Madagascar Sept. 2016

Madagascar is a micro-continent in the Indian ocean east of Mocambique. This is the fourth-largest island of the world and had in 2012 some 22 million habitants. Capital of Madagaskar is Antananarivo which has approximately 1.6 million habitants. Madagascar had a monarchy until it collapsed in 1872 and became a French colony that lasted until 1960. Today Madagascar is a republic and one of the poorest countries in the world.
A lot of research is ongoing to establish some more knowledge of when the first humans came to this island. Archeological findings has dated the first appearance of people around 2000 BC. A lot of the people on the island today came from Borneo and Indonesia. Most like they crossed the sea using outrigger canoes.

Customs from Borneo and Indonesia can bee seen today. Example is the use of  rickshaw for transport. 

A lot of the people have the same characteristics as seen in these eastern countries. Along the western part of the island there are people coming from the west, Africa.

These smiling kids have their origin from the east.

Madagascar is famous for its remarkable variety of plants and animal species. Evolution had free conditions to take place. 90% of the species found here only exists on this island; i.e endemic.
To understand this uniqueness it is important to look at the geologic development of Madagascar.
Almost in the middle of Godwana land, the ancient Madagascar existed about 182 million years ago. Other present day continents in Godwana was Africa, Antarctica, India and Australia. Then - about 115 - 120 million years ago Madagascar, together with India broke off from eastern Godwana and drifted east and north. Finally, from ca. 88 million years ago Madagascar separated from India and Seychelles.
Madagascar has therefore been separated from other mainlands during this long time span. Some  species here had to wave goodbye to there relatives of the old Godwana land and start their own development. Some species came later, most likely riding on rafts of plants/trees from Africa.
Due to isolation and varying biotope on the island, evolution took place.
Example are the Lemurs, famous to Madagascar, who evolved into different species due to different climate, vegetation and hight above sea level. Another example is the extinct Elephant bird. This was a ten foot tall bird,  a relative to the ostrich seen today in Africa.

One of the locals where willing to dress up and show glued together parts of a genuine egg
from an Elephant bird.  More info: Elephant Bird

The humans arriving Madagascar is the most likely cause for the disappearance of the Elephant Bird. Before the humans came here large parts of the island where covered by rainforest. It has been estimated that 80 - 90% of the rainforest has been lost due to human activity. Lots of plants and wildlife is dependent on the rain forest. Another critical factor is the enormous erosion that takes place also due to lack of trees that binds the water.

Lack of trees leads to enormous erosion of the soil. In the hills seen in the background of
the picture, large cuts can be seen. The river is yellow due to loads of eroded sediments.
Bridge collapse caused by unstable soil and/or an earthquake.

Large collapses of soil can be seen, specially in the central parts of the island. Thick (4-5m) of soil was mostly seen overlying basement rocks. Here huge cuts in the landscape could be seen. Some gullies where cutting the roads. In the western part, in the lower elevated parts of the island, less erosion is evident.



Meeting the people in Madagascar shows that happiness and smiling faces can be independent of how much you own. From sun rise to sun set everybody was working. Most of them cultivating rice but also making building blocks for houses, looking for sapphires in the rivers, fishing or working in mines.

Rice field just outside Antananarivo. The whole family works entire day.

Zebu, the Madagascar cattle is very import for the people here. They use them for work but also for religious purpose. Also very common to find on the dinner table.

Working in the rice field with his Zebu

Chameleons are a "must see" in Madagascar. About 180 known species are found here. Number may still increase as new species are expected to be found. They come in different sizes - from 16 mm and up to ca. 60 cm.

With its very long tongue the chameleon catches its breakfast with high precision. 

An interesting small creature, the famous Giraffe Weevil - about 2.5 cm long (males) is definitely worth meeting. Not easy to find where they live in the rainforest but with a good local guide it can be done.

Giraffe Weevil

Lemurs are specific to Madagascar. The favored hypothesis may be that the early lemurs originated in Africa about 60 million years ago. They must have rafted across the Mozambique channel and diversified into the different species found in Madagascar today.

The jumping lemur - Sifaka. The young need
a firm grip on the mothers back.

The lemur Indri is one of the biggest on Madagascar. Their sound can be heard  some km´s away and can
be compared to the sound created by whales.

Common brown Lemur

The wolly lemur is nocturnal and are normally 30 - 50 cm long. Picture is taken
after dark using ISO of 16000 and a LED flashlight.

There are very few predators on the island. One of them is the Fossa - endemic.
They are 70 - 80 cm long and feed on lemurs.

The Fossa hunt both on the ground and in the trees.

Good bye from magnificent Madagascar

Eagles in Dalen, Telemark

A group of 6 photographers made the 5-6 hour drive from Stavanger to Dalen in Telemark. Dale is a community with approximately 570 habitants. The Municipally, Tokke has a population of ca. 2250. Tokke has traditions back to the viking age.

For a natur photographer Dalen Villmarksenter is certainly a place to visit. The King Eagle is the main attraction here and the chance to see them is high. Dedication for this kind of photography is required as all hours between dark in the morning and dark the evening are spent in the photo hide.

During the stay no disturbing noise or movements are allowed - eagles that do not show up is not good for the photographers.

The area up here is beautiful with mountains and forests. There is, however, an issue with some of the people living here - it seems that they hate wildlife like wolfs, lynx, eagles, wolverine etc. Got the impression they mean the eagles kill the sheep and thereby destroy their community. They also are of the opinion that the low number of grouse in the area is caused by too many eagles. Their solution to the problem is to kill them.

Squirrel in the morning light. Before spending the day in the photo hide for eagles, we had the opportunity to come close
to this one.

Bull fink (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) in a steep dive.

Spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major ) trying to open a nut.
(Flaggspett)

Jay (Garrulus glandarius)  in flight.
(Nøtteskrike)

Squirrels are excellent in jumping.

Coming up from the valley below.

Kongeørn (Aquila chrysaetos) in its right environment..

When the eagle feel save it will approach the food. 

Huge wing area is displayed in the landing phase.

Brown Bears in Finland - feeling of the original Nordic.

Fly to Kajanii and drive 2 1/2 hour to the east and you find yourself on the border to Russia. In Kajanii you can see the old Neo-Gothic church that was build in 1896.
Kuikka base camp is the starting point for wildlife photos. Good food and beds we never used was things to remember. The owner, Lassi Rautainen, could not believe that the Norwegians hesitated to use his sauna. "Perkele helvete" was the expression he used when describing what he ment when nobody wanted to use the sauna one morning.
Photo shooting took place from one of many photo-hides around in the area. Two - three eager photographers are lined up along the front in the hide - bunks in the back. After dark it is just to move  back and sleep the night there -  no need to sleep in the base camp.

Every day, at ca. 16.00 hrs we where divided in groups and transported to the photo hides. There we stayed the night and drove back ca. 8.00 hrs the next the morning.

In the early morning it was very quiet. One could hear the raven sitting in the surrounding forest.
The raven is an expert in making different sounds that brakes the silence. Then it is quiet again.

More ravens suddenly brakes the silence and startes gathering in the dead trees in front of
us. Here they sit and wait for the bear to come and starts tearing apart the meat into small
pieces the ravens can pick up.

Out from the forest the bear enters the scene. Before entering the open the bear
stays partly hidden in the forest and checking the area. After making sure that it
is safe he comes out of the forest. He watches the ravens - they are there and
telling him it is safe to enter.

Standing partly in the forest the bear checks the open area where there is food.

Bear at the lake is impressed by its own mirror.

A wolf is passing in the forest.

Nice scene with trees and bear are reflected in the calm lake.

A sparrowhawk takes to its wings. Something over there to hunt?

Sea eagles are also coming to search for a bite or two.

The bear is a good tree climber. What a beautiful animal we where fortunate to
meet here in the "no mans-land" between Finland and Russia.

Svalbard March 2015

Svalbard on land using snowmobiles to get around became an unforgettable experience. During our fife days we covered ca. 550km. The very nice cabin, Nordenskiold hytta, was used as basecamp.
Leaving Longyearbyen we drove up Adventdalen, through Sassendalen before entering Tempelfjorden. Passing the "ship in the ice" and continued north and finally to our cabin.

Looking out Billefjorden.

This baby seal was born 2 weeks too early. The mother could not be seen during
the time we spent there. Unfortunately this little cute seal did not make it.
Two days later we came back here but it was not there. Probably killed by seagulls
and/or a fox. Nature do not have cute - not cute, beautiful - not beautiful in
its vocabulary.

The first meeting with the polar bear in Tempelfjorden. This young lady
seems to a very effective hunter. Two days before our arrival she had caught a seal.
This morning she caught an other seal.

She never walked far from her pray.

The spectacular glacier in Tempelfjorden.

Svalbard reindeer in Gipsdalen

Our third meeting with the polar bear. This day she was very playful. She was
enjoying herself playing in the snow.

Looking for pray.
Three days after this picture was taken she was killed. Early in the morning
she came into a tent and grabbed one of the tourons out of his sleeping bag.
His friend shot and wounded the bear. People from Sysselmannen came to the site and finally killed
the bear. Most likely the campers did not post a guard outside their tent.
The attacked person only got a few scratches and could see the famous eclipse on March 20th, the polar
bear could not.

Reindeer running in the sunset.

The Tempelfjorden glacier in the mist.

Beautiful light on the tops of this mountain in Billefjorden

Antartica Nov/des 2014

After a long travel via Buenos Aires could we finally set our feet in Ushuaia, a town by the Beagle Channel. On the south side of the channel could we see Chile.

Crossing the Drake Passage in better weather conditions than feared.
Petrel is playing with the waves.

Fin whale crossing our course.

Welcome to Antartica.

Nice evening in the Antartica.

Good looking ice construction.

Chin strap penguin.

Gatherning in the morning light.

What an evening.

Gentoo penguin collecting building material.

Come on    left - right.

Weddel seal

Jumping Gentoo.

Blue eyed cormorant.

Adele penguins.

Last one in is ..........

Hi there !

Big jump.

Weddel seal

Gentoo penguin.