Monday, January 11, 2021

Skogsøy 10 January 2021 - Puffin

 Light winds with some sun.

Despite the lack of wind the waves at Skogsøy may have been among the biggest I have ever seen there! A massive long period swell from the NW came crashing in, something I spectacularly failed to capture on video or as pictures. VERY impressive and a bit scary too - there was no way I dared to sit where I normally do - I would have been soaked several times over:)


Birdwise there was not a lot going on over the sea - just the usual gulls, a Kittiwake krykkje and a few Gannets havsule. A surprising find was one of the day's three Woodcocks rugde feeding in a rocky pool right beside where I normally sit. This is not the first time I have seen this species in this unlikely location.

On my way home I thought I would check the lagoons to the south of the lookout and having crawled through a dense spruce plantation I stumbled out onto the shore where I almost trod on a Puffin lunde - the first for Vestland "county" this year. This species is a rather uncommon winter visitor here with single birds seen during most winters. The stormy conditions during the previous day and night may well have driven this bird inshore.



Puffin lunde at Skogsøy

I picked the bird up and placed it in the calm waters where it swam off reasonably strongly. This must be the first time I've picked up a live Puffin for quite a few years:)

A quick look at Tjeldstø on the way home gave the first Fieldfares gråtrost of the year, Redwing rødvingetrost, another Woodcock rugde, a flock of nine Starling stær and a nice flock of small finches among other things.

Fieldfare gråtrost

Tree Sparrow pilfink


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