Tjeldstø 29 June 2006

Willow Warbler løvsanger

No birding today but Common Whitethroat tornsanger, a family of Northern Wheatear steinskvett and most of the usual in the garden.

Skogsøy 28 June 2006

Redwing rødvingtrost
Lesser Redpoll brunsisik
Northern Gannets havsule (no tele lens)

Finally made it back out to Skogsøy if only for a short seawatch. Light northerly winds and calm conditions but well worth the trip. Largley the typical late June species including a few Arctic Skua tyvjo, a Great Skua storjo, Northern Gannets havsule, Northern Fulmar havhest, Atlantic Puffins lunde and Common Scoter svartand. A southbound Whimbrel småspove or two were the first of the "autumn".

Best bird was a 2 c.y. Great Northern Diver islom on the sea in front of the lookout point.

The woods were full of the usual suspects - including Redwing rødvingtrost, Crested Tit toppmeis and Lesser Redpoll brunsisik.

Tjeldstø 26 June 2006

Northern Lapwing vipe, this bird is ringed and breeding in the area.

Fresh northerly wind but nice and sunny. Best bird was a Peregrine vandrefalk which caused mayhem among the nesting gulls. This species is probably a lot more regular than records would suggest - the gulls are a lot better at spotting falcons than I am.'

Another bird of interest was a Northern Lapwing vipe wearing a ring - something I didn't notice whilst taking some pictures. It would be fascinating to get close enough to read off the number and find out where this bird was ringed. Quite a colourful bird in the sunlight.

Øygarden 25 June 2006

One of the many concerned Curlew storspove parents at Tjeldstø
Young White Wagtail linerle, Svellingen

Pectoral Sandpiper alaskasnipe not found in an early morning visit to Tjeldstø. A quick look at the sea at Svellingen produced a few Great Skua storjo, several Northern Gannet and at least 100 terns, most of which were Common Tern makrellterne.

Tjeldstø 24 June 2006

Pectoral Sandpiper alaskasnipe

Young Northern Lapwing vipe

Rather dull and wet again. An evening trip produced the Pectoral Sandpiper alaskasnipe again, still in the same place and still very vocal. Otherwise all the usual breeding waders and young in various stages of development.

Tjeldstø 22 June 2006 Pectoral Sandpiper

Adult male Pectoral Sandpiper alaskasnipe

With calm, overcast and humid conditions after the strong southerly winds experienced yesterday optimism was high. Having only a week or so ago flippantly stated that the next new bird for Tjeldstø would be a Pectoral Sandpiper alaskasnipe I was more than pleased to find a cracking adult male out in the reserve.

This is only the fourth record for Hordaland and the first for Øygarden.

The bird was very vocal and it was the call that alerted me to its presence. More unusually this bird joined two Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin in a display flight and was rather aggressive towards them. Odd behaviour for a bird that has travelled a long way against headwinds.

Other bird news paled into insignificance.....

Tjeldstø 21 June 2006

Apart from a short stroll in the evening which produced fantastic views of a Peregrine vandrefalk I was unable to find time to go birding.

Another good sighting was of a Hummingbird Hawk Moth (dagsvermer?) which was obviously brought here by the recent weather conditions - hopefully along with some rare birds.

Better luck tomorrow?

Tjeldstø 20 June 2006

Greylag with young
Grey Heron hegre

Once again very little time outside. Lots of Greylag grågås young - growing at an amazingly fast rate.

Øygarden 19 June 2006

Barely out of the house except for a trip to the shops, however, Collared Dove tyrkedue at both Tjeldstø and Rong

Tjeldstø 18 June 2006

Eurasian Curlew storspove, note the deformed left leg

Eurasian Oystercatcher tjeld

A quick stroll in the rain with the children. More young waders about today with their parents attempting to lure us away from them. A variety of circumstances led to me deciding to leave the telescope behind - and typically a number of photo opportunities presented themselves. The pictures above were taken using my binoculars as a telephoto lens, although with somewhat better results than usual considering the weather.

A lone Sand Martin sandsvale joined the Barn Swallows låvsvale feeding over Husvatnet.

Hjelme 17 June 2006

Fieldfare gråtrost

Blackbird svartrost

Most of the usual but with White Wagtail linerle, Redwing rødvingtrost and Fieldfare gråtrost all feeding newly fledged young in the cemetry. Woods full of Crested Tit toppmeis, Lesser Redpoll brunsisik and the usual selection of species. Cuckoo gjøk seen and heard in the area and the remains of a long dead Woodcock rugde found on a raptor look-out point, as well as fresh tracks of the same species in the woods.

Herdlevær 16 June 2006

Just a quick stroll out to the west side of Øygarden. All the usual waders, Northern Wheatear steinskvett and so on. A flock of around 50 Common Scoter svartand, all in breeding plumage, heading south showed that there are still birds on the move....

Got to get back out to Skogsøy....

Tjeldstø 15 June 2006 "Common" Crane

Common Redshank rødstilk

Glorious sunny weather, light winds

Showing my dad the reserve resulted in a new bird species for Tjeldstø - a Common Crane trane. It circled over the area and eventually disappeared to the north, gradually losing height - perhaps it landed further north in Øygarden?

Breeding waders very obvious, including a Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin nest right beside a footpath.

Solberg 13 June 2006

Eider ærfugl with young
Male linnet tornirisk
Redwing rødvingtrost

During half an hour at Solberg I saw the first Eider ærfugl ducklings of the year. A few pairs of Greater Black-backed Gulls svartbak also had newly hatched young Plenty of the usual species here including Lesser Redpoll brunsisik, Northern Wheatear steinskvett, Linnets tornirisk and Redwing rødvingtrost.

Eagle Owl & baby Redshank

Eagle Owl hubro feather

Newly hatched Common Redshank rødstilk

Some of the class in the fourth year at Alvheim School had a rather bird related day. Sunniva (9) found this Eagle Owl hubro feather and another nice find was this newly hatched Common Redshank rødstilk found by Sonia (also 9); the young bird was picked up for only a few seconds and immediately put back where it was found.

Tjeldstø 12 June 2006

Collared Dove tyrkedue
Northern Oystercatcher tjeld
Northern Wheatear steinskvett

Plenty of activity without anything special, although the Collared Dove tyrkedue first seen a few days ago is still around. Mass fledging of Starling stær and some Herring Gull gråmåke chicks now hatched.

A preliminary report covering the spring migration at Skogsøy can be downloaded here.

Tjeldstø 10 June 2006

Northern Wheatear steinskvett, Tjeldstø

Just a short stroll through the reserve. Lesser Whitethroat møller (uncommon in Hordaland) singing in the usual place. Most of the usual suspects including Northern Wheatears steinskvett and Reed Bunting sivspurv.

Øygarden 09 June 2006

Barn Swallow låvsvale
Common Whitethroat tornsanger

Rather quiet, although a singing Lesser Whitethroat møller was reported from Tjeldstø along with the usual White-tailed Eagle havørn.

Solberg 08 June 2006

White-tailed Eagle havørn
Meadow Pipit heipiplerke

Just a quick stroll after dropping the children off at school. Two White-tailed Eagle havørn sat on one of the islands and a pale phase Arctic Skua tyvjo harried the terns briefly.

Otherwise most of the usual species including Northern Wheatear steinskvett and Common Sandpiper strandsnipe.

Tjeldstø 07 June 2006

Lesser Black-backed Gull (3 cy) sildemåke

Eurasian Oystercatcher tjeld

It was the middle of the day before I finally made it into the reserve, not the best of times. At least seven pairs of Common Redshank rødstilk, four plus pairs of Eurasian Curlew storspove, six pairs of Northern Lapwing vipe along with plenty of Eurasian Oystercatcher tjeld and Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin.

Only slightly out of the ordinary birds were a Sand Martin sandsvale, a Collared Dove tyrkedue and a 3 cy Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke.

Tjeldstø 06 June 2006

Common Tern makrellterne - note the ring on the left leg
One of the many Common Redshank rødstilk breeding at Tjeldstø

A stroll out with the children resulted in the finding of seven Common Gull fiskemåke and one Redshank rødstilk nest right outside the garden. One of the local Common Terns makrellterne turned out to be ringed - I'll have to try and take the zoom lens out....

All the usual from the house including White-tailed Eagle havørn and Cuckoo gjøk

Øygarden 04 June 2006

Took a trip out in the evening to a few localities. Plenty of roding Woodcock rugde - this species is a lot more common as a breeding bird in Øygarden than I realised. Very few Sedge Warblers sivsanger singing, continuing the apparent recent locally deceasing trend.

At a new site for me a Merlin dvergfalk was definitely bird of the day - giving hope that this raptor has not in fact disappeared as a breeding species in Øygarden.

A bonus bird was a Yellow Wagtail gulerle flying over the garden.

Solberg 03 June 2006

Common Tern makrellterne

A quick look at the sea from Solberg revealled that there was obviously some passage out at sea with Northern Fulmars havhest and Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje on the move. Although not the best place for a seawatch Solberg is an excellent place to check if there is some activity - though sometimes it is best not to know.....

A flock of around 60 terns appeared to be largely Common Tern makrellterne and seemed to be evaluating some of the skerries as a breeding site... With so many terns it was unsurprising that a dark phase Arctic Skua tyvjo popped in for a quick skirmish.

Most of the usual passerines including a couple of Twite bergirisk and singing Common Whitethroat tornsanger

Tjeldstø 02 June 2006

Common Sandpipier strandsnipe at Rotevatnet, Tjeldstø

Just a quick stroll in the evening after a day of heavy rain. Plenty of birds to be seen without anything of special interest other than the over summering Whooper Swan sangsvane.

Tjeldstø 01 June 2006

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke
Common Tern makrellterne

Not birding, but pottering about locally with the children. A few species that I haven't seen recently due to constant seawatching included Common Sandpiper strandsnipe, Reed Bunting sivspurv and Sedge Warbler sivsanger.

Well over 40 Greylag Goose grågås goslings in addition to the adults on the lake and a lone Whooper Swan sangsvane is STILL present - looks like it is set to spend the summer....