Herdlevær and Skogsøy 04.10-05.10.2026 - Its raining Jack Snipe!

For my week off from the grind I had hoped for some classic fall condition with light easterly winds and some showers. This was not the case, gale force winds and some heavy downpours dominated. 

But this is October and it is Øygardeb and any weather is good for something. The freedom to just go birding was pretty much enough in itself....

Sunday 4th October started well as I stopped at Tjeldstø on my way to Herdlevær. A female Shoveler skjeand gave great roadside views during a drive-by at this site.

Shoveler skjeand at Tjeldstø

This bird attracted some attention from local listers later in the day

Herdlevær was relatively dissapointng with just a few of the usual waders and a decent passage of Gannets havsule while I ate my breakfast.

Ringed Plover sandlo at Herdlevær

On 5th October I had to kill some time whilst waiting for the visibilty to clear so I spent some time covering various localities before heading out to Skogsøy.

At Tjeldstø there was no sign of the Shoveler skjeand but a Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke showed well in a flooded field and my point and pray outperformed my camera by a good margin.

Rock Pipit sjærpiplerke at Tjeldstø

Breivk gave at least six Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin on the first cursory pass - numbers were more than the Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin I saw there. I even almost stepped on a few I hadn't seen whilst getting into position for some record shots of those that I did see. The light was awful so it was challenging to change from dark and gloomy shots on the ground to a flock of 22 Pinkfeet kortnebbgås against the sky.

Jack Snipes kvartbekkasin

Part of a flock of 22 Pinkfeet kortnebbgås - not a common species here in the west of Norway, the majority tend to pass through rather further east...

Two hours of seawatching at Skogsøy gave some good birds including an adult Pomarine Skua polarjo and four Manx Shearwater havlire along with a good movement of Gannet havsule (70+), a few Black-headed Gulls hettemåke and a young Peregrine vandrefalk.

Gannet havsule

Young Peregrine vandrefalk

After this a walk at Herdlevær gave some Brambling bjørkefink and the usual suspects. A second round  at Breivik gave more of the same as earlier in the day and a skulky Garden Warbler hagesanger.

Brambling bjørkefink are typically passing through in good numbers

A Goshawk hønsehauk over the road at Skjold was a nice bonus sighting...

Skogsøy and Breivik 03.10.2026 - Let the games commence

Strictly speaking not holiday, just the weekend. But this is the start of a week in the field:)

In strong SW winds I started the the day at Skogsøy with a couple of hours of seawatching. This turned out pretty well with a Grey Phalarope polarsvømmesnipe heading south, four Black-tailed Godwits svarthalespove heading the same way, the first Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås of the autumn and plenty more:)

Razorbills alke heading south

On the way home I stopped at Breivik. The first bird I heard as I got out of the car was a Richard's Pipit tartarpiplerke:) This was closely followed by 130 Meadow Pipits heipiplerke, a Teal krikkand, two Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin and more. Result!

One of two Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin seen and photographed today

Richard's Pipit tartarpiplerke

A stop at Tjeldstø on the way home was a bit of a miss but there were over 30 Wigeon brunnakke (a good number for these parts), a couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn and some Godlfinch stillits.

Before heading home I visited Sæle where a Wryneck vendehals was recently reported. No sign of this but I did connect with a Garden Warbler hagesanger.

Garden Warbler hagesanger

My camera is too old to have eye focus and that kind of thing. I wonder how a more modern camera would have dealt with the elderberry that looks like an eye and managed to confuse the autofocus on my out of date camera,

Øygarden 28.09-02.10.2026 - New species for the house list / the Nutcrackers are here

A most frustrating week: conditions were perfect and I have full time job. I say it every year but I really have to book holiday for the last week in September....

I managed anything between half an hour and an hour or so out and about with more summer than we had in the summer, easterly winds and so on.

On 28th I managed to spend 15 minutes at Tjeldstø and half an hour an Sæle. Tjeldstø gave a few White-tailed Eagles havørn, a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk and a Wheatear steinskvett along with the usual Wigeon brunnakke and so on.

Sæle was full of birds but nothing remarkable, just a female Blackcap munk, several Chiff-chaff gransanger and four Common Crossbill grankorsnebb.

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk

Male Wheatear steinskvett

On Tuesday 29th it was almost wall to wall Teams meetings and frustratingly I received a call from Bjørnar saying he had found what we had been expecting - a Nutrcracker nøttekråke. I've seen plenty this year, just not here at home where it is something of a rarity. Having suffered through a meeting or two I finally made it out and heard Nutcracker at close range without seeing it. I sat down to wait and soon heard a more distant call and scanning over the treetops I found two gaining height rapidly and heading north.

As this was really a trip to the shop I also stopped very quickly at Husvatnet where a late Lapwing vipe was present.

The photo that could have been something had I not knocked a button on my camera and screwed up the settings. Same thing happened with the Nutcrackers...

After this breif foray out it was back to barracks. Three minutes on the terrace during a break whilst making dinner I picked up a Stonechat svartstrupe. Luckily the bird stayed and a post dinner stroll with my better half and NBB junior #1 provided a photo opportunity.

Stonechat svartstrupe at Nautnes

The next day I found out my "good dad rewards" don't just apply to my daughters. There is also a similar concept called "good boyfriend rewards" where bird karma also kicks in. So, to save my better half some transport time, I offered to drive her half an hour to a bus stop with some more connections to civilisation. This resulted in a Common Buzzard musvåk on the way south and a lovely Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett on the way home:)

Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett at Sture

Back home I had Jay notteskrike in the garden along with the much commoner White-tailed Eagles havørn.

Øygarden 26.09-27.09.2026 - Weekend Birding

I was travelling with work all week so not even the usual incidental obersvations to note this time. But I did get the weekend at home.

On Saturday 26th September I did my usual round at Herdlevær which was quite productive. The local Bergen Birdlife group were out in force so I almost went somewhere else.

Best birds were a Lapland Bunting lappspurv and a couple of Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin.There were some other migrants inlcuding some of the usual waders, a Reed Bunting sivspurv, Chiff-chaff gransanger and Dunnock jernspurv.

Dunlin myrsnipe trying to look like something more interesting. Nice try.

...and back on land again. Back to normal

Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin are not easy to spot with their superb camo

Here somewhat easier from a different angle

After this I stopped briefly at Sæele but there was nowhere left to park - too any birders. The only sighting worth a mention were a couple of Twite bergirisk.

Twite bergirisk

The next couple of hours were spent trying to repair my central hoover. Always something....

On Sunday 27th I spent a couple of hours seawatching at Skogsøy. There was some migration into strong SE winds:

Arctic Tern rødnebbterne S 8 (a bit on the late side)

Cormorant storskarv S 10, N 1

Gannet havsule S 16, N 4

Herring Gull gråmåke S 7

Common Gull fiskemåke S 25

Turnstone steinvender S 1

Golden Plover heilo S 7

Grey Plover tundralo S 13

Dunlin myrsnipe S 3

Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt S 2

GBBG svartbak S 2

RB Merganser siland S 4

Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove S 2

Black Guillemot teist N 1

Common Scoter svartand S 2

Bar-tailed Godwits lappspove with Grey Plovers tundralo

Common Gulls fiskemåke

Cormorants storskarv

Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt with Dunlin myrsnipe

Shag toppskarv

Øygarden 18.09-20.09.2026 - Some more migrants

A short window between meetings had me out of the house in a flash on 18th.

I chose my usual round at Herdlevær which gave a Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove, a couple of Common Sandpiper strandsnipe and three other species of wader. Several Wigeon brunnakke and a Chiff-chaff gransanger were the only other migrants.

Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove

Dunlin myrsnipe at Herdlevær

Golden Plovers heilo

This Golden Plover heilo had me going being a lot less golden and had very coarsley notched tertials

Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke at Herdlevær

The Richard's Pipit tartarpiplerke showed well at Breivik again:)

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke

Richard's Pipit tartarpiplerke

At Tjeldstø on the way home Grey Plover tundralo, Merlin dvergfalk and some unidentified waders showed up,

Back home thrushes were starting on the berries in anger, White-tailed Eagle havørn, a flock of 20 Wigeon brunnakke, a few remaining Oystercatcher tjeld on the shore, Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke and the usual.

A young White-tailed Eagle havørn photographed from my terrace

I started the weekend with another walk at Herdlevær, much the same story although with a different selection of waders.

Tjeldstø gave better results with 10 Grey Plover tundralo flying over, a few Golden Plover heilo, at least 300 Starling stær, some Wigeon brunnakke, a couple of Teal krikkand and the usual.

On Sunday 20th I did over two hours seawatching at Skogsøy with strong onshore winds and some heavy showers. The much hoped for shearwaters failed to show but a few Fulmar havhest, a flock of six Brent Geese ringgås, a "commic" tern, various gulls and waders on the move and perhaps most surprising a decent movement of Red-throated Divers smålom with 169 passing in flock sizes akin to the spring passage.

I popped in at a few other places on the way home without much of note. Howevr, a short look from my terrace revealed a flock of around 30 Brent Geese ringgås headed south.

Øygarden 13.09-17.09.2026 - Good Dad rewards

During this period I was restricted both by work and looking after an absolutely not birding dog.

However, although I am not supersticious, birding karma seems to be a thing - something I call "good dad birds". If I do something nice for my children I am often rewarded with some good birds. This time was no exception.

With Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger and other goodies at the coast and a Roller blåråke a few hours drive away inland there was obviously plenty of potential. Looking after the dog meant that I had to leave work behind for a bit each day.

On 13th I went off the reservation for a guiding trip which was great fun. Herdla produced a lot of birds, including some of interest. A couple of Curlew Sandpipers tundrasnipe, a Black-throated Diver storlom, two Grey Plover tundralo, two Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove, at least 10 Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove and a late Wood Sandpiper grønnstilk were among the best sightings here.

A short walk at Hellesøy on 14th produced at least one of the Rosefinches rosenfink that had been reported there on 12th September. A couple of Lapland Buntings lappspurv were also present here, although I only ever saw them in flight.

Common Rosefinch rosenfink at Hellesøy

An even shorter walk at Herdlevær produced nothing much. An obviously unwell Snipe enkeltbekkasin was still too well to catch.

Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin

The only birds of note on the 15th were a couple of Grey Plover tundralo at Tjeldstø where there were a couple of Wheatear steinskvett and a small flock of Wigeon brunnakke.

The dog dragged me around Herdlevær on 16th where a Grey Plover tundralo gave good views, a couple each of Dunlin myrsnipe and Ringed Plover sandlo were present along with two adult White-tailed Eagles havørn. 

Grey Plover tundralo

Ringed Plover sandlo

White-tailed Eagle havørn with prey, Nautnes

A Greenshank gluttsnipe flew over the house at dusk and a White-tailed Eagle havørn flew over the terrace carrying something interesting - perhaps a lumpsucker rognkjeks.

On17th the briefest of checks at Sæle showed there were some migrants about with a few Chiff-chaff gransanger present. Small flocks of Ringed Plover sandlo and Meadow Pipits heipiplerke passed during the morning.

In the afternoon I thought I would be kind and drop the dog off and save my daughter some driving. This paid off very nicely with a relatively early Richard's Pipit tartarpiplerke at Breivik. Grey Plover tundralo, a flock of Golden Plover heilo and a flyover Lapland Bunting lappspurv were among the other species here.

Richard's Pipt tartarpiplerke.

I think this is the first one I have found without hearing it first - and unusually also seen quite well on the ground instead of the usual flyover views. It was very vocal at times.

On the way home I was rewarded with a few Pinkfeet kortnebbgås at Tjeldstø.