Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Øygarden 09 March 2011

Quite nice in between the hail showers...

Hjelme West was dismally quiet but the first Shelduck gravand of year (flying south) saved the day. A couple of Common Redpoll gråsisik were also the first of the year for me - a species that has all but vanished from Øygarden after the unprecedented numbers last autumn / early winter. Fifty Oystercatcher tjeld heading north and more resting on the rocks showed that spring is in fact progressing.

At Tjeldstø two Mistle Thrush duetrost remained. Starling stær numbers now well in excess of 100 and Greylags grågås increased to 11. A flyover Skylark sanglerke did its best to make it seem a bit more springlike.

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