Øygarden 13 -17 March 2023 - First real seawatch 2023

Typically not out much at all with the exception of Wednesday when I spent a few hours seawatching at Skogsøy-

On 13 March I spent 10 minutes at Solberg and a few drive-bys. With the cold and snowy conditions it was not surprising that both Woodcock rugde and Snipe enkeltbakkasin were obvious.

The following day I did a quick round at Herdlevær before work but without my usual short stop to look at the sea. At least five Woodcock rugde were present but little else of note.

Snipe enkeltbekkasin, 14 March

Automatic camera settings with too slow shutter speed - could have been a cracking shot but I did not want to risk disturbing the bird and moved on very quickly.

On 15 March I spent three hours seawatching in wonderful calm, sunny and warm conditions. A superb morning of migration with the highlight being a probable Franklin's Gull heading north - giving only distant views in the scope I won't be claiming this bird which had a black hood with a wing pattern that lacked the white wedge of Black-headed Gull hettemåke. For the first several seconds I went back and forth between Black-headed Gull and Kittiiwake before realising what I was seeing. Plenty of other distant ID challenges with a small pale wader heading north. Auks headed north but the vast majority were too far off for positive ID

However, I did manage to identify at least some of the stuff passing, including a beast of an adult Glaucous Gull polarmåke. Passage was steady and there was always something passing. Great to be out on so many levels:)

Snipe enkeltbekkasin seen on the way to Skogsøy

Otter tracks in the snow - this must have been a big male judging by the size of the tracks

Plenty of Oystercatcher tjeld streaming north today

Rather wintery conditions early on when I parked the car but pleasantly warm once the sun came up:)

One of two adult White-tailed Eagle havørn was one of the first birds to fly over during the seawatch

Numbers for the period 08:00-11:00:

Red throated Diver smålom N1

Northern Gannet havsule N 56, S 5

Great Cormorant storskarv N 2, S 1

Eurasian Shag toppskarv N 7, S 17

Eider ærfugl N 1

Long tailed duck havelle N 5

Merganser siland N 3

Oystercatcher tjeld N 528, S 2

Eurasian Curlew storspove S 2

Common Gull fiskemåke N 3

Herring Gull gråmåke N 70

Glaucous Gull  polarmåke  N 1 adult

Great black backed Gull svartbak N 20

Razorbill alke N 6

Black Guillemot teist N 1

Auk N 87

On my return the White-tailed Eagles havørn put on a nice display as I carried the shopping from the car into the house:)

Adult White-tailed Eagle havørn over my garden. Just have to put the shopping down when this happens

Nine hungry Blackbirds svarttrost in the garden were joined by up to 11 Starling stær during the week. Neither species tend to spend time at the feeders under normal conditions.

On Thursday I checked Hjelme and Sæle briefly before work picking up a Goldfinch stillits at the latter site.

Snipe enkeltbekkasin

No birding to speak of on Friday either but a flock of 20 Woodpigeon ringdue headed north over Hatten where I also found the 2cy Grey Heron gråhegre seen the previous day had unsurprisingly succumbed to the cold. Herons normally cope with cold periods quite well - I presume that this bird was chased off the available feeding areas along the shore by adult birds and just did not find anywhere to feed.

Second year Grey Heron gråhegre 16 March, obviously struggling with the conditions. Not normally possible to get this close to a heron....

The thaw came too late, the following day this bird was dead....