Thursday, May 23, 2013

Skogsøy 23 May 2013 - Skuas forever!

Strong northerly winds and largely overcast.

A late start today didn't appear to matter as most of the interest started late in the morning. Unfortunately I had to leave just as things were picking up nicely....the last thing I saw was a flock of 17 Long-tailed Skua fjelljo heading north.

Highlights between 07:30 and 12:30 were:

Dark phase Arctic Skua tyvjo

 

Above three: Long-tailed Skuas fjelljo




Long-tailed Skua fjelljo  26 N (largest flock 17)
Pomarine Skua polarjo 4 N
Arctic Skua tyvjo 6 N
Great Skua storjo 3N, 1S
Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås ca 350N
Red-throated Diver smålom  16 N
Whimbrel småspove 3N




Above four pictures: flocks of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås


Gannet havsule

Red-throated Diver smålom


Other odds and ends included:
Arctic Tern rødnebbterne ca 80N (all those identified were this species)
Puffin lunde 1N
Guillemot lomvi 2N
Razorbill alke 2N
Common Scoter svartand 3N
Kittiwake krykkje 5 N
Gannet havsule ca 60N

Similar numbers of most things also passed Herdlevær but at that location there were 76 Long-tails reported,  a couple of White-billed Diver gulnebblom, a Black-throated Diver storlom as well as 3 Manx Shearwater havlire. Think I'll give my lenses a clean before I go out next time....

Heavily cropped record shot of the White-front tundragås

An albifrons Whitefront tundragås turned up beside Husvatnet, Tjeldstø in the evening.

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