Thursday 20 June 2019

Signehamma & Lilliehook.

Lots of thick ice around.


GPS position: 79, 14, 3N  011, 34, 0 E. 

Setting off on the walk.

We arrived at Lilliehookforjden early morning on 7th June. It was overcast with light snow falling. We were going ashore at Signehamma but there was a lot of snow still around, so once ashore we donned our snowshoes & set off for a trek towards some old German Weather Stations.


Male Common Eider


Female


Purple Sandpipers were feeding in the
 unfrozen parts of the bay.


Steve & Steve!


Looking across the bay with lots of ice still around.

Walking up to the German Weather Station.


Used during the Second World War to 
forecast weather for U boats in the Atlantic.

The open air toilet!


Svalbad Ptarmigan

Once we got away from the coast only 
two bird species seen on this walk!

Male Snow Bunting

Female



Svalbad Reindeer





Pink footed Goose on the only patch of ground 
free from snow!


Arctic Skua



Bearded Seal





Lilliehook Glacier


Brunnnich's Guillemot







Black Guillemot

We cruised in the zodiacs along the 
10 kms of the glacier face.




Bearded Seal

Blue morph Fulmar


Arctic Skua



Kittiwake.

Arctic Tern


Best birds:

Red throated Diver 2; Northern Fulmar 80+; Ptarmigan 1; Pink footed Goose 1; Common Eider 95; Long tailed Duck 4; Purple Sandpiper 5; Arctic Skua 1; Glaucous Gull 13; Kittiwake 500; Arctic Tern 35; Brunnich's Guillemot 700; Black Guillemot 85; Little Auk 10; Snow Bunting 2.

Mammals:

Bearded Seal 3; Arctic Fox 1; Svalbad Reindeer 3.


No comments:

Post a Comment