Good week

I am sorry I haven't updated my blog for a few days. I just haven't had the time. Already i February I realize that I will struggle to continue my "Red list species of the week", but I am not giving up.

However, I would like to share with you what have kept me away from the computer during the last few days.

Firstly I got some really good information about Long-eared Owls, and have spent some time with to birds. I was particularly happy to get them in the snow.


After that I left for Dovre to work with the Musk oxen. I was hoping for some rough conditions, but the weather was a little bit "to nice" for my liking. Still I got some decent images I would like to share with you.

Red list species of the week - 7

With no more that 500-600 pairs left in Norway the amazing Eagle Owl, Bubo bubo, is considered Endangered on the Red List. The bird has a stronghold along the coast where it finds most of its food in the marine ecosystem. Being a top predator, the Eagle Owl is highly exposed to toxins in the food chain. However, the high mortality of this bird is related to electrocution by high-voltage powerlines, especially smaller lines crisscrossing their territories.

The Eagle Owl is the largest owl of the world but highly nocturnal and therefore seldom seen by man.

Eagle owl killed by high-voltage powerline.

More Red Listed species her!

Talk in Haugesund

On Wednesday I'll be pulling my "old" Antarctica images out of the hat and talk at the Haugalandet Fotoklubb in Haugesund. Even though it is just over one year since I was down south it feels like ages ago - perhaps I travel too much?? Anyway, it is always nice to pull does images out again, and look at them with new eyes. Here is a couple that caught my attention this time.

The top one shows Cape Petrels, Daption capense, in flight over the Elephant Island, while the one below showes an amazing predator of the Southern Ocean - the Leopard Seal, Hydrurga leptonyx.

Speedy ducks

I was out yesterday in great morning light. The lakes are frozen over and the ducks have gathered in big congregations in just a few places. I was shooting into the light as ducks were swimming around in morning mist when a couple of birds managed to break the ice to the left of me. Suddenly all the birds started flying towards me, one at the time. Within 6 minutes I had taken 350 images of ducks in flight. The light was very difficult for the autofocus, but several images came out quit nicely. Here is a small selection.

Hope you like them.




All images are taken with the Nikon D3S and 500mm/4

Workshop!

Eagles!

This weekend I was lucky to be invited to try out the hide of my friends Bjørn Einrem and Vidar Lunde in Suldal. The hide is well built and has been used for many years already. I have been here before, and have got a lot of pictures of White-tailed Eagle and Golden Eagle. This Sunday, however, was rather special. Seven different birds visited the site, and a lot of action was going on all around. There is a very dominant White-tailed pair chasing all the youngsters around giving me plenty of opportunity to take flight shots. In addition to the pair and three youngsters, I was also able to shoot two different Golden Eagles. This was a great day in the hide! Thanks for lending me the soft bed and the amazing birds!




I have received some questions about how the D3S performs with birds in flight. Absolutely great! The two shots below are taken in rather poor light (1000 ISO), with a lot of vertical contrast in the background. The whole series was spot on! My conclusion after using the Nikon D3S for two months is that it performs great with birds in flight.





All pictures are taken using the Nikon D3S, 500/4

Red list species of the week - 6

If you follow my series about Norwegian red listed species, you might be in for a surprise or two. After the review of the national Red List in 2006 we saw several species on the list previously considered rather common. The European Starling for example has a calculated population in Norway between 400.000 and 1 million birds, so how can it be listed as Near Threatened?

These birds, like many animals depending on agricultural areas have experienced a rapid decline during the last decades. According to Birdlife International the European Starling population in Norway was reduced by up to 30% only between 1990 and 2003. Modern agriculture is one of the obstacles for these birds, but also suitable nesting sites are difficult to find as modern society is expanding. The message is: put up a nest box for the European Starling!

Workshop in Kenya!

Tawny Eagle, Masai Mara, Kenya, Sept. 2009

Together with Nikon Norway and Safari AS, I am planning a one week workshop in Kenya, 8th til 15th of September 2010. We will be travelling to Ol Pejeta Conservancy near Mt. Kenya, a very good place for exciting animals like Black Rhino, Grevy Zebra and Reticulated Giraffe among others. After two nights we will head to the famous Masai Mara were we will indulge in a frenzy of wildlife for four nights. This is the best time to be in Mara with millions of Wilderbeest and all the big cats present. If we are lucky we might see the Great Migration across the Mara River - voted by BBC Wildlife Magazine contributers to be the "World's greatest wildlife spectacle".

Leopard, Masai Mara, Kenya, Sept. 2009

We will be travelling in a group of 12 people. Included will be one representative from Nikon Norway as well as myself as the guide. More information will be posted as soon as we are ready but I thought I should inform you about this event now. I can assure you it will be a great photographic adventure, and based on my previous visit I will make sure we will get the most out of this trip.

If YOU are interested in joining us please send me an e-mail and I'll put your name on the list. There will not be any booking yet, but I would like to know if you are interested in such a trip. This way you will also make sure that you'll get the updated information about the trip as soon as we have it!

roy(alf)wildphoto.no

African Elephant, Amboseli, Kenya, Sept. 2009

Still cold

Feistein Lighthouse, Jæren, Rogaland, Norway

Not since 1952 has there been such a long period of cold weather and snow on the ground in my part of Norway. Last night surprised a lot of people with another load of fresh snow. I just had to get out for a couple of hours and play at the beach.

Feistein Lighthouse, Jæren, Rogaland, Norway

The next couple of months will be pretty good with talks and workshops, starting already tomorrow at Rotary Sandnes. I'll be talking about my Bolivia project. Next up is Haugesund Fotoklubb on the 17th of February, where I'll be talking about my Antarctica trip in 2008. I am also planning a three day workshop together with fellow photographer Jan Magnus Reneflot (www.fotorefleksjoner.no). The workshop will be held on 19th-21st of March. More info about the program will come shortly. If you are interested please send my an e-mail.

Red list species of the week - 5

The Whooper Swan, Cygnus cygnus, is a large bird relating to the northern parts of Norway. Less than 1000 breeding pairs are found in the country, but several thousand birds can spend the winter in our lakes and estuaries.

The Whooper Swan is listed as Near Threatened on the Norwegian Red List.



The images above is fresh of the card, taken yesterday on Jæren, Rogaland.