Øygarden 10.02-12.02 - All time low?

Monday 10th February was spent doing the SEAPOP count, something that has not been done for a couple of years. The standard route is in the southern part of the "old" Øygarden. Although the weather was fantastic the day left me feeling rather depressed - I've never seen so few seabirds on the count - very small numbers of Eider ærfugl and Long-tailed Duck havelle and just one Common Scoter svartand gave very dismal results. A few Black Guillemot teist and a surprise Puffin lunde were also seen.

Puffin lunde

The next day I wasn't really out but picked up a Red-throated Diver smålom and the two long-staying Little Grebe dvergdykker were still present. Some Greylags grågås and six Whoopers sangsvane were on Husvatnet.

Heron gråhegre

Little Grebes dvergdykker

Red-throated Diver smålom

The following day I left Øygarden again without getting out at all.

Skogsøy 04 June - Last bananabills of the spring

Another day, another seawatch. With work and personal trips coming up it was time for the last seawatch of the loonatic season.

Nothing remarkable noted but given the time of year there was plenty going on:) Frustratingly a number of wader flocks passed just too far out to clinch ID.

Gannets havsule

Kittiwake krykkje

Above and below: Puffins lunde

Razorbills alke

Red-throated Diver smålom

Shag toppskarv

White-billed Diver gulnebblom

Red throated Diver smålom N 35, S 1

White Billed Diver gulnebblom N 2 (adult)

Northern Gannet havsule N 69, S 5

Great Cormorant storskarv N 1, S 2

Eurasian Shag toppskarv N 18, S 19

Common Scoter svartand S 2

Merganser siland N 5

Golden Plover heilo N 1

Whimbrel småspove N 1

Redshank rødstilk N 1

Common Gull fiskemåke N 33

Lesser black backed Gull sildemåke N 8

Herring Gull gråmåke N 1

Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje N 4

Arctic Tern rødnebbterne N 32, S 2

Common Tern makrellterne N 1

Common Guillemot lomvi N 3, S 1

Razorbill alke N 23

Atlantic Puffin lunde N 4, S 1

Auk N 14, S 8

On the way home I picked up a Carrion Crow svartkråke at Breivik. Such a tedious rarity but I dutifully took some pictures and even a video for documentation.

Carrion Crow svartkråke at Breivik

The long-staying Whooper Swan sangsvane put in an appearance on Husvatnet where the unseasonal Tufted Ducks toppand remained. Could young tufties be turning up in a month or two I wonder....

Skogsøy 10 January 2021 - Puffin

 Light winds with some sun.

Despite the lack of wind the waves at Skogsøy may have been among the biggest I have ever seen there! A massive long period swell from the NW came crashing in, something I spectacularly failed to capture on video or as pictures. VERY impressive and a bit scary too - there was no way I dared to sit where I normally do - I would have been soaked several times over:)

Birdwise there was not a lot going on over the sea - just the usual gulls, a Kittiwake krykkje and a few Gannets havsule. A surprising find was one of the day's three Woodcocks rugde feeding in a rocky pool right beside where I normally sit. This is not the first time I have seen this species in this unlikely location.

On my way home I thought I would check the lagoons to the south of the lookout and having crawled through a dense spruce plantation I stumbled out onto the shore where I almost trod on a Puffin lunde - the first for Vestland "county" this year. This species is a rather uncommon winter visitor here with single birds seen during most winters. The stormy conditions during the previous day and night may well have driven this bird inshore.

Puffin lunde at Skogsøy

I picked the bird up and placed it in the calm waters where it swam off reasonably strongly. This must be the first time I've picked up a live Puffin for quite a few years:)

A quick look at Tjeldstø on the way home gave the first Fieldfares gråtrost of the year, Redwing rødvingetrost, another Woodcock rugde, a flock of nine Starling stær and a nice flock of small finches among other things.

Fieldfare gråtrost

Tree Sparrow pilfink

Herdlevær 08 January 2020 - Unexpected auk

Still gale force winds but more from the west today. Mostly sunny but a few heavy sleet/hail showers.

The best birds were seen from the car at Skogsøy just before I got to Herdlevær with a Puffin lunde feeding in one of the channels. It was very closed but managed to disappear in the 45 seconds it took me to back up and get out of the car. This is normally a spring/summer bird out here and not often seen in January (perhaps not even annual). A solitary Starling stær was the first of the year too.

Herdlevær was very quiet with just a couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn and a Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke of any interest.

Skogsøy 06 March 2016 - A couple of hours out at last

Almost windless, lovely conditions as it has been the last several days.

Skived off work by getting up early and spent an hour seawatching. Although there was nothing really special it was a case of a little bit of everything - a decent(ish) bird, a new for the year, some migration and a half decent photo or two.

This bird is not far off being an adult.....

A lone Great Northern Diver islom headed south - this species has been very thin on the ground this year. New for the year for me was a Puffin lunde on the sea (but this was not the first of the year in Øygarden) and there was a noticeable movement of Shags toppskarv heading south - typical for the time of year for this "inverted" migrant that heads south in early spring and north in late autumn. A few White-tailed Eagles havørn provided some photographic opportunities.

A drive-by at Tjeldstø produced a flock of six Lapwing vipe

Northern Lights from point and pray camera

...and from my proper camera but with a lens that zooms too much (not normally a problem in day to day life!)

In the evening there was a pretty impressive display from the northern lights. I'll buy a landscape lens one of these days.....

Skogsøy 22 February 2015 - First Puffin of the year

Bright and sunny with light onshore winds.

The local Ravens ravn are getting territorial

Spent an hour seawatching with the highlight being the first Puffin lunde of the year heading north. A single Little Auk alkekonge flew south and a few more unidentified auks passed in the distance. Migration was limited to several flocks of southbound Shags toppskarv. At least 20 Gannet havsule fed offshore.

Best bird was at least one, probably two Little Grebes dvergdykker on the lagoons to the south.

Skogsøy 29 March 2014 - Another productive non-birding day

Calm and sunny again. The fantastic weather continues.

Kicked the day off with a very vocal Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett from the terrace at home. Some indications of passage over Nautnes too with small flocks of what were presumably Lesser Redpolls brunisik and small numbers of Meadow Pipits heipiplerke flying over. White/pied wagtail linerle also heard flying over here.

Another late and lazy trip to Skogsøy was rather more successful than yesterday birdwise with highlights being a Black-throated Diver storlom and a couple of Puffins lunde. Several Red-throated Diver smålom, a few Black-headed Gulls hettemåke and a light northward movement of Common Gulls fiskemåke. Other stuff here included Guillemot lomvi on the sea and a Razorbill alke heading north.

Skogsøy 07 January 2012

Fresh west north-west wind, couple of showers.

Conflicting weather forecasts yesterday evening meant it was a late snap decision to head to Skogsøy, something that paid off reasonably well.

The onshore winds produced some movement, but some species still not showing. Best bird was an unseasonal Fulmar havhest heading north, two Razorbill alke were also new for the year. Other stuff included 45 adult Kittiwake krykkje heading north, a Puffin lunde, small numbers of Little Auk alkekonge and a couple of Gannets havsule.

Skogsøy 05 January 2012 - Iceland Gull

Light northerly with occasional short showers.

 Above and below: record shots of Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke

Fantastically long bill on this Curlew storspove - must be a female

Surprisingly pleasant conditions. Sat for a little over 1.5 hours and had a slow but steady trickle of stuff moving north. Most surprising bird was the very first - a Puffin lunde heading north. Not long after this a third year (or perhaps an adult) Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke flew past. An excellent start to the day!

Other stuff on the move were small numbers of Little Auk alkekonge, 14 Kittiwake krykkje, several Gannets havsule and the first Curlew storspove of the year. A Common Gull fiskemåke was a slightly unusual winter bird for Skogsøy.

Looked for the Lesser Scaup purpurhodeand but again it was not to be seen. Looks like it has probably moved on....

Øygarden 23 May 2009

Puffin lunde

Grey Seal havert

Great Egret egretthegre

Great Black-backed Gull svartbak

Great Black-backed Gull svartbak

Gannet havsule

Common Scoter svartand

Spent the morning out in the "migration lane" but there wasn't much in the way of passage. A couple of Arctic Skua tyvjo and close views of a variety of seabirds including Puffins lunde, Fulmars havhest and Razorbills alke.

A couple of large Barnacle geese hvitkinngås flocks heading north over land were not identifiable from the boat but were seen closer by various observers along the coast of Øygarden

Best birds were probably a small flock of Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt resting on one of the islands - quite a late observation.

Back ashore I finally connected with the extremely shy Great Egret egretthegre at Tjeldstø as well as a Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove beside Husvatnet.