The Scenery of the North

Image: The scenery along Highway 891 on the way to Berlevag, Norway, Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70 mm at 24 mm, f/16, 1/125, ISO 1000, hand-held

The drive up through the center of the Varanger Peninsula had vast changes in scenery. We went from birch trees covering rolling hills and low lying mountains to treeless arctic tundra and occasional low lying shrubbery.  The first time we visited this region, we took the highway to the right at the Gednje junction and visited Batsfjord. 

Batsfjord is a small fishing town whose prominence has declined according to one restaurant server. We saw many gulls but we weren’t able to find the shorebirds that the area was known for so we had a quick lunch and headed back south.

Image: Batsfjord, Norway, iPhone 7 Plus, hand-held

The landscape to and from Batsfjord still reflected winter with many snowfields covering the land. Glacial lakes dotted the rolling hills and we could see the snow melting, forming little streams.

Image: The scenery along Highway 890 on the way to Batsfjord, Norway, Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70 mm at 70 mm, f/13, 1/250, ISO 400, hand-held

I loved the colors of the lakes and decided to get a little creative. I used the Nikkor 200-500 mm long lens to zoom in on the floating ice in this lake.

Image: Ice in a lake along Highway 890 on the way to Batsfjord, Norway, Nikon D500, Nikkor 200-500 mm at 700 mm with a 1.4 x teleconverter, f/8, 1/1000, ISO 800, hand-held

The second trip up through central Varanger Peninsula led us to the left at Gednje to Kongsfjord and then to Berlevag farther north. The scenery was similar to our trip a couple weeks ago on the eastern side of the Varanger Peninsula with jagged rocks coming out of the ground, but the green tundra appeared more vibrant on this side of the peninsula.

Image: The scenery along Highway 891 on the way to Berlevag, Norway, Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70 mm at 60 mm, f/11, 1/125, ISO 640, hand-held

In Berlevag, another fishing town, we saw a fishing boat come into harbor with a swarm of gulls flying about. They had learned that they would soon get some fish scraps from the fisherman after processing the day’s catch.

Image: A fishing boat comes into Berlevag harbor, Norway, Nikon D500, Nikkor 200-500 mm at 500 mm, f/6.3, 1/1250, ISO 500, hand-held

It was a fun activity, capturing the gulls diving into the water to eat fish scraps.

Image: Herring gull diving for fish scraps in Berlevag, Norway, Nikon D500, Nikkor 200-500 mm at 220 mm, f/6.3, 1/1600, ISO 1600, hand-held

We also saw some Kittiwake gulls nesting on window sills of many of the town’s buildings.  The chicks for many of these gulls were much bigger. Some were even beginning to practice flapping their wings.

Image: Kittiwake gull and chicks nesting on a windowsill in Berlevag, Norway, Nikon D500, Nikkor 200-500 mm at 500 mm, f/6.3, 1/640, ISO 1000, hand-held

We are now preparing to leave Norway for a few days in Finland.  I will hold this country dear in my heart, as I have enjoyed the kindness of the people in this region and have been awestruck by the beauty of the land and wildlife.