Øygarden 27 September 2007

Black-throated Diver storlom
Black-throated Diver storlom (right hand bird) - click picture for slightly larger image

The head and beak shape along with the bigger feet are good ID clues

Eurasian Teal krikkand "hitching a ride" among a flock of Cormorant

Started the day in FANTASTIC weather at Skogsøy. Higlight here was a good passage of Cormorants storskarv with 760 in two hours and another 200+ whilst I made my way back to the car. Unfortunately an idiotic camera setting mistake meant that even the best pictures were little more than record shots....

Good birds included three Great Northern Diver islom heading north, including an adult still in breeding plumage. Several Red-throated Diver smålom and a single Black-throated Diver storlom (uncommon out here at the coast).


Fifteen Barnacle Geese hvitkingås joined a migrating flock of Cormorant whilst a pale-bellied Brent Goose ringgås decided to go it alone. A single Black Guillemot teist was the first for a while.


Pick of the passerines was a Nuthatch spettmeis - a Skogsøy first for me! Thus continuing the trend of "unusual" woodland birds currenlty on the move, Willow tits granmeis and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flaggspett were also seen. More conventioanally interesting species included Grey Wagtail vinterle, a small flock of Twite bergerisk (a species becoming rarer and rarer each year....) and some small flocks of Common Crossbill grankorsnebb.

Back at Tjeldstø five Jay nøtteskrike headed over the house....along with the much more usual White-tailed Eagle havørn.