Sunday, May 10, 2009

Skogsøy 10 May 2009 - Poms and White-bills - again!

Could this be a Jackdaw kaie from a more northerly / easterly population? Rather pale and full collar compared to the normal birds seen passing through earlier in the spring. The timing of this bird might explain things...


Gannet havsule like they should be....

At least two Gannets havsule looked more like this....


Obligatory record shot of the star of the day......


Another relatively quiet day in terms of general migration numbers. However, the quality made up for it - highlights being two adult summer White-billed Diver gulnebblom and eight Pomarine Skua polarjo.
Other birds of interest included three Arctic Skua tyvjo, a measly 13 Red-throated Diver smålom and 15 Whimbrel småspove.
Unfortunately at least two of around 40 Gannets havsule were quite badly oiled - makes me wonder if there has been an oil spill - or at least some vessel washing its tanks out.

First of the year for me was a flock of 20 Arctic Terns rødnebbterne heading south around dawn - another flock of 20 "commic" tern headed the same direction later on.
The Lesser Whitethroat møller sang from the same place as last time.
Back at the car park a surprise find was three Jackdaw kaie - at least one of which showed a very well developed collar - especially when comparing this bird with others seen earlier in the spring (a more typical time for this species in Øygarden). A return visit later in the evening produced a Carrion Crow svartkråke - probably a different bird to the one seen further north yesterday.

4 comments:

Alan Tilmouth said...

Isn't the paleness in the head as a result of wear at this time of year? I thought many of the monedula had collars or were you suggesting soemmerringii?

Jules said...

Possibility of soemmerringii crossed my mind. Haven't checked any photos. It was not the paleness of the head that struck me but the apparent full collar that goes around the neck and seems to go right across the upper breast/throat.

Alan Tilmouth said...

Any more photos Jules?

Jules said...

Unfortunately not