Hernar and Lyngøy 18 May 2013 - Øygarden strikes back

Calm, sunny and HOT.

SHORT-TOED LARK DVERGLERKE

After yesterday's sightings on Fedje, just north of Øygarden it was high time we scored with a rarity - and we did! We found the first SHORT-TOED LARK DVERGLERKE for Øygarden on Lyngøy. This represents approximately the 10th county record.

Also on Lyngøy were a Pied Wagtail svartryggerle, a Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper and a Whinchat buskskvett.

Arctic Skua tyvjo

Male Whinchat buskskvett

Hernar was quite productive despite getting the late in the day. Noteworthy sightings here included a Redstart rødstjert, a Whinchat buskskvett, two Pied Flycatchers svarthvit fluesnapper, a Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper and a Garden Warbler hagesanger. LOTS of Wheatear steinskvett and decent numbers of Twite bergirisk also on the island.

Above and below: Arctic Tern rødnebbterne with almost all black beak

The all dark beak made this bird worth a second look!

An aberrant Arctic Tern rødnebbterne got the pulse racing - the all dark bill made me think of something quite different for a while.

A Kestrel tårnfalk, Whimbrels småspove, House Martins taksvale and plenty of other migrants were also seen during the course of the day.

Skogsøy 17 May 2013 - Seawatching at last!

Overcast with light northerly wind, turning more easterly during the morning.

At long last some seawatching. Unfortunately it was rather quiet but Skogsøy rarely fails to deliver and today the highlight was a pair of Shoveler skjeand heading south. The best of the rest were five Arctic Skua tyvjo heading north, one Arctic Skua flying south and a southbound Great Northern Diver islom.

Other stuff included:
Red-throated Diver smålom 25 N
Great Skua storjo 1 S
Wigeon brunnakke 2 S
Common Scoter svartand ca 150 S, smaller numbers N
Arctic Tern rødnebbterne 4N
Kittiwake krykkje 2N
Puffin lunde 1N
Razorbill alke 6N
Guillemot lomvi 2N
Oystarcatcher tjeld 21N
Tufted Duck toppand 2N
Merganser siland 21N

Heavily cropped record shot of Arctic Skua tyvjo

Above and below: flocks of Common Scoter svartand

A Tree Pipit trepiplerke at the lookout point was the first I've had this year.

Elsewhere a Sedge Warbler sivsanger sang at Breivik, a Lesser Whitethroat møller sang at Herdlevær and a Swift tårnseiler flew over my garden at Tjeldstø.

Tjeldstø 16 May 2013 - Swifts and Merlin

Strong southerly winds and overcast early on, calming and sunny later.

Still frustratingly little time to be out and about. Highlight of a walk around the reserve were the first two Swifts tårnseiler of the year.

A Carrion Crow svartkråke fed out in the reserve but otherwise there was little change since last time.

In the afternoon a quick look out of the living room window produced my first Merlin dvergfalk in Øygarden this year along with a single House Martin taksvale.

Solberg 15 May 2013

South easterly and sunny to start with, clouding over later.

Arctic Tern rødnebbterne

Sand Martin sandsvale - new species for Solberg

A short spell at Solberg produced two new species for this locality in the form of House Martin taksvale and Sand Martin sandsvale with at least two of each present.

Several Arctic Tern rødnebbterne and a couple of Whimbrel småspove were also the first I've seen in Øygarden this year.

Some movement over the sea in the form of Oystercatcher tjeld, Common Scoter svartand and Gannets havsule.

This Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke was colour ringed - and appeared much paler in the field than in photographs.

At Kollsnes a Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke was seen to be colour ringed but swam and then flew before I could get it in the scope...

Herdlevær 14 May 2013 - small fall

Strong southerly winds and sunny.

flava Yellow Wagtail gulerle

Obviously some grounded migrants about including a "flava" Yellow Wagtail gulerle (possibly same bird as on previous visit), a Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper, a Blackcap munk, a Skylark sanglerke and several Willow Warblers løvsanger.

Lapwing vipe (Tjeldstø)

Male Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper

There were plenty of Wheatear steinskvett about, one or two showing some indication of "Greenland" type birds.

The long staying Carrion Crow svartkråke was still present beside the car park at Skogsøy along with four Jackdaw kaie.

Tjeldstø 11-13 May 2013 - More new arrivals

Little time spent out and about.

Hawfinch kjernebiter in the garden

On 11 May the Hawfinch kjernebiter was still present in the garden and I saw it or another at the other end of Tjeldstø later in the day. Singing Reed Bunting sivspurv and Lesser Whitethroat møller were both first of the year at Tjeldstø.

More and more Greylags grågås now have young

The long-staying Rook kornkråke

Swallow låvesvale

Three new for the year were seen in / from the garden the following day: a pair of Twite bergirisk, a Common Tern makrellterne and a singing Whitethroat tornsanger.

A short and wet walk on 13 May produced a Red-throated Diver smålom flying south over the reserve and another sighting of the Rook kornkråke that has been hanging around for several days at least.

Greylags grågås have started hatching with more goslings seen each day.

Herdlevær 10 May 2013 - Yellow Wagtail

Southerly breeze, overcast.

Golden Plover heilo at Breivik

Golden Plover heilo at Herdlevær

Best bird was a brief Yellow Wagtail gulerle. Other than that rather quiet with a flock of Golden Plover heilo as the only other migrants.

Another flock Golden Plover heilo, totalling 30 birds, was present at Breivik.

In the evening a Hawfinch kjernebiter turned up in the garden - for only the second time.

Tjeldstø 09 May 2013 - Short-eared Owl

Overcast with drizzle.

Top to bottom Short-eared Owl jordugle, Curlew storpove and Hooded Crow kråke. The Curlew was actually chasing the crow....

 Above and below: heavily cropped record shots of the Short-eared Owl jordugle

For better pictures of Short-eared Owl see this page.

A walk around the reserve gave some half-decent results today with the highlight being a Short-eared Owl jordugle. Some other sightings of note were a male Tufted Duck toppand (the first at Tjeldstø this year!), a pair of Wigeon brunnakke (again the first of the year at Tjeldstø) and the first Cuckoo gjøk of the year in Øygarden.

The long staying Rook kornkråke was also still present.

A noticeable increase in the numbers of singing Willow Warblers løvsanger and Chiff-chaff gransanger since late last week.

Øygarden 02 May 2013

Brisk westerly winds with occasional hail showers in the morning. Pretty pleasant in the evening.

Only had time for a 50 minute seawatch at Herdlevær - something that proved quite productive with a White-billed Diver gulnebblom as the best sighting. The best of the rest were a pale phase Arctic Skua tyvjo and the first Fulmar havhest I've had in Øygarden this year.

Some 13 Red-throated Diver smålom, 17 Kittiwake krykkje, nine Gannets havsule and several Common Scoter svartand also headed north. Just one auk seen - a lone Guillemot lomvi.

The Carrion Crow svartkråke remained with the Hooded Crows kråke at Skogsøy.

Barnacle Goose hvitkingås together with Greylag grågås

Goldfinch stillits photographed through the sitting room window

Incidental birds at Tjeldstø inlcuded at least one of the two Goldfinch stillits seen yesterday, the first Common Sandpiper strandsnipe of the year, a Rook kornkråke and a singing Willow Warbler løvsanger. Best bird here was a single Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås together with Greylags grågås - not surprisng that grounded birds turned up today after the big movement in foul weather yesterday.

Solberg 30 April 2013 - Poms

Strong northerly winds, mostly sunny but some wintery showers.

Not much time spent out and about but a trip to Solberg paid off today with the first two Pomarine Skuas polarjo of the year heading north. This is the earliest sighting ever in Øygarden (or Hordaland for that matter)

Other sightings here inlcuded several Red-throated Diver smålom, a Great Skua storjo and a steady stream of Gannets havsule and Kittiwake krykkje.

It would have been a good today to be at Skogsøy.....

Some other good news was that Ringed Plovers sandlo have returned to their most regular breeding site in Øygarden.

Herdlvevær 29 April 2013

Very strong southerly winds, heavy wintery showers and occasional glimpses of sunshine.

The head shape and bill size of this gull caught my attention

A closer view.....

Sitting out a hail shower.

A gull caught my attention as we both sat out a particularly heavy shower. Looked big beaked, chunky-headed and "interesting". It turned out to be just a second summer Common Gull fiskemåke....

Red-breasted Merganser siland

Tufted Duck toppand pair

Female Wheatear steinskvett

A pair of Tufted Duck toppand were an unusual sighting at Herdlevær. Some migrants present with singing Chiff-chaff gransanger and Willow Warbler løvsanger present along with several territorial Wheatear steinskvett.

Small numbers of Meadow Pipit heipiplerke, White Wagtails linerle and Fieldfare gråtrost feeding in the fields.

Skogsøy 27 April 2012 - First White-billed of the year

Northerly wind and sunny.

A decent enough seawatch - sat from 05:35 to 12:15. Highlights were the first two migrating White-billed Diver gulnebblom of the year in Øygarden. Other sightings of note inlcuded a couple of Arctic Skua tyvjo (one dark phase and one light), and 107 Red-throated Diver smålom.

This auk looked quite interesting - a possible Brunniche's polarlomvi candidate?

Possibly too much in the way of markings on the underarm and the dark cap does not extend far enough down?

Jizz and bill shape / markings meant this bird got some extra attention

Hunchback / rugby ball look, unmarked flanks, the collar and apparent white stripe along the bill all support Brunniche's Guillemot polarlomvi.

However, many Guillemots lomvi can look like they have a white line along the bill....

Above and below Cormorants storskarv

Long-tailed Ducks havelle

Still small numbers of Oystercatcher tjeld heading north

A flock of Red-throated Diver smålom head north - finally into three figures today

Obligatory White-billed Diver gulnebblom record shot

Passage was relatively quiet with only small numbers of duck, auks and waders heading north.

Numbers included:
Puffin lunde N 11
Razorbill alke N 7
Guillemot lomvi N 1+
Oystercatcher tjeld N 38
Turnsotone steinvender N 3
Cormorant storskarv N 28
Wigeon brunnakke N 2
Common Scoter svartand N 14

New Øygarden birds for me this year were a singing Willow Warbler løvsanger and some flyover Linnets tornirisk.

A Wryneck vendehals was photographed at Herdlevær.

Tjeldstø 21 April 2013 - No change

Southerly gale and overcast.

Took things easy with just a walk around the reserve - very much the same as of late. A couple of singing Dunnock jernspurv and increased numbers of Meadow Pipit heipiplerke covered the migrants.

Part of a flock of around 100 Common Gull fiskemåke on Husvatnet

Greylag grågås

Jackdaws kaie

A flock of 11 Jackdaw kaie was a big flock for Øygarden - may be the same birds that were seen at Skogsøy yesterday.