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Svalbard part 6 |
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22 June 2003: Today we woke up late because last night we went to a "Midsummer's Night Party". It's very strange when you are outside at 3:30 in the morning and the sun is still shining. After getting up we went to do research work. First in Adventalen, and then near Isdammen. At Isdammen, we discovered a pair of loons swimming in an unfrozen area of the lake. When we got closer, we saw what kind of loons they were. They were Red-Throated Divers. They were a little on the shy side so we couldn't get very close to them.  Saxifraga oppositofolia During the lunch break we took some pictures of plants, including the Saxifraga oppositiolia which is pictured above. The Saxifraga oppositiolia is of the family Saxifragaceae, they are stress tolerant so they can handle the cold, dry weather. The plant is very common on Svalbard, you can see them almost everywhere.  Isdammen Lake (mostly frozen) |
23 June 2003: Today was the first day our House-Kittiwake came. At our residence, there are several big windows which are connected on the right and left with a big brace in the middle. When you open the windows you get a sort of landing platform. There's a Kittiwake here in Nybyen which lands on all the open window platforms hoping to find some food. So, keeping with tradition, we fed him some pieces of ham. He is definitely not shy; you can almost get close enough to touch him. I'll try to get some pictures of him later.  Snow Bunting on the feeding table The rest of the day we worked at home. For the last couple of days we've been putting bird food on a flat stone outside our window. Every time we came back from research work, the food was gone but we never saw who took it. We decided to stay at home so we could finally figure out who was taking the food. It was a Snow Bunting, as we had expected. They are the House Sparrows of the Arctic. They arrive early in the spring when the land is still covered with snow. As protection against the cold weather, they dig a small hole where they can shelter themselves. It's beautiful to see the birds decked out in their summer plumage! |
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