Beachcombing in northern Norway

Beachcombing is not so simple in our area–most of the shore is rock. There are a variety of clams, whelks and we learned that little sand trails come from lugworms. (Amanda is our visiting marine biologist.) There is still a lot to look at when there is a sandy spot, and a surprising quantity of junk along the high tide line. Most of it probably washes in from boats, garbage escaping from the ferry, etc., but some is local. Originally, I said that the person who found a piece of narwhal tusk would be the beachcombing champion. After we arrived, I looked up narwhal and found they live in Canada and Greenland and are nowhere to be found in Norway. No narwhal for me. In any case, our first day walking along the rocky shore in Kjerstad, Jonathan took the prize for the entire Norway beachcombing season, by finding this:

A blown glass float in its netting. I concede.

Today we woke up to 9 degrees C (48 degrees F), howling wind and rain. When it let up we went exploring to the nearest town with a store, Ramsund, only about 35 minutes drive (vs. a hour to the next closest store). We bought more fishing tackle (fishing post soon) and picnicked in the car (still cold out). We saw a new bird, too. A redwing.

In the late afternoon, the rain stopped and we went for a walk along the shore near Kjerstad, just looking at the birds, the new snow on the mountains that surround us, naval vessels going by, beachcombing. Then I made my find:

The reindeer skull and antlers are in a place of honor on the shed roof. The beachcombing stakes have gone up. Who knows what we will find next!