My first trip out on my return to Øygarden from the east of Norway was to Hellesøy - two Woodlark trelerkehad been there up to and including the day I travelled home.
No sign of the larks but a confiding Snow Bunting snøspurv gave great views. As would be expected thus bird was mostly eating seeds in an area of waste ground. However, it also caught and ate some kind of beetle/weevil.
First it catches sight of the bug....
...grabs it
Starts dismantling it....
...and finally swallows it
Snow Bunting snøspurv at Hellesøy
There were generally quite a few birds about with migrants such as Blackcap munk, Goldcrest fuglekonge and plenty of the usual thrushes and finches.
I also visited Hellesøy briefly the following day in damp and overcast conditions. The Snow Bunting snøspurv remained and again there were plenty of other migrants included a couple of Chiff-chaff gransanger, Goldcrests fuglekonge and a flock of Common Crossbill grankorsnebb.
Goldfinches stillits at Dåvøy
Goldfinch stillits tearing apart a thistle
Snow Bunting snøspurv at Hellesøy
A few other very brief drive-bys showed there was plenty about with Blackcap munk, Woodpigeons ringdue and yet more thrushes. Rather frustrating to not be out more.....
On 30th October I squeezed in my usual round at Herdlevær where a Merlin dvergfalk and a Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt were the best sightings.
Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt at Herdlevær
The first Whoopers sangsvane of the autumn turned up at Tjeldstø and a Rock Pipit skjæpiplerke fed in my driveway. Sparrowhawks spurvehauk obviously on the move - no doubt following the large numbers of thrushes passing through.
Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke in my driveway
The next couple of days I was barely away from the computer but Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke seemed to be on the move with birds turning up away from their usual spots. Five minutes at Tjeldstø produced a few Kittiwake krykkje heading up the fjord into strong winds and a Razorbill alke landed on the sea.
Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke in a driveway at Hellesøy
Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke at Herdlevær
Finally it was the weekend again and I spent a couple of hours seawatching at Skogsøy, several Great Northern Divers islom passed and another fed on the sea. A Little Auk alkekonge was amazingly the first of the year for me. Small numbers of the usual seaduck (Velvet Scoter sjøorre, Common Scoter svartand and Long-tailed Ducks havelle) headed south as did a selection of gulls including Kittiwakes krykkje and Black-headed Gulls hettemåke.
Great Northern Diver islom with an interesting looking fish at Skogsøy
Kittiwake krykkje
Long-tailed Duck havelle
A late Dunnock jernspurv was seen on my way out to the seawatch
A brief stop at Sture on the way home produced a Chiff-chaff gransanger feeding a mixed flock of tits.
Several days spent bucking the trend by heading east instead of staying put lost me a few good birds on the home front but at the same time put me in touch with a number of species that are impossible to see in Øygarden. I saw around 50 species there, several of which had not been reported thus far this year in Engerdal. I managed to get out for a few mornings in this magical area where I always have the feeling something can turn up:)
Partly due to low cloud and poor visibility it was hard going for some of the time but obviously still plenty of birds about and the first hints of some interesting stuff on the move - for example small numbers of Waxwings sidensvans starting to show and a single Pine Grosbeak konglebit seen and heard at Isterfossen.
On 18th October I started with my usual Engerdal round - checking a few of the lakes and surrounding areas to get a feel for what was about. Best bird was a female Scaup bergand at Vurrusjøen where there was also a decent flock of Goosander laksand. Otherwise it was just the usual species including several Whooper Swan sangsvane, a couple of Black-throated Diver storlom, Dippers fossekall and so on.
Scaup bergand at the Drevsjø end of Vurrusjøen
The following morning I headed a bit higher up to Hyllsjøen but low cloud and poor visibility up here meant things were a bit hard going. Nothing special at all, just small numbers of thrushes and a few Waxwings sidensvans. Back down in the valley a flock of six Waxwing sidensvans at Heggeriset and some good flocks of Redwing rødvingetrost, Fieldfare gråstrost and Starling stær in downtown Engerdal.
Part of a flock of at least 32 Starling stær in downtown Engerdal - probably the biggest flock I've seen of this species in the area
Waxwings sidensvans at Heggeriset
Sunday 20.10 was spent mostly at the house but a flock of 57 Pinkfeet kortnebbgåas heading south was a good sighting and later in the afternoon I connected with a late Robin rødstrupe and a Wren gjerdesmett along with a nice flock of charming Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis.
Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis at Heggeriset
No birding the next day but on Tuesday 22.10, another cloudy day, I kept in the lowlands again. The Scaup bergand remained at Drevsjø where I also heard Waxwing sidensvans and had a distant flock of around 150 geese heading south - presumably Pinkfeet kortnebbgås. I also managed to pick up Treecreeper trekryper and Crested Tit toppmeis in the Drevsjø area - neither of which I see every time I am in the area.
I then tried some promising areas on the edge of the Kvisleflået nature reserve where I was rewarded with good views of a female Capercaille storfugl from the car. A walk in the woods produced almost no birds at all but, just as I returned to the car feeling a bit disappointed a couple of Siberian Jays lavskrike turned up and put on a real show - saving the day by a long way:)
Typical view of Capercaille storfugl
Siberian Jay lavskrike - just love this species, what a character and the places in which it resides are just wonderful.
The morning of my last full day was spent doing pretty much the same as I did on my first day - a "goodbye" round. This was quite a productive trip with singing (!) Black Grouse orrfugl at Volbrenna, a roadside Willow Grouse lirype near Galten, more Waxwings sidensvans, a flyover Pine Grosbeak konglebit at Isterfossen where I also had a Mistle Thrush duetrost, a small flock of Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb (the only positively identified crossbills this time around), a couple of Goldfinch stillits at Drevsjø where I also had a flock of 28 Goosander laksand.
Dipper fossekall at Galten
Goldfinch stillits at Drevsjø
Goosander laksand at Galten
Roadside Willow Grouse lirype moulting into winter plumage
On the way home downtown Engerdal produced a late Blackcap munk and good numbers of thrushes and finches.
Fieldfare gråtrost
Redwings rødvingetrost
The last morning was spent in and around Heggeriset, a distant aythya duck proved too far off to identify conclusively but was either Tufted Duck toppand or Scaup bergand. Plenty of Brambling bjørkefink still around, along with Whooper sangsvane, Goldeneye kvinand, Mallard stokkand and a Wigeon brunnakke on the lake.
