Wednesday 21 March - Spring!

Black Grouse orrfugl at Solberg

Glorious sunny weather and plenty of birds to be seen.

At Solberg best bird was a male Black Grouse orrfugl flying between some of the islands, a pair of Ringed Plover sandlo were the first of the year here and a flock of at least 25 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt foraged on the shore. Other migrants included Meadow Pipit heipiplerke and Skylark sanglerke overhead. Seabirds included sevetral flocks of Great Cormorant storskarv heading north along with a single Northern Gannet havsule. Oystercatchers tjeld now everywhere - obviously paired and holding territories.

Tjeldstø also produced some good stuff with the first Chiff-chaff gransanger of the year feeding in a field together with a Pied Wagtail svartryggerle. A Rook kornkråke was a surprise bird, and joined a flock of around 70 Hooded Crow kråke feeding out in the reserve - the long staying Carrion Crow svartkråke was also in this flock.

Over 20 Northern Lapwing vipe, singing Eurasian Curlews storspove, at least 20 Greylags grågås squabbling over territory and loads of Starling stær made it very springlike.