Oyster catchers (fin. Meriharakka, nor. tjeld, lat. Haematopus ostralegus) are funny little shore birds nesting close to the shore in Northern Norway. They nest also inland, at least in Middle Asia. The species is not found from Svalbard. They are very shy and thus difficult to photograph with a 280 mm lens. This explains the poor quality. Another one:
I was supposed to write about how much fun I had this spring with skiing activities in a perfect weather, but then I realized that I haven't taken any photos during the trips. This is because my fancy camera is too heavy and bulky to carry around. Stories about activities must wait until I get a compact camera. A feeding mallard instead:
This must be that famous dry nerdy humour...However, the spring went pretty nicely by skiing and working. Now the field season is knocking on the door again. I have to fly to Svalbard and do some experiments with...gmph...clam sperm.
Yea, it sounds like a joke, but this all has a fancy scientific reasoning. I'll write more about the reasoning during the experiments from Longyearbyen.
Adios for now.
Finally, it's time to materialize some plans. It was a difficult choice, since there were too many good options, but now the decision is made. There is no turning back any more. Instead of travelling and exploring the world, I am going to concentrate on science. Uhm...yes, science. The offer and current conditions in Tromsø were too good to reject.
I singed a four-year contract, which makes me a PhD student at University of Tromsø. I am going to study bivalves living in Svalbard waters. There were several reasons for this. For a longer time I have been working to become a research diver. If everything goes as planned, this project gives me the necessary experience to become one. In addition, I am interested in marine biology. This project had all the elements and possibilities, which I was interested in. Also the advisers for the project are the best one can have. Furthermore, if I manage to play my cards right this should not drop me off from the seabird science or logistics either.
Tromsø is probably one of the best places to live for a person like me. Nature is close and possibilities for activities almost endless. Diving is excellent, as long as one can cope with the temperature. I have also many good friends living in here, which were turning the balance favourable for my decision...and, finally, uh, there was a girl...
There were all the elements I wanted. It just was the best offer I would ever get. I had to take it.
Next four years will not be that much of exploring around the world, but hopefully even more exploring the world around me. Thus, I am not going to change the name of this blog, but I'll keep writing somewhat irregularly about miscellaneous topics from science to private life and activities...And the most important thing: I won't give up with the photography! My next investment will be an underwater casing for my camera, so I can start posting photos from those waters here as well.
Although, there was no money for field work this summer, with kind help from my former NPI boss, we somehow managed to fix an extra long one with a month's adventure around the archipelago. The plan is here: I am going to travel to Longyearbyen in end of April and will conduct some experiments (more about those later). After the experiments, I'll hang out there until the end of June helping in the bird project, again, and collecting samples for our projects. In July I'll go for a month's sailing trip to count nesting seabirds in the largest colonies on Svalbard. I should be back in Tromsø in August. Especially the bird counting trip is supposed to become exciting. No complaints about sampling around Longearbyen either.
The bus thunders past snowy landscape: low birches, candle like spruces, endless marches, small wooden huts and occasional fields. We have left gray town of Muonio behind some time ago. Soon the houses will disappear. There is very little human housing in “The Arm” which makes North Western end of Finland. It's hardly past two o'clock, but I can already feel the night that is falling. The light sneaks away slowly. Almost too slowly to notice. The bus stops at a post box. The driver throws a newspaper into the big mouthed post box. I feel the urge to yawn. Normally so inviting wild-mark feels depressing. Cold and lonely. I am sitting alone in the Kilpisjärvi post bus heading towards Tromsø and my new job – alone in the whole big modern bus apart from the bus driver. This state has continued over 200 kilometers for now. At the best there were two other people in the bus. Why on the Earth they are operating this route with a full-sized bus every day?
Autumn drifted past like a mist. I just couldn't grab it. Harder I tried, more I failed. Everything felt unreal – like a dream. Things didn't go as I planned. I had thought to go for a trip somewhere south, but I got stuck. It's a story it's own. My life has been so organized before. I have always had a plan for next few months. There has always been a goal to pursue. This time there were none. It drained my motivation and ate my dedication. I had little time to write. Even less motivation.
Haven't written here since October, I see. Haven't taken a single photo since I left Svalbard. What can I say? Sometimes one needs to stop running and look at the world around, I guess. But I am not sure, if I would like to do it again. I didn't see much and learned even less. Or maybe I just didn't like what I saw. I was made for running.
Now times have changed. Now I have a goal, again. I have got a job. A project, I shouldn't fail. It's a time to wake up the dedication. It's a time to continue writing. More about the project and future plans later on.
Read more...
Early September on Svalbard. There was still autumn in the valleys, but mountain tops were filled with a fresh snow and crystal-like ice. Before forgetting Svalbard for this season, it's good to go back for a short while and look at some landscape shots around the archipelago. Svalbard - views and atmosphere:
Posts
All Comments
