Tjeldstø 23 August 2013 - more migration

Sunny again with light southerlies.

A quick stroll around the reserve produced the first Kestrel tårnfalk and Wigeon brunnakke of the autumn.

Kestrel tårnfalk

A Ruff brushane or two, several Golden plover heilo and about 20 Snipe enkeltbekkasin were out in the reserve. Ringed plover sandlo and Redshank rødstilk were heard flying over.

Herdlevær 22 August 2013 - Whisky strikes again

Sunny with light northerly wind.

A Green Sandpiper skogsnipe was the best sighting, otherwise just small numbers of the usual waders, some Twite bergirisk and the usual suspects.

1cy Black-headed Gull hettemåke at Breivik

Golden plover heilo at Herdlevær

Whisky gets another mink

Whisky caught and killed yet another Mink - too little too late for this breeding season but better than nothing...

A few vocal White-tailed Eagles havørn over the house at Tjeldstø.

Solberg and Tjeldstø 20 August 2013

Southerly winds and cloudy.

Ruff brushane

Virtually no resting waders at Solberg. A single Great Skua storjo, a Whinchat buskskvett and several Twite bergirisk were all that was of interest here.

At Tjeldstø there were five Ruff brushane and at least 20 each of Golden Plover heilo and Snipe enkeltbekkasin. At least 10 Twite bergirisk also out in the reserve.

Small numbers of Common Crossbill grankorsnebb "everywhere".

Herdlevær 19 August 2013 - Shearwaters

South westerly winds with variable cloud cover.

No time to make the trip out to Skogsøy so I joined another birder for a couple of hours at Herdlevær for some reasonably productive seawatching:
0905-1130:

Sooty Shearwater grålire 1S
Manx Shearwater havlire 2S
Great Skua storjo 10S
Arctic Skua tyvjo 3S
Red-throated Diver smålom 2S
Diver (Great Northern?)1N
Fulmar havhest 6S
Golden Plover heilo 1S
Ruff brushane 10S
Sanderling sandløpeer 1S
Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove 10S
Turnstone steinvender 9S
Whimbrel småspove 1
Shelduck gravand 2S

Loads of Gannets havsule and lots of unidentified wader flocks also heading south.

Rong 12 August 2013 - Sperm Whale

Another flying visit to Øygarden.

Little in the way of birds - again largely due to not getting out and about. The only sighting of any note was a Whinchat buskskvett at Tjeldstø - first of the autumn. Good numbers of Snipe enkeltbekkasin also on the move.

A rather more spectacular sighting was the widely reported Sperm Whale at Rong.....

28-31 July 2013 - Tjeldstø - Young Cuckoo, Tringa waders and Two-barred Crossbills

A brief few days back in Øygarden with virtually no time and no car meant that all I could do was cover Tjeldstø to a small extent.

Young Cuckoo gjøk in the garden

Frustratingly no time to photograph these birds but if one looks hard enough there are two Two-barred Crossbill båndkorsnebb in this just about record shot

One of the highlights was a young Cuckoo gjøk in and around the garden. It begged constantly and was fed by its "parent" Meadow Pipits heipiplerke  - although this was surprisingly difficult to photograph.

Typical July tringa waders started to show with Green Sandpiper skogsnipe, Wood Sandpiper grønnstilk and Greenshank gluttsnipe all showing in the reserve.

Something of an invasion of Two-barred Crossbills båndkorsnebb occurred at this time and flocks of up to at least 10 turned up in and around Tjeldstø.

Early June 2013 Tjeldstø - the destruction commences

As mentioned previously on this blog there are some very negative "developments" planned for Tjeldstø. Inevitably these will have an impact on the birdlife (and any other wildlife) in the area.

Beginning of the end for one of the important areas at Tjeldsø

Already a couple of the best areas for Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin, Snipe enkeltbekkasin and Woodcock rugde to survive longer periods of hard frost have been destroyed.....