A trip to Norway and Wales
I went to Norway to visit my family and it was so lovely to go back and see my dad’s side of the family, after so many years. It felt strange not going with my dad and I thought of him all the time during my stay. When I arrived at the Oslo airport I saw Hooded Crows and Eurasian Jackdaws in the parking lot. I really loved the look of the Jackdaws. I went and did a little birding with some Norwegian birders Simon and Julian. We had a great time and Simon took me to see the rare Ortolan Bunting. It’s a bird much south after by birders as it’s declined precipitously due to illegal hunting and trapping. In southern France, as many as 30,000 birds are illegally taken annually. It is a culinary item of very rich people in France and although it’s illegal, enforcement is sadly seriously lacking. The loneliest Ortolan Bunting in Norway - Photo: Melissa Hafting When we pulled up to the spot in the town of Elverum, the bunting was singing for us on the wire. It was beautiful and if these b...