Øygarden 16-18 June 2022 More bird flu and a little bit of seawatching

 On 16 June I did an unusual afternoon trip to Hernar after the morning rain had stopped. Highlights were a Kestrel tårnfalk and a Lesser Whitethroat møller, otherwise very much the usual suspects there. Red-throated Diver smålom were present, both on the sea and heading north.

Several pairs of Common Gull fiskemåke breeding in the usual place on Hernar

Young Hooded Crow kråke

Linnet tornirsik were more numerous than Twite bergirsik today - usually it is the other way around.

Male Stonechat svartrupe

A Stonechat svartstrupe showed well on "mainland" Øygarden earlier in the day.

I FINALLY made it out of the house and away from the computer on 18 June. With fresh onshore winds it had to be Skogsøy:) Best birds were two Manx Shearwater havlire and four Fulmar havhest among the usual Gannets havsule. Three Long-tailed Duck havelle heading north were somewhat unseasonal and a couple of Red-thoated Diver smålom also headed north. A probable Black-browed Albatross svartbrynalbatross headed north - got onto it just too late with a shaky scope but I can't really see what else it could have been. 

Dead Gannet havsule - a White-tailed Eagle havøn had started eating this bird so I buried it to prevent more carrion eaters gaining access to a probable source of infection....

A White-tailed Eagle havørn fed on a Gannet havsule carcass - no doubt another bird flu victim. So there is a real risk that the local eagles will also be bit by the virus. Two adult White-tailed Eagles havørn also seen from my terrace later in the day.