Øygarden 22-24.03.2025 - Arrivals!

At long last some birding time! It helps to get out of the house and it helps to get out of the car:)

On 22nd March I headed off to Skogsøy bright and early. On the way out the first Dunnock jernspurv and Song Thrusg måltrost of the year showed up along with most of the usual suspects including Goldcrest fuglekonge and Chaffinch bokfink also singing.

I sat for a little under three hours. things were rather quiet in the southerly winds with just the first local Shelduck gravand of the year for me also heading south. A few flocks of unidentified distant geese headed north. Over 40 Gannets havsule headed south and very small numbers of Eider ærfugl and Long-tailed Duck havelle passed. Singing Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke, displaying Curlew storspove and flocks of passerines moving up and down the coast added to the spring-like feel.

On the way home I picked up my first White Wagtail linerle of the year at Breivik and a Hawfinch kjernebiter at Hatten aong with several Bullfinch dompap, Goldfinch stillits etc.

The first Dunnock jernspurv of the year

Male White Wagtal linerle - the first alba wagtails are often yarrellii rather than alba

In the evening the northern lights put on quite a show from my terrace.

Northern Lights at Nautnes

The next day I did my usual round at Herdlevær where Redwing rødvingetrost, Curlew storspove, Woodpigeon ringdue and Bullfinch dompap were among the new arrivals. 

A quick look at Tjeldstø on the way home produced another Redwing rødvingetrost, several Fieldfare gråtrost and a Goshawk hønsehauk among other things. The latter almost caught one of the several Teal krikkand present.

Goshawk hønsehauk takes a break after almost catching a Teal krikkand. VERY cropped image

Even this picture is heavily cropped showing the Goshawk to the left with Greylags grågås and Mallard stokkand very much on the alert.

Redwing rødvingetrost at Herdlevær

Probably a newly arrived migrant - I haven't seen one for a few weeks

A Linnet tornirisk flew over as I did a bit of work in the garden at Nautnes and an evening fishing trip produced a roding Woodcock rugde and surprising lots of squid - ultimately forcing me to give up and go home. On the way back home I stopped at Skjold hoping that last night's Tawny Owl kattugle (the first in 20 years here!!) would show. It didn't.

On 24th March a short trip out between meetings gave the first Meadow Pipit heipiplerke of the year singing at Husvatnet along with a couple of newly arrived Common Gulls fiskemåke. A few Linnet tornirisk and four Skylark sanglerke were at Breivik.