A week back home which included a few days off around Easter was quite productive even though I took things pretty easy - normally I would have done more at Skogsøy but time just did not permit.
On 2nd April the female aythya that has been here and there in northern Øygarden since early February allowed for some better views and finally swung me over to Scaup bergand despite seeming to have rather a lot of black on the beak.
The usual round at Herdlevær gave White Wagtail linerle, Red-throated Diver smålom, White-tailed Eagles havørn, a Meadow Pipit heipiplerke and a variety of other migrants. Tjeldstø produced another Red-throated Diver smålom, some Gannets havsule feeding in the fjord and the usual. My first Chiff-chaff gransanger of the year fed at Sture.
In the afternoon a Pinkfoot kortnebbgås and an albifrons Whitefront tundragås were reported, I managed to hear the former among Greylags grågås and see the latter briefly in flight.
I started the 3rd April at Hjelme where a Chiff-chaff gransanger and a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett were the best sightings.
At Sæle a Red necked Grebe gråstrupedykker on the sea was probably the same bird that has been reported on and off at this locality previously. Small numbers of Long-tailed Duck havelle, a Common Scoter svartand, Black Guillemot teist and singles of both Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke and Meadow Pipit heipiplerke fed in the area.
Next stop was Tjeldstø where the Scaup bergand showed quite well again. A rarer sightig for northern Øygarden were two of last year's Mute Swans knoppsvane - almost certainly of urban origin as they swam straight over to me when I got out of the car. Several Teal krikkand, a couple of White Wagtails linerle and a Meadow Pipit heipiplerke were indications that migration is picking up.
Breivik proved quite productive with the first Jackdaw kaie of the year, a pair of Stonechat svartstrupe and the first two Linnets tornirisk of the year.
Saturday 4th April was quite social as I bumped into a number of other birders out and about. Although it was a nice morning out and about nothing special was seen. The female Scaup bergand and the two young Mute Swans knoppsvane remained at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø.
The 5th produced a flurry of new arrivals starting with a Dunnock jernspurv in my garden. Numbers of singing Song Thrush måltrost and Redwing rødvingetrost increased too.
At Husvatnet, Tjeldstø the first Redshank rødstilk of the year put in an appearance. Breivik was quite good with a nice Ring Ousel ringtrost and the albifrons Whitefront tundragås as the best observations. The Stonechat svartstrupe pair at Kollsnes showed well too:)
The two Mute Swans knoppsvane had moved to Dåvøy and it was here that I noticed they were colour ringed. Both birds were ringed last autumn further south in Øygarden at Stølsneset, Ågotnes - so these Easter tourists had not moved very far from their ringing site.
