Mid-April we headed north for a month of early northern spring.

On our way to Lofoten, a stop in the southern parts of Nordland County is often rewarding. Here we had a really nice close encounter with the Hazel Grouse (jerpe).

A few Two-barred Crossbills (båndkordnebb) were still around, after the massive influx last fall.

One of the typical features of the Lofoten Islands in April, is the great flocks of Snow Bunting (snøspurv). These are birds breeding in eastern Greenland, stopping over to eat and gain fat for the long trans-Atlantic flight.

Not only birds met us in Lofoten – there were also several sightings of Killer Whales (spekkhoggere) in the Vestfjord this spring. We met this pod just off Henningsvar.

A trip north to Vesterålen is obligatory in early May to watch the massive goose migration. However, this year a highly unexpected guest stole the show: a Little Egret, (silkehegre) far off course from its breeding grounds in continental Europe.

Tens of thousands of Barnacle Geese (hvitkinngjess) do a pit stop here to fuel up before the non-stop flight to their breeding grounds in Spitsbergen.

Among them are a few leucistic individuals. At first sight on distance, they may resemble the white American goose species, but on close range typical barnacle-details are revealed.

In Lofoten a young White-fronted Goose (tundragås) of the Siberian subspecies were hangig out with local Greylags (grågås) for weeks…

…while a group of the Greenland subspecies made a brief stop in May.

On a stopover at Værøy, we could confirm that the Rock Ptarmigans (fjellrype) that bred on the island last year, are still around. This male was lekking, and at least one more male and a female was seen. This gives hope of an established population on the island.