Rain at first, then strengthening southerly winds.
I slept in today and didn't get out of bed until 05:10 - shocking given the time of year. It makes me wonder how I managed to keep going every day for 2.5 months back in 2006.
The rush to get out there was a total waste of time and effort in so many ways as it meant I arrived just as it started to rain - a band of cloud passed over Skogsøy for an hour emptying its contents onto me. Even more frustrating was the fact that there was obviously clear sunny weather inland AND out to sea. It was at this point I discovered my fjellduk (bivvy bag in English is the nearest I can get) was in my OTHER rucksack. Elementary mistake.
Wet through my core temperature dropped alarmingly and I soon lost the use of my fingers. There was stuff passing but impossible to see through wet lenses. As soon as the rain stopped there was a rush of birds all very close in but this soon fizzled out to nothing.
This might sound rather disasterous - but it wasn't! A Sandwich Tern splitterne put in a brief and most welcome appearance, small numbers of Wigeon brunnakke were the first for Øygarden this year and several flocks of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås headed north. The only diver of the day was a single White-billed gulnebblom.
The first Greylag grågås chicks were bang on time at Tjeldstø on the way home.
I slept in today and didn't get out of bed until 05:10 - shocking given the time of year. It makes me wonder how I managed to keep going every day for 2.5 months back in 2006.
The rush to get out there was a total waste of time and effort in so many ways as it meant I arrived just as it started to rain - a band of cloud passed over Skogsøy for an hour emptying its contents onto me. Even more frustrating was the fact that there was obviously clear sunny weather inland AND out to sea. It was at this point I discovered my fjellduk (bivvy bag in English is the nearest I can get) was in my OTHER rucksack. Elementary mistake.
Wet through my core temperature dropped alarmingly and I soon lost the use of my fingers. There was stuff passing but impossible to see through wet lenses. As soon as the rain stopped there was a rush of birds all very close in but this soon fizzled out to nothing.
Bird of the day - Sandwich Tern splitterne. I think this massively cropped image just about qualifies for the term "record shot". Mr Rix might disagree though.....:)
Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås
Common Scoter svartand heading the wrong way
Gannet havsule
The first Greylag grågås chicks of 2016
White-tailed Eagle havørn - only just managed to get the whole bird in the frame
This might sound rather disasterous - but it wasn't! A Sandwich Tern splitterne put in a brief and most welcome appearance, small numbers of Wigeon brunnakke were the first for Øygarden this year and several flocks of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås headed north. The only diver of the day was a single White-billed gulnebblom.
The first Greylag grågås chicks were bang on time at Tjeldstø on the way home.
3 comments:
I do most certainly disagree. Looks like an iceland gull missing a tail feather or two 😜
:):) Not sure who got the worst record shot today - your eiders were readily identifiable. My tern was a lot closer than 3km so I think mine is the worst photo of an identifiable species
:):) Not sure who got the worst record shot today - your eiders were readily identifiable. My tern was a lot closer than 3km so I think mine is the worst photo of an identifiable species
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