Øygarden 23-26.10.2026 - A nice weekend of birding

A short trip out on Friday afternoon gave pretty much the usual suspects with small numbers of Chiff-chaff gransanger and Blackcap munk still around and a tristis Chiff-chaff sibirgransanger heard only.

On 24th October I spent most of the day out and about. Starting at Breivik I had a Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin and a probable Yellowhammer gulspurv (only distant flight call). A few Pinkfeet kortnebbgås turned up here on the way home.

Pinkfeet kortnebbgås at Breivik

A nice walk at Herdlevær with one of my daughters produced some nice birds with the highlights being a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett and a Jay nøtteskrike (the latter not being a common species at this locality). A variety of other migrants were seen here including Skylark sanglerke, Grey Wagtail vintererle, Chiff-chaff gransanger and the usual selection of thrushes.

Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett at Herdlevær

Some of the locals are nice birds even if the rarities don't show...

Skylark sanglerke at Herdlevær

On my way home I stopped at Tjeldstø where I had cracking views of a first year Goshawk hønsehauk - as usual the local Hooded Crows kråke spotted it long before I did. A single Common Scoter svartand remained on Rotevatnet along with the more usual Teal krikkand and Wigeon brunnakke.

Three Nutcracker nøttekråke, probably of the Slender-billed form were seen at Hatten. Quite a mega here out at the coast:)

One of the Nutcrackers nøttekråke seen at Hatten

The following day I checked Hellesøy where a Great Northern Diver islom flew past. Migrants included a Blackcap munk and a Brambling bjørkefink. The usual suspects included a Velvet Scoter sjøorre flying past together with Common Scoters svartand.

Next up was Sæle where a Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker was on the sea and another flew past heading north and disappeared from view as it past Hellesøy. A Great Northern Diver islom on the sea and a selection of the usual winter fare turned up including Long-tailed Ducks havelle, Black Guillemot teist and Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt. More unusual was a flock of 10 Tufted Duck toppand heading south.

A Chiff-chaff gransanger, at least 40 Redwing rødvingetrost, small numbers of Song Thrush måltrost and a few Goldcrest fuglekonge provided some evidence of migration and at least 120 Redpolls gråsisik flew over.

Lots of Blackbird svarttrost moving though these days

Redwings rødvingretrost are on the move. Mostly feeding on the ground now that the berries are all but exhausted.

At Tjeldstø a couple of Whoopers sangsvane were present and a late 1cy Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke rested with other gulls on Husvatnet.

The three Pinkfeet kortnebbgås remained at Breivik.

Greylags grågås

Pinkfeet kortnebbgås

All too soon it was time to leave again and short stops at Sæle and Breivik on 26th November gave much the same results - plenty of thrushes and small numbers of Chiff-chaff gransanger and Blackcap munk.

Oslo 19-22.10.26 - Work stops play

No time at all to be out in any meaningful way but managed a walk in the nearby Botanic Gardens one afternoon after work - and ended up being locked in as we lost track of time / hadn't realised the opening times had changed.

All in all much the same as usual, although there was a Blackcap munk feeding there and several Redwing rødvingtrost. A Nutcracker nøttekråke was rather approachable - as they often are at this locality during the autumn / winter when they are around. Some people are saying that the Siberian / Slender-billed Nutcrackers sibirnøttekråke are more or less defined by their tameness. In the Botanic Gardens Nutcracker has "always" been quite tame so I'm not sure about using this behaviour as an ID feature. That said the extent of white on the outer tail feathers seems to fit the Slender-billed form. 

What I should now do is go through the images of my previous Nutcrackers from the Botanic Gardens and look closely at the outer tail feathers. I think we all know this won't happen until well after I have retired.

Female Blackcap munk

Nutcracker nøttekråke

Engerdal 14-18.10.2026 - High hopes

I headed north of Oslo to Engerdal, full of hope for a bunch of species I often see there at this time of year. Most of these I failed to see but there were some good birds there and not just in a local context.

I managed two new species for me in Engerdal and a lot of new species for my Engerdal 2026 list (hardly surprising since I haven't been there since late May). 

One of the most obvious target species this time around was Siberian Nutcracker sibirnøttekråke which are currently very much on the move. This one turned up the day before I left:) Waxwings sidensvans were also seen in small numbers.

Nutcracker nøttekråke was a new Engerdal species for me as was a rather more mundane species in the form of four Linnet tornirisk. Both of these were seen at Galten. 

Siberian Nutcracker sibirnøttekråje, Galten, 17 October 2026

Huge numbers of thrushes were ripping into the abundant berries down in the valleys and a nice variety of wildfowl were present. White-tailed Eagle havørn were seen on three of the four days spent in the field - a far cry from when I started birding this area when this species was rather scarce. Finches were quite well represented with good numbers of Redpoll gråsisik, Brambling bjørkefink and more on the move.

Mistle Thrush duetrost at Kvilten

A rather "frosty" looking Mealy Redpoll gråsisik. Further inspection of the Redpoll flocks could well have turned up something more exciting

Waxwings sidensvans have started moving through

Whilst thrushes dominated lower down there were plenty of Crossbills in the woods, both Common grankorsnebb and Parrot furukorsnebb recorded.

Common Crossbills grankorsnebb, Lisæter

Other species worth mentioning included Siberian Jay lavskrike and Capercaille storfugl.

Siberian Jay lavskrike

As usual for the time of year a Scaup bergand turned up at Drevsjø

Typically, in the days after I left the Pine Grosbeaks kongelebit and a Ural Owl slagugle turned up. Looks like I should have spent a few days more in the wilderness of eastern Norway...

Breivik and Herdlevær 10.10.2026 - Winter is coming!

Once again I did Breivik quite well before my usual round at Herdlevær.

Breivik gave the first Whooper sangvane of the autumn - a relatively early date but a sure sign that winter is approaching. A single Golden Plover heilo, several each of Jack Snipe kvatbekkasin and Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin, a Lapland Bunting lappspurv, a late Lapwing vipe and good numbers of Starling stær still present.

Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin

Golden Plover heilo

Herdlevær gave another sign of the approaching winter in the form of a few Goldeneye kvinand flying over. More Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin here too along with a Ringed Plover sandlo, a couple of Dunlin myrsnipe and several Golden Plover heilo. Redwing rødvingetrost, Fieldfare gråtrost, Song Thrush måltrost and Blackbirds svarttrost everywhere - they are rapidly leaving and depleting the local berry supplies as they do so:) Many finches on the move too.

One of the Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin at Herdlevær

Siskin grønnsisik at Herdlevær

The weather turned as I hit the best area for passerines and I got absolutely soaked, necessitating a trip home to change all my clothes except my socks (I have VERY good boots). Migrating Woodpigeons ringdue and a lone Chiff-chaff gransanger were all that I managed in the downpour.

After donning some dry clothes I headed back out into the rain without much reward though Chiff-chaff gransanger were singing at Sæle and a lone Pinkfoot kortnebbgås fed at Hjelme.

Øygarden 11.10.26 - Another productive day out

 Calm conditions with a south easterly breeze and some occasional light rainfall meant that this should have been a perfect day.

Kicking off at Tjeldstø we found some Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin, a flyover Reed Bunting sivspurv, a couple of late Wheatear steinskvett, a hunting Goshawk hønsehauk, a Pinkfoot kortnebbgås and a (the) Shoveler skjeand along with the usual supporting cast. Some late Lapwing vipe dropped in, a Chiff-chaff gransanger was very vocal and there were flocks of finches and thrushes flying overhead. Seven Common Scoter svartand were on Rotevatnet along with all the usual wildfowl - relatively uncommon for this species to turn up on fresh water rather than the sea out here. Altogether a rather promising start to the day...

Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin at Tjeldstø

Pinkfoot kortnebbgås with Starlings stær at Tjeldstø

One of two Wheatear steinskvett present at Tjeldstø

Probably another Pinkfoot kortnebbgås at Ådnevika along with more Redwing rødvingetrost passing through.

At Breivik several each of Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin, Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin, a few Stonechat svartstrupe, a Whooper Swan sangsvane and more kept the hopes up that this could in fact become a good day.

Whooper Swan sangsvane flying over at Breivik. This bird was originally seen feeding at Kollsnes

Herdlevær didn't produce a lot more but another bobbing Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin, a Chiff-chaff gransanger and a nice selection of finches, including Common Crossbill grankorsnebb, and thrushes kept hopes alive.

This Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke didn't get enough scrutiny as the call was off for this species. And Rock Pipits not feeding on the shore need to be looked at....

After this it was rather slow going, though a Nutcracker nøttekråke calling at Sture, the first Great-spotted Woodpeckers flaggspett for some time and some Jays nøtteskrike were all that were worth mentioning in a local context.

Herdlevær 09.10.2026 - Bobbing Jack Snipe and more

I covered Breivik briefly on the way to Herdlevær with a couple of Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin being the best birds. Skylark sanglerke and Reed Bunting sivspurv were among the other migrants along with a light passage of Meadow Pipits heipiplerke.

Herdlevær gave a nice selection of visitors including a Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin out in the open and a few more in more typical places. A flock of 14 Barnacle Geese hvitinngås came in off the sea too. A flock of 20 Goldfinch stillits fed in the area along with a nice variety of other finches including Brambling bjørkefink and Redpolls gråsisik. Warblers were limited to Chiff-chaff gransanger and Blackcap munk.

Coal Tits svartmeis seem to be moving in small numbers

Several Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin were seen today

Rock Pipits skjærpiperke numbers are up - probably a combination of local birds and migrants

On the way home a flock of five Jays nøtteskrike flew south over Tjeldstø and just kept going. A couple of Common Crossbill grankorsnebb also in this area.

I had intended to keep going but a car charging blunder had me stuck on the terrace instead. Here a few White-tailed Eagles havørn, another Jay nøtteskrike and the usual were seen.