Herdlevær 25 January 2026 - A flurry of activity

Another cold and calm day.  My second walk at Herdlevær this year started well but soon went back to something along the lines of same, same. However, stops on the way there and on the way home proved to be quite productive.

Almost the first bird to be seen at Herdlevær was a Kestrel tårnfalk being mobbed by Hooded Crows kråke. Other stuff here included a flock of 11 Fieldfare gråtrost, a Great Northern Diver islom and of course some White-tailed Eagles havørn.

Great Northern Diver islom

After this I did Breivik hoping to find some non-frozen ground which didn't work out well, but the first local Great Spotted Woodpecker flaggspett of the year, an obliging Wren gjerdesmett and small numbers of thrushes were seen.

Wren gjerdesmett

Compared to some previous winters there still seem to be "good" numbers of Wren surviving. Lets hope for mild weather in the immediate future!

Other highlights during the day included a couple of Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin, five Woodcock rugde at three locations, a Water Rail vannrikse and small numbers of Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb.

I was on my way home with the light fading when I heard about a goose that needed checking out. It was "just" an albifrons Whitefront tundragås but always nice to see and a great find - the bird had been present for "some days".  As  was in the neighbourhood I checked Blomvatnet but this was frozen solid - however, a nice Goshawk hønsehauk made it all worthwhile:)

albifrons Whitefront tundragås at Blomvåg

Robin rødstrupe must also be struggling - but I see some a long way away from any kind of feeding and they seem to be making it so far....

Uber camo - one of the day's five Woodcock rugde. I'm wondering if we should start feeding them - not the kind of weather for this kind of bird at the moment

Øygarden 20-24 January 2026 - A trickle of new species

The weather turned colder, basically calm and sunny but freezing temperatures at least at night.

On 20th January I spent a few hours out in a boat with a couple of friends, there was still too much swell for productive birding in the best places so a few inshore locations were visited. Duck numbers are just a shadow of what they were when I first moved out to Øygarden. Oslofjord gets a lot of attention in the media as it is "dead" (a serious overhype n my opinion) but here in the west things too have also deteriorated alarmingly with no mention of the serious decline in birds and other species. Ling-tailed Duck havelle numbers used to be in the low 100's. These days we are lucky to see over 20 or 30. 

A flock of around 40 Long-tailed Ducks havelle were thus a welcome sight. A lone Velvet Scoter sjøorre, a couple of Common Scoter svartand, a single Curlew storspove and a Black Guillemot teist were in the Tvisloket area along with several White-tailed Eagle havørn.

Heading south past Nautnes and through Langsund was rather quiet bird wise with just a single Common Gull fiskemåke of minor interest. An Oystercatcher tjeld at Alvheim was new for the year and at Solberg a Lapwing vipe flew over - the first for 2026:)

Curlew storspove at Tvisloket - smaller numbers than usual appear to be overwintering here

Heron gråhegre in Alveheimsundet

Flyover Lapwing vipe at Solberg

Long-tailed Ducks havelle, at least at photogenic as Long-tailed tit stjertmeis

An Otter eating a Butterfish (tangsprell). Picture taken from my terrace once I was safely back at work...

One of many White-tailed Eagles havørn seen.

With life returning to normal I only managed a short trip out on 21st January. 

I found a well hidden Woodcock rugde and manged to take a few pictures from a distance without flushing it.  At Tjeldstø I saw my first Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke of the year as well as another Woodcock rugde, a White-tailed Eagle havørn and a flock of Fieldfare gråtrost.

A walk at dusk produced several Woodcock rugde, a Water Rail vannriskse and both Wren gjerdesmett and Robin rødstrupe feeding well past bedtime. The latter was using streetlights to extend its foraging time.

The cold conditions are taking a toll, here a dead Grey Heron gråhegre at a freshwater locality - I'm not sure why this happens as it seems like there is plenty of food in the sea that should be available to the Herons.

Woodcock rugde showing its extremely good camouflage. These pictures were taken at a safe distance without flushing the bird and are heavily cropped. Look for the eye! 

White-tailed Eagle havørn at Tjeldstø

The following day I was barely out of the house. A nice flock of Parrot Crossblls furukorsnebb gave great views after they had quenched their thirst at one of the few available areas of unfrozen water. They did not hang around and I only managed an almost record shot.....

Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb at Tjeldstø

A Willow Tit granmeis at Hovden was another new species for the year, small numbers of this species have been observed in Øygarden recently.

An extended trip to Skogsøy on 24th was something of an anticlimax with just a Great Northern Diver islom feeding in the bay, a Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke and barely the usual suspects. The drive home produced a couple of Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a Water Rail vannrikse.

Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin

Øygarden 17-19 January 2026 - Calm and mild

Temperatures have risen to 5-6C and there has been very little wind, so apart from some reduced visibility on some days conditions have been ideal. Although the ground seems to be thawing fast freshwater remains largely frozen over. Hopefully the Snipe and Woodcock are managing to get some feeding in before the next cold period:)

On Saturday17th I did my first walk of the year at Herdlevær, one of the first birds seen here was a Snipe enkeltbekkasin - out in a field instead of in a tiny stream for once. The best bird was a lone Black-headed Gull hettemåke - a scarce winter visitor locally. A Great Northern Diver islom, a Velvet Scoter sjøorre and the usual suspects were seen.

A few Whoopers sangsvane were back in place - indicating that they have been somewhere close during the recent big freeze. 

In the afternoon I went fishing for the first time in 2026, quite a few fish of three species but only a couple of dinners worth of keepers. A Great Northern Diver islom was ample compensation for the lack of big fish:)

Great Northern Diver islom at Sture

On 18th there was some fog so visibility was not the best. I had a quick look at Hellesøy which gave a nice Little Auk alkekonge and a Great Northern Diver islom. I also gave Hjelme West a go but the fog proved challenging. A flock of five Razorbill alke flew in and a Great Northern Diver islom fished offshore here too. 

Little Auk alkekonge at Hellesøy

A Sparrowhawk spurvehauk in my garden was the first I've seen locally this year..

It was back to work on 19th but whilst on the phone I spotted two Otters feeding just off my terrace and whilst I watched these a Shelduck gravand flew in! This is the first January record for Øygarden according to the national database.

Shelduck gravand at Nautnes

I also took some video and pics using digiscoping techniques - they were better quality than these long range images from my point and pray.

I did a quick trip out and it was much of the same with Great Northern Diver islom here and there, At Sæle Little Auk alkekonge and Razorbill alke as well as a Velvet Scoter sjøorre and over 30 Long-tailed Duck havelle were present.

Øygarden 10.01-16-01-2026 - Birding therapy

Tough times on the home front😪 so kind of hard to keep going. This week some birding has helped take my mind off things as it has done before during some of life's various challenges.

I returned home shortly after midday on 10th January and 15 minutes later I was out in glorious, if rather cold conditions. 

The first birds I saw from my terrace were two White-tailed Eagles havørn:)

With good light and no wind I headed to Hjelme Vest where the star bird was a lovely White-billed Diver gulnebblom. Other species here included a flock of 39 Long-tailed Duck havelle (a shadow of the number that would have been present a decade or two ago), a Velvet Scoter sjøorre, five Common Scoter svartand, a Curlew storspove , a Peregrine vandrefalk and more White-tailed Eagles havørn. Despite the freezing temperatures there was a Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin in one of the usual spots.

After this I popped in at a few other places picking up a Woodcock rugde at Hatten, a small flock of Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt at Tjeldstø, some Common Crossbills grankorsnebb and more.

The following day I went to Skogsøy with one of my daughters, the wind has picked up significantly and there was rather more to see than on our previous visit there. A Great Northern Diver islom headed south as did a Gannet havsule and several Kittiwake krykkje headed north. Other stuff included a couple of Velvet Scoter sjøorre, 

On the way home drive-bys produced Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin, Redwing rødvingetrost, the first Chaffinches bokfink of the year and more.

Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin.

Snipe, Woodcock and other species dependent on unfrozen ground are struggling big time at the moment.

On Monday 12.01 it was more of the same really with White-tailed Eagles havørn seen various places, small numbers of Fieldfare gråtrost and Redwing rødvingetrost, Common Gull fiskemåke, more Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin and the Heron gråhegre roost at Dåvøy numbered 31 birds.

A number of Snipe enkeltbekkasin are using the smallest of holes in the ice in an attempt to try and find food.

On 13th January I visted several localities and picked up a Woodcock rugde, a few Snipe enkeltbekkasin, including one that had succumbed to the current conditions. A Little Grebe dvergdykker was present at Dåvøy.

Redwing rødvingetrost at Hatten

Dead Snipe enkeltbekkasin at Tjeldstø

Female Velvet Scoter sjøorre at Herdlevær

White-tailed Eagle havørn at Dåvøy

The next couple of days were spent at work in Bergen but on 14th January a drive-by at Dåvøy on my way into the city produced two Little Grebe dvergdykker.

Little Grebes dvergdykker at Dåvøy

On 16th January I stayed in Øygarden and spent a couple of hours checking some other localities in the calm, mild and slightly wet conditions. At Dåvøy a Little Auk alkekonge was the first of the year, a Great Northern Diver islom fed actively there and Otters gave point blank views whilst my camera was still in my rucksack.

Great Northern Diver islom at Dåvøy

The usual selection of stuff was present at Solberg including another Great Northern Diver islom, a lone Long-tailed Duck havelle, a White-tailed Eagle havørn and good numbers of Cormorant storskarv and Shag toppskarv.

Oslo 05-09 January 2026 - Urban Birding continues

 Not the best week for various reasons so it was especially good to be rewarded by the bird gods in some way or another almost every time I was out of the house:) Not quite the Azure Tit asurmeis currently present further north but worthwhile anyway:)

The cold and snowy weather continued throughout.

On 5th January a short walk in the Botanic Gardens followed by a quick stroll along the river in rapidly fading light gave some nice results - a 2nd year Goshawk hønsehauk hunting thrushes (it even had a go at the Nutcracker nøttekråke) was the best sighting and gave some nice photo opportunities, other things included a couple of Hawfinch kjernebiter, a Treecreeper trekryper and a Wren gjerdesmett that was feeding under the snow.

Goshawk hønsehauk in the Botanic Gardens

The river produced a female Goosander laksand and a nice flock of Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis.

Female Goosander laksand on the river close to the city centre

The following day I was in another of the city parks briefly without much of interest but a couple of Common Gulls fiskemåke, two Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis and two Treecreeper trekryper were nice to see.

Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis in Frognerparken

Treecreepers trekryper in Frognerparken

On 8th January the sun was shining and we took a walk in the Botanic Gardens. Highlight was watching a male Sparrowhawk spurvehauk eating a Robin rødstrupe. A small flock of Siskin grønnsisik were the first I've seen this year. Otherwise two nice Hawfinch kjernebiter and smaller numbers of thrushes.

Male Sparrowhawk spurvehauk eating a Robin rødstrupe

Siskin grønnsisik in the Botanic Gardens

We covered a slightly longer stretch of the river and saw a total of four Goosanders laksand.

On 9th January it was time to head to Gressholm again. It was not as good as my previous visit but there were still some birds to see. Common Scoter svartand and a few Guillemots lomvi were the first I've seen in 2026. Thrushes obviously struggling more and more in this prolonged cold spell. Most of the Blackbirds svarttrost seen were feeding on the shore.