Øygarden 16.09 - 20.09.2025 - Some birding at last and Taiga Bean Geese

Typically the weather turned just as I had some limited possibilities to get out and about.

On 16th September I did my Herdlevær walk in between work tasks - and got absolutely drenched. Normally my boots keep me warm and dry but this time I even ended up with wet feet from rain running down my legs on the inside of the boots! However, all was not lost - the drive to Herdlevær produced Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove, Curlew Sandpiper tundrasnipe and Ruff brushane among other things:)

Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove (with Ruff brushane and Meadow Pipit heipiplerke)

Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove / Hey Joe (Jimi Hendrix)

Curlew Sandpiper tundrasnipe with Ruff brushane

Curlew Sand was a new species for this locality!

Curlew Sandpiper tundrasnipe

Ruff brushane

Herdlevær gave Peregrine vandrefalk, small numbers of waders, Wheatear steinskvett, Sparrowhawk spurvehauk and so on.

The next day I did an all-dayer on Hernar. Conditions were about as bad as they can be with strong northerly winds and some heavy showers early on. However, this was my only chance to get out and I crossed my fingers that some of what had turned up during the last week or so might still be around. I struggled to get over 40 species but there were some migrants about with several Chiff-chaff gransanger, some Goldcrests fuglekonge, Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesanpper, Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper, Lapland Bunting lappspurv, a Tree Pipit trepiplerke and more. Given the conditions I was not disappointed and just glad to be out.

It looks like Hernar is going to become harder to get to - unsurprisingly there are now plans to cut down on the boat service. We need a massive increase in birding activity to keep the boat running. There should be increased services in the autumn at least!

Things did not look good at all for a day of looking for migrant passerines.....

...things did improve though - but the strong northerly wind only eased off just before I left

Kestrel tårnfalk

Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper

Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper

Robin rødstrupe

Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper.

On Friday 19th September I did a quick round at Herdlevær again - this time spending a massive 15 minutes with my scope whilst I ate my sandwiches - resulting in a flock of pale-bellied Brent Geese ringgås heading south along with Red-throated Divers smålom and a Guillemot lomvi. Otherwise rather quiet but small numbers of various waders were present and a couple of Otters turned up.

The next day I finally also made it out to Skogsøy with a strong south westerly blowing. Just the usual here with no surprises with over 30 Red-throated Diver smålom, a few Kittiwakes krykkje, a single Black-headed Gull hettemåke and small numbers of various other gull species passing. Five Arctic Tern rødnebbterne were potentially the last of the autumn.

I checked Tjeldstø on the way home and just as I left a flock of geese came over, these were obviously interesting but I didn't confirm ID immediately. I raced after them as it looked like they would land at Ådnevika - they didn't but I managed better views and confirmed that they were indeed Bean Geese. Speeding onwards I headed to Breivik where I found them restless in the fields. I managed to get views in the scope and some photos - these were Taiga Bean Geese taigasædgås - potentially the biggest flock ever in Øygarden! Needless to say these proved a popular target for the Bergen based twitchers.

1cy Black-headed Gull hettemåke at Skogsøy

Taiga Bean Geese taigåsæedgås flying over Tjeldstø

Taiga Bean Geese taigåsæedgås in the fields at Breivik

Taiga Bean Geese taigåsæedgås almost landing at Ådnevika