Øygarden 10-14 January 2022 - Home Office Birding again

Reasonable to excellent weather most of the time so excruciating to sit inside.

Just drive-bys and very short walks possible but still a few sightings of interest with the best stuff from the terrace.

On 10 January a short stop at Solberg produced a Kittiwake krykkje and a Gannet havsule. Drive-bys gave the long-staying Pinkfoot kortnebbgås at Breivik and a flock of 12 Goldfinch stillits at Tjeldstø. The terrace did rather better with a couple of Turnstone steinvender, at least three White-tailed Eagles havørn and the usual.

Goldfinches stillits at Tjeldstø

Pinkfoot kortnebbgås at Breivik

Common Gull fiskemåke at Breivik

One of a few Whoopers sangsvane at Kollsnes

A short walk at Sæle in glorious sunshine on 11 January produced nothing out of the ordinary but three Nuthatch spettmeis, a couple of Sparrowhawk spurvehauk and three White-tailed Eagles havørn gave some photo opportunities. A Woodcock rugde feeding in a garden at Hatten after dark was the best sighting of the day.

Nuthatch spettmeis at Sæle - a species I see a lot less of than White-tailed Eagle

One of at least two Robins rødstrupe cuurently holding territory in my garden

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk at Sæle

If focus and lighting are good there WILL be a wingtip missing

2cy White-tailed Eagle havørn

4cy White-tailed Eagle havørn

Some acrobatics

Otters were seen at least daily throughout as usual with the biggest group being four at Herdlevær on 12 January. 

On 13 January a Snipe enkeltbekkasin flew over the garden and the first House Sparrows gråspurv to visit my feeder this year turned up.

Two Peregrine vandrefalk, four White-tailed Eagle havørn, a Little Auk alkekonge and a minimum of five Otters were the most interesting observations on 14 January during a walk at Oni (near Rong)