Sunday, January 11, 2009

Tjeldstø 11 January 2009

Foul weather should really have dictated a trip to Skogsøy but time did not allow for this today.

At Tjeldstø an amazing sight was what must have been a White-backed Woodpecker hvitryggspett flying over the road beside Husvatnet - a species I have not seen in Øygarden before. Although conditions were far from perfect this bird, obviously a woodpecker, showed no white wing patches and a large white rump - recalling a huge Bullfinch or a small Jay as it flew away from me.

The ongoing SW gales did not seem to have brought anything new in - although this may have been responsible for a flock of 22 Fieldfare gråtrost and four Starling stær which fed beside Husvatnet. Otherwise several Redwing rødvingetrost still about along with a Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin and the female Teal krikkand.

With Rotevatnet now thawed it was no surprise that the Whoopers sangsvane had moved back here.

The Greenland Whitefront tundragås was reported again from Breivik along with the Greylags grågås it has been hanging out with.

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