Hernar 29 April 2025 - Wet but worth it

A week off provided the first opportunity to make it out to the island of all islands.

Lovely conditions to start with and quite a few birds about without anything too special. Most of the usual breeders back in place but rather concerningly only two Twite bergirisk were seen. Hopefully the rest were at the other end of the island. Migrants included a House Martin taksvale, a Sand Martin sandsvale, a male Blackcap munk, a Brambling bjørkefink and a Tree Pipit trepiplerke.

Only two Twite bergirisk seen on Hernar today...

In the afternoon the wind picked up and rain set in. Thank goodness I had my "Fjellduk" (might translate to bivvy bag?) with me. I sat inside this for a couple of hours without adding very many species to the day's tally - BUT four Orcas spekkhogger headed south down Hjeltefjord - the first I've seen this year and no doubt after the Herring sild that have turned up.

Well over 40 species on the island including continued good numbers of Black Guillemot teist:)

There have been some changes on the island that will have some kind of impact. I didn't take pictures of everything but here are a couple of examples:

The gulley has been almost cleared of trees. Just sitka spruce have been removed (although one can now see where the best sycamore on the island used to be (SO many rarities in that one tree alone!) but there was some shelter here that has now gone - fewer places for the next White's Thrush gultrost to hide in:)

The small copse of asp have been cleared. Nowhere for the nest Blyth's Reed Warber to sing from?

I found this egg - Fieldfare?

This Magpie skjære nest is likely to be unpopular. I haven't seen a Magpie nest on the island before but the lack of trees in the gulley nearby may explain why they have used a house instead....