Øygarden 06-08.01.2025 - Winter starting to bite

I thought I would try harder to keep reporting and this blog updated more regularly this year but am already struggling despite barely being out at all.

With wintery conditions persisting some sensitive species are being pushed into areas where they don't normally show. On 6th January I drove to the shops and stopped for a few seconds a couple of times resulting in Water Rail vannriske, Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin and not much else.

The garden / terrace continues to produce some new species for the year in the form of Goldfinch stillits (a flock of 12) and a few Tree Sparrow pilfink. Blackbird svarttrost numbers in the garden continue to increase as heavy snow cover and freezing temperatures take their toll. A male Brambling bjørkefink also turned up on my feeders and a second year Kittiwake krykkje did a nice fly past - I had to go back inside to get my camera and change the battery so only managed a couple of shots as it flew away.

Goldfinch stillits in the garden

Kittiwake krykkje from the terrace

Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin wishing it had migrated instead of attempting to overwinter

Water Rail vannriske

On 7th January I left for a work trip to Haugesund in the morning but picked up a couple of Velvet Scoter sjøorre at Harkestad along the way. Goldfinch stillits in the garden again before I left along with some Siskin grønnsisik that did not come into the garden but fed on pine cones nearby.

I returned on 8th January just before the light went, picking up a different Water Rail vannrikse and came home to find a Starling stær among the hordes of birds in my garden.