Friday, September 16, 2016

Hernar 15 September 2016 - First Sibes of the autumn

Light ESE breeze, hot and sunny.

There were a massive five birders to cover Hernar today - almost a record! Weather was too nice to ground a lot of stuff but the island produced a decent selection of autumn migrants. Highlight was a Richards Pipit tartarpiplerke that flew around a couple of times. A Lapland Bunting lappspurv was probably the next best thing. There were lots of the usual common birds on the island as well as migrants passing over.

Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper

Typical flight shot of Richard's Pipit tartarpiplerke

White-tailed Eagle havørn


A selection of the usual warblers, a Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper (actually the first I've seen in Øygarden this year), various finches including a flock of at least 40 Twite bergirisk and at least one Brambling bjørkefink were also present. Sand Martin sandsvale, Reed Bunting sivspurv both flew over. Among the birds resting and feeding there were a few Song Thrush måltrost, some small flocks of Redwing rødvingetrost, several Fieldfare gråtrost and plenty of Blackbird svarttrost.

Four species of raptor were recorded - but just the usual Øygarden suspects - White-tailed Eagle havørn, Peregrine vandrefalk, Sparrowhawk spurvehauk and Kestrel tårnfalk.

Waders included a small flock of Knot polarsnipe and a Redshank rødstilk.

All in something approaching 50 species. The only fly in the ointment was that at least one, if not two Hawk Owls haukugle were seen further south in Øygarden and a much needed Øygarden species for me went into the nets at Herdlevær - a Little Bunting dvergspurv.

2 comments:

rixy said...

You'll soon be in the birding mecca called Oslo so will soon see the likes of Hawk Owl and Little Bunting ;-)

Jules said...

Well I am in eastern Norway although not in the mecca of Oslo. Had to make do with Capercaillie and Goshawk during today's brief outing.