Øygarden 11-12 October 2025 - Let the games begin

The start of a few days off and some days of getting out birding😊

Light westerly winds on 11th October had me trying Skogsøy again in case there was some movement over the sea. This proved rather disappointing with just a few Great Northern Divers islom, a couple of Velvet Scoter sjøorre and small numbers of Gannets havsule and Kittiwake krykkje.

On the way home I checked a few localities. Breivik produced a few Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin, several Common Snipe enkeltbekasin, a flock of 9 Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb and the 18 Taiga Bean Geese taigasædgås.

Sæle was hard going with everything being rather skulky but Chiff-chaff gransanger, Blackcap munk, 30 Redwing rødvingetrost and the usual were present.

A late Oystercatcher tjeld was pretty much in the garden when I returned home. Other stuff included good numbers of tits, Siskin grønnsisik, Goldfinch stillits and a variety of thrushes.

Sunday 12th October was sunny with light northerly winds and I spent the day birding in good company. Starting with "Herdlevær light" things felt quiet but there was a good variety of birds included a real surprise in the form of a Sandwich Tern splitterne heading over calling and out to sea - something of a rarity these parts and no doubt a victim of Amy. Bullfinches dompap were on the move as were a few Grey Wagtails vintererle.

Breivik was up next and a frustrating fly over pipit sounded very like Pechora. No claiming going on though. A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker dvergspett was quite vocal, Skylark sanglerke, a Pinkfoot kortnebbgås with several Greylag grågås, at least one Goshawk hønsehauk, a Twite bergirisk, 12 Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb and 32 flyover Crossbill spp were among the sightings.

Over exposed Twite bergirisk at Breivik

At Tjeldstø another Grey Wagtail vintererle, several Sparrowhawk spurvehauk heading south, another Twite bergirisk and a variety of other migrants were seen.

A Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger at Sæle was the best of the birds there but there were a number of other migrants including Chiff-chaff gransanger, Blackcap munk and Willow Tit granmeis.

Chiff-chaff gransanger at Sæle

The only YBW gulbryn of the autumn for me thus far.....

The next three days were also spent birding so in effect this was the first part of my autumn birding.

Øygarden 06-09 October 2025 - Amy part 2

 It was a bit tricky to judge when storm "Amy" actually stopped. Strong winds and at times heavy rain continued. On 6th and 7th October work stopped play, but a drive by at Breivik on 6th showed that the long staying Taiga Bean Goose taigasædgås flock had reduced to 18 and there were a couple of Golden Plover heilo in the fields there.

The next day I did a short walk at Sæle after work with a first year Goshawk hønsehauk and a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett as the best of the sightings. Several Chiff-chaff gransanger and a couple of Blackcap munk were indications that there was some migration going on. Otherwise just some Common Crossbill grankorsnebb, a Bullfinch dompap and the usual.

Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett

First year Goshawk hønsehauk

On 8th October I took the morning off and covered a few localities. Before I left the house Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke, Jay nøtteskrike, several Goldfinch stillits and most of the usual suspects showed up in the garden. The Bean Geese were still at Breivik, Herdlevær produced very little although a lateish LBBG sildemåke headed south during a short coffee break. Tjeldstø wasn't too bad either with a couple of Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke, a Grey Wagtail vintererle, White-tailed Eagle havørn, Wigeon brunnakke and Teal krikkand among the birds seen.

Grey Wagtail vintererle at Tjeldstø

Greylag grågås with Pinkfoot kortnebbgås arriving at Breivik

Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke at Tjeldstø

Two of the Stonechats svartstrupe at Breivik

Twite bergirisk at Breivik

White Wagtail linerle at Nautnes (starting to be late for this species)

Whinchat buskskvett at Breivik, not a common species in October:)

An afternoon trip to Hjelme gave Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett and 12 Common Crossbill grankorsnebb along with the usual suspects.

Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett at Hjelme

On Thursday I did Skogsøy before work because the winds were still very strong and from the west. This was slightly disappointing but 125 Gannets havsule passed south as did a few Great Northern Diver islom, small numbers of Red-throated Diver smålom and Kittiwakes krykkje. 

Common Scoter svartand

Gannet havsule

Young Gannet havsule, note the Guillemot lomvi on the sea behind it

This 2cy White-tailed Eagle havørn showed well on the walk back to the car

The way home produced a Stonechat svartstrupe at Kollsnes, the Taiga Bean Goose taigasædgås flock was still present and a couple of Lapwing vipe at Adnevika.

Song Thrush måltrost at Breivik

Stonechat svartstrupe at Kollsnes

These White-tailed Eagles turned up in front of my house in the afternoon

Øygarden 30.09 - 05.10.2025 - Amy part 1

Arriving home late on 30th there was an amazing welcome.

As usual I had forgotten the settings to use on my camera but it was just spectacular!

I  "lost" much of the week with work, appointments in town and so on, but still managed some sightings from my terrace.

A well fed Peregrine vandrefalk flew over the terrace on 01.10.

The  Taiga Bean Geese taigasædgås that I found just before I left last time I was home were still around. throughout the period.

Taiga Bean Geese taigasædgås at Breivik.

Note the variation in bill colours / pattern.

Storm "Amy" kicked off  on 3rd October. I did my Herdlevær walk which produced a few results. This autumn there has been a movement of Willow Tits granmeis and there were still some to be seen at Herdlevær along with a couple of Grey Plover tundralo and a bunch of other migrants including Treecreeper trekryper, Blackacap munk and more.

MeadowPipit heipiplerke

Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke

Blackcap munk

Dunlin myrsnipe

Gannets havsule

Grey Plover tundralo

Storm Amy continued on 4th October, this time with some pretty heavy rain - I got soaked! I did Herdlevær again, the Grey Plovers tundralo remained, a presumed Greenland Wheatear steinskvett was on the shore together with Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke and all seemed to be finding plenty of food. A few Otters to be seen too.

Goldcrest fuglekonge

Grey Plovers tundralo

Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke

Presumed Greenland Wheatear steinskvett

Back home a Guillemot lomvi turned up on the sea in front of the house and it seemed to be fine - diving and preening. But shortly after I took some photos I saw one of the local Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak killing it. The commotion seemed to attract a mink but this was of course no match for the biggest and meanest of our gulls. Almost ridiculously the gull never managed to get past the feathers to eat the dead auk which just ended up floating off with the tide.

Killing the Guillemot lomvi

...fending off the Mink

....all whilst the storm was raging.

A Goldfinch stillits turned up in the garden whilst I was taking pictures of the Guillemot drama

Guillemot lomvi

The wind dropped and then changed direction on 5th October and I predictably headed to Skogsøy hoping for some return movement. This was not the case with just Gannets havsule, auks and gulls on the move along with several Red-throated Diver smålom. However, the trip was far from a waste of time with two Merlin dvergfalk, a Snow Bunting snøspurv, Treecreeper trekryper and a variety of other migrants seen.

Roadside Black-headed Gull hettemåke - not a very common species out in Øygarden

Sometimes the eagles just get too close to photograph:)

After this I checked Breivik where I had four Jack Snipe kvartbekkassin, a Reed Bunting sivspurv, Skylark sanglerke and 19 Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin. The autumn storms really do bring the snipe in!

Jack Snipe kvarbekkassin being invisible

I checked Hatten and Sæle briefly after this seeing several Blackcap munk, a Chiff-chaff gransanger, Bramblings bjørkefink and more.