Nautnes 23-24 January 2021 - Birding from home

 Brisk SW winds on 23 January which dropped in the afternoon. Calm with snow/rain/sleet showers on 24th.

For reasons nothing to do with work I spent more of the weekend at home than I would normally have done. On 23 January the birds seen from my terrace included a Peregrine vandrefalk, a Red-throated Diver smålom, three Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, several Long-tailed Duck havelle and at least three White-tailed Eagle havørn.

A second plumaged (3cy) White-tailed Eagle havørn photographed from my terrace. At least two older birds were also present

I did make a short visit to Solberg where things were fairly quiet - just a Curlew storspove, a Velvet Scoter sjøorre, Kittiwake krykkje and Gannet havsule among the sightings. I spent a bit of time trying to sort out a rather dark 2cy Herring Gull gråmåke which didn't fly and didn't come any closer.

Rather dark 2cy Herring Gull, it looked rather better in the scope.....

On 24 January I made the briefest of stops at Tjeldstø where the Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke was with Herring Gulls gråmåke. A Sparrowhawk spurvehauk flew past whilst I was waiting for wing-shot photographs.

Part of the 20-strong Greylag grågås flock at Breivik

The long-staying and regular Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke at Tjeldstø

Soon this birds white head will no longer be an easy feature to pick it up by as the Herring Gulls are starting to lose their winter head streaking

Cormorant storskarv fishing in front of my terrace.

At home a couple of Curlew storspove fed on the shore.