Calm, warm and sunny.
Family commitments meant that I was tied up for much of the day but I spent a couple of hours out and about in the afternoon.
First up was Tjeldstø where the highlight was a Green Sandpiper skogsnipe that flew up WITHOUT CALLING - unusual for this species. A variety of the usual waders also put in an appearance along with a Greenshank gluttsnipe. Other birds of note here were a couple of Red-throated Diver smålom that flew over the reserve calling and a hunting Peregrine vandrefalk.
Solberg was the next stop where a Lapland Bunting / Longspur lappspurv was the best bird. Unlike most records of this species this was not a flyover bird but was feeding in a relatively small area. It proved almost impossible to photograph though as it was always hidden behind something, scared up by a passing car etc. For other pictures of this species in Øygarden (and elsewhere) check out this page.
There were quite a lot of passerines about at Solberg - among them a decent flock of Starling stær and the four commoner thrush species, a couple of Wheatear steinskvett and a Great spotted woodpecker flaggspett.
Back in August I predicted a Great Spotted Woodpecker flaggspett invasion this autumn and it looks like this may be starting as I have seen this species at various places where it does not normally occur the last few days - including one in my garden earlier in the day.
Family commitments meant that I was tied up for much of the day but I spent a couple of hours out and about in the afternoon.
First up was Tjeldstø where the highlight was a Green Sandpiper skogsnipe that flew up WITHOUT CALLING - unusual for this species. A variety of the usual waders also put in an appearance along with a Greenshank gluttsnipe. Other birds of note here were a couple of Red-throated Diver smålom that flew over the reserve calling and a hunting Peregrine vandrefalk.
Lapland Longspur lappspurv - always hidden when on the deck. Here the bird was moving into position for an unobstructed shot when a passing car scared it off.
The best I managed today, an almost clear view.
Even out in the open it managed to put something in the way - in this case trees - something there are not a lot of at Solberg.
Solberg was the next stop where a Lapland Bunting / Longspur lappspurv was the best bird. Unlike most records of this species this was not a flyover bird but was feeding in a relatively small area. It proved almost impossible to photograph though as it was always hidden behind something, scared up by a passing car etc. For other pictures of this species in Øygarden (and elsewhere) check out this page.
There were quite a lot of passerines about at Solberg - among them a decent flock of Starling stær and the four commoner thrush species, a couple of Wheatear steinskvett and a Great spotted woodpecker flaggspett.
Back in August I predicted a Great Spotted Woodpecker flaggspett invasion this autumn and it looks like this may be starting as I have seen this species at various places where it does not normally occur the last few days - including one in my garden earlier in the day.
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