Skogsøy 01-02 May 2024 - No big days....

 On 01 May, traditionally a big day at Skogsøy, I sat on my own. The highlight was a Frenchman who made the walk out in the rain and asked if I was Julian Bell. Amazing to be known in other countries - this is far from the first time this has happened. Thankfully I managed to show him the only White-billed Diver gulnebblom that passed today.

Rain for the first couple of hours and light winds. Not the recipe for a big day but it has to be done:)

Numbers were as follows:

Red throated Diver smålom N 46

White Billed Diver gulnebblom N 1

Northern Gannet havsule N 4, S 32

Great Cormorant storskarv N 1, S 3

Eurasian Shag toppskarv N 11, S 69

Shelduck gravand N 3

Eider ærfugl S 1

Long tailed duck havelle N 11, S 3

Common Scoter svartand N 51, S 42

Velvet Scoter sjøorre  N 7, S 3

Merganser siland N 35, S 8

Oystercatcher tjeld N 77, S 4

Whimbrel småspove N 7

Black headed Gull hettemåke S 2

Common Gull fiskemåke N 46

Lesser black backed Gull sildemåke N 2

Razorbill alke N 1

Other migrants included a Greenshank gluttsnipe at Husvatnet and a Brambling bjørkefink in my garden at Nautnes.

The next day I was back at Skogsøy with a couple of long time stalwarts. It was VERY calm, very sunny and very very hot! A lot more passage but still not quite the day we were hoping for. Only nine White-billed Diver gulnebblom but a decent amount of variety and good company:)

Between 0600 and 1200:

Red throated Diver smålom N 21

Black throated Diver storlom N 1

White Billed Diver gulnebblom N 9

Northern Gannet havsule N 8, S 21

Great Cormorant storskarv N 26, S 8

Eurasian Shag toppskarv N 23, S 285

Shelduck gravand N 2

Teal krikkand S 2

Tufted Duck toppand N 1

Eider ærfugl S 19

Long tailed duck havelle S 7

Common Scoter svartand N 7, S 21

Merganser siland N 18, S 6

Oystercatcher tjeld N 10, S 4

Whimbrel småspove N 1

Eurasian Curlew storspove N 1

Black headed Gull hettemåke N 1, S 1

Common Gull fiskemåke N 131

Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje N 1

Otherwise just a few Lesser Whitethroats møller singing and the usual White-tailed Eagle havørn etc

Cormorants storskarv heading north and obviously feeling the heat.

Most birds now are juveniles

Eiders ærfugl heading south

Gannet havsule

Shelduck gravand

Massively cropped White-billed Divers gulnebblom. The heat haze was an issue when it came to photography

Wheatears steinskvett