Øygarden 20 April - Egyptian Goose!!

The first Egyptian Goose niland for Øygarden (and Hordaland)

(Click on picture for larger image)

Flight shot - the bird had some feathers missing from its left wing....

By Øygarden standards this was a full on "twitch" with several birders driving out from Bergen...

I was otherwise engaged when a message came in about an Egyptian Goose niland at Kollsnes. Needless to say I was on my way to see this first for Hordaland in no time, despite it only being a category C species. With it was a Canada Goose kanadagås - a far from common species in Øygarden.

Canada Goose kanadagås - a local rarity in Øygarden, despite good numbers nearby.

Other stuff seen at Kollsnes included a flock of seven Golden Plover heilo - the first in Øygarden this year, a Wheatear steinskvett or two, Skylark sanglerke singing and plenty more.

A Kestrel tårnfalk - the first at Tjeldstø this year flew over my house in the afternoon whilst a Merlin dvergfalk was reported from further north at Tjeldstø earlier in the day.

Øygarden 19 April 2008

Peregrine vandrefalk at Tjeldstø
Dawn at Skogsøy parking lot...


Cormorant storskarv
Greylag grågås

A seawatching session at Skogsøy produced over 1000 birds on the move. However, nothing of special interst - just the usual for the time of year including 32 Red-throated Diver smålom, 160 Common Scoter svartand and 36 Puffin lunde.

At Tjeldstø a short evening stroll produced the first Redshank rødstilk and Wigeon brunnakke of the year and a nice Peregrine vandrefalk flew over.

Tjeldstø 17 April 2008 - The first Swallow

White wagtail linerle
Male Goldeneye kvinand and Tufted Duck toppand

Just a quick stroll in glorious weather produced most of the usual stuff including at least three White-tailed Eagle havørn. Suprise bird was the earliest Swallow låvsvale I have ever seen in Øygarden.

Tjeldstø 15 April 2008 - Shelduck

Northern Mockingbird sangspottefugl - unfortunately this picture was taken in Mobile, Alabama and NOT in Øygarden......

Returned home from a short (work) trip around the Gulf States in the USA late on 13th April.

No time out and about whatsoever since then but couldn't help noticing some of the new arrivals since I was last in Øygarden - including Northern Wheatear steinskvett and Linnet tornirisk.

A pair of Shelduck gravand fed along the shore in front of the house this evening - this is a not quite annual species at Tjeldstø.

Skogsøy 02 April 2008

First the daily White-tailed Eagle havørn picture....

Then some atmospheric (read hopelessly underexposed) shots.....

White-tailed Eagle havørn
Raven ravn
Shag toppskarv with fish
Cormorant storskarv with flatfish
....and a heavily cropped record shot of the Great Northern Diver islom

Mild and pleasant weather with little wind. However, low cloud and a hint of rain meant it was rather dull. Light passage of the usual suspects today including Greylags grågås, Common Gulls fiskemåke, Curlew storpove and a Red-throated Diver smålom.

A Great Northern Diver islom on the sea and the first Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke were the highlights.

Passerines included a Pied Wagtail svartryggerle, the first Hedge Accentor jernspurv of the year and fly over Snow Buntings snøspurv.

Two White-tailed Eagles havørn appeared to go after an otter.

Tjeldstø 01 April 2008 - Pied Wagtail

Male Pied Wagtail svartryggerle





One of the many Fieldfare gråtrost about

Despite the rather dull and wet conditions and the short time actually spent out of the house (barely even a "drive by")it was a reasonably productive day. More thrushes in today with up to 80 Fieldfare gråtrost in the fields along with smaller numbers of Redwing rødvingtrost. Chaffinch bokfink numbers also increased greatly overnight.

Best bird was a male Pied Wagtail svartryggerle feeding around one of the barns.

The briefest of checks at Solberg produced a flock of around 20 Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt and only four Long-tailed Duck havelle.