Monday, May 28, 2018

Øygarden 02 May - 15 May - An enforced break

I have been asked if I have given up birding again. The answer is actually no, though I am still going to therapy and taking the pills. A change of job, a confirmation and a bunch of other stuff has resulted in the longest period of not going birding in my entire life.




White-tailed Eagle havørn going for Greylags grågås

Typically the first Greylag grågås chicks were out and about and became the attention of the local White-tailed Eagles havørn. The geese with no young fly around in mad panic whilst those with chicks sit tight and bravely (and most often successfully) defend their young.

Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås heading south past my house on 10 May

Common Tern makrellterne from the terrace on 10 May - first for Øygarden this year

Greylags grågås with young on the sea in


A female Marsh Harrier sivhauk was an addition to the house list on 08 May

I kept feeding the birds until 15 May. They went through 2.52kg of sunflower seeds a day. Mostly Greenfinch grønnfink, Siskin grønnsisik and Chaffinch bokfink but also Linnets tornirisk and even a couple of Tree Sparrows pilfink which are an unusual garden bird at my house

The garden tried its best to continue to provide interest with a singing Wryneck vendehals on 12 May
On 07 May I had the first Whinchat buskskvett for Øygarden this year - a cracking male at Kollsnes.

I also had my first of the usual migrants in this period including Sand Martin sandsvale, House Martin taksvale, Arctic Tern rødnebbterne and Sedge Warbler sivsanger.

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