Friday, August 30, 2024

Øygarden 10.08-13.08.2024 - Seawatching picks up

On Saturday 10th August the wind was firmly in the SW and blowing a gale with associated showers so there was no other option than to head to Skogsøy for a couple of hours of seawatching before heading into "civilization" to buy a freezer and a new dishwasher. Not bad and great to be out there after so long.

Sooty Shearwater grålire 3S

Manx Shearwater havlire 3N, 2S

Fulmar havhest 3S, 2N

Gannet havsule 29S, 11N

On 10.08 the only real option was to use the hide, despite the narrow windows

Gannet havsule

Sooty Shearwater grålire

A White-tailed Eagle havørn flew over my house when I got back home.

The next day the weather was quite similar but things were rather quieter on another attempt at Skogsøy. Just a couple of Fulmar havhest, a Peregrine vandrefalk and a light passage of Common Gulls fiskemåke. Best bird was probably a Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove at Breivik on the way out to Skogsøy.

The way home produced a couple of Jay nøtteskrike at Sture and the early Goldeneye kvinand on Husvatnet.

No birding on 12.08 but an unseasonal Whooper sangsvane turned up on Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

On Tuesday 13.08 it was back to guiding again and with limited time available it was Herdla again, Temminck's Stint temminkssnipe, Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove, Curlew Sandpiper tundrasnipe and plenty of other species of wader were noted. A noticable passage of Greylags grågås heading south and most of the usual suspects resulted in around 45 species seen.

In the afternoon I went fishing in Fusa where just the usual gulls and a couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn were the only birds seen. But two lifers (at least as rod -caught) were Thornback Ray piggskate and Black-mouthed Catshark håhjel. - both of which went back alive and swam off strongly. Other fish ended up filleted and in the freezer I purchased earlier in the week:)

Thornback Ray piggskate

Black-mouthed Catshark  hågjel

Black-mouthed Catshark  hågjel

Thornback Ray piggskate


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