Saturday, September 03, 2022

Hernar and Nautnes 01-02 September - Island season starts

 Calm and largely sunny.

Finally autumn is here, although it feels more like summer than the summer did:)

I ditched work for most of the day on Thursday, heading off to Hernar instead, along with a quick look at the islands along the way. Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett heard from the terrace before I left:)

Hernar produced the expected early autumn fare with three Pied Flycatcher svartvhit fluensnapper and a Common Redstart rødstjert as the best of the migrants, Further indications of something going on in the forests to the north and / or east of us today too with Coal Tit svartmeis and Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett also turning up.

Generally still a lot of birds about with decent flocks of Twite bergirisk, Linnet tornirisk, Redpoll brunsisk etc feeding on the plentiful seeds. 

Small numbers of waders passed overhead too.


The first Redstart rødstjert of the for me un Øygarden:)

The offshore islands produced the usual selection of waders but with just one Sanderling sandløper and no Knot polarsnipe. 27 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt including some very short-billed birds were the first of the autumn for me. A Shelduck gravand was hanging around - a typical feature of the early autumn here. Just one Black Guillemot teist - one of this year's birds was quite approachable.

Black Guillemot teist, probably locally produced.



Dunlin myrsnipe

Heron gråhegre


Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt


Shelduck gravand

Turnstone steinvender

On 02 September it was back to the grindstone. Half and hour on the terrace before work and a short spell whilst I made dinner gave some birds though - including hunting Sparrowhawk spurvehauk, a Goshawk hønsehauk flying over and several Red-throated Diver smålom heading south.

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