Øygarden 19-21 May 2023 - Brents on the move

 I took things pretty easy for a few days but still caught up on a few bits and pieces in the world of birds.

On 19 May I just did a walk at Tjeldstø where just the usual species were present including the male Wigeon brunnakke that has been around for some time now and the first Common Whitethroat tornsanger locally this year. Plenty of new Tjeldstø species though:)

At home a few Greylag families turned up sporting this year's crop of goslings - one pair had just two young in tow whereas another pair still had eight going strong. Twite bergirisk, Goldfinch stillits, Cuckoo gjøk and the other usual suspects also seen from the garden.

I barely did anything the following day but saw the first Lapwing vipe chicks of the year at Kollsnes. Lesser Whitethroat møller still singing "everywhere". A Merlin dvergfalk was a promising find - indicating that this species might still manage to breed in the area from time to time. 

Lapwing vipe chick at Kollsnes

Lesser Redpoll brunsisik in the garden (along with Siskin grønnsisik, Golfinch stillits and more)

Best sighting of the day was from the terrace in the form of about 20 White-sided Dolphins:)

Atlantic White-sided Dolphins (kvitkjeving) photographed from the terrace

On 21st May I had planned for Skogsøy but there was fog early on when I got up so I went back to bed and did a late and lazy round at Herdlevær - here I had 820 pale-bellied Brent Geese ringgås heading north in the space of an hour - the first of the year and, as usual now, somewhat earlier than the traditional movement at the end of May. Several Velvet Scoter sjøorre also headed north along with a selection of the usual species including my first Arctic Terns rødnebbterne for 2023. I really should have gone to Skogsøy:)

Just about record shots of some of the Brent Geese ringgås that passed

I also picked up my first local Sedge Warbler sivsanger of the year - over a month later than the first I had offshore:)