I’ve searched for these birds in many European countries without success but finally my luck changed.

The Ruff, the Elton John of the bird world.

During breeding season the male Ruff has a bare colorful face patch, head tufts and a collar of ornamental feathers. These feathers can be red, black or white. All these are lost during non-breeding season.

On a small peninsula called Tisnes near Tromso, Norway, I found a few males that were in full breeding plumage on the few fresh water ponds in the area. I didn’t see any females so they may have been on the nest already.

The small refuge at Tisnes had quite a few other birds:

COMMON EIDER

COMMON RINGED PLOVER

CURLEW

DUNLIN

EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER

EURASIAN WIDGEON

OYSTERCATCHER

WHIMBREL

Annually Ruff are seen in the winter on the south east coast but I still need to find one in the ABA, so until then this will have to do.

Tromso is somewhere I’ll visit again, maybe a little earlier in spring. Thanks Gunna. Ciao for now