Norway Musk Oxen and Mountains

Transcription

1 Norway Musk Oxen and Mountains Naturetrek Tour Itinerary Outline itinerary Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Fly Trondheim & transfer Kongsvold. Birdwatching, Dovre Mountains. Musk Ox Safari, Dovre Mountains. Birdwatching, Dovre Mountains. Fly London. Departs June Focus Birds, mammals and mountain scenery Grading A/B. Mostly easy walks, sometimes on rough / hilly terrain Dates and Prices See current brochure or visit (tour code NOR08) Highlights Willow Grouse, Ring Ouzel, Dotterel, Lapland Bunting & Long-tailed Skua Breeding birds include Bluethroat, Fieldfare, Crested Tit & Black Woodpecker Scaup & Red-necked Phalaropes, plus Velvet & Common Scoters in wetland areas Birds of prey include Gyr Falcon & Short-eared Owl Watch lekking Great Snipe Enjoy a full day Musk Ox safari From top: Slavonian Grebe, Musk Ox, Lapland Bunting. Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf s Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0) E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W:

2 Norway - Musk Oxen & Mountains Tour Itinerary Introduction Despite a long history of over-hunting and other human pressures, mighty Musk Oxen still roam the windswept mountains and tundra of the high Arctic. Although, the core of their distribution remains Greenland and northern Canada, small remnant populations also occur in Alaska, Russia and Norway, the descendants of animals re-introduced to their former range in the mid to late 20th Century. The Norwegian population was re-introduced back in 1932 and roams the beautiful alpine and sub-alpine uplands of the Dovre Mountain Range, approximately 200 kilometres from the coastal town of Trondheim. These impressive and formidable animals which look not unlike shaggy carpets on legs! live alongside an impressive range of sought after arctic bird species, such as Dotterel, Gyr Falcon and Long-tailed Skua, together creating the perfect wildlife combination and the focus of this exciting Naturetrek tour. Itinerary Musk Ox (Doug Yelland) Please note that the itinerary below offers our planned programme of excursions. However, adverse weather & other local considerations can necessitate some re-ordering of the programme during the course of the tour, though this will always be done to maximise best use of the time and weather conditions available. Day 1 Fly Trondheim, transfer Oppdal We depart on an early morning flight to Trondheim, a pleasant coastal town which sits on the edge of Norway s intricate and mountainous coastline. From Trondheim we head inland and climb up through the Dovre Mountain Range to the village of Oppdal, an attractive rural village backed by spectacular scenery, and our gateway to the mountains. With a journey time of around 3 hours we should arrive in Oppdal in the early evening from where we will check into our comfortable hotel and base for the next 4 nights. Day 2 Dovre Mountains For early risers, a pre-breakfast walk is sure to get the day off to a good start with sightings of a variety of Scandinavian breeding birds such as Redwing, Fieldfare, Crested Tit and perhaps even Bluethroat or Black Woodpecker. After breakfast we will spend the rest of the day exploring the alpine habitats, pools and marshes of the Dovre Mountains in search of some of the typical birds of the northern uplands. Naturetrek January 15 1

3 Tour Itinerary Norway - Musk Oxen & Mountains Dotterel (Terje Kolaas) Day 3 Waterbirds such as Red-throated and Black-throated Divers, Scaup, Velvet and Common Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks and Rednecked Phalaropes are frequently seen. Waders include Temminck s Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Golden Plover, Dotterel and Whimbrel, whilst Bluethroat, Lapland Bunting and Shore Lark are all possible. Overhead soar Gyr Falcon, Golden Eagle and Roughlegged Buzzard and, for the fortunate, perhaps even a Shorteared Owl quartering the heather covered slopes. We will enjoy a full day in the mountains, and later, in the evening, we will visit a nearby wetland to watch lekking Great Snipe. This is surely one of Europe s most bizarre ornithological sights, and a fantastic spectacle to behold! Musk Ox Safari, Dovre Mountains From the smaller inhabitants of the mountains we now turn our attention to the largest. We will spend most of the today heading up into the mountains on a Musk Oxen Safari. Whilst nothing can be guaranteed in the world of wildlife watching, we would be very unlucky not to see this impressive animal. Musk Ox are actually more closely related to sheep and goats than to cows and have evolved to withstand brutally cold temperatures of minus 50 degrees centigrade or less. The Norwegian population were re-introduced into the Dovre Mountains in 1932 and currently number around 215 animals. In the summer they typically live in groups of 10 to 15 individuals but form larger herds during the freezing winter months. In addition to the Musk Ox we should keep our eyes open for Reindeer, Mountain Hare and a variety of birds. Both Lynx and Wolverine also live in these mountains but they are both very elusive and only seen by the fortunate few! Musk Ox (Terje Kolaas) Day 4 Dovre Mountains We will spend our final full day birdwatching in the mountains, visiting such sites as Fokstrumyra and the spectacular Vinstradalen Plateau. These areas are home to many of the species already mentioned above, plus Ptarmigan, Willow Grouse, Hen Harrier, Long-tailed Skua and Ring Ouzel. We should once again keep our eyes open for Musk Oxen, as we there is a chance that we will come across these wonderful animals once again today. After another full day in the field we return to Oppdal for our final evening. 2 Naturetrek January 15

4 Norway - Musk Oxen & Mountains Tour Itinerary Day 5 Transfer Trondheim, Fly London This morning we must slowly make our way back to Trondheim. Depending on our flight time, we should have a little time to enjoy some lowland birdwatching en-route. The beautiful Slavonian Grebe is frequently seen on ponds and lakes, whilst White-tailed Eagles and Osprey are not uncommon overhead. Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Willow and Crested Tits, Brambling and Wood Warbler inhabit the woodlands, along with the beautiful Scandinavian race of Long-tailed Tit with their wholly white head. Our flight departs from Trondheim in the mid-afternoon, arriving back into London this evening. Velvet Scoter (Terje Kolaas) Ring Ouzel (Terje Kolaas) Tour grading Grade A/B Easy to moderate walks. We spend each day out in the mountains, though most walks are fairly short and taken at a slow pace. Some of the paths can, however, be rough in places and as we are in the mountains, walks can be hilly at times. The Musk Oxen 'safari' involves a walk of several kilometres over hilly terrain. An average level of fitness is required to get the most out of this holiday. Total driving distances travelled per day in the minibus vary from around kilometres. Focus Birds, mammals (especially Musk Oxen) and mountain scenery. Weather Although the Norwegian mountains are known more for their spectacular scenery than stable weather, the summer months of June through August are the best times to visit and generally enjoy the sunniest and warmest conditions. Daytime temperatures are typically around 10 degrees C or so in the mountains, but warmer at lower altitudes. Nights are cool. It can be breezy at times and the occasional wet day is not unusual. Red-necked Phalarope (Terje Kolaas) Naturetrek July 15 3

5 Tour Itinerary Norway - Musk Oxen & Mountains Food & accommodation included in the price All accommodation and meals are included throughout the tour. This is a single centre holiday, based at a comfortable hotel in the small village of Oppdal. All rooms on this tour have private facilities. Regional flights We usually fly from London Heathrow airport with Scandinavian Airlines, though we sometimes use Norwegian Air Shuttle flights from London Gatwick. Regional departures from airports serviced by Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle (including Manchester and Edinburgh) are often available. For more information and prices for these routes and departures from other local airports, please contact the Naturetrek office. How to book your place In order to book your place on this holiday, please give us a call on with a credit or debit card, book online at or alternatively complete and post the booking form at the back of our main Naturetrek brochure, together with a deposit of 20% of the holiday cost plus any room supplements if required. If you do not have a copy of the brochure, please call us on or request one via our website. Receive our e-newsletter Join the Naturetrek ing list and be the first to hear about new tours, additional departures and new dates, tour reports and special offers. Visit to sign up. Black-throated Divers (Terje Kolaas) 4 Naturetrek January 15