Southerly gales are not noted for good migration of the species we target at this time of year, but they can throw up some jokers. And that is exactly what happened today. I took things easy and didn't get out there before 0730.
Pretty much the first things that passed were two Gadwall snadderand together with two Shoveler skjeand - heading south and possibly turning to head inland. Worth the hike for that alone. Later on a flock of three male and one female Shoveler skjeand rested on the sea and another pair of Gadwall snadderand headed north in the company of two Mallard stokkand.
Red throated Diver smålom N4
Northern Gannet havsule N25, S 21
Great Cormorant storskarv N7, S 1
Eurasian Shag toppskarv N48
Gadwall snadderand N2,S 2
Shoveler skjeand S 2
Mallard stokkand N2
Tufted Duck toppand N1
Eider ærfugl N2
Long tailed duck havelle N22
Common Scoter svartand N2
Merganser siland N1, S 1
Oystercatcher tjeld N147
Golden Plover heilo S1
Whimbrel småspove N4
Eurasian Curlew storspove S3
Common Gull fiskemåke N46
Common Guillemot lomvi S1
Razorbill alke N2
Auk N15
Eider ærfugl
Gadwall snadderand with Mallard stokkand
Great Black-backed Gull svartbak after an unsuccessful attempt to catch a Ballan Wrasse
Oystercatcher tjeld were one of the few species on the move today
Shags toppskarv
Nothing special seen on the way home, although a couple of Sand Martins sandsvale turned up at Husvatnet where a White-tailed Eagle havørn also gave good views.
On 28th April I did Herdlevær and Tjeldstø before heading into town to pick up a couple from Hurtigruten.
Tjeldstø produced the goods both on the way into town when I found the first Spotted Redshank sotsnipe of the year and on the way home when birders looking for the Spotted Red had found two nice male Ruff brushane and Greenshank gluttsnipe. I also managed brief views of an early male Whinchat buskskvett which frustratingly vanished before I could get anyone onto it.
Spotted Redshank sotsnipe at Husvatnet
Spring records are a lot less common than in the autumn when they are to be expected but this species is just about annual in spring.
Herdlevær produced Collared Dove tyrkerdue and an early Arctic Tern rødnebbterne new for the year. Goldfinch stillits, Twite bergirisk and the usual suspects were also present. Half an hour with the scope gave 31 Red-throated Diver smålom, 85 Oystercatcher tjeld, several Common Scoter svartand and more in addition to the tern.
A Jay nøtteskrike at Hatten was another local first - not something I've even tried to see so far and I was actually hoping for something else entirely:)
Greylag grågås with young.
This species seems to get their young earlier and earlier. The first goslings were observed over a week ago!
A flock of 18 Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås flew north over Kollsnes - today would have been a good day to sit at Skogsøy!
In the evening a roding Woodcock rugde seen from my terrace was a fitting end to a quite productive day.
On 29th April Common Sandpiper strandsnipe was another local first for 2026 and seen from my terrace as we prepared to leave for a day out and about.
Hjelme failed to produce what I had hoped for which was very frustrating but a Cuckoo gjøk was a new for the year here. A good variety of woodland species turned up including a few Common Crossbill grankorsnebb - the first I've seen for a while.
The obligatory stop at Husvatnet produced a remarkable record in the form of a Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin - I think this is the first time I have seen this species on spring migration even though it is a regular autumn migrant and an occasional winter visitor.
Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin - a species that was absolutely not on the radar today!
Other good birds at Tjeldstø were two Barnacle Geese hvittkingås, a Goshawk hønsehauk and several White-tailed Eagles havørn. At least two pairs of Tufted Duck toppand hint at some possibilities but usually these birds move on despite appearing settled for a while.
We then headed inland where there was a mixture of disappointment and success. A nice Green Woodpecker grønspett was the best sighting on the avian side of things but was eclipsed by nice views of a Pine Martin mår! Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper and a variety of other species were also noted - but not the one we went inland for:(
In the evening at least four roding Woodcock rugde were seen from the terrace just befoe bedtime:)
Another visit to Hjelme on 30th April was again unsuccessful for the target species.
However, Stonechats svartstrupe were more cooperative with two nice males seen at two localities as we left Øygarden in search of some other species.
Herdla was the first stop where we had hoped to see the Yellow Wagtails gulerle that have been reported there the last few days. This was not to be but a good selection of decent birds were seen with two Lapland Buntings lappspurv, four Bar-tailed Godwits lappspove, a male Ruff brushane and a Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker. Good numbers of waders included 360 Golden Plover heilo in stunning summer plumage, Greenshank gluttsnipe and the usual breeding wader species at this site. A male Pied Wagtail svartryggerle was probably the same bird as on my previous visit there. A House Martin taksvale was the first I've seen on this side of the country too - as well as being a bonus species on the "wish list".
Female Lapland Bunting lappspurv
Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker
With time running out and with heavy traffic time was limited by the time we reached Gullfjell. After some initial disappointing scans of the area the target species showed very well indeed as we left the area - a lovely Dipper fossekall.
Better late than never! The first trip to Hernar, again because I could, rather than the conditions.
Visiting after two days of northerlies was not the best decision but there was plenty to see even though there was nothing special to be seen. Over 40 species seen inlcuding my first local Twite bergirisk of the year. It was very much the usual suspects with several White-tailed Eagle havørn, at least five Chiff-chaff gransanger, a couple of Skylark sanglerke and a decent movement of Common Gulls fiskemåke up the fjord.
A northerly gale on 25th wasn't the best forecast but I spent a few "late" hours at Skogsøy just because I could. The winds were just too strong and not surprisingly there was not a lot passing.
Perhaps surprisingly several Hooded Crows kråke headed north west out to sea - why on earth they would choose to set out over the sea under such conditions is anybody's guess. Similarly it was surprising to see a White-tailed Eagle havørn heading north a long way out and low down over the waves.
Red throated Diver smålom N19
Northern Gannet havsule N14, S 3
Great Cormorant storskarv N1
Eurasian Shag toppskarv N8, S 5
Long tailed duck havelle N5
Common Scoter svartand N3
Merganser siland N2
Common Gull fiskemåke N5
Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje N1
Common Guillemot lomvi N5
Razorbill alke N2
Gannets havsule battling into the gale force winds
Red-throated Divers smålom migrating in strong winds
I was back the following day under better conditions and there was somewhat more to see.
The morning started well in a frustrating way - the first birds I saw were a 2cy White-billed Diver gulnebblom side by side with a 2cy Great Northern Diver islom in decent photo range - nothing short of a dream photo. However, my up to this point trusty point and pray refused to start. After over half and hour of fiddling with it I finally managed to get it going but there is obviously something very wrong with it....
In an Øygarden context the best bird was a Short-eared Owl jordugle seen coming in off the sea from at least a couple of km out.
Red throated Diver smålom N82
Great Northern Diver islom N1 (2cy)
White Billed Diver gulnebblom N2 (1ad, 1 2cy)
Northern Gannet havsule N25, S 2
Great Cormorant storskarv N17, S 1
Eurasian Shag toppskarv N62, S 36
Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås N41
Eider aærfugl N2
Long tailed duck havelle N7
Common Scoter svartand N3
Merganser siland N8
Oystercatcher tjeld N36, S 4
Whimbrel småspove N4
Black headed Gull hettemåke N1
Common Gull fiskemåke N80
Razorbill alke N12
Black Guillemot teist N2
Atlantic Puffin lunde N1
Auk N16
Gannet havsule
Not a bad result from the point and pray:)
Oystercatcher tjeld
Red-throated Diver smålom
Shag toppskarv
In the evening a roding Woodcock rugde from my terrace was nice to see.
The week was spent counting down the days until the start of what will be the longest period of time off since I stopped working offshore full time. May should be a month to remember for a long time to come!
Although I was glued to my computer all week I did manage short trips out before and after work most days and there was plenty to see including a good dose of new arrivals.
An early morning round on 21st produced the first Willow Warbler løvsanger, Sand Martin sandsvale and Golden Plover heilo of the year along with the first local Swallows låvesvale, Brambling bjørkefink and Wheatear steinskvett.
Picking up a package at the local shop after work (repaired binoculars returning home) produced four Canada Geese kanadagås on Husvatnet - a species that is considerably rarer here in northern Øygarden than Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett.
Crazy but in an Øygarden context these invasive Canada Geese kanadagåswere a much rarer sighting than the woodpecker below:)
Female Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett in the early morning sun
In this very short video I managed to capture the call of GHW
A bonus sighting was a pod of around 20 Porpoise nise, a common species in Øygarden but normally seen in much smaller groups.
On 22nd April I checked Tjeldstø before work. Some Curlews storspove holding territory but only a couple of pairs at most, luckily they are still widespread in Øygarden and will hopefully remain so. I'm hoping it is still a little early and that more will arrive at what was once a stronghold for this struggling species. Lapwings vipe are liking the area where the sikta spruce have been removed. Fingers crossed that they increase in numbers following this improvement. Snipe enkeltbekassin are back too and displaying "everywhere". Redshank rødstlk numbers seem low, again I hope more will arrive and take up territories.
Norway in a nutshell - an FPSO out in the fjord and Hurtigruten heading south...
The next day I spent slightly longer out of the house as I had to get my wheels changed over to summer tyres. A short walk at Tjeldstø whilst I was waiting for this to be finished resulted in a nice Peregrine vandrefalk flying over. A Green Sandpiper skogsnipe was a bonus on the way to the garage - a regular enough species here during the autumn migration but much fewer turn up in the spring.
Male Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett sticking its tongue out at me:)
Green Sandpiper skogsnipe
"My" Herring Gulls gråmåke spend a large part of their day waiting for me to give them some food.
Wheatear steinskvett at Tjeldstø
White-tailed Eagle havørn over my terrace. Pity the photo is not in focus:(
Otters are still pretty much a daily sight. Soon they'll become more nocturnal and harder to see. Filmed from my terrace in between meetings.
On 24th I did a quick trip out after work to buy some beers to celebrate the start of my holiday. This resulted in a male Wigeon brunnakke at Tjeldstø and a Carrion Crow svartkråke at Breivik where there was also a nice flock of 30 Linnet tornirisk - biggest flock so far this spring:)
Carrion Crow svartkråke
Fieldfare gråtrost - some are holding territories while there are still some flocks moving through to other places.
Redwing rødvingetrost
Much the same status as Fieldfare - many are singing but there also flocks obviously just passing through
Bring on the next several weeks😊 Work won't be the problem from here on in!!
After another period of work I finally had the weekend off, this time in Oslo.
An early morning trip to Gressholm proved very successful - and I even met some other birders which made the morning even better:)
A whole bunch of new species for the year were amassed with Common Crane trane probably the best from my western Norwegian perspective. A couple of Wheater steinskvett, a Twite bergirisk, a fly over Black-throated Diver storlom, a Green Sandpiper skogsnipe and a Brambling bjørkefink were all the first I've seen this year.
Seven Ringed Plover sandlo were present including one female sitting on four eggs. A few Linnet tornirisk, several Reed Buntings sivspurv, a singing Chiff-chaff gransanger, Stock Doves skogdue and more were seen here too.
The next morning a rainy walk in the Botanic Gardens gave a singing Blackcap munk, Hawfinches kjernebiter gathering nest material and a generally high level of bird activity which led me to try Østensjøvannet.
This proved a good choice with the first Swallows låvesvale and House Martins taksvale of the year as well as an early Common Sandpiper strandsnipe. For a western Norwegian birder the numbers of Great Crested Grebes toppdykker, Moorehen sivhøne and other species were a welcome sight. There had been an obvious arrival of birds with five singing Chiff-chaff gransanger, over 30 White Wagtails linerle (including a single flock of 20+), a flock of Meadow Pipits heipiplerke, Siskins grønnsisik and more. Two Hawfinch kjernebiter here too:) Goosander laksand numbers had increased a lot since my previous visit a few weeks ago with around 30 present.
A week back home which included a few days off around Easter was quite productive even though I took things pretty easy - normally I would have done more at Skogsøy but time just did not permit.
On 2nd April the female aythya that has been here and there in northern Øygarden since early February allowed for some better views and finally swung me over to Scaup bergand despite seeming to have rather a lot of black on the beak.
2cy female Scaup bergand
The usual round at Herdlevær gave White Wagtail linerle, Red-throated Diver smålom, White-tailed Eagles havørn, a Meadow Pipit heipiplerke and a variety of other migrants. Tjeldstø produced another Red-throated Diver smålom, some Gannets havsule feeding in the fjord and the usual. My first Chiff-chaff gransanger of the year fed at Sture.
In the afternoon a Pinkfoot kortnebbgås and an albifrons Whitefront tundragås were reported, I managed to hear the former among Greylags grågås and see the latter briefly in flight.
I started the 3rd April at Hjelme where a Chiff-chaff gransanger and a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett were the best sightings.
Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett
At Sæle a Red necked Grebe gråstrupedykker on the sea was probably the same bird that has been reported on and off at this locality previously. Small numbers of Long-tailed Duck havelle, a Common Scoter svartand, Black Guillemot teist and singles of both Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke and Meadow Pipit heipiplerke fed in the area.
Next stop was Tjeldstø where the Scaup bergand showed quite well again. A rarer sightig for northern Øygarden were two of last year's Mute Swans knoppsvane - almost certainly of urban origin as they swam straight over to me when I got out of the car. Several Teal krikkand, a couple of White Wagtails linerle and a Meadow Pipit heipiplerke were indications that migration is picking up.
Breivik proved quite productive with the first Jackdaw kaie of the year, a pair of Stonechat svartstrupe and the first two Linnets tornirisk of the year.
Common Gulls fiskemåke feeding at Breivik
The first Linnets tornirisk of 2026
Saturday 4th April was quite social as I bumped into a number of other birders out and about. Although it was a nice morning out and about nothing special was seen. The female Scaup bergand and the two young Mute Swans knoppsvane remained at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø.
Crested Tit toppmeis photographed at a feeding station
The 5th produced a flurry of new arrivals starting with a Dunnock jernspurv in my garden. Numbers of singing Song Thrush måltrost and Redwing rødvingetrost increased too.
At Husvatnet, Tjeldstø the first Redshank rødstilk of the year put in an appearance. Breivik was quite good with a nice Ring Ousel ringtrost and the albifrons Whitefront tundragås as the best observations. The Stonechat svartstrupe pair at Kollsnes showed well too:)
Redshank rødstilk at Husvatnet
Ring Ousel ringtrost at Breivik
Stonechats svartstrupe at Kollsnes
Albifrons Whitefront tundragås at Breivik
The two Mute Swans knoppsvane had moved to Dåvøy and it was here that I noticed they were colour ringed. Both birds were ringed last autumn further south in Øygarden at Stølsneset, Ågotnes - so these Easter tourists had not moved very far from their ringing site.
Mute Swans knoppsvane at Dåvøy
I actually left Øygarden on 7th April and did a guding trip at Herdla. There was plenty to be seen here including White-tailed Eagles havørn, a few Pinkfeet kortnebbgås, a Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås, a couple of Golden Plover heilo and a Pied Wagtail svartryggerle along with good numbers of Lapwing vipe, Ringed Plover sandlo, Meadow Pipits heipiplerke and the usual.
A Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin at Ådnevika was undoubtedly a new arrival as it has been a while since the overwintering birds have shown. On the way home the albifrons Whitefront tundragås showed well at Breivik.
Albifrons Whitefront tundragås
Curlews storspove also returned during this period and it was lovely to hear them displaying at several localities in northern Øygarden.
