Sanden 31 March 2009

Whitefront tundragås at Tjeldstø
Black Guillemot teist

Rather wet and windy, although it cleared up nicely after I got home.....

New birds continue to turn up - today's additions being a hunting Merlin dvergfalk and at least one Twite bergirisk.

Several each of Meadow Pipit heipiplerke and Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke, a Snipe enkeltbekkasin, a pair of Black Guillemot teist and most of the usual suspects.

Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke seen at Tjeldstø whilst buying dinner....and the Whitefront tundragås turned up again on Husvatnet.

Tjeldstø 30 March 2009

Mealy Redpoll gråsisik
House Sparrow gråspurv

Greenfinch grønnfink

Not really out today either. From the house I had the first Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke of the year, the Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke, the Pochard taffeland and the first Mealy Redpoll gråsisik for some time in the garden along with four Tree Sparrow pilfink.

Tjeldstø 29 March 2009

Not really out today but from the house I managed to pick up the second or third year Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke, the Pochard taffeland and the Greenland Whitefront tundraågås.

Skogsøy 28 March 2009 - Water Rail!

Jackdaw kaie at Herdlevær

Early morning Gannets havsule

Bird of the day was without doubt a Water Rail vannrikse seen all the way out at Skogsøy - only the second time I've had this species out there and also the first spring record. This bird was obviously a migrant relocating after spending the winter elsewhere.

Seawatching produced the usual suspects including a half decent movement of Oystercatcher tjeld (680 heading north), three Shelduck gravand, a Red-throated Diver smålom and small numbers of Common Gull fiskemåke and Black-headed Gull hettemåke. The only real southbound movement was 120 Shags toppskarv- no doubt birds returning to Rogaland to breed.

A "drive-by" at Herdlevær produced a Jackdaw kaie feeding among the sheep there - not a common species in Øygarden at all and the first record this year.

Øygarden 27 March 2009

Record shot of a Mistle Thrush duetrost at Sture

Black Grouse orrfugl at Hjelme

Highlight today was a rather flighty Mistle Thrush duetrost at Sture. At the same place another new bird was the first Brambling bjørkefink of the year.

At Hjelme a male Black Grouse orrfugl fed out in a field and a Woodcock rugde was seen in the woods.

Øygarden 26 March 2009

Lapwing vipe at Tjeldstø

A pair of Teal krikkand showing their excellent camoflauge

Didn't do too much today, the only birds of note were a Woodcock rugde in the woods at Hjelme West and the female Pochard taffeland at Tjeldstø.

Hernar 25 March 2009

The first Chiff-chaff gransanger at Tjeldstø
The Herring gull gråmåke colony is already established at Tjeldstø

Spent the morning on Hernar but nothing very exciting to see. A Perergrine vandrefalk was one of the better birds and a couple of Black-headed Gulls hettemåke were the first I've seen there. A Song Thrush måltrost may have been the overwintering bird.

Other than that just a selection of the usual early spring migrants - Skylark sanglerke, Woodpigeon ringdue, several Meadow Pipits heipiplerke, a couple of Ringed Plover sandlo and most of the usual suspects.

I returned home to find the first Chiff-chaff gransanger of the year feeding in my garden....

Skogsøy 24 March 2009

Raven ravn with sheeps wool for its nest.

A late start meant that I probably missed most of the migration. However, I did get the one species I'd hoped for - a nortbound Shelduck gravand. Small numbers of Curlew storspove and over 100 Common Gulls fiskemåke also on the move. Gannets havsule were obvious too with at least 40 moving north along with a few Red-throated Diver smålom.

The Ravens ravn were busy with their nest and with the Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke singing it certainly felt very springlike.

Øygarden 23 March 2009

Eagle Owl hubro killed by power lines

Here is what it should have looked like....

Solberg was rather unproductive with just a couple of newly arrived Meadow pipit heipiplerke of interest and an obvious northward movement of Gannets havsule.

A Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett sang near Kollsnes.

The Pochard taffeland is still at Tjeldstø - species #153 from the house....

A stroll with the children in the evening resulted in a macabre find - an Eagle Owl hubro killed by either collision with power line or electrocution (or both!). The bird had obviously been dead some time. A perfect example of why power lines should be buried - at least in Eagle Owl hubro country.

Tjeldstø 22 March 2009

Goshawk hønsehauk
Greylags grågås

Desparately trying to stay awake after a few days on night shift I took a walk around the reserve at Tjeldstø. A White-tailed Eagle havørn, a Goshwak hønsehauk and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk were all hunting the many birds in the reserve.

Among well over 100 Greylags grågås the Greenland Whitefront tundragås is getting easier to pick out from the crowd as it develops breeding plumage. The female Pochard taffeland remains and numbers of other migrants continue to increase with 14 Lapwing vipe and several Teal krikkand present.

Passerines of interest included a male Pied Wagtail svartryggerle and the first Meadow Pipit heipiplerke of the year.

Øygarden 19 March 2009

Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt flock

Basically just half an hour at Solberg where the best birds were three Ringed Plover sandlo - the first I've seen in Øygarden this year. A flock of at least 60 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt were also present here.

Migration was also obvious with a flock of 65 Oystercatcher tjeld flying north as well as Skylark sanglerke heard overhead.

The Greenland Whitefront tundragås and the Pochard taffeland were both still at Tjeldstø.

Tjeldstø 18 March 2009

Female Pochard taffeland
Goldeneye kvinand

Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak fighting

Spring in full swing now with at least a couple of Curlew storspove displaying, several Lapwing vipe, 40 Starling stær, a few pairs of Oystercatcher tjeld and at least 50 Greylags grågås.

Best birds were a female Pochard taffeland and the Greenland Whitefront tundragås.

Skogsøy 09 March 2009

Kollsnes
Skogsøy

Kittiwake krykkje

Gannet havsule

Actually at work rather than birding so there was an altogether different persective on Skogsøy today. With winds blowing at around 40 knots the only birds seen were Gannets havsule, Kittiwakes krykkje and Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak.

Øygarden 02 March 2009

Migrating Great Black-backed Gull svartbak
Whooper Swan sangsvane at Tjeldstø

Eagle Owl hubro

Started off at Skogsøy but the wet and windy weather wasn't conducive to migration - until I was on my home when it turned out nice and around 50 Oystercatcher tjeld headed north almost immediately....

The seawatch itself produced a fly-by Red-throated Diver smålom and not much else at all other than large gulls heading south (relocating after recent southerly gales or actual migration?)

Other noteworthy birds included a flock of at least 30 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt and one of the overwintering Curlew storspove.

At Herdlevær a Skylark sanglerke joined thrushes, including a Redwing rødvingetrost. This was probably a migrant bird rather than an overwintering one.

Elsewhere it was obvious that more and more migrants are returning with, among other things, another Lapwing vipe at Kollsnes.

Tjeødstø 01 March 2009

Newly arrived Lapwings vipe

Whoopers sangsvane

It definitely didn't feel much like spring today with strong southerly winds and rain. However, four Lapwing vipe were the first of the year for Tjeldstø, a flock of 40 Starling stær were in the area and more Greylags grågås arrived with at least seven present.

A pair of Teal krikkand were present but it is likely that the male has been the long staying bird.

Otherwise just the usual stuff - including at least eight Tree Sparrow pilfink in the garden.