02.05.2012 Last day here in Andenes, after the domestic chores that fall due in such a large home as ours, and the usual dash to get the days pastries of course we then off for a drive around the island. That is plus/minus 120 kilometres. The west coast is always the more exciting and today was no exception.
First we stopped to watch a pair of full grown White Tailed Eagles which were sat at the top of a dune about a hundred metres from where we stopped. Magnificent birds they are and they certainly look powerful. Then moving of and about a kilometre further we flushed up three more which had been lurking just off the side of the road watching the sea. They were also all adults and, as later on in the drive, we saw quite a few more along with some travelling across the island from east to west I guess the Puffins have, or are starting to arrive at the island off Bleik. This means a large, easy and regular mealtime twice a day for the.eagles We witnessed them feeding on our first visit, pick them out of the air in full flight, and according to what we were told each eagle takes two a day. There are by all accounts ten recorded pairs of eagle on Andøya and which works out that by the time the Puffins take off to the high seas again there will be around 5,800 of them less.
Either way, I do not think this will weigh heavily on the Puffin population, about 80,000 pair nest and breed on this island alone each year.
Saw the Geese agin and ID’d them as Greylag without question. (Sure you are glad to know that at last). Did not see the other un-identified one from yesterday but am fairly certain it was a Ptarmigan, failing which a Willow Grouse. The are very similar and with their winter coats fairly indistinguishable to the likes of me.
Curlew abound all over the island as well.
Enough. Route takes us down through the Vesterålen onto the Lofoten. From there, Moskenes is the name of the village it is a four hour ferry ride to Bodø and on southwards along the west coast.
Not sure how often we shall get a connection so keep on breathing in and out.
First we stopped to watch a pair of full grown White Tailed Eagles which were sat at the top of a dune about a hundred metres from where we stopped. Magnificent birds they are and they certainly look powerful. Then moving of and about a kilometre further we flushed up three more which had been lurking just off the side of the road watching the sea. They were also all adults and, as later on in the drive, we saw quite a few more along with some travelling across the island from east to west I guess the Puffins have, or are starting to arrive at the island off Bleik. This means a large, easy and regular mealtime twice a day for the.eagles We witnessed them feeding on our first visit, pick them out of the air in full flight, and according to what we were told each eagle takes two a day. There are by all accounts ten recorded pairs of eagle on Andøya and which works out that by the time the Puffins take off to the high seas again there will be around 5,800 of them less.
Either way, I do not think this will weigh heavily on the Puffin population, about 80,000 pair nest and breed on this island alone each year.
Saw the Geese agin and ID’d them as Greylag without question. (Sure you are glad to know that at last). Did not see the other un-identified one from yesterday but am fairly certain it was a Ptarmigan, failing which a Willow Grouse. The are very similar and with their winter coats fairly indistinguishable to the likes of me.
Curlew abound all over the island as well.
Enough. Route takes us down through the Vesterålen onto the Lofoten. From there, Moskenes is the name of the village it is a four hour ferry ride to Bodø and on southwards along the west coast.
Not sure how often we shall get a connection so keep on breathing in and out.
Coffee break looking South
Coffee break looking North
