The Impossible Shot - Amazing Bird Photography in Norway - 2 Weeks Adventure, Birds of Prey, Camping
Okay, Morten. Can you see it? Do you see it? Where do you want me to look? The white rocks over there. And there is a tree behind it. Look at the top of the tree. Oh, yes. I see it. Oy, oy, oy, oy.
Do you hear it? Beep, beep, beep, beep. Yes, he's sitting and waiting for the food. Yeah, yeah. This is the perfect place to do this. Morten, I have a plan. If luck is in our favor, maybe you can get the best shot of the osprey. Oh, oh I would love that.
But first there's lots of preparation to do. Okay, I'm looking so much forward to that. I've traveled to Norway to visit a friend of mine, who's an expert in attracting and filming wildlife.
His name is Jostein Hellevik. Together with his wife Maj-Lena, he moved to the most beautiful location in the heart of Telemarken. This is actually the location, where BBC and National Geographic has filmed some of their amazing videos of eagles and ospreys. I metJostein for the first time about a year ago, when I was here to photograph birds from his photo blinds. And what started out as me just wanting to spend some days making a video about bird photography turned out in a quite unexpected way. Our passion for nature and our priorities in life was probably, what started the conversations.
And Josteins huge knowledge about wildlife, and his enthusiasm in helping me getting the best possible photos, changed my trip from being a solo adventure into us working as a team. Yes. Now, I'm just really looking forward to spending some time with Jostein.
And then I am so excited to see, if we actually managed to get some good photos of that osprey. I did that actually with my dad, when I was a kid, and we were catching the dinner out on a fiord in Denmark. Now we are doing it here in Norway to hopefully catch some fish for the osprey.
If the osprey is there. And if the osprey will come and take them. We are kind of lucky now Morten. It stopped raining.
And you know, that's the best fishing weather you can get. I think, we are lucky. Good to go. I'm crossing my fingers, that this plan, that Jostein has made, that it will somehow work. But the last time I was with him, it worked, when we were photographing the jay and the hawk and the squirrels. So I have no reason to not believe in this plan as well.
I'm putting pressure on you. I feel the pressure, yeah. I think, we can be hopefull, that the fish will come in.
Oh, it's nice. I would love to spend the entire day exploring this area. But unfortunately there's no time for that. Jostein needs my help on the farm, because there's an important job to do.
Something that just can't wait. Honk, honk. Then, of course, they have to run ahead all the way.
We are actually in a hurry. But the sheeps don't seem to care a whole lot. But I really think, they would, if they knew, what this was all about.
The hay for the sheeps and the horses has been cut a while ago. And it has been drying on the field for some weeks now. This might be the last day without rain. And we need to get it inside the barn, before it's too late.
Jostein only has a small piece of land with hay. And it is not worth it to get a big machine and a tractor for just that. Instead we are doing it the old way. Which by the way is also much more fun.
With the hay in the barn, it's time to relax. Because we have to get up early tomorrow. We need to check our fishing nets just before sunrise.
And there's a very good reason for that, which I'll explain to you once we get there. Our plan was actually to get to bed early. But as always with Jostein and me, there was so much to talk about.
And so many stories that needed to be told. Yes, wow. This was the one thing, that we really, really, really needed.
This was perfect. Wow, look at that. I want to eat it myself.
Perfect. Look at this. This is absolutely, what we need. This is the best, we can get. The reason why we out here, so early in the morning, is because the first thing the osprey will do, when he opens his eyes in the morning, is to say, I'm hungry, I want breakfast.
And then he flies out to catch a fish. And it can happen, that if there are fish in the net, and he comes and see them, he will go to dive, and get caught in the net. We have fish in the boat. The net in the boat. Mission completed. Now that we have the fish, we are ready for the next step. And that is to see, if we can acally attract that osprey.
If the fish are gone, when we come tomorrow, we don't know, if it's the heron or the cranes. But we need to know for sure, if the osprey is here. And whether it is the osprey, who's taking the fish. This location is selected, because it's far away from the nest.
We simply want to make an invitation for the eagle, so he can decide, if he wants to come here or not. He can choose. He can choose. But the good thing is regardless, what we do, we will not ruin the family life in the nest over there. He's left alone in this beautiful land.
And if we are lucky, we get rewarded with the photos. If not - we have not destroyed anything. So that's good. That's has to be that way. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's no other way on that. Should we get them up? Yes, we try it.
This is extremely exciting. I've never tried this before. I've never photographed an osprey. And for me it seems so unreal, that it will come here and take the fish, but... Hello, hello. That's it. Yes. Yes.
Let's hope, it's perfect now. Have you turned it on? Yes. I was just asking, if he had turned it on. Because I have tried many times to put up a game camera, and then when I come the day after, it's still on standby.
It's a bad feeling. Been there myself. But I can assure you, that camera is on. Let's hope the battery hold. I just cross my fingers and everything, that can be crossed, that this plan will work. We have done everything, we can.
Now the rest is up to the big boss - the osprey. And the only thing we can do now, is to wait and hope. Yes, we're hoping. Time to get home. It was good. Oh! Is that the one for water or for peeing? It looked like a tea cup.
But you have to work a long time with it. Yeah. Well, yesterday the water level was there. Now the water level has risen due to the weather. But we could have a big problem now with the camera sitting there.
What Jostein is just telling me now is, that we might have a problem with the cameras. It has been pouring down with rain the entire night. And that means, that the water level in this lake has been rising continuously overnight.
Because our cameras are tied to sticks, that are in the bottom of the lake, if we are unlucky the water has done just like that, and we might have lost our cameras. We need to get out. If the osprey has not taken these fish by now... Kind of have a challenge. Because what else can we do? We can't make a big sign saying: Here are fish, come and take them. So there's nothing, we can do to force that osprey to come down.
We can just make the invitation for the osprey. These trousers here are supposed to be waterproof. But I can tell you - they are not. I can just feel, how water is running down my leg, down in my boots. And my underwear is soaked.
Can you see any fish? I can't. I can't see the fish, but I think, I see one camera. The one on the rock. You see the one on the rock. Oh, there's the other one. I don't see any fish. There. We have all the cameras. We have all the cameras.
But do you see any fish? No. No, I can't see any fish. Oh, this is nice. Now I feel we are 100% sure, that there is an eagle here.
There are an osprey here. Because all the fish are gone. So - perfect Jostein. I think, we maybe can not shoot up "the Happy New New Year" rockets. Because there is other guys here, who like fish.
You have the little fellow. Do you know the black one? Looks like a kind of a weasel. Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. There's only one thing, that can go wrong now. And that is, that cameras are not working. Or the bird, or whatever has taken the fish, has come so fast, that it has not had the time to trigger. But let's get the cameras up and see. Oh, crossing fingers. Yeah.
Hey! Yes, there's something flapping around. It looks like a great cormorant might be sitting on it. Ah. You see, those trees there, are those trees there. Oh, yeah. Okay, time for the next. Hello. It was the one, we had to tie together, for it to be there.
It's almost torture. I just want to get into this camera, and see the photos. And then everything is just tied so hard together. So here we go. Okay.
Christmas evening. I want to look. Hey, hey, hey, hey. What was that? What was that? There it was. Did you see that? Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Wasn't it the eagle? Yes, I believe, it was. There. Yes. There. It is the eagle. Wow. Yes, yes. You're right.
And there it was again. Number 2. Super. Hey. Listen!
Oh, look! There it is! This day just keeps getting better, and better, and better, and better, and better. When I visited Jostein last year, we witnessed a crime scene. Oh, shit! Someone or something was killing his pigeons. I'll go and get Jostein. Oh, something happened.
Oh, this is a crisis. Look at this! And this one too. We set up trail cameras, but had no luck in capturing the guilty one. And when I left Norway, we still had this unsolved mystery.
Who was the pigon thief? Jostein now has the answer. And this evening he is going to share the story with me. It was a huge surprise.
The precise camera and then figure out, who came into that building. It was unbelievable. To figure out who the thief was, Jostein mounted survay cameras with infared light in the pigeons house and left them overnight. When he picked them up the next morning and watched, what they had captured, he got a big surprise. It was a tawny owl. A tawny owl. And it's the very first time.
It has never been here before. It was not the marten or any other mammal. It was an owl. This was a challenge.
Because how could he prevent the owl from coming in without blocking the pigeon's access to the outside? This was simply not possible. Then he got the idea. But then I remembered the solution was so easy. It's all about light. What is it, that owls don't like, when hunting? He simply left the light on during night. And that did the trick. It was much simpler than, I thought.
So now they're enjoying themselves? Yes, yes. I've never seen it again. It's so good. The owl has not been visiting the pigeons ever since. And once again everything is peacefull and safe in the pigeon's house.
We had to get up at 4:00 this morning. And we went to bed just before 2. So a little more than 2 hours of sleep.
We just agreed, that it's not quite enough. But we have to get out before sunrise. Perfect. Now when we are here, this is beautiful. Good luck to you. Okay.
Have to find a place to set up the photo blind. But this it's not, what I want. Just need to be a little more dry. Now Jostein has placed the fish, so I have to be really quick. Because he says, the osprey can come every second.
So yeah. Perfect. Now Jostein is in place in the other blind. Jostein told me, that the sound, we're listening for is beep, beep, beep... If we hear that sound, it's the osprey, that has decided that: Oh, I've seen the fish, I've seen it, I want it , I want it, and then it comes down, so... The camera is ready.
The fish are placed out there. Now it's just to wait and hope for the osprey. Yeah. There's just one sound, I really want to hear. And that's the beep, beep, beep. Just really, really, really want to get my first photo of that osprey.
So yeah. Everything comes to the one that waits. Do you hear it? It is up there. It's circling around.
Oh. I don't dare to move this, because I don't want to scare it. I wish... I want to film it. It's flying back again. Damn it. It'll probably come back.
Now. I'm ready. Here it comes. No, it was sad I'm kind of sad. Because everything here is so beautiful today.
And the worst case scenario for me just happened. The osprey was coming. Everything was as planned. He was high up, looking down, spotting the fish. Took a couple of circle around. And everything is just, how it should be.
And then suddenly, he decided to leave the area. He left us. And I can't figure out why.
I know we have good camouflage. I know, Morten can behave in the hide. So it's not me, and it's not Morten. But he decided to leave the area. And nothing more is going to happen today.
Today is finished. Oh, and I hate to tell Morten the bad news. Oh.
Hey, Jostein. Hi, Morten. Hey. You'll get some bad news... Yeah.
Ah. I don't think, there's no point in going on any longer. Why did that osprey not come down to take the fish? It did actually see the fish.
Because it was circling around, and it made, its beep, beep, beep sound. But as Jostein says, it must be scared of something. On the way home in the boat we talked about what to do. And our conclusion was, that the osprey needs at least 3 days to get used to our blinds. The challenge though is, that the photo blinds on land is just the first step in Josteins strategy to get me very close to the osprey.
And we simply do not have the time to spend 3 more days on, what he calls level 1. So we are taking a chance now by skipping this first level. And while it is a bit risky, we do actually gain some extra days. Days that allow the osprey to hopefully get used to, what we are about to set up tomorrow. Then this one's for you.
So out here in the corners. They just need to be set down in the... Into that stiffener here. Exactly. Now we are ready to drop the floating hide. This is the final. I have to admit, that if this plan is working, I then believe in luck.
Goodbye little friend. Oy, oy, oy. I am really excited about this. The most important now is to let the osprey get used to that thing in the water. It's a small step, but this is a really important step. And if this is going well, then it give us a big bonus. Jostein is telling me the tale about two men, who rode to the other side of the fiord at wintertime, and stranded up there, because of a terrible weather.
Unable to get back by boat, and without sufficient supplies, they had only one choice. And that was to climb the 750 m high mountain. And walk all the way along the ridge to get back to the village. Then Jostein asks me, if I'm up for a challenging adventure.
He suggests, that while waiting for the osprey to get used to our floating hides, we could follow these two men in their footsteps. And try to climb the exact same mountain. At the same route that they must have taken. Because there's only one possible way up without climbing equipment. Yes, and now there's 2 m. I'm coming from a country, where the highest point is less than 200 m.
I'm just so glad, that Jostein is bringing me here. He's probably thinking about, how do I get that danish guy up to that top without him dying? So... Now Morten we have been friends and done lots of things. Now you're going to do some hard stuff. 750 m straight away. That will push us.
Let's get the backpacks on. And let's hit that track. When I was sitting in the boat on our way to this mountain, my thoughts were circling around that osprey. And why it decided to fly away.
I really, really hope we'll be more lucky, when we get back. But now it's not the time to think about that. I want to be present and focus on this hike. And luckily there's nothing better to clear the mind than hard work. This is a good example on a special flower living in this nice place with a big... They have so much sun.
And so much minerals coming down from the mountain. So this is a not a flower, you will find anywhere. Just places like this. It's beautiful. Oy, oy, oy, oy.
Oh, it looks like something very beautiful from Lord of the Ring. Yeah. Like that. Oh. And we're going up there. And then further behind and further up. We have the most difficult part ahead of us.
Because it's quite steep up there. Everyone in out country think that the Norway troll is just a fake. But this is the place, where they are living. In that mountain. Oh, shit. Do you think, he will allow us to go up? Oh, yeah. We are going up on the left side. Look - it's so beautiful.
It was just lying here. Like a skeleton from a raven. I want to bring that home. Because it's a good memory from a very, very nice trip. So it's going to be on my shelf back in Denmark on my little farm. So now I want to secure it some place in my backpack.
We have estimated the trip to be around 8 hours. And with only 4 hours to sunset, and the most challenging part ahead of us, the clock has started ticking. We really need to reach the top and find a campsite before, it's getting dark. Because we will not be able to find a safe route in the dark. And none of us wish to get stuck in this terrain. Can you grab that? Shall we lift both of them? Yes.
There's not much space in that cave. Super. And it was good timing. We need that now. To fill up some gasoline. That was nice.
I love this. You're going to such strange places. And you see a flower, you have never seen before. So I have to document it. Super. It's not that you have 10 choices.
You kind of have to find your way up, because most of the places are just too steep. I have no clue, how many hike meters we have left. But one thing is for sure.
Every time we take a step that goes up, we're getting closer to the top of the mountain. Okay. There is my best friend from Denmark coming on the top of the mountain.
Really good. Super. This is perfect timing. Because I have to admit, I'm out of energy. I am extremely proud of you.
This is not for anyone. Yeah, look at this. The evening sun.
It's perfect. Now, Morten, it's time for a bonfire and something delicious. Yes, before it gets dark, we need to find some water. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This is a proof of hard work.
Damn, that's good. It's also amazing to see the valleys down there. Just sitting up here, looking out at what we can see. Good morning.
We have had a good night sleep. There is Jostein. Just got up also. And hey Jostein. Good morning, Morten. Have you had a good night? Yeah.
And you? Yeah. Perfect. Time to get out from the hammock. A new day is ahead of us.
And what I'm looking forward to right now, is the morning coffee. It's just a matter of balancing the quantity. I think, it fits there. Oh, is it good? Yeah. Oh, that's so perfect. Oy.
Cheers. Cheers. I've been thinking about the osprey. Yes, I have too. Yes.
During the night, I've been thinking. And I've come up with it. Perhaps the entire solution to... It turns out, that I'm not the only one here, who has been thinking about the osprey.
Jostein is now telling me, that he might have thought out a new way to present the fish to the osprey. A way it just can't resist. The floating hide has now been at the lake for almost 3 full days. And the osprey will surely have got used to it, by the time we get there. This is a very exciting way of working with photography, I think. It is like a puzzle.
Where all the different parts have to be in place and fit together. If this new strategy will work or not... Well - only time will tell. Need help? No, no. It's going well. Everything is set now. I can see, there's coming in some fog.
That will just look beautiful. And Morten, he is ready in the floating hide. So now it's all up to the big boss - the osprey.
This morning is magical. It looks amazing. I hope, I hope, I hope the osprey will come. We can never relax. We need to watch out everywhere. Things can be happening really fast.
I'm sitting now on the other side of Morten. About... Maybe 150-200 m. It's really nice for me to see Morten now. He's so excited about this. I can see it in his eyes, that he's almost like a child. So I really cross my fingers, that he will succeed now. I would say, it's cold for him to stay in the water, but I don't think, he notice it.
Oh, it's cold. It's really getting cold. I don't know, how many hours.
I think around 4 hours now. And the water is not warm. Jostein is sitting over there.
And he is covering a slightly different angle. And he also have a better chance of filming them. When they are coming down diving. And when they are flying away.
When we put our things together, I think, we are good. But if we get something. If that sound beep, beep, beep, beep is coming...
It all break loose. Everything is happening really fast. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Perfect. Super. That was nice.
This is a crazy experience. This is just amazing. I'm so happy. My first photos of an osprey this close up. We just had some amazing minutes with the osprey that came down. Took the fish and gone to the little ones. I think, Morten must have wild photos now.
We are so lucky. Wow. That was really nice. Just without warning this last time. He said beep once and then [sound]. Sometimes I lost him. Yeah. But he turned around, came again, and gave me a new chance.
Yes. And the photo I was looking for, when he shook himself. Yeah. It's so good. It's time for us to relax.
And get some heat. Make a fire. Something nice. Yeah. And we can make a new little plan for tomorrow. Yeah, definitely.
Yeah, this was great. What an amazing experience this was. Not only did I get my first photos of an osprey taking a fish. We were also blessed with the most amazing light. And then on top of it all the fog, that made the whole scenery magic. I have to admit, that if this was the end of my trip to Norway, I would be more than happy.
And I honestly do not feel, there's any more, I can ask for. Jostein on the other hand is just as happy for today's result. But he says, that we are now ready for the final level.
And that if the plan for tomorrow works, I will get a rare opportunity to make some very unique photos of this fascinating bird. This is going to be good. Then it's time for dinner. Check it out. It looks delicious. It's good food, if we can ask for a salad.
A good... Then this is okay. Og then it's healthy. I guess it can't... Oh, that kind of thing - I love that. Now Jostein is leaving for his position. He's on the other side of the lake.
Good luck. Thank you, Morten. Good luck to you too. And here's the little floating hide. Look who's here. Preparing the thing.
Here is the fish. Let's get in. My goal for today is to catch the osprey, when it's coming and circles around, and diving down to Morten straight in the front of the hide. And another goal is, when the osprey is coming up from the dive, I hope, that he can fly my way. And I will try to film it in slow motion.
So we can just hope, that it will happen. We are not sure at all. I can hear the osprey. This is spooky.
Oh, super. Now we just had a super dive right in front of Morten. I'm so happy for him. I show you. This is from my spot.
Wow. I think, he is smiling big now. He must smile now. That was crazy. I got such a fright. Because there's no way, I could see it. Because it was so fast.
And then suddenly I hear [sound]. And I was too late. But I got just, when it hit the water. Wow, it was nice. Look at this.
My heart is pumping right now [sound]. Wow, look at this. Here he's coming flying. Starting to plan, how he going to catch the fish. Wow.
Perfect. Starting soon. There. He's starting. Ah, it's perfect. I'm so happy. Oh.
Hello, Morten. That was a great success. Wow, yes it was. And he was flying against the sun here.
And shaking when the water was floating around. Perfect. That was teamwork. Ah.
I've had osprey up close. I've had osprey hammering down the water in front of me. I've had osprey flying with a fish. And as always in nature photography every time I got one good photo, I saw 3 photos, that I did not get. But isn't it just, how it is? And isn't that just, what keeps us going out again and again and again? Chasing that perfect photo.
So one thing is for sure. I have plenty of good photos of the osprey. But I'm definitely coming back to do this together with Jostein. I hope you enjoyed going on this trip with Jostein Hellevik and me. See you out there.
Bye-bye. Even though I put a plastic bag on the microphone, I'm having trouble. You know, people are calling these dead cats. Now it's a dead, wet cat.
I would like to use a precapture. The problem with that is, it's too much contrast. I need to shoot N-RAW, so that I can recover the low, the highlights maybe, and lift the whadows. I was thinking about just bringing that drone on the trip, because it's light.
But then in the evening the Mavic 3 Classic... I thought, that would be better in low light. And also slightly better image quality. On a rainy day like this it is difficult.
Because 2 minutes filming, and the lens and everything will be soaked. All things packed. Z9. 24-70. Here. 180-600.
Yes, it's fine. This is happy hour. Yeah. This is happy hour.
2024-01-05 11:18
