Traditionally it is the last week of September / first week of October that is the best for rarities. I have always liked early November and this week was just brilliant, despite having to travel for work.
Whilst frantically preparing for a conference in Stavanger a message ticked in about a Firecrest rødtoppfuglekonge at Sæle. I flung the last things I needed into my bags and headed to Sæle before continuing on to the airport. I had just a few minutes to spare and managed to connect with it - a new species for me in Øygarden. Thanks Terje!
Firecrest rødtoppfuglekonge at Sæle
Later in the afternoon I arrived at Sola Strand, Stavanger. Here, even without binoculars the birding was just too easy. Not difficult to understand why such a large percent of Norwegian birders are from the Stavanger area:)
Long-tailed Ducks havelle in the surf
There were several White Wagtails linerle hunting flies along the beach
A short walk on the beach the morning before the conference was almost equally productive. With scope and bins there would have been a lot more to see!
Great Northern Diver islom
First year Red-throated Diver smålom
Yellowhammer gulspurv
Back home in Øygarden and back to the grindstone I managed a few short drive-bys on 06 November in misty conditions. There was a big movement of thrushes down the east side of Øygarden with big flocks of Fieldfare gråtrost and smaller flocks of Redwing rødvingetrost heading south under the low cloud. Several Snipe enkeltbekkasin fed at Tjeldstø. Definitely a feeling that something good must have arrived today.
Heron gråhegre at Hellesøy
Some of the Snipe enkeltbekkasin feeding at Tjeldstø
Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin feeding at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø
On 07 November I spent the morning on Hernar. There was a LOT of activity and no time to drink coffee or eat sandwiches like I normally do. Well over 40 species noted without having the time to cover some of the areas I normally do. The most interesting bird by far was an eastern type Lesser Whitethroat møller with a very unusual call. According to one site I have investigated blythi has not been recorded as giving this call. This, along with some other features has me leaning towards halimodendri (Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat). My first ever Jackdaw kaie for the island was an added bonus along with Mistle Thrush duetrost, Water Rails vannrikse, Chiff-chaffs gransanger and plenty more besides.
Chiff-chaff gransanger - seemed to be "normal" without any tristis sounds
Tail good for the eastern types
Rather warm and brown appearance, pale lores in angles where the face is illuminated. Differs with lighting angle though
Here with prey:) Note the brown extending onto the nape / crown
Brown looking tail here
Sonogram (taken from video). Thanks to Stein Rune Risa for this)
This shows the jizz of the bird. Mouse-like, jerky and busy.
One striking thing about this bird was the tail pumping and Redstart-like "shivering" of the tail.
This video includes the call.
According to https://nicksbird.blog/2023/06/11/identification-of-the-lesser-whitethroat-species-complex/
there are no records of blythi that have been recorded with this call.....
Jackdaw kaie
Mistle Thrush duetrost
...and the much commoner (i.e. very common) White-tailed Eagle havørn
I was only out for half an hour as the light was going on 08 November, still lots of birds about - especially Redwings rødvingetrost and Fieldfare gråtrost. A Mistle Thrush duetrost at Hjelme was probably the same bird seen there the previous day.
From the house the best sighting was a Lapwing vipe heading south
My usual round at Herdlevær really produced the goods with the absolute highlight being a Hume's Leaf Warbler blekbrynsanger. Incredibly active and difficult to photograph it was at times obligingly vocal - it was the call that really made me investigate this bird in the first place. This is the first record in Øygarden for around 20 years!! Twitchers arrived quickly on the scene but the bird did a disappearing act for the rest of the day. Thankfully it was re-found the following day and stayed for some days more.
Hume's Leaf Warbler blekbrynsanger - the call can be heard in this video
Sonogram of the call - taken from the video above - thanks to Stein Rune Risa
There were plenty of other things to see too with a flock of 30 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, a couple of Whooper Swans sangsvane, Chiff-chaff gransanger, several Great Northern Diver islom and lots of the usual migrants.
Whooper swans sangsvane at Herdlevær
A female Scaup bergand and a couple of Lapwing vipe on Rotevatnet were an added bonus.
Skylark sanglerke at Hjelme
Back home a first year Red-throated Diver smålom struggled with a large fish for some time in front of my house - looked like it might have been a Herring sild.
First year Red-throated Diver smålom at Nautnes
On Sunday 10th November I covered a number of localities without finding much new - although the Hume's Leaf Warbler blekbrynsanger was present at Herdlevær. A flock of six Lapwing vipe flew over at Breivik and what were probably the same birds were seen later at Tjeldstø where the Scaup bergand remained. Good numbers of thrushes, a Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb and a couple of Woodcock rugde were among the sightings.
My first trip out on my return to Øygarden from the east of Norway was to Hellesøy - two Woodlark trelerkehad been there up to and including the day I travelled home.
No sign of the larks but a confiding Snow Bunting snøspurv gave great views. As would be expected thus bird was mostly eating seeds in an area of waste ground. However, it also caught and ate some kind of beetle/weevil.
First it catches sight of the bug....
...grabs it
Starts dismantling it....
...and finally swallows it
Snow Bunting snøspurv at Hellesøy
There were generally quite a few birds about with migrants such as Blackcap munk, Goldcrest fuglekonge and plenty of the usual thrushes and finches.
I also visited Hellesøy briefly the following day in damp and overcast conditions. The Snow Bunting snøspurv remained and again there were plenty of other migrants included a couple of Chiff-chaff gransanger, Goldcrests fuglekonge and a flock of Common Crossbill grankorsnebb.
Goldfinches stillits at Dåvøy
Goldfinch stillits tearing apart a thistle
Snow Bunting snøspurv at Hellesøy
A few other very brief drive-bys showed there was plenty about with Blackcap munk, Woodpigeons ringdue and yet more thrushes. Rather frustrating to not be out more.....
On 30th October I squeezed in my usual round at Herdlevær where a Merlin dvergfalk and a Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt were the best sightings.
Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt at Herdlevær
The first Whoopers sangsvane of the autumn turned up at Tjeldstø and a Rock Pipit skjæpiplerke fed in my driveway. Sparrowhawks spurvehauk obviously on the move - no doubt following the large numbers of thrushes passing through.
Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke in my driveway
The next couple of days I was barely away from the computer but Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke seemed to be on the move with birds turning up away from their usual spots. Five minutes at Tjeldstø produced a few Kittiwake krykkje heading up the fjord into strong winds and a Razorbill alke landed on the sea.
Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke in a driveway at Hellesøy
Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke at Herdlevær
Finally it was the weekend again and I spent a couple of hours seawatching at Skogsøy, several Great Northern Divers islom passed and another fed on the sea. A Little Auk alkekonge was amazingly the first of the year for me. Small numbers of the usual seaduck (Velvet Scoter sjøorre, Common Scoter svartand and Long-tailed Ducks havelle) headed south as did a selection of gulls including Kittiwakes krykkje and Black-headed Gulls hettemåke.
Great Northern Diver islom with an interesting looking fish at Skogsøy
Kittiwake krykkje
Long-tailed Duck havelle
A late Dunnock jernspurv was seen on my way out to the seawatch
A brief stop at Sture on the way home produced a Chiff-chaff gransanger feeding a mixed flock of tits.
