Rare birds in Arctic Svalbard

This video from Canada says about itself:

This is a male (in full breeding plumage) and a female Lapland Longspur seen in the Victoria B.C. area

The site Birds of Svalbard and Jan Mayen has interesting updates about birds in the Arctic.

On 30 May, they reported a female Lapland longspur, not far from Longyearbyen, the capital of Svalbard. This is an Arctic species. But, usually, Svalbard is a bit too Arctic, even for Lapland longspurs.

In Isdammen lake on Spitsbergen island, also on 30 May, there was a group of six male teal. Also a northern Eurasian species; but, usually, not so far to the north. So, also a rare species for Svalbard.

This is a teal video.

Finally, in the Adventdalen valley in Svalbard, a pectoral sandpiper. This is a migratory wader, breeding in the colder regions of North America and East Asia, and wintering in South America and Oceania. Also very rare in Svalbard.

This is a pectoral sandpiper video. The bird was filmed on spring migration in Norway; amidst dunlins and a ringed plover.

Svalbard bird photos: here.

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