Øygarden 03-05 January 2024 - Terrace keeps on producing

Freezing but calm conditions continue.

With the exception of a couple of hours on Thursday when I managed to do a quick check at Herdlevær there was no actual birding done.

On Tuesday I had to go and buy some more wood for my stove - normally self-sufficient this year's supply is for various reasons not as good as previous years and I'm making serious inroads into my woodpile. Anyway, I managed five minutes at Hellesøy where I picked up a distant White-billed Diver gulnebblom on the sea. 

Redpoll gråsisik and Redwing rødvingetrost still visiting the garden along with increasing numbers of Blackbirds svarttrost - a typical thing when temperatures are below zero for any length of time.

One of several Redwing rødvingetrost seen at Sæle

On Wednesday 04 January the terrace produced again with a Red-throated Diver smålom and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk as new species for the year along with the usual White-tailed Eagles havørn etc

I spent a couple of hours at Herdlevær which resulted in Woodcock rugde, Snipe enkeltbekkasin, a Guillemot lomvi on the sea, small numbers of Eiders ærfugl and an Oystercatcher tjeld as the best birds. On the way home a roadside Snipe enkeltbekkasin gave good views.

Guillemot lomvi at Herdlevær

The view at Herdlevær - we are very lucky here as we are escaping the huge amounts of snow and ridiculously cold temperatures currently being experienced in other parts of Norway

Roadside Snipe enkeltbekkasin

Friday was spent in various meetings in Bergen so all I managed in Øygarden was a couple of minutes at Hatten which gave a flock of 17 Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb, a Great Spotted Woodpecker flaggspett and a Bullfinch dompap.