^o^ Sarcopte's World ^o^

Today I have not slept the whole night... Sometimes you'll never get to sleep, and the only solution is to sit on the internet during the night At least sometimes

When I eventually decided to go to bed, I took my binoculars to do a last scan out in the harbour. AND, what did I see. A poor Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) was attached to an old fishing net. Well, this is for sure not the first time it happens. I have written about it several times in the newspapers, but do anybody listen? NO So every year the fishermen gives a shit, and just throw away their fishing nets in the nature, or use them as a protection for their stock fish.

Anyway, out of the bed again. I took with me a knife, and I managed to cut out the bird without any damage. BUT then the fisherman came, and asked me to NOT destroy his fishing net... YEAH, I managed to calm down inside me, and peacefully explained to him the problems with the nets...

I took the bird back home and ringed it (I'm a licenced bird ringer). My girlfriend had to help me a bit, since these Gulls have a VERY sharp beak. A few minutes later, we released the bird into the wild. It was fantastic to see how happy he was. Filling his wings with air, and waving us a goodbye. We didn't take any photos because we thought the bird had suffered long enough. So instead i attach a photo from the internet.

BUT: No I hope to get some sleep

Sometimes I sit around and philosophise together with a great cigar and som absinthe. Then I start thinking about different issues. Some I never get an answer to, others are more easy going. Like this one:

Here in the Arctic we have a Snowy Owl satellite-ringing project. These birds are real globetrotters. They can fly all around the Arctic circle. 3 of the Owls are flying between Russia and Norway at the moment. Can you imagine that No visas, no questions, just freedom, the masters of the snow, the white birds on the sky... If just people could think the same. That we belong to the same animal group, Homo sapiens. That borders are something from the past... But we are not like birds, are we... We are probably the worst raptors on Earth. The borders will be there. But hopefully, these birds will show us that some animals are able to cross borders, whithout starting a new war, political questions, arguments, envy... That some might cross borders in a friendly way This example, a true Russian - Norwegian friendship. The same friendship I have with other fantastic Russians in this community

You can follow the Snowy Owls here:

At long last, the spring is here in the Arctic

I am a happy bunny these days, because some old friends from Sweden are visiting this place. Together we count thousands of migrating seabirds every day. This migration can take away the breath of everyone, even non birdwatchers. And with good clothes, a warm cup of coffee, and good humour, this is one of the events of the year up here

To read more about the seabirds passing Slettnes, please surf here (many cool photos):

http://slettnes.seawatching.net/

Since many people on my friends list add their spring photos in their blogs these days, I have to follow the wave and add mine too This photo was taken out of my window yesterday. Yes, we know where we are living... But, as you probably know: The sea is not for swimming, it's for diving. AND the beach is not for getting a sun tan, but to quickly show off your body, and then get into a bar or disco to drink vodka and beer...

This weekend we are thousands of birdwatchers scattered
around the World to count migrating birds

Birds are considered to be some of the best indicators for
the status and trends of wider biodiversity as they
connect, and are inhabitants of, virtually all
ecosystems in the world.

Birdwatchers and conservationists in dozens of
countries will mark World Migratory Bird Day on the
weekend of 10-11 May 2008 with concerts, films and
other public events to draw attention to the rising
threat to migratory birds and global biodiversity.

The events will be focussing on one of the world's
most magnificent natural phenomena - bird migration
and the birds' journeys of thousands of miles between
their breeding and wintering grounds. However, the
global celebrations are being overshadowed by a series
of recent reports indicating that the numbers of
migratory birds are declining globally.

Read more here: