Good weather for much of the week but unable to make the most of it with the exception of Friday when I spent the morning seawatching at Skogsøy.
Things starting to feel very springlike with Robins rødstrupe and Blackbirds svarttrost singing at dawn, Greylags grågås, Oystercatchers tjeld and the gulls setting up territories close to the house.
More signs of early spring migrants too with Woodpigeons ringdue, Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke and others becoming more obvious.
At Tjeldstø the Greylag grågås numbers had increased to at least 70 on 16 March and a Lapwing vipe was displaying there too.
A short walk at Herdlevær on 17 March produced a few Skylark sanglerke and a Snow Bunting snøspurv as the best sightings along with small flocks of resting Oystercatcher tjeld along the shore.
Some migration obvious from my terrace on 18 March with Oystercatchers tjeld heading north and a Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke dropping in. A trip to get a COVID test meant I picked up a couple of male Tufted Duck toppand at Nordlavatnet.
On 19 March with clear skies and light winds for the third morning in a row I just had to get to Skogsøy. Unfortunately I slept in and didn't make it out to the lookout point until 0710 - way too late under such conditions. I spent just under three very pleasant hours enjoying the spring migration - typically dominated by Oystercatchers tjeld but other early species joined the journey north with Common Gulls fiskemåke, Cormorants storskarv, a Shelduck gravand and a Curlew storspove all passing.
Bonus birds here were a Peregrine vandrefalk keeping a keen eye on the migration, a flyover Snow Bunting snøspurv and at least two Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke in full song.
The Oystercatcher flocks came very high today with numbers dropping very quickly after dawn - something typical of the early spring passage for this species.
Back home a flock of 18 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt flew in and landed and at least eight more were seen during a brief visit to Herdlevær in the afternoon.
As usual an Otter showed up in front of the house - this time with a flatfish of some sort and as is so often the case it was joined Hooded Crows kråke and Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak trying to steal the Otters catch.
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