Øygarden 26-28 February 2023 - Spring and Northern Lights

Calm and sunny throughout during this lightening visit back home. No birding as such this time around but picked up the first Mistle Thrush duetrost of the year on my way home from the airport.

A flock of four resting Oystercatcher tjeld at Nautnes on 27 February were the first I have seen from the terrace this year. A single bird the following day looked like it is one of the birds that will stay for a breeding attempt. Blackbird svarttrost and Robin rødstrupe also heard singing from the terrace.

Greylags grågås a bit more obvious now with up to seven on Husvatnet and small flocks elsewhere. 

The single Fieldfare gråtrost at Oen was again back in its holly tree.

Fieldfare gråtrost

The Whoopers sangsvane with young are still around and still having to fight for their feeding rights. Often they choose to feed on other lakes than the adults without young but building activity has scared them off from their usual haunt this winter.

The Northern Lights put on a fantastic display on both 27 and 28 Februry and I found it a lot easier to photograph with my latest point and pray:) Didn't take long to find some settings that worked, no frantic changing of lenses and desparate attempts to remember settings:)

Using the self timer and a shutter speed of a few seconds produced quite nice results:)

One of the first attempts with shutter speed way too long....

Then a few more shots from 28 February:

A lot more crocuses in flower now - this with the arrival of Oystercatcher tjeld and a Mistle Thrush duetrost are among the first signs that spring is really on the way

Engerdal 18.02-24.02.2023 - Winter

 With about a metre of snow and temperatures of down to -12 the contrast between the east and west of Norway could not have been bigger - apart from the paucity of species that is.

Despite putting in some time and effort it proved difficult to locate some of  what I consider to be the winter regulars.

My first trip out proved quite promising with an Arctic Redpoll polarsisik at Drevsjø, not just my first for the area but also the first reported there ever.

together with Common Redpolls gråsisik and  a Bullfinch dompap

Arctic Redpoll polarsisik - this bird really stood out from the accompanying Common Redpolls gråsisik not just in terms of plumage but also structure with a very small bill and "loose" plumage. A single thin stripe on the undertail coverts was present.

In the days that followed I managed to connect with Siberian Jay lavskrike a couple of times, a breif sighting of a Hazel Grouse jerpe, even briefer of Black Woodpecker svartspett, distant views of a Golden Eagle kongeørn and many of the usual suspects.

Siberian Jay lavskrike

A sad sight on my arrival was a dead Great-grey Shrike varsler which had flown into a window and died. 

Great-grey Shrike varsler

One of the species I had hoped for was Tengmalm's Owl perleugle - a species that is normally singing by now. I did hear of one that popped into a nestbox on 04 February but has not been seen since.

Roe Deer rådyr out on the completely frozen Engersjøen

Nautnes 13 February 2023 - Home Office advantages

Fantastic weather, calm and mild. It was criminal not to be out under such conditions but a couple of coffee breaks on the terrace made things just about bearable.

Clocked up another couple of new species for the garden this year in the form of a fly-over Red-breasted Merganser siland and a Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett. More unusually a Collared Dove tyrkerdue turned up again. Only saw one White-tailed Eagle havørn today but a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk put on a decent show and the usual Otter fed on the shore.

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk takes a break

Collared Dove tyrkerdue

Otter

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk - not a bad flight shot for a point and pray:)

Sparrowhauk spurvehauk

Skogsøy 12 February 2023 - Purple Sandpiper uncropped

 Very similar weather to yesterday with a light SW wind and some occasional light drizzle.

I opted for Skogsøy in the hope that the movement from yesterday would continue. It didn't and the sea itself was rather quiet with just a couple of Razorbill alke, a few Gannets havsule and a Kittiwake krykkje passing.

Ir was nice to have some company and I was joined by a Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt who flew up to land beside me when it heard my thermos fall over. Although reasonably alert for 15 minutes or so it quickly lost interest in the passage and went to sleep. I should probably have done the same:)

I was joined by a Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt today:)

Other birds at Skogøy included a couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn and a Great Northern Diver islom feeding inshore.

The long-staying Rook kornkråke at Oen showed itself on the way home as did a Fieldfare gråtrost - a species that has been very thin on the ground the last couple of weeks.

Fieldfare gråtrost

The Greylag grågås flock at Tjeldstø increased to five (the two from yesterday joined by the birds from Breivik?). Back home a flock of three flew over the house where I also had a few more Gannets havsule, a Peregrine vandrefalk and a couple of Long-tailed Duck havelle.

Øygarden 11 February 2022 - Weekend Birder

Lght winds, overcast and mild.

It seems I have become something I never wanted to be  - a weekend birder. Without having to think about work I had the most enjoyable day for some time - without even trying too hard, just doing a few relaxed walks here and there.

I started with a relatively late start to my usual round at Herdlevær which produced several new species for this locality this year including Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt, Kittiwake krykkje and Sparrowhawk spurvehauk. There was also a noticeable movement of GBBG svartbak heading north.

Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt at Herdlevær

Just one of the day's White-tailed Eagles havørn

Spring is on the way, Snowdrops have been in full flower for over a week now

Curlew storspove at Herdlevær

Next up was a walk with my middle daughter and a couple of dogs at Tjeldstø. Nothing unusual here but seven Whoopers sangsvane and a Greylag grågås were among the species seen here.

After this a brief stop at Hatten to finish sorting out my new phone (having destroyed yet another smartphone yesterday). My birding/family phone is still a Samsung "brick" that has outlasted and outperformed several smartphone challengers. Just the usual suspects here including a few GSW flaggspett, Crested Tit toppmeis etc.

A short visit to Sæle in the afternoon provided the bird of the day - a cracking White-billed Diver gulnebblom that gave superb views in the scope but proved challenging for my new point and pray. Happy enough with the results though:). A Guillemot lomvi on the sea and a White-tailed Eagle havørn were the only other sightings of interest here.

White-billed Diver gulebblom - it looked a lot better in the scope.