Hernar 05 May 2011 - CRAG MARTIN!!!!!

First for Norway - CRAG MARTIN KLIPPESVALE
One of the local Meadow Pipits heipiplerke had a go at it...

CRAG MARTIN KLIPPESVALE

A decent passage of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås today

Linnet tornirisk - common birds occur on Hernar too

Today the choice was to go to the doctors to check out a suspected broken finger or take the boat over to Hernar to see if there was anything about. Good job I chose Hernar - despite the pain in my "trigger finger" every time I took a photograph.

Inspired by recent sightings on Fair Isle and Shetland I was hoping for something decent and expecting in reality a flycatcher or similar. Virtually the first bird I got onto was a martin which quickly turned out to be a first for Norway - CRAG MARTIN KLIPPESVALE !! (there was a reported sighting in Finnmark a few years ago but unsure of the status of that find). The rest of the morning was spent frantically charging round the island trying to relocate it and secure documentation - the bird disappeared for more than an hour on two occasions. The rest of the time was spent on the phone so I didn't really check the island very well at all.

Generally few migrants around on the ground or in the bushes, just a female Blackcap munk and a Chiff-chaff gransanger or two. Main action away from the martin was a decent movement of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås with several hundred passing.

A Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove flew over Tjeldstø before I left the house.