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Prestøya in Kirkenes

Prestøya in Kirkenes is a fine locality for visiting bird watchers who have limited time, or who do not have a car at their disposal. The island

lies at walking distance from both Kirkenes centre and the terminal of the shipping line Hurtigruta. Here one can gain a first acquaintance with several of the characteristic species of the area. A nature trail has been laid out with information posters along the whole of the south side of the island.

The small island, Prestøya, is about two kilometres east of the centre of Kirkenes. During the Second

World War a landfill was made over the shallow sound to Prestøya. Later a large shallow area on both sides was filled in and taken into use as a harbour, shopping and industrial area. The Hurtigruta ships stop here daily before setting course southwards towards Bergen. Prestøya is about one kilometre long and 400 metres wide. The central parts of the island are occupied by a housing estate. The Kirkenes hospital, Prestøya old people’s home and two kindergartens are also situated on the island. Even though there are many who live and work on Prestøya, the area can also offer a rich and

varied diversity of birds and mammals. The southern part of the island consists of birch woods with rich herb vegetation. Furthest north, behind the hospital, there is a 50 metre high cliff with lichen and cloudberries. During the last war there was a German cannon battery on top of the cliff. In the bay Prestebukta and on the south side of Prestøya the fjord is shallow, and at low tide extensive mudflats are uncovered. This is an important stopover site for ducks and waders on migration in spring and autumn. Here there are also fine beaches and small grass meadows. From Fugleneset in the south-east a shallow threshold stretches right across the fjord to Svartaksla by

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Prestøya on the right in the photo

© Morten Günther

Prestebukta and Kirkenes hospital

Information sheet for the project «Bird tourism in central and eastern Finnmark», a project part of «The natural heritage as a value creator (M)»

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Jakobsnes. The local currents make this a particularly important foraging area both for fish and seabirds.

Habitat and observation speciesA total of 120 bird species have been recorded on Prestøya. Most species visit the island on migration in spring and autumn, but there are also some species that forage in the fjord in winter. Among the commonest species in the area are Red-throated Diver, Cormorant, Mallard, Common Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Velvet Scoter, Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Arctic Skua, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Arctic Tern, Domestic Pigeon, White Wagtail, Willow Warbler, Great Tit, Magpie, Hooded Crow, Raven, House Sparrow and Mealy Redpoll. The King Eider can usually be seen at Prestøya from the end of December to the end of April. Up to 345 have been seen in the area. In winter the King Eiders prefer to stay out in the middle of the fjord between Prestøya and Jakobsnes, or in the area between Stangskjæret and Svartaksla – either together with Common Eiders or in dense flocks of only their own species. They forage

mainly on sea urchins, mussels, crevice brittlestar, crabs and common starfish which they find at depths of 20-40 metres. The Steller’s Eider is mainly seen at Prestøya on spring migration in April-May. Up to 250 have been recorded in the area, but in recent years the species has unfortunately become scarcer. A few pairs of Kittiwakes still nest in Kjerringstupet immediately west of Prestøya. Glaucous and Iceland Gull appear from time to time in winter. A large colony of Arctic Terns nested until a few years ago on the landfill area, but development and increased traffic has reduced the population to a minimum. Of more uncommon species that have been recorded on Prestøya may be mentioned Great Northern Diver, Bar-headed Goose, Garganey, Surf Scoter, Black-tailed Godwit, Snowy Owl, Hawk Owl and Long-tailed Tit.

AccessPrestøya is an easily accessed area that can offer a diversity of birds throughout most of the year, especially from January until August. The locality is particularly convenient for visitors who have newly arrived at Kirkenes by air or by Hurtigruta. Many of the commonest species can be seen here, and rarer species may appear from time to time. Follow the sign from Kirkenes centre to Prestøya (about two kilometres). On arrival one can park at the hospital or along one of the roads in the area. One has the best view of the shallow areas by parking in Strandveien and walking cautiously through the birch woods down to the shore. A telescope is recommended. There is a nature trail along the whole of the south side of the island. The inner parts of the bay Prestebukta can best be seen from Prestøyveien in the north. It is also possible to climb up onto the crag north of the hospital. From

The tidal zone on the south side of Prestøya Prestøya seen from the west

Bøkfjorden and Sabelskjæret seen from Prestøya

© Morten Günther© Morten Günther

© Morten Günther

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here one has a good view northwards to Sabelskjæret and eastwards to Jakobsnes.

Further informationFive species of seal have been recorded in the inner part of Bøkfjorden: grey seal and common seal appear regularly in the fjord, while bearded seal, ringed seal and harp seal occur more sporadically. Walrus was observed This fact sheet is prepared by Morten Günther

for the first time in Bøkfjorden in March 2013. Red fox and hare are seen regularly on the island, and domestic reindeer can appear during the summer. In common with the rest of the Kirkenes peninsula, all animal and birdlife on Prestøya is protected.