Skogsøy 28 February 2011 - Migration starts

Adult White-tailed Eagle havørn chasing oiled Great Black-backed Gull svartbak

Almost windless but some fog restricting visibility. Incredibly slippy on the way out due to overnight frost but this quickly thawed.

A couple of hours seawatching produced a typical range of species for the time of year including the first two Guillemot lomvi for Øygarden this year (?!), several Razorbill alke, the first Kittiwake krykkje I've seen in 2011, three Oystercatcher tjeld heading north, 94 Gannet havsule and plenty of large gulls. As usual for the time of year there was a southward movement of Shag toppskarv with 56 passing.

One oiled Great Black-backed Gull svartbak was chased by a White-tailed Eagle havørn but got away. It is quite possible this gull was a victim of the Godafoss spill further south - especially given the notable northward movement of this species today.

Øygarden 27 February 2011

Mild, calm and wet - the thaw continues.
Little of note but newly arrived migrants included almost 80 Starling stær at Breivik and over 30 at Tjeldstø.

Skogsøy 26 February 2011

Strong winds and very dull but went out anyway "just in case".

Predicatably there was very little passing. Best sightings were the first Skylark sanglerke of the year flying over, a Peregrine vandrefalk coming in off the sea with prey and a Greylag grågås heading south.

A drive-by at Herdlevær produced 12 Blackbird svarttrost in one of the gardens - probably new arrivals.

Øygarden 25 February 2011

Just a quick check of a couple of localities - strong wind and rain didn't help.

A Curlew storspove with about 10 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt at Solberg and a Little Auk alkekonge at Tjeldstø were the best of what little there was to see.

Øygarden 23 February 2011

Record shot of a Merlin dvergfalk at Hjelme West

With a bitingly cold wind it was hard going today with generally little about.

Best sightings were both from Hjelme Vest in the form of two Goosander laksand (first in Øygarden this year) flying past and a cracking Merlin dvergfalk.

With so few auks about Razorbills alke on the sea at Alvheim and Hjelme Vest were both worth mentioning. Otherwise just White-tailed Eagles havørn, a few Gannet havsule etc.

Alvheim 22 February 2011

Jay nøtteskrike at Alvheim

A drive-by past Alvheim produced the first two Jays nøtteskrike I've seen this year.

Skogsøy 20 February 2011

Fanastic weather and some indications of movement over the sea with gulls and Gannets havsule moving offshore. A brief seawatch produced a Little Auk alkekonge and a Razorbill alke both heading north.

Ljøsneset 18 February 2011

Record shot of Dipper fossekall

Almost birdless but a Dipper fossekall was an unexpected bonus - the first in Øygarden this year.

Tjeldstø 17 February 2011

Stuck inside all day but not quite birdless despite this - a Goshawk hønsehauk spent some time sitting in a tree visible from the sitting room.

Other stuff included four Starling stær and the usual 15 Tree Sparrow pilfink in the garden.

Øygarden 16 February 2011

Calm conditions enabled better viewing conditions over the sea.

A Great-northern Diver islom on the sea at Alvheim and two more at Hjelme Vest were the best sightings. At Hjelme Vest a Curlew storspove and an overwintering Oystercatcher tjeld were also new for the year. Quite a few Gannets havsule seen offshore.

Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt, White-tailed Eagles havørn and most of the usual species seen at a number of locations. Generally few seaduck about.

A small flock of Siskin grønnsisik at Hjelme Vest were the best of the passerines today.

Dåvøy 15 February 2011

Above and below Cormorant storskarv at Dåvøy

Snowing again.
After a long wait a Slavonian Grebe horndykker finally put in an appearance - probably the same bird seen earlier in the winter. Other stuff included a few Velvet Scoter sjøorre, a few Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt and a Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke.

Hjelme West 14 February 2011

A bitterly cold wind didn't help things but it was rather quiet on the sea. A Gannet havsule, a Velvet Scoter sjøorre, four Common Scoter svartand and several Black Guillemot teist were the best of the meagre pickings today.

Skogsøy 13 February 2011

The first Lapwing vipe of the year at Skogsøy

Best bird was seen by the car park - an "early" Lapwing vipe. Other stuff included a couple of Starling stær and a Fieldfare gråtrost.

Almost nothing passing but a male Peregrine vandrefalk came in off the sea from a hunting sortie. Otherwise just small numbers of the usual including a Black Guillemot teist. Some movement of large gulls so it was tempting to wait and see if anything more interesting would turn up but time did not permit.

Solberg 12 February 2011

Finally back. A quiet start to the local birding year with the best bird being a Peregrine vandrefalk. A couple of Greylags grågås headed north but otherwise very quiet indeed with just 20 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt to be seen.

Fifteen Tree Sparrow pilfink in the garden along with the usual suspects