Øygarden 22-24.03.2025 - Arrivals!

At long last some birding time! It helps to get out of the house and it helps to get out of the car:)

On 22nd March I headed off to Skogsøy bright and early. On the way out the first Dunnock jernspurv and Song Thrusg måltrost of the year showed up along with most of the usual suspects including Goldcrest fuglekonge and Chaffinch bokfink also singing.

I sat for a little under three hours. things were rather quiet in the southerly winds with just the first local Shelduck gravand of the year for me also heading south. A few flocks of unidentified distant geese headed north. Over 40 Gannets havsule headed south and very small numbers of Eider ærfugl and Long-tailed Duck havelle passed. Singing Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke, displaying Curlew storspove and flocks of passerines moving up and down the coast added to the spring-like feel.

On the way home I picked up my first White Wagtail linerle of the year at Breivik and a Hawfinch kjernebiter at Hatten aong with several Bullfinch dompap, Goldfinch stillits etc.

The first Dunnock jernspurv of the year

Male White Wagtal linerle - the first alba wagtails are often yarrellii rather than alba

In the evening the northern lights put on quite a show from my terrace.

Northern Lights at Nautnes

The next day I did my usual round at Herdlevær where Redwing rødvingetrost, Curlew storspove, Woodpigeon ringdue and Bullfinch dompap were among the new arrivals. 

A quick look at Tjeldstø on the way home produced another Redwing rødvingetrost, several Fieldfare gråtrost and a Goshawk hønsehauk among other things. The latter almost caught one of the several Teal krikkand present.

Goshawk hønsehauk takes a break after almost catching a Teal krikkand. VERY cropped image

Even this picture is heavily cropped showing the Goshawk to the left with Greylags grågås and Mallard stokkand very much on the alert.

Redwing rødvingetrost at Herdlevær

Probably a newly arrived migrant - I haven't seen one for a few weeks

A Linnet tornirisk flew over as I did a bit of work in the garden at Nautnes and an evening fishing trip produced a roding Woodcock rugde and surprising lots of squid - ultimately forcing me to give up and go home. On the way back home I stopped at Skjold hoping that last night's Tawny Owl kattugle (the first in 20 years here!!) would show. It didn't.

On 24th March a short trip out between meetings gave the first Meadow Pipit heipiplerke of the year singing at Husvatnet along with a couple of newly arrived Common Gulls fiskemåke. A few Linnet tornirisk and four Skylark sanglerke were at Breivik.

Øygarden 18-21.03.2025 - Back in the game

 Work continues to be as relentless as ever, gone it seems are the days of a few hours out midweek:(

Nevertheless this is Øygarden and my home office can produce as does a trip to the shops. I was out each morning briefly before work (thank goodness the days are significantly lighter now!).

I returned home on the afternoon of 18.03 and a grocery run gave several Lapwing vipe at Breivik.

Lapwing vipe at Breivik

On 19.03 a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett, a nice flock of Teal krikkand and just being outside listening to displaying Lapwing vipe and Oystercatcher tjeld meant that half an hour at Tjeldstø were absolutely worth it. After work I managed a couple of drive-bys and caught up with two Rook kornkråke and two Jackdaw kaie at Breivik. 

The last two winters have been used to remove the sitka plantation in the middle of the reserve at Tjeldstø. This will undoubtedly benefit waders and wildfowl in the area.

More trees have disappeared at Husvatnet too - as has the bird hide bus stop which vanished during some work on the footpath. This is a shame as this bus stop / hide was better than the one beside Rotevatnet

Teal krikkand at Tjeldstø

Rook kornkråke with two Jackdaw kaie at Breivik

Robin rødstrupe at Dåvey

Lapwing vipe at Kollnes

Jackdaws kaie at Breivik

Up to three Otters and three White-tailed Eagles havørn provided entertainment even when I was stuck at home:)

On 20.03 I checked Hjelme briefly before work, turning up a nice White-tailed Eagle havørn, a pair of Bullfinch dompap, singing Chaffinches bokfink, a couple of Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett, Common Crossbills grankorsnebb and more.

Bullfinches dompap 

Although I do like my point and pray it is somewhat slower than the DSLR at getting going. This could have been a good picture if the camera was quicker at starting up.

From the terrace a few Teal krikkand, a couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn, two Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke, a couple of Gannet havsule and plenty more besides kept interest levels up.

After work I did a quick walk at Breivk which produced a Rook kornkråke, 120 Starling stær, a few Snipe enkeltbakkasin and several Lapwing vipe among other things.

A pre-work check at Tjeldstø on 21.03 gave more views of the Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett. A Little Grebe dvergdykker at Dåveøy and a male Stonechat svartstrupe at Kollsnes were among the other sightings.

Little Grebe dvergdykker

Male Stonechat svartstrupe

Oslo 08-16.03.2025 - Urban Birding

Ten days in Oslo during early spring proved quite pleasant despite taking things very easy and missing out on the "incidental" birding available back home in Øygarden where turning my head from the computer or a trip to the shops can produce something.

On 08 March I visited my Oslo favourite of Gressholm where a second year Goshawk hønsehauk, a flock of Ringed Plover sandlo, Skylark sanglerke, 20 Velvet Scoter sjøorre were present. During the boat trip there and back I also picked up some newly arrived Shelduck gravand and Stock Dove skogdue.

2cy Goshawk hønsehauk

Oystercatchers tjeld on Galteskjær

Ringed Plover sandlo at Gressholm

The next day a late and lazy stroll around Østensjøvannet gave the first Reed Bunting sivspurv of the year along with Coot sothøne, a male Wigeon brunnakke, a Pintail stjertand and more - including a few Whooper Swan sangsvane and plenty of newly arrived geese in the fields. The east of Norway is still in the grips of winter and the lake was mostly frozen - we even saw someone pull a nice Pike gjedde out of a hole in the ice - there were a lot of people ice-fishing:)

One of several Coot sothøne at Østensjøvannet

Pintail stjertand

During the week work commitments meant it was impossible to get out but a pair of Woodpigeon ringdue turned up in the back yard where Blackbird svarttrost numbers also increased (along with the level of song).

Next time I was out and about was 15.03 when a late and lazy trip to Gressholm was again on the cards. A couple of Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke were without doubt the highlight in an Oslo context. Ringed Plover sandlo numbers had increased and there were 40 Velvet Scoter sjøorre feeding close by.

Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke on Gressholmen.

The following day in fantastic sunshine we went for a walk at Bygdøy. Here there were obscene numbers of people around which obviously scared most stuff away. We managed to find some trails with fewer people and this resulted in a nice Lesser-spotted Woodpecker dvergspett along with Stock Doves skogdue and the usual suspects.

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker dvergspett on Bygdøy

Øygarden 02.03-04.03.2025 - Home briefly

 On 02 March I managed my usual round at Herdlevær. Some signs of spring with Oystarcatcher tjeld, Starling stær now back. A flock of 20 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt , White-tailed Eagles havørn and the usual also seen. 

Best bird was a female Stonechat svartstrupe at Kollsnes - a bird that turned up whilst I was away.

A quick look at Hjelme in the afternoon produced the first local Jay nøtteskrike of the year along with a flocks of Fieldfare gråtrost, Brambling bjørkefink, Chaffinch bokfink and Starling stær.

Spring is well on the way, Crocuses at Herdlevær

Siskin grønnsisik have been common "all winter" but have suddenly started visiting my feeder.

Female Stonechat svartstrupe at Kollsnes

Engerdal 14.02-20.02.2025 - Back to winter

With temperatures down to less than -23C it wasn't exactly warm, but the sun shone a lost of the time.

We arrived in the afternoon of  14.02 and in the evening heard a singing Tengmalm's Owl perleugle from the garden.

On 15.02 I did my usual round, some drumming woodpeckers but only Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett was the only species positively identified. Good numbers of Mallard stokkand on some open water on Engersjøen, a few flocks of Redpoll gråsisik, several Dipper fossekall and most of the usual suspects without anything special.

Dippers fossekall at Heggeriset

Redpoll gråsisik at the feeder in the garden

Whoopers sangsvane at Heggeriset

A long walk higher up on 16.02 produced none of the target species with just a Golden Eagle kongeørn of any interest. Some gamebird tracks but not as many as I usually see and no birds actually seen.

This Redpoll gråsisik looked rather pale and "snowball" like but was just a Common rather than the hoped-for Arctic

There was no meaningful time outside for the next couple of days but a Goshawk hønsehauk hunted over the garden on 17th February and I encountered a lovely flock of Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis during a trip to the shops.

Part of the Mallard stokkand flock hanging around on open water near the power station.

On 19th February I was out bright and early for my first skiing of the year - just brilliant with nobody else seen for kilometre after kilometre. Unfortunately it was almost the same birdwise although tracks in the snow showed that something could turn up at any time. A few Common Crossbill grankorsnebb, a single Willow Grouse lirype and the usual woodland suspects were seen.

A Sparrowhawk spurvehauk caught a Redpoll gråsisik in the garden in the afternoon.

Just wonderful to be out skiing in Engerdal:)

In the evening a singing Tengmalm's Owl perleugle was a highlight.

Tengmalm's Owl perleugle singing from the neighbour's garden:)