Tjeldstø 31 July 2009

Migrating Redshank rødstilk and Ruff brusfugl

Today's waders included three Greenshank gluttsnipe, two Ruff brusfugl and a Green Sandpiper skogsnipe.

A Peregrine vandrefalk also put in an apparance.

Tjeldstø 30 July 2009

One of the Wood Sandpipers grønnstilk at Tjeldstø today

Waders once again provided most of the interest. Excellent views of two Wood Sandpipers grønnstilk, at least two flyover Green Sandpipers skogsnipe and a couple of Greenshank gluttsnipe were the highlights.

A flock of about 20 Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin was a large flock considering the time of year.

Tjeldstø 29 July 2009 - waders again

Adult Oystercatcher tjeld with well grown young

Despite not really going birding today things turned out quite well with adult Spotted Redshank sotsnipe, a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits lappspove and at least five Ruff brusfugl all the first of the autumn for me. The autumn wader passage is obviously well underway and the southerly winds and rain are typically forcing the birds down.

The only other bird of any note was a Common Swift tårnseiler which was incredibly the first I''ve seen in Øygarden this year.

Tjeldstø 28 July 2009 - more waders

Male Reed Bunting sivspurv
Great Black-backed Gull svartbak catching young Common Gull fiskemåke

Today's patch year ticks were a Wood Sandpiper grønnstilk and an adult Curlew Sandpiper tundrasnipe beside Husvatnet. The Curlew Sandpiper tundrasnipe is only the second observation for Tjeldstø - and more importantly made it onto the house list.

A hunting Pergerine vandrefalk, Reed Bunting sivspurv with young, a Wheatear steinskvett and a Great Black-backed Gull svartbak catching and eating a fully fledged Common Gull fiskemåke were other sightings of interest.

Øygarden 27 July 2009

Wheatear steinskvett at Breivik

A couple of short walks produced little other than the first Greenshanks gluttsnipe of the autumn with a single at Tjeldstø, three at Herdlevær and a bird heard at Breivik.

Tjeldstø 26 July 2009

Took a stroll around the reserve early in the morning. Highlight was the first Green Sandpiper skogsnipe of the autumn. Other stuff of interest included a male Merlin dvergfalk and a couple of Lesser Whitethroat møller.

Generally plenty of birds about.

Skogsøy 11 July 2009 - Manx

Precious little time to be out and about but a quick trip to Skogsøy produced the goods this morning. A typical first half of July seawatch with a lone Manx Shearwater havlire heading north as the best bird. Manx Shearwater is classed as a local rarity but in reality this species is quite regular at this time of year. A Great Skua storjo beat up a Great Black-backed gull svartbak and a good numbers of Puffin lunde and Gannet havsule were on the move.

Some good flocks of Arctic Tern rødnebbterne - the largest over 50 - were a welcome sight. Otherwise just small numbers of Fulmar havhest, Kittiwake krykkje and the usual auks.

A Kestrel tårnfalk hunting was the only other species of interest.