Øygarden 07.07-17.07.2026 - A new species for Øygarden!

Not often I manage to get a new species in Øygarden these days but it happened this week.

As usual I spent all day working on 7th July with just the usual stuff from the terrace including a nice Whte-tailed Eagle havørn. Much the same the following day but a shot lunch break produced a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett at Hjelme along with a couple of Lesser Whitethroat møller.

Adult White-tailed Eagle havørn photographed from the home office

Several Common Tern makrellterne chicks were still present at Dåvøy on 8th July. These were well on the way to being fledged and were almost ready to fly. An Arctic Tern rødnebbterne chick at the same place was much younger and nowhere near flying....

In the evening a report of singing Quail vaktel at Tjeldstø made me leave the house but there was nothing going on in the half hour I had time to spend there. I returned early the next mornig and had better luck with at least two birds singing. These were no doubt birds displaced by meadows being cut - and ironically just a couple of days later this very productive field was laid bare and all the birds, including the Quail moved on. They just do not have a chance.

Quail vaktel singing at Tjeldstø - a new species for Øygarden!

After the early mornng Quail I headed to Hernar for the morning. There were painfully few warblers with a few of the usual suspects not seen and only just over 30 species seen. An Arctic Skua tyvjo was the best bird.

Young Wheatear steinskvett on Hernar

From Thursday afternoon in addition to getting back to work I was also dog sitting a non birding dog. But it was enough to get me away from the computer for a little bit each day:)

The dog walk on 11th June produced a couple of Swift tårnseiler at Tjeldstø - never a common species in Øygarden and something I see only a few to several times a year. In the reserve at Tjeldstø the Redshanks rødstilk obviously had young as they were very distressed when I passed by with the dog.

Concerned Redshank rødstilk parent at Tjeldstø

By this time at least one of the Quail vaktel had relocated to Sture where I heard it singing whilst three birders from town were twitching it,

I was barely out of the house for some days so it was more of the same until 16th when I managed a few very brief drive-bys. A dead tern at Dåvøy was likely to have been an Arctic Tern rødnebbterne based soley on where the nests / young had previously been. A single pair of Common Tern makrellterne were still looking after a well grown chick. A couple of larger Starling stær flocks were seen including around 120 at Breivik.

A pair of White-tailed Eagles havørn were unpopular with the local Common Gulls fiskemåke on 12th July

A couple of the Common Gull fiskemåke chicks at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø. At least some young are almost good to go:)

Common Tern makrellterne at Dåvøy

One of this year's Redshank rødstilk at Dåvøy

On 17th July all I managed was a couple of minutes at Husvatnet. Best birds here were a couple of Sand Martin sandsvale - clearly migrants as this species does not breed locally. Fully fledged Lapwing vipe and Redshank rødstilk were also present - good to see that there has been at least some success.

Oslo 27.06-03.07.2026 - Summer in the city

I was greeted in Oslo by a nice flock of Swifts tårnseiler screaming in the skies over the flat in downtown Oslo.

Predictably the next morning I visited Gressholmen where there were lots of birds with young, starting with a Merganser siland as I got off the ferry. Eiders ærfugl, Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås, Wheatear steinskvett, Shelduck gravand, Oystercatcher tjeld, various gulls and more had young on the go. The only migrant was a lone Greenshank gluttsnipe feeding out on the mud - a sign that autumn migration is underway.

Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås "BTT".

This bird has been reported a lot from the Oslo area since 2015 and seems to have bred on Gressholmen since 2022.

Just some of the Common Terns makrellterne breeding on a small island off Lindøya

Female Red-breasted Merganser siland with young

At least two pairs of Ringed Plover sandlo still present

Several young Wheatear steinskvett on the island indicated a successfull breeding season

The next day I visited Østensjøvannet almost before it got too hot. Marsh Warblers myrsanger were the best bird here but also nice to see Great Crested Grebes toppdykker, Coot sothøne and more with young.

Great Crested Grebe toppdykker

A couple of walks in the nearby Botanical Gardens during the week didn't produce anything exciting but still nice to see Hawfinch kjernebiter, Stock Doves skogdue, Garden Warbler hagesanger and large numbers of Fieldfare gråtrost so close to the city centre.

Stock Doves skogdue in the Botanical Gardens

Following thundery rain during Thursday and into the early hours of Friday I managed a pre-work trip to Gressholmen. Unfortunately it was high tide and thus no waders were dropped but the local Ringed Plovers sandlo seemed to still be in breeding mode despite failed attempts earlier in the year. Good numbers of Common Terns makrellterne breeding on some of the islands in the fjord including a couple of pairs on Gressholmen itself. A Common Sandpiper strandsnipe was also present but not sure if this was a breeding bird or on migration.

Hernar 25 June 2026 - A chance at last

After not having been to Hernar for way too long there was finally a chance to visit Hernar. With overcast conditions and some very light drizzle I felt the island might produce something.

This was not the case but I did manage to add a few new species to my Hernar year list in the form of a singing Whinchat buskskvett, a singing Lesser Whitethroat møller, Sedge Warbler sivsanger and more. Otherwise it was very much the usual suspects with several pairs of Twite bergirisk, Snpe enkeltbekkasin, Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke and so on. A little over 30 species seen.

Snipe enkeltbekkasin

Twite bergirisk

I popped in at Hjelme on the way home where the usual suspects showed including a Common Sandpiper stransnipe pair.

Common Sandpiper strandsnipe

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke

Øygarden 04-21.06.2026 - Back to the grindstone

Work, house maintenance and the garden took almost all my time with very little effort spent birding. Nevertheless still some stuff to be seen.

The 4th June should have been spent elsewhere but a few House Martin taksvale at Kollsnes and  Twite bergirisk in the garden made it into the notebook.

At the weekend I made it out of the house for a bit. On 6th June Curlew storspove had young feeding at Husvatnet and other places. Herdlevær gave several Twite bergirisk, a Great Northern Diver islom and a fly-over Black-headed Gull hettemåke as the best birds in a local context. White-tailed Eagles havørn were daily, mostly seen from my terrace.

Curlew storpsove chick at Tjeldstø

Lapwing vipe at Breivik - some young seen in the fields too:)

Redshank rødstilk at Breivik

Twite bergirisk

On 7th June I made it to Skogsøy for a short seawatch, the highlight here was a pod of Atlantic White-sided Dolphins actively feeding just offshore. A Great Northern Diver islom on the sea, a couple of Puffins lunde passing and small numbers of most of the usual suspects turned up.

Mergansers siland

Redpoll gråsisik

Shag toppskarv

Atlantic White-sided Dolphins

White-tailed Eagle havørn

On the way home from Skogsøy I stopped briefly at Tjeldstø where the autumn migration was officially started by an adult Spotted Redshank sotsnipe. All the usual breeding waders were also present.

The next time I made it out of the house was 14th June - once again to Skogsøy where the dolphins put in an appearance again. A small movement of Gannets havsule and Arctic Terns rødnebbterne heading north, a Red-throated Diver smålom, several Puffin lunde and a couple of Arctic Skuas tyvjo were the best sightings.

Dark morph Arctic Skua tyvjo

And as almost always - a White-tailed Eagle havørn.

On 20th June I drove a few kilometres to Blomvåg to see the Walrus that has been seen locally

Walrus at Blomvåg

Recently fledged Wheatear steinsvkett at Breivik

The next day I once again took things easy doing my usual round at Herdlevær which produced little but several Arctic Tern rødnebbterne and a couple of Common Tern makrellterne fishing. Four male Tufted Duck toppand and a male Wigeon brunnakke on Husvatnet - a sign that autumn migration is starting with ducks as well as waders....

White-tailed Eagles havørn at Breivik