Øygarden 10.01-16-01-2026 - Birding therapy

Tough times on the home front😪 so kind of hard to keep going. This week some birding has helped take my mind off things as it has done before during some of life's various challenges.

I returned home shortly after midday on 10th January and 15 minutes later I was out in glorious, if rather cold conditions. 

The first birds I saw from my terrace were two White-tailed Eagles havørn:)

With good light and no wind I headed to Hjelme Vest where the star bird was a lovely White-billed Diver gulnebblom. Other species here included a flock of 39 Long-tailed Duck havelle (a shadow of the number that would have been present a decade or two ago), a Velvet Scoter sjøorre, five Common Scoter svartand, a Curlew storspove , a Peregrine vandrefalk and more White-tailed Eagles havørn. Despite the freezing temperatures there was a Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin in one of the usual spots.

After this I popped in at a few other places picking up a Woodcock rugde at Hatten, a small flock of Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt at Tjeldstø, some Common Crossbills grankorsnebb and more.

The following day I went to Skogsøy with one of my daughters, the wind has picked up significantly and there was rather more to see than on our previous visit there. A Great Northern Diver islom headed south as did a Gannet havsule and several Kittiwake krykkje headed north. Other stuff included a couple of Velvet Scoter sjøorre, 

On the way home drive-bys produced Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin, Redwing rødvingetrost, the first Chaffinches bokfink of the year and more.

Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin.

Snipe, Woodcock and other species dependent on unfrozen ground are struggling big time at the moment.

On Monday 12.01 it was more of the same really with White-tailed Eagles havørn seen various places, small numbers of Fieldfare gråtrost and Redwing rødvingetrost, Common Gull fiskemåke, more Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin and the Heron gråhegre roost at Dåvøy numbered 31 birds.

A number of Snipe enkeltbekkasin are using the smallest of holes in the ice in an attempt to try and find food.

On 13th January I visted several localities and picked up a Woodcock rugde, a few Snipe enkeltbekkasin, including one that had succumbed to the current conditions. A Little Grebe dvergdykker was present at Dåvøy.

Redwing rødvingetrost at Hatten

Dead Snipe enkeltbekkasin at Tjeldstø

Female Velvet Scoter sjøorre at Herdlevær

White-tailed Eagle havørn at Dåvøy

The next couple of days were spent at work in Bergen but on 14th January a drive-by at Dåvøy on my way into the city produced two Little Grebe dvergdykker.

Little Grebes dvergdykker at Dåvøy

On 16th January I stayed in Øygarden and spent a couple of hours checking some other localities in the calm, mild and slightly wet conditions. At Dåvøy a Little Auk alkekonge was the first of the year, a Great Northern Diver islom fed actively there and Otters gave point blank views whilst my camera was still in my rucksack.

Great Northern Diver islom at Dåvøy

The usual selection of stuff was present at Solberg including another Great Northern Diver islom, a lone Long-tailed Duck havelle, a White-tailed Eagle havørn and good numbers of Cormorant storskarv and Shag toppskarv.