NE Englaland 03.07-08.07 Family birding

 A week in Northumberland:) What a place and how things have changed in the North East - Avocet and Little Egret were very rare species as I was growing up but are now rather common.

Kicked off the week with a family visit to Salthome pools - an RSBP reserve in the middle of one of the most heavily industrialised areas of the UK. I've seen it time and again - even out in Øygarden where more birds breed in areas where industry is the main priority than in nature reserves. Equinor's plant at Kollsnes probably supports more breeding waders than the nature reserve at Tjeldstø. No disturbance from walkers, dogs, photographers and no f***ing cats mean that such areas seem to work better than "available" nature reserves. Don't get me started.

This has pretty much always been a fact but times change. When I was growing up in the NE species like Avocet and Little Egret were very rare. Now they are common and regular breeders there. Next stop Norway?

At Salthome  I saw a lot of species I don't see much of in Norway with around 40 Avocet avoset present along with Little Ringed Plovers dverglo and a bunch of wildfowl that would have set pulses racing back home:) , Marsh Harrier sivhauk, Stock Dove skogsdue and a whole bunch of other species were seen here - without even trying.

 

Avocet feeding, impossible to film without background conversation in the hide. People: can't get away from them and shooting them is frowned upon even in these enlightend times:) - even in nature reserves

Grey Partridge rapphøne in my Mum's garden near Darlington

Little Ringed Plover dverglo at Salthome Pools

Hare

Avocets

In Northumberland Common Buzzard musvåk were exactly that common!:)

Half an hour sitting on the sofa at my Dad's place in Seahouses produced a few Manx Shearwater havlire heading north along with a pale phase Arctic Skua tyvjo and hundred/thousands of Gannets havsule, Guillemots lomvi, Puffin lunde and Razorbills alke.

Meeting up with daughter #1 at Cresswell a sudden downpour  saw us running for shelter as the rain set in. Nauturally the hide overlooking the pools there was the place to go Over 20 Avocet avoset, 12 Little Egret silkehegre, a Med Gull svarthavemåke, several Little Grebe dvergdykker and A LOT more besides made me wonder if I am living in the right country. How on earth can a country as over populated as the UK have so much birdlife compared to Norway?

Five minutes at Monkshouse pools near Seahouses which were spent on the phone resulted in what would have been a mega haul back in Norway with Gadwall snadderand, Shoveler skjeand, Little Grebe dvergdykker, Coot sothøne and a whole lot more. How on earth can a place under so much people pressure produce so many birds?

Øygarden 24-30 June 2024 - More home office

Once again almost no birding with the terrace and drive-bys to and from the shops/errands providing what little time outside there was.

On 24 June a female Red-breasted Merganser siland showed up with six young - obviously having bred very close by. A few days later what I presume was the same bird had only one young left. I'm curious to know what is that is taking the young - plenty of suspects to choose from.

Red-breasted Merganser siland with young photographed from my terrace

Breeding waders (Oystercatcher tjeld, Curlew storspove, Redshank rødstilk, Lapwing vipe, Snipe enkeltbekkasin and Common Sandpipers strandsnipe) continued to be obvious but many will soon be clearing out having finished the breeding season.

Anxious Redshank rødstilk parent near Kollsnes

Well grown Lapwing young feeding in the rain

This well grown Lapwing young was limping badly with something stuck on its right leg

The other Lapwing vipe chick was fine

Curlew storspove at Breivik

A fishing trip after work on 26 June with my daughters was very successful from all points of view: outside away from the computer in great company, plenty of fish action (several species) and even some birds - including a (the?) Golden Eagle kongeørn, a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk, Ringed Plover sandlo and fishing Common Terns makrellterne.

Immature Golden Eagle kongeørn

(also point and pray camera)

A wet and dull evening drive-by at Husvatnet on 28 June produced a male Ruff brushane and a Swift tårnseiler in addition to the usual suspects there.

On 30 June I finally made it out and did my usual walk at Herdlevær. Here a female Merganser siland had 14 young in tow, a Mallard stokkand had three young with her, recently fledged Wheatears steinskvett and most of the usual suspects were present. A flock of Curlew storspove headed south and some Common Crossbill grankorsnebb turned up.

Fishing Common Tern makrellterne at Herdlevær

Recently fledged Wheatear steinskvett

After Herdlevær it was time for more fishing, once again very successful with a Pollack of well over 5kg and four other species. Interestingly the Pollack had been feeding on squid.

Cleanup crew in the garden after a successful fishing trip

Herring Gulls gråmåke and Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak turned up in force!

Øygarden 17-23 June 2024 - Giving up again

Almost no birding as almost usual. Random glances from the terrace and a few short drive-bys on the way to and from the shops were pretty much all that I managed apart from a few hours out on  22 June and a day of guiding on 23 June.

On 17 June I was away on a work trip from 0500-2100 but had a White-tailed Eagle havørn, singing Lesser Whitethroat møller etc from the terrace whilst drinking my morning coffee.

The next day a very young Common Sandpiper strandsnipe running by the roadside at Alvheim made me slow down, the youngster quickly disappeared into the undergrowth but one of the accompanying adults stayed close allowing some photos from the car.

Anxious Common Sandpiper strandsnipe

On 21 June a drive to the shops gave the first Peregrine vandrefalk I've seen for a while along with the usual suspects.

Lapwing vipe at Kollsnes

The next day was Saturday so no work but having to catch up on everything else. I managed my usual round at Herdlevær picking up most of the usual species plus a Whimbrel småspove, Crested Tits toppmeis and more. Unfortunately having lost my notebook a couple of weeks later I no longer have the full species list.....

Similarly to a few days ago a pair of roadside Common Sandpiper strandsnipe were very anxious and obviousy had young nearby. I spent a little over 30 seconds taking some pictures before driving on. The point and pray did remarkably well:)

Common Sandpiper strandsnipe at Breivik - very similar to a couple of days ago.

These images were taken with my point and pray rather than my "proper" camera which I used on the Common Sand at Alvheim a few days previously.

On the way home I picked up a second year Great Northern Diver islom on the sea at Alvheim where a White-tailed Eagle havørn also flew over.

A day of guiding on 23 June saw me visit Herdla again along with some localities closer to Bergen. In a local context the best birds were a male Ruff brushane, a Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove and a good selection of other waders at Herdla. Quail vaktel, White-tailed Eagle havørn and many, many other species were seen here.

Adult Skylark sanglerke

Recently fledged Skylark sanglerke

Further inland highlights included White-tailed Eagle havørn, a family of Whinchat buskskvett, Sedge Warbler sivsanger and more.

Hardangervidda 16. June 2024 - Hardangervidda Light II

Heading home to Øygarden I made a few roadside stops on the vidda. Most of them made me want to just keep walking further and spending a LOT more time up on the vidda.

Plenty of Shorelark fjellerke in suitable habitat, but no Lapland Buntings lappspurv. Otherwise many of the usual suspects showed up - Ptarmigan fjellrype, Rough-legged Buzzard fjellvåk and more.

Female Ptarmigan fjellrype at Dyranut

Ringed Plovers sandlo at Dyranut

Shorelark fjellerke on the vidda

At Dyranut there were a few pairs of Ringed Plover sandlo getting started with the breeding season - down at the coast I saw the first young weeks ago!

Also picked up a pair of Hawk Owl haukugle in suitable habitat:)

Hawk Owl haukugle pair

The drive over the vidda and back to Bergen was a timely reminder of how incredibly spectacular this country is. The vidda, måbødalen, Eidfjord, Voss and the road from Voss to Bergen are amazing! Just wonderful and I wish I had had the time to stop and take some photos. Just fantastic to be lucky enough to call this place home:)

Back home at Nautnes a nice Red-throated Diver smålom was waiting for me on the sea outside my terrace.

Second year Red-throated Diver smålom at Nautnes

Engerdal 08-15 June 2021 - Catching up in the east

An all too short week in one of my favourite places, Unfortunately this was home office not holiday so pretty frustrating to say the least.

We arrived late Friday and I did my usual round on the Saturday morning. A cracking morning but nothing much to write home about. Nestng Ospreys fiskeørn, a small flock of Velvet Scoter sjøorre, a Herring Gull gråmåke, a pair of Cranes trane, a Green Sandpiper skogsnipe, Willow Grouse lirype and Woodcock rugde were among the almost 50 species noted.

Black-headed Gull hettemåke at Vurrusjøen

Common Gull fiskemåke at Galtsjøen

Cranes trane

Male Wigeon brunnakke

On Sunday 09 June I headed higher up. Breeding Great Grey Shrike varsler, Crane trane and the usual selection of tringa waders were among the species seen. Excellent views of four male and one female Black Grouse orrfugl and a pair of Willow Grouse lirype were other highlights. The drive up along the gravel track produced Mistle Thrush duetrost and Kesrel tårnfalk among other things.

Black-throated Diver storlom

Willow Grouse lirype

Wood Sandpiper grønnstilk

After this it was back to walk. An afternoon walk at Heggeriset on 10 June produced a fishing Osprey fiskeørn, an occupied nest of Great Spotted Woodpeckers flaggspett and a family party of Common Crossbill grankorsnebb with recently fledged young. 

Common Crossbills grankorsnebb

Osprey fiskeørn

 The following day all I managed was a very quick afternoon hike up to Kvitvola. Very few birds about at all but a pair of Ptarmigan fjellrype saved the day and a Kestrel tårnfalk put in an appearance.

Ptarmigan fjellrype (female above and male below)

On 12 June I was up bright and early for a pre-work trip to Svarthammaren. Here too it was rather too quiet with few birds to be seen, a couple of pairs of Golden Plover heilo, a couple of Whimbrel småspove, a Ring Ousel ringtrost, a lone Cuckoo gjøk and a couple of Wheatear steinskvett were almost all there was to be seen. Picked up Common Redstart rødstjert on the drive up. Really didn't want to go home, would have much preferred to keep going to Blakksjøen and beyond.....

On Friday 14 June I drove up to Sorken after work. Mostly just the usual suspects here including a Common Tern makrellterne.

On our last I did a morning tour covering a number of my usual localities. This proved quite productive with at least four Osprey fiskørn seen simultaneously at one location, two new pairs of Crane trane and a pair of breeding Slavonian Grebes horndykker were the highlights.

Slavonian Grebe horndykker

Galtssjøen held Goosander laksand, seven each of Velvet Scoter sjøorre and Common Scoter svartand, three Long-tailed Duck havelle singing Icterine Warbler gulsanger and plenty more. Although it was nice to see these seaduck inland these should really have been somewhere higher up on their breeding grounds instead of lower down. Failed breeders or frozen lakes higher up - either way not really a good sign.

Garden Warblers hagesanger, Tree Pipit trepiplerke and Common Redstart rødstjert were among the species singing at Isterfossen but not much in the way of waterfowl other than a couple of Black-throated Diver storlom.

At Drevsjø a Red-throated Diver smålom on the lake flew off after a short time - no doubt breeding close by and using the lake for feeding. Five Arctic Tern rødnebbterne also fed here.

The rest of the day was spent on the road. A stop in Hamar produced a singing Common Rosefinch rosenfink at Ridabu whilst Akersvika was rather quiet.

xx