformes).

Experiencing the dawn chorus, hearing a woodpecker (piciformes) drumming from the depths of the pine woods, or for the lucky, seeing a displaying capercaillie (tetrao urogallus) are just some of the highlights a morning walk in the woods can provide.

Birdsong unplugged

By late March wetlands and marshes spring to life with different bird sounds. Whooper swans (cygnus cygnus) heading north are always noisy, their honking call echoing through the air.

Northern lapwings (vanellus vanellus) will be displaying and if you listen carefully, you just may hear the vibrating drumming sound of a common snipe (gallinago gallinago).

Bustling summer

Some of the mountain habitats to visit during the summer months are Hardangervidda, Dovrefjell and Fokstumyra. Here you will find species such as dotterel (charadrius morinellus), red-necked phalarope (phalaropus lobatus), horned lark (eremophila alpestris), bluethroat (luscinia svecica), Lapland bunting (calcarius lapponicus), snow bunting (plectrophenax nivalis) and if you are lucky you might see a snowy owl (bubo scandiacus).

Summer is also a time to head out to the west coast. By then Norway’s world famous seabird colonies are bustling with activity. Islands such as Runde, near Ålesund and Røst, in Lofoten, are almost biblical in the realms of Norwegian ornithology. Tens of thousands of birds nest here, including huge colonies of puffins (fratercula arctica).

Go north

Another locality worth visiting is the Varanger peninsula in Finnmark. This is undoubtedly one of Europe’s premier birding areas. Here you will find true arctic species such as steller’s eider (polysticta stelleri), king eider (somateria spectabilis), brünnich’s guillemot (uria lomvia) and red-throated pipit (anthus cervinus).

Scandinavian specialities such as northern hawk owl (surnia ulula), three-toed woodpecker (picoides tridactylus), Siberian tit (poecile cincta), Siberian jay (perisoreus infaustus) and great grey owl (strix nebulosa) also live here.

Rewarding autumn

Autumn is a hectic time. The months of September and October may be the most rewarding, especially if you are on the lookout for rarer species.

Once again, it is the coast; with places such as the Lista peninsula on the south coast and the tiny island Utsira, which offers the best birdwatching during these months.

Birdwatching in the city

Visit Østensjøvannet - a shallow and eutrophic lake with a habitat that is not common in Norway. The lake is situated a few kilometres southeast from the centre of Oslo. The nature reserve and bird observatory at Fornebu on the outskirts of Oslo is also a place worth a visit. If you wish to explore mountain habitats and coniferous forests without leaving the urban lifestyle behind, you should travel to the Fløyen Mountain in Bergen.