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Overview
A chain of hundreds of islands, most of which are uninhabited, off the coast of Nordland in northern Norway which despite being within the Arctic Circle are green and fertile due to the influence of the Gulf Stream.
Birds
Notable Species
The southernmost of the group are the main interest for birders and in particular the Rost Archipelago, grass-covered with steep cliffs and vast breeding colonies of Northern Fulmar, European Storm-petrel and Leach's Storm-petrel, Shag and Kittiwake.
Auks breed in good numbers, Atlantic Puffin are the most numerous but there are also Razorbill, Common Guillemot, Brunnich's Guillemot and Black Guillemot. Other breeding seabirds include Arctic Skua, gulls, Common Tern and Arctic Tern and there are also Common Eider and various waders.
White-tailed Eagle can be seen all year, especially on Vedoy, Rough-legged Buzzard occurs in summer and Gyr Falcon in winter. Also in winter there are Purple Sandpiper and Snow Bunting with King Eider and Yellow-billed Diver offshore. The nearby and slightly larger island of Vaeroy also has breeding auks and Kittiwake.
Langoya and Andoya, larger islands to the north, have extensive areas of coastal meadows and mudflats which attract Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Goose and Barnacle Goose during passage periods. Northern Gannet is common on Andoya.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Yellow-billed Diver, Slavonian Grebe, Northern Fulmar, European Storm-petrel, Leach's Storm-petrel, European Shag, Northern Gannet, Grey Heron, Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Greylag Goose, Barnacle Goose, Common Teal, Tufted Duck, Common Eider, King Eider, Steller's Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander, White-tailed Eagle, Rough-legged Buzzard, Merlin, Gyr Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Willow Grouse, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Eurasian Golden Plover, Northern Lapwing, Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruff, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Red-necked Phalarope, Arctic Skua, Long-tailed Skua, Great Skua, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Glaucous Gull, Iceland Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Arctic Skua, Common Guillemot, Brunnich's Guillemot, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Atlantic Puffin, Common Cuckoo, Common Swift, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Eurasian Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Willow Warbler, Willow Tit, Great Tit, Common Magpie, Hooded Crow, Northern Raven, Common Starling, Brambling, European Greenfinch, Twite, Northern Redpoll, Snow Bunting, Reed Bunting
Other Wildlife
Whale-watching is becoming increasingly popular in this area and trips can be arranged on Andoya to see Minke Whale, Killer Whale and Sperm Whale among others and a range of seabirds can be seen.
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
To do
Access and Facilities
The Rost Group can be reached by air or regular boat from Bodo on the mainland and there is guest-house and hired hut accommodation available on the main island of Rostlandet.
Bodo can be reached by road, rail or air from Oslo.
Alternatively, visitors can sail from Moskenesoy on the mainland to Vaeroy and from there to Rost.
Contact Details
To do
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
