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Scandic Hotels – in all major cities from north to south
Nordic Choice Hotels – a different hotel company
Thon Hotels – with fantastic breakfast
Hostelling International – the door to Norway
Radisson Blu Hotels – discover your favourite destinations
Widerøe – the largest regional airline in Scandinavia
AutoEurope – always a smooth car rental experience
Vy express – travel with bus throughout Norway
DFDS – Europe’s leading ferry operator 2012-2020
Rent-A-Wreck – the smart car rental alternative
Arctic Campers – Norway’s camper van rental
NOR-WAY Bussekspress – travel green with express busses
Vy – it should be easy to travel green
Hurtigruten – "The World’s Most Beautiful Sea Voyage"
Authentic Scandinavia – exciting Norway tours
Up Norway – tailored journeys
Norrøna Hvitserk – expeditions and adventure holidays
Fjord Tours – experience Norway in a nutshell® with one ticket
50 Degrees North – unforgettable tailor-made and small group tours to Norway
Discover Norway – skiing, biking and hiking tours in Norway
Norwegian Holidays – low-price package holidays with Norwegian. Flight, hotel and rental car
DanCenter – your specialist in holiday homes in Norway
Norgesbooking – book your perfect cabin stay in Norway
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Birdwatching is big in Norway, and whilst the activity elsewhere sometimes causes parking problems, the roomy Norwegian wilderness inside and outside of the national parks is never overpopulated. Sometimes it’s just you, and the birds.
Of the world’s about 9,000 bird species, around 300 have their natural habitat in Norway, and an additional number of around 200 rarer bird types are found at certain places and times of the year.
“Birdwatching and outdoor games on your phone like Pokémon GO has much of the same driving force, that appeals to the explorer”, says Bjørn Olav Tveit, author of A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Norway.
“The joy of birdwatching is to explore nature that you would normally miss. The more you delve into this hobby, the more you discover”, he says. “To locate and find a rare specimen is like catching a really big trout. It’s all about tactics, knowledge, and endurance.”
“Take the Arctic Warbler. It sings during two short weeks in late June, in the dense birch forest surrounding the beautiful Neiden church in Finnmark county, which is close to the Russian border. The rest of the year, this species is practically impossible to locate.”
“Vocally, the song is quite monotone and boring”, Bjørn Olav admits. “But the fascination is about timing, location, and experiencing untouched nature. Especially when you know that this is one of the few places in Europe outside of Siberia that the little songbird of the north can be expected.”
Both Norwegian and visiting birdwatchers are mostly nice people who are passionate about showing respect for the environment.
“There is a common unwritten code of conduct – you respect the nature and the animals”, Bjørn Olav says.
Unfortunately, nest looting happens. But beware: “Local birdwatching enthusiasts and other local people will normally notice and eventually call the police if they observe humans or vehicles suspiciously close to for instance a protected Gyrfalcon nest”, Bjørn Olav warns.
“Bird spotting is generally good for the environment, because it makes far more people conscious of the fragility of nature and the rarity of its wild animals”, he says, and adds: “For example, birdwatchers keep an appropriate distance by bringing their smart phones to take pictures through their binoculars. You can even make good sound recording from a considerable distance."
If you want to spot some birds yourself, you can download illustrated apps such as “Birds of Northern Europe” and “Collins Bird Guide”, both of which include recordings of the songs and calls of all the species you can hope to encounter.
On the website Artsobservasjoner.no, birdwatchers all over the country report their latest observations.
Norway’s birdlife is rich and varied. Here you can go birdwatching in virtually untouched nature.
Springtime: Birdsong unplugged
The coasts suddenly thrive with millions of birds, and wetlands and marshes spring to life with Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus), divers and grebes, as well as wildfowl and Shorebirds. Experience a woodpecker or a Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) drumming, the displaying of the Northern Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) or spot a Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus).
Bustling summer
At Hardangervidda mountain plateau, Dovrefjell and Fokstumyra you will find species such as Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus), Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus), Shore Lark (Eremophila alpestris), Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica), Lapland Bunting (Calcarius lapponicus), Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) and if you are lucky, a Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus).
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. The Lista peninsula, in the end of Southern Norway, and the Utsira island, offer some of the best birdwatching possibilities during these months.
Winter wonders
Some local tour operators kickstart their bird watching trips as early as late January and early February, sometimes with the help of a floating photo shed, as on the Varanger peninsula in Northern Norway.
Take only pictures, keep only memories
Norway is a country of outstanding natural beauty. Preserving this landscape, its communities, and the way of life, is essential for locals and visitors alike.
Norwegian philosophy is very much that conservation is everyone’s responsibility.
The locals try to leave as small a footprint as possible. Leave it as you would like to find it is the mantra, regardless of where you are.
It is all about the quality of life. Not only now, but for the time to come as well.
Pack your gear, go out there, be patient, and just listen.
The coast hosts Norway’s world famous seabird colonies. Islands such as Runde and Røst are almost biblical in the realms of Norwegian ornithology and include huge colonies of Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica).
Varanger peninsula in Finnmark is undoubtedly one of Europe’s top birding areas. Here are 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), but also Scandinavian species 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).
Northern Norway also has the biggest population of white-tailed eagles in Europe. From here, the species has spread to most of the Norwegian coastline, and eagles from Norway have even been brought over to help repopulate Scotland with these majestic birds.
The Østensjøvannet lake a few kilometres southeast of Oslo city centre is a shallow and eutrophic lake with a habitat that is not common in Norway. West of the city centre you’ll find the nature reserve and bird observatory at Fornebu. Norway’s second largest city, Bergen, is known for its mountain habitats and coniferous forests that you can explore without leaving the urban behind.
Norway’s birdlife is rich and varied. Here you can go birdwatching in virtually untouched nature.
Springtime: Birdsong unplugged
The coasts suddenly thrive with millions of birds, and wetlands and marshes spring to life with Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus), divers and grebes, as well as wildfowl and Shorebirds. Experience a woodpecker or a Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) drumming, the displaying of the Northern Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) or spot a Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus).
Bustling summer
At Hardangervidda mountain plateau, Dovrefjell and Fokstumyra you will find species such as Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus), Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus), Shore Lark (Eremophila alpestris), Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica), Lapland Bunting (Calcarius lapponicus), Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) and if you are lucky, a Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus).
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. The Lista peninsula, in the end of Southern Norway, and the Utsira island, offer some of the best birdwatching possibilities during these months.
Winter wonders
Some local tour operators kickstart their bird watching trips as early as late January and early February, sometimes with the help of a floating photo shed, as on the Varanger peninsula in Northern Norway.
Take only pictures, keep only memories
Norway is a country of outstanding natural beauty. Preserving this landscape, its communities, and the way of life, is essential for locals and visitors alike.
Norwegian philosophy is very much that conservation is everyone’s responsibility.
The locals try to leave as small a footprint as possible. Leave it as you would like to find it is the mantra, regardless of where you are.
It is all about the quality of life. Not only now, but for the time to come as well.
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