Monday, May 05, 2025

Skogsøy 02 May 2025 - No scope challenge

Strong onshore winds with heavy showers meant that this was very likely to be a good day. And it was:)

New species for the year seen en route were Sedge Warbler sivsanger and Lesser Whitethroat møller.

However, when unpacking my rucksack I discovered that my trusty scope was not there! So a bins only seawatch was the only option. The conditions meant that a lot of stuff came by quite close and I managed to identify most things that past, though inevitably there were some that got away and no doubt a lot that was missed altogether.

There were Poms at the end of the rainbow:)

No scope challenge.
I've always said using a scope makes things too easy, not sure I mean it though:)

Highlights were four Pomarine Skua polarjo,  four Pintail stjertand and 16 White-billed Diver gulnebblom. A bonus sighting was at least one Orca spekkhogger feeding quite close in - though difficult to follow in the rough seas.

Red throated Diver smålom N 132

White Billed Diver gulnebblom N 16

Northern Gannet havsule N 67, S 33

Great Cormorant storskarv S 2

Eurasian Shag toppskarv N 10, S 17

Pintail stjertand N 4

Long tailed duck havelle  N 55

Common Scoter svartand N 36, S 36 (lots of small flocks north, one flock south)

Goldeneye kvinand N 1

Oystercatcher tjeld N 3

Whimbrel småspove N 4

Turnstone steinvender 3

Pomarine Skua polarjo N 4

Arctic Skua tyvjo N 6 (four pale and two dark)

Lesser black backed Gull sildemåke N 1

Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje N 3

Common Guillemot lomvi N 3

Razorbill alke N 1

Auk N 7

Arctic Skuas tyvjo

Small flocks of Common Scoter svartand headed north, one larger flock south

GBBG svartbak

Four Pintail stjertand

Pomarine Skua polarjo

and a few more Poms polarjo





White-billed Divers gulnebblom passing in the wide variety of lighting conditions today!


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