Friday, March 23, 2012

Skogsøy 23 March 2012 - Sun, migration and Orcas

Fantastic weather - sunny with a light northerly breeze.

Sat from 0640 to 1115 and had an excellent early spring seawatch. Øygarden year ticks were: Shelduck gravand (11N), Red-throated Diver smålom (3N) and Ringed Plover sandlo (3N).

Highlight was a good passage of Oystercatcher tjeld with over 1200 heading north, also almost 650 Common Gull fiskemåke, an adult Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke, 30 Black-headed Gulls hettemåke and most of the usual suspects - well over 2000 birds in all.

 Orca spekkhogger
 An overheated Cormorant storskarv heading north
 A constant passage of Common Gulls fiskemåke continued throughout the morning
 Oystercatcher tjeld
 Oystercatcher tjeld
 Oystercatcher tjeld
Virtually the first birds of the morning - Shelduck gravand

An added bonus was a pod of Orcas spekkhogger well offshore.

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