Hatten 14 November 2020 - FINALLY a new Øygarden species

 Strong southerly winds, mild and overcast.

At Tjeldstø, a flock of Whoopers sangsvane attracted two Teal krikkand, three Wigeon brunnakke and 20 Mallard stokkand which typically fed on whatever the swans kick up whilst they are feeding.

I had planned to look for woodpeckers and had just got out of the car to start working the woods when I received with hot tip and jumped straight back into the car to catch up with a species I have not definitely seen in Øygarden before - White-backed Woodpecker hvitryggspett. The species is regular enough a couple of fjords to the east of us and has probably been seen out here at the coast prior to the first documented birds this autumn. 

As I have been offshore for most of the autumn it has taken a while to catch up with this species on the home turf - and today a cracking female performed well at close range, albeit in poor light.

Here together with Great Spotted Woodpecker flaggspett

Female White-backed Woodpecker hvitryggspett - the first definite record for me in Øygarden - although I have strongly suspected it a couple of times, most recently earlier in the autumn.

There are other potentially credible records but none backed up with documentation prior to the spate of the records this autumn. At least two birds have been seen with a male at Breivik in addition to bird(s) at Skjold and Hatten