Øygarden and Herdla 29.08-02.09.2026 - Waders and seabirds

On 29th August I left the reservation for a day of guiding at Herdla. This coincided with the Bergen Bird Life excursion to exactly the same place. Well over 40 species seen with 13 species of wader including a few Little Stint dvergsnipe, a couple of Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove and several Greenshank gluttsnipe. A couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn gave decent views. Best bird was an early Slavonian Grebe horndykker and Red-throated Diver smålom flew over. 

The following day I spent a couple of hours seawatching at Skogsøy. It was very quiet with not much moving although a small flock of Sanderling sandløper fed on the shore and a flock of waders which included around 8  Turnstone steinvender headed south. Strangely some waders were seen heading north.

Otherwise just the usual Gannets havsule, a Kittiwake krykkje heading south, a single Common Scoter svartand and a light passage of various gulls.

The walk to and from the car produced little other than a Kestrel tårnfalk and a couple of Crested Tits toppmeis.

On the way home I stopped at Tjeldstø but it was quiet here too with just a Kestrel tårnfalk and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flaggspett seen along with the usual White-tailed Eagle havørn. The woodpecker may indicate an invasion year - this species often turns up towards the end of August when they are going to start moving in numbers....time will soon tell if this is indeed the case.

A last minute guiding trip on 31st August had me doing Herdla again. Much the same story as the previous visit with plenty of waders although the variety and numbers were down in the "nice" weather though the Black-tailed Godwits svarthaespove showed again along with several Little Stint dvergsnipe. The Slav Grebe horndykker was present and at least four White-tailed Eagles havørn put in an appearance although at longer range than on Saturday. Again over 40 species seen.

A selection of Dunlin myrsnipe, Ringed Plover sandlo and Little Stints dvergsnipe

Redshank rødstilk

Ringed Plover sandlo

Ruff brushane

I had to make up the hours the next day and didn't really leave the house so had to make do with White-tailed Eagles havørn and not much else.

Cormorant storskarv fishing off my terrace

One of the White-tailed Eagles havørn seen from my terrace

Strong onshore winds on 2nd September meant that the temptation to get out to Skogsøy was strong. Unfortunately I had work stuff I couldn't shift and had to stay at home. In the early afternoon a message about a Hoopoe hærfugl further south in Øygarden made me snap. I didn't bother with this bird (over 20 minutes away so not happening) but headed out to Skogsøy instead. I was rewarded with a Sooty Shearwater grålire, a Manx Shearwater havlire and a pale phase Arctic Skua tyvjo as the best birds. Unusually I sat in the hide there in order to shelter from the wind and the several squalls that struck. Small numbers of Gannets havsule, a couple of Fulmar havhest and several Kittiwake krykkje also passed. Fulmar is a species that I see a lot less often than previously, it used to be a common species here.

Gannet havsule

Sooty Shearwater grålire

Skogsøy 19 August 2024 - One last seawatch

 A pre work seawatch in brisk SW winds and in good company produced another decent number of shearwaters:) Quite a lot of waders moving too but frustratingly most went unidentified.

3.5 hours gave the following:

Manx Shearwater havlire 24 S, 1 N

Sooty Shearwater grålire S 4

Fulmar havhest S 2, N 1

Red-throated Diver smålom S 1

Common Gull fiskemåke S 163

Kittiwake krykkje S 1

Gannet havsule 26 S

Black-headed Gull hettemåke 1 S

Shelduck gravand 1 N

Gannet havsule 26 S

Several species of wader passed, but just the usual suspects.

Common Gull fiskemåke

Great Black-backed Gull svartbak

First year Kittiwake krykkje

Mixed flock of Ringed Plover sandlo and Dunlin myrsnipe

On the way home the Whooper Swan sangsvane was once again present on Husvatnet.

Øygarden 14.08-18.08.2024 - Seawatching saves the week

 On 14 August I did my usual round at Herdlevær picking up the usual suspects including a couple of Dunlin myrsnipe and Ringed Plover sandlo on the rocks. A couple of Teal krikkand were also feeding on the shore.

Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke

Ringed Plover sandlo

Teal krikkand

Still some Wheatear steinskvett about

The adult Whooper sangsvane was still present on Husvatnet.

A drive-by at Kollsnes on 15 August produced only one of the young Stonechat svartstrupe of interest.

First year Stonechat svartstrupe

The only other birding was a seawatch at Skogsøy on 17 August in strong SW winds. I sat from 0700 to 1030.

Sooty Shearwater grålire S 26

Manx Shearwater havlire S 25

Fulmar havhest S 13

Otherwise just a single "commic" tern, a Common Scoter svartand, and small numbers of Gannets havsule, Common Gulls fiskemåke and Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak on the move.

The next day in much nicer conditions I did Herdlevær again and picked up a reasonable selection of waders including a flock of nine Turnstone steinvender, a Greenshank gluttsnipe and the usual. On the way home Tjeldstø proved slightly more productive with a Ruff brushane, a Spotted Redshank sotsnipe, a couple of Knot polarsnipe on one of the islands just out in the fjord, flyover Dunlin myrsnipe, a couple more Greenshank gluttsnipe, Common Sandpiper strandsnipe and some migrating Oystercatcher tjeld moving down the fjord.

Stonechat svartstrupe under better conditions:)

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

Øygarden 06-10 August 2023 - Skogsøy finally pays off

I came home from work on 06 August and paid Skogsøy some attention whenever possible spending two hours seawatching on 06 and 07 August without anything much other than Gannets havsule on the move. A whale blowing  a few times on 06 August was of great interest but I didn't see the animal itself and am not that good on identifying whales just on their blows....

Female Tufted Duck toppand  at Tjeldstø now down from seven to six chicks

White-tailed Eagle havørn being mobbed by Common Gulls fiskemåke. 

Filmed from my terrace:)

Various ages of Gannet havsule passing Skogsøy on 07 August

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke

The northbound movement of Shags toppskarv seems to have started

Plenty of toads about these days - this one in broad daylight on the way home from seawatching at Skogsøy.

A seawatch in strong northerly winds on 10 August was an altogether different story and it turned into an all day sesh:) The first Sooty Shearwater grålire of the year for the county passed at 0815, seven Manx Shearwater havlire, 22 Fulmar havhest and the best observation - a "real" observation of Storm Petrel havsvale (rather than the fake tape luring thing the twtchers do to get the species on the year list). Quite a few Kittiwake krykkje on the move too with 20 adult and 12 of this year's birds - so some have managed to get some young off despite bird flu hitting many colonies both in Norway and elsewhere.

Øygarden 01-17 August 2022 - Nautnes ain't a bad place to be

 Work and family commitments meant there was even less birding than usual. This period reinforced the idea that I should actually bird more from my terrace. As I barely left the house with my binoculars it was home that gave the best results.

Having been slightly concerned regarding how few White-tailed Eagles havørn are about it was good to see two from the house almost daily - I have seen the eagles eating dead Gannets havsule and the sudden drop in the number of sightings gave some cause for concern.

The Oystercatcher tjeld pair that nested close to my house managed to get one young off as did the Common Sandpipers strandsnipe who seem to have managed at least one, probably two young this year.

I managed a few short seawatches at Skogsøy between 04.08 and 06.08. Oystercatchet tjeld and Common Gull fiskemåke were obviously very much on the move.

On 04 August 457 Oystercatcher tjeld and 377 Common Gull fiskemåke headed south. Other sightings included an Arctic Skua tyvjo and a couple of Red-throated Diver smålom. Of perhaps more interest were a few Tuna and a big pod of White-sided Dolphins - at least 50 fed offshore, possibly several times this number.

On the way home a Pinkfoot kortnebbgås turned up at Harkestand and at Husvatnet a Ruff brushane and a Swift tårnseiler put in an appearance. In the evening a Green Sandpiper skogsnipe flew over the house.

Pinkfoot kortnebbgås at Harkestad

Another seawatch of 05 August produced more of the same albeit in slightly smaller numbers. Other birds included six Shelduck gravand, a Black-headed Gull hettemåke and a Red-throated Diver smålom heading south as well as a hunting Peregrine vandrefalk.

On the way home a Swift tårnseiler was present at Husvatnet along with a couple of Lapwing vipe and a Sand Martin sandsvale.

Gannet havsule

Gannet havsule

Peregrine vandrefalk

Goldinch stillits were seen at both Tjeldstø and Nautnes, confirming that this speces has established a year-round presence in Øygarden and is no longer just a late autmn migrant and winter visitor.

A shorter seawatch on 06 August gave smaller numbers of the same along with a Fulmar havhest and a single Black Guillemot teist.

Five Tufted Duck toppand which included a number of first year birds may indicate that this species bred on Blomvatnet.

Swift tårnseiler at Tjeldstø

A single Whooper Swan sangsvane remained at Tjeldstø throughout the period - this species is not a usual species during the summer months.

Greylag Goose grågås migration was first noted on 08 August with a flock of 50 heading south during a fishing trip which filled up the bait shelf in my freezer with Mackerell:) A further eight species of fish were caught the following day, thus filling up the rest of my freezer with dinners.

Another guiding trip on 13 August had me leave the reservation again. Getting on for 60 species this time. At Herdla a Temminck's Stint temmeinkssnipe, a Green Sandpiper skosgsnipe, a Wood Sandpiper grønnstilk, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker dvergspett, 15 Ruff brushane, three Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove, 60 Snipe enkeltbekkassin, a decent movement of Greylags grågås, a Yellow Wagtail gulerle and plenty more besides.

The lower levels of Gullfjell gave a couple of Kestrel tårnfalk, Sparrowhawk spurvehauk, Willow Tit granmeis and Bullfinches dompap among other things.

On 15 August a calm morning in more ways than one gave the absolute highlight of the period with a female Marsh Harrier sivhauk coming in off the sea a flying past my house at Nautnes. At least two Kestrel tårnfalk and two White-tailed Eagles havørn were also seen along with Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove, flocks of Common Crossbill grankorsnebb, Goldfinch stillits, Nuthatch spettmeis and a light passage of Greylags grågås and Oystercatcher tjeld.

White-tailed Eagle havørn being mobbed by Raven ravn (photographed from my terrace)

Female Marsh Harrier sivhauk, also from the terrace

The following day some gardening gave me my first local Greenshank gluttsnipe and Great Spotted Woodpecker flaggspett of the year. Whit-tailed Eagle havørn again very obvious and rather vocal from my terrace.

Adult White-tailed Eagle havørn from my terrace

On 17 August a very late and lazy seawatch at Skogsøy gave a single Sooty Shearwater grålire heading north along with 36 Gannets havsule in the space of an hour. On the way home I picked up at least two first year Stonechat svartstrupe, a Whinchat buskskvett, a Wheatear steinskvett and a couple of adult White-tailed Eagles havørn, A flock of 70 Starling stær back home did not contain anything more exciting.

First year Stonechat svartstrupe

Skogsøy 09 July 2022 - Sooty!

 Finally some decent summer weather! Fresh North westerly winds with some light showers meant that I set my alarm clock for a relatively early start. 

I was not disappointed:) One of the first birds to pass was a nice Sooty Shearwater grålire - the first of the year. A total of five Manx Shearwater havlire also passed including a nice flock of three. Several Fulmar havhest also headed north. Otherwise it was pretty much just Gannets havsule, a couple each of Puffins lunde and Guillemot lomvi and several Razorbill alke.

Gannets havsule heading north

Three of a total of five Manx Shearwater havlire seen today - all in nice scope range but pushing it a bit for photos! Somewhat better images from my recent trip to Iceland here.

At least one White-tailed Eagle havørn put in an appearance on the way home but otherwise the woods and moorland were rather quiet.