Herdla 14 December 2020 - Christmas shopping

 It is not often I bird outside Øygarden when I am at home. Today was an exception - the weather forecast was anything but ideal - but the first rain in over a week is nothing to complain about:). I also needed to get rid of Christmas - and that means, despite some intense internet shopping last night, that I still needed to go to a shopping centre - making the most of bad weather was the plan. The nearest such hell hole is half way to Herdla so I decided I would do Herdla and do the shopping on the way home.

I first made sure I had no sharp objects or other weapon-like items with me. Then I took my shopping pills and booked an emergency pyschologist appointment. My daughters then said they also wanted to go to Herdla despite the weather and (for them at least) the early start. Things looked promising:)

This cracking male Snow Bunting snøspurv made me take the camera out of my rucksack.

After I heard it and frantically asked if anyone had seen anything my youngest informed me she'd had her eye on it "for a while" so I had to remind her about the last time she found a Snow Bunting outside my house on the way home from school and the appropriate actions to take. She then followed it's every move like any decent daughter should:) 

The low cloud and rain made me wonder if it would ever get light but a minute or two after we got out of the car the weather cleared and stayed that way making for wonderful conditions. Highlights included an Eagle Owl hubro (what I call a "good Dad reward" - we found it doing some totally non-birding stuff involving tiktok and the like) , a female Pintail stjertand, a male Snow Bunting snøspurv, a Lapwing vipe and a Grey Plover tundralo. The supporting cast was decent too with at least 10 Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke, Wigeon brunnakke, over 20 Velvet Scoter sjøorre, several Long-tailed Duck havelle, a couple of Snipe enkeltbekkasin.

So Christmas is done. We picked up sushi on the way home and life is good. Feeling pretty lucky!

I don't even care that we didn't definitely connect with the long-staying Citrine Wagtail sitronerle that has been present since late November. Though there was one call and a probable wagtail flying along the shore.....