Øygarden 12.10-16.10.2024 - Salvaging the autumn

Work continues to be relentless - next year I will book holiday - I was naive enough to think I could take leave after the offshore trip a few weeks back but this was absolutely not the case.

So it continued as situation normal  - grabbing an hour or two outside most days.

On 12th October it was rather wet but I did my usual round at Herdlevær without anything of great interest. A Dunlin myrsnipe resting on the shore was probably the best find

The next day was again rather wet. I started in the north of Øygarden. A flock of 70 Woodpigeon ringdue at Hjelme was a large flock for these parts. A message regarding a Red-breasted Flycatcher dvergfluesnapper at Herdlevær (thanks Bert!) meant that I headed there and after a long search in the rain we finally connected with it - rather flighty probably due to the fact it was chased by Robins rødstrupe whenever it showed itself. Yellow-browed Warblers gulbrynsanger showed well - at least four present with two close to the flycatcatcher and another two at the other end of the island. Several Blackcap munk and Chiff-chaff gransanger also around.

Part of a flock of Greylag Geese grågås that headed south during the hunt for the flycatcher

Female Mallard stokkand with Wigeon brunnakke in the background - ducks love flooded fields:)

Mallards stokkand in a flooded field at Tjeldstø

Starling stær eating berries at Hellesøy - the main reason there are no berries left out here at the coast for the interesting stuff that like to eat berries later in the autumn / winter

Wigeon brunnakke feeding in a flooded field at Tjeldstø

Nice shot of some sycamore seeds....

Obviously finding plenty to eat:)

Yellow-browed Warblers gulbrynsanger at Herdlevær

On 14th October I was barely out of the house but during a five minute stop at Breivik I clearly heard a calling Richard's Pipit tartarpiplerke three times, but having not actually seen the bird felt that I couldn't claim it. A species that seems to have become rarer in recent years....

A couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn over my terrace were a distraction during one of the many meetings that day....

Same story the following day, had to make do with a Blackcap munk in my garden and a few species of dabbling duck at Tjeldstø.

I left Øygarden on 16th October but two five minute stops along the way produced two Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin at Tjeldstø and a Richard's Pipit tartarpiplerke at Breivik - quite possibly the same bird from a couple of days earlier. This time it called repeatedly and I managed a few short but decent flight views. Otherwise a couple of Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke in my garden.

Wren gjerdesmett at Tjeldstø