Øygarden 04-07 January 2022 - Struggling

Struggling to get any birding in. Life and work combined to effectively curtail any meaningful time out and about between 04-06 January. Obviously still plenty of birds about though.

On 05 January the Pinkfoot kortnebbgås remained at Breivik where I also connected with the first Snipe enkeltbakkasin and House Sparrow gråspurv of the year.

2cy Pinkfoot kortnebbgås at Breivik

A Nuthtach spettmeis at Blomvåg on 06 January was another first for the year. On the same day a flock of 110 Eider ærfugl near Vik was the biggest flock I've seen in Øygarden since 2014! Gone are the days when over a thousand could be seen😟 Also of interest were a couple of flocks of Siskin grønnsisik totalling  around 70 heading north over Toft. A hard species to see last winter.

This Common Gull fiskemåke at Breivik got my attention due to a rather powerful looking bill. 

 A dead Cormorant storskarv floating in the harbour at Vik - likely drowned in fishing gear and discarded by fishermen

I managed to do my usual round at Herdlevær on 07 January. Generally rather quiet but a Black-headed Gull hettemåke put in a rare winter appearance and a Gannet havsule gave some cracking views.

Gannet havsule at Herdlevær.

January is not normally a good month for photographing this species in Øygarden as the small numbers seen are often distant.

Thrush numbers dropped dramatically after 05 January with just a few small flocks of Redwing rødvingetrost and small numbers of Fieldfare gråtrost being seen.