Herdlevær 02 June 2023 - Another Skogsøy "miss"

 Took things easy with just a relatively late and lazy round at Herdlevær. 

Work seems everywhere and today was no exception - the Edda Flora was working close inshore close to Kollsnes.

Work is never far away.... Edda Flora working close to Kollsnes

Once again it looked like I should really have been at Skogsøy as there was decent passage at what passes for good range at Herdlevær - no doubt things would have been better at my favoured seawatching spot:)

Starling stær with newly fledged young were a feature today, a Curlew storspove seems to be managing thus far and was chasing off crows and gulls. A strange find was a dead female Merganser siland - no idea how this happened.

Dead female Red-breasted Merganser - siland. No clue what this bird died of and although a common species all year round in Øygarden it is not one I find dead very often.

Between 0850 and 0950 I had two dark phase Arctic Skua tyvjo, 41 Red-throated Diver smålom, 9 Razorbill alke, 7 Kittiwake krykkje, a lone Brent Goose ringgås and a few Ringed Plover sandlo. A further eight Ringed Plover rested on the shore.

On the way home I checked out the tern colony at Dåvøy, all seemed well there and there were several pairs of Arctic Terns rødnebbterne among the more numerous Common Terns makrellterne. Oystercatchers tjeld and other species obviously also breeding in the area - a fact also noted by my pet hate - cats. One was trying to get Oystercatchers along the shore.....

Cat hunting along the shore at Dåvøy. This picture also illustrates the huge amount of plastic that comes in on the sea. Both cats and plastic are major threats to breeding birds in the area.

Oystercatcher tjeld