Øygarden 21-22 Februry - SEAPOP gone wrong

The weather was good on Wednesday 20 February and suddenly the annual SEAPOP count was on. With no meetings I took the day off work and we headed out in a small boat. Conditions were promising down part of the west side of northern Øygarden and also down the east side. However, as we headed out to the west near Turøy there was some heavy residual swell and the wind started picking up strongly.

So not much to report other than the best numbers of Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt thus far this year with a flock of 75 on Gjøna, 12 at Herdlevær and 20 at Solberg. Several Guillemots lomvi on the sea, most seemed well but one dead one also observed. Several Common Gulls fiskemåke were seen - more have been overwintering out here this winter than usual.

Guillemot lomvi

Oystercatcher tjeld

Part of a flock of Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt

One of several WT Eagles havørn seen on 20.02

A Goshawk hønsehauk hunting crows and/or gulls near Rong was the first I've seen this year.

The following day I did the land based SEAPOP counts but things were rather quiet, Solberg held very little with just a couple of Long-tailed Duck havelle, a Gannet havsule in addition to the usual Mergansers siland, Goldeneye kvinand etc.

Hjelme Vest was also off form with just 35 Long-tailed Duck havelle, a Black Guillemot teist, a few Velvet Scoter sjøorre and two Common Scoter svartand present. No divers! The large gulls are now returning to their breeding localities so plenty of Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak and some Herring Gulls gråmåke present.