on Bird Notes from the Fjords.



309



We landed here, and climbed, as far as time would permit,

towards the Geiranger basin. Yellow-hammers and bramblings

were common here, and we saw a fine ring ouzel; also a beautiful

specimen of the blue-throated warbler, a bird common in Norway,

but this was the only occasion on which I came across it.


We landed at Olden on the following morning and found

cariols waiting to take us to the Olden Lake. These local convey¬

ances are drawn by rough little cream-coloured ponies, on whose

legs may often be seen zebra markings. Arrived at the lake we took

a launch to Rustoen, whence other cariols took us to the famous

Brigsdals Glacier. On the lake I saw three young widgeon, and

later a pair of black-throated divers. On the return journey I saw

a duck with five young. Unfortunately they dived before I could

distinguish whether it was a red-breasted merganser or a goosander,

and, although two of the young ones came up quite close to the boat,

I never saw the old one again. At the glacier, hooded crows were

much in evidence, also swallows and blackbirds. The extreme

tameness of the white wagtail in Norway is very noticeable. It is

present in every village street. The room in which we lunched at

the Brigsdals-Gaarde swarmed with flies, and it was most amusing

to watch the efforts of these birds to catch them through the glass

of the sky-light.


As we approached Mundal the next morning three ducks

swam quickly away. I landed and walked along the wooded banks

of a small stream. Here I found fieldfares and blackbirds, also

several bramblings and a good many whinchats. The swallow

was common and also the Marsh tit, but whether the northern

form or not I could not tell. The corn stacks attracted a large

number of yellowhammers and some ortolans. Late in the after¬

noon we arrived at Balholmen and walked up the Essefjord. Here

a Greater black-backed gull took possession of our ship, driving

away all intruders, of whom there were very few. Some gannets

flew over at a great height.


Early in the morning of the 18th we were in the Naerofjord,

another most beautiful spot surrounded by mountains. We landed

at Gudvangen, and drove up the wild valley of the Naerodal. Some

fine salmon were visible in the river. At the end of the valley is



