Herdlevær 18 March 2022 - Big fall

Back west with good timing 😊 Light Southerly winds and sunny after some showers during the night.

The very small amount of rain did what was necessary - there were flocks of thrushes all over and a number of other migrants turned up.

On my way to Herdlevær over 100 Fieldfare gråtrost fed in the fields at Breivik along with Redwings rødvingetrost and Starlings stær.

Herdlevær was pretty good with a minimum of 40 Redwing rødvingetrost present. Three Chiff-chaff gransanger fed together - first of the year for me but the first for Øygarden this year turned up whilst I was away. Four Woodpigeon ringdue were new arrivals there too but there was only one Song Thrush måltrost. The first lamb I've seen this year was also teetering about on wobbly legs.

One of the Chiff-chaffs gransanger at Herdlevær - typically these birds fed on the ground a lot

Cormorant storskarv

Guillemot lomvi

Red-throated Diver smålom

Tree Sparrow pilfink

My usual breakfast / coffee break showed that Oystercatcher tjeld and Common Gulls fiskemåke were heading north. Guillemot lomvi and Red-throated Diver smålom fed close inshore.

On my way home the customary stop at Husvatnet produced at least eight Lapwing vipe and a Rook kornkråke fought off Hooded Crows kråke to defend whatever it was it had found to eat:) 

The first Rook kornkråke of the year in Øygarden

Later on I headed to a garden at Hellesøy where a nice male Black Grouse orrfugl showed well.