Friday, September 25, 2009

Øygarden 25 September 2009

Little time in the field the last couple of days with work getting in the way of things. Having not found any rarities for several days and with a run of rain and south westerlies I was beginning to wonder if that was the autumn finished. However, a short walk at Breivik in rather inclement conditions soon put things right.

A large flock of Meadow Pipits heipiplerke sheltered in long grass and got up as I arrived - I thought I heard some "interesting" calls but couldn't be sure due to the wind and rain. Another squall and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk attack later I had all but given up when up from the grass flew first one Richard's Pipit tartarpiplerke calling repeatedly. I could scarcely believe it when another one flew up to join it! They flew off together but despite not giving the impression they had gone very far I couldn't relocate them.

Other stuff included a small flock of Wheatear steinskvett and a couple of Skylark sanglerke.

At Solberg a Common Tern makrellterne and two Arctic Tern rødnebbterne were still hanging around as was a Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke. All on their way to warmer climes any day now...

Quite a lot of thrushes about along with a floack of at least 550 Starling stær outside my house yesterday evening.

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