Øygarden 05 May 2024 - A lazy start to a misty day

A foggy morning - the sea fret caused by a long period of warm weather finally rolled in. This meant no early start for seawatching and visits to localities less visited.

Once again the lone male Black Grouse orrfugl showed well along with more newly arrived Lesser Whitethroat møller and Common Whitethorat tornsanger.

Black Grouse orrfugl in the fog

At Hjelme a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett showed quite well and a couple of Jay nøtteskrike put in an appearance. 

Grey-headed Woodpecker in the fog

I should have strictly speaking waited for the bird to turn its head....

Common Sandpiper strandsnipe

Tjeldstø was relatively quiet but a male Sparrowhawk spurvehauk,a flock of eight Golden Plover heilo, some Common Scoter svartand heading down the fjord were among the species seen.

Back home birds seen included a displaying Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a migrating Whimbrel småspove. 

Hernar 03 May 2024 - First fall of the spring

Having spent Thursday seawatching in order to meet the regulars I was "forced" to do Hernar on Friday instead. Others had been out on Thursday and nailed a bunch of new species for the island this year. However, even more was present during my visit with highlights being a singing Wryneck vendehals and a VERY early and silent Icterine Warbler gulsanger.

The supporting cast included a Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper, several Blackcap munk, three Shelduck gravand flying over, Cuckoo gjøk, several each of Willow Warbler løvsanger and Chiff-chaff gransanger, a Lesser Whitethroat møller and a Common Whitethroat tornsanger.

Lesser Whitethoat møller

Wryneck vendehals

Other stuff off the island included a displaying Black Grouse orrfugl.

Engerdal and Oslo 18.02-23.02 - New species for Engerdal!

I spent a few days up in Engerdal where the weather was mildly put, variable.

Golden Eagles kongeørn

On arrival on 18.02 the best sighting were three Golden Eagles kongeørn circling overhead. The usual Dipper fossekall and garden birds including better numbers of finches than normal in wintertime. Siskin grønnsisik, Common Redpoll gråsisik and a few pairs of Common Crossbill grankorsnebb were also in the garden.

Common Redpoll gråsisik

Parrot Crossbills bånkorsnebb

An afternoon skiing trip in glorious sunshine on 19.02 produced all three species of Crossbill - all in pairs and some singing. I could not remember having seen Two-barred båndkorsnebb in the area before so went into the reporting system to check. It turned out that no-one has recorded the species in Engerdal before. Although not in the reporting system it is highly unlikely that this species has not been seen before here.

I slogged up a hill in a snowstorm on 20.02 notching up more Two-barred Crossbill båndkorsnebb and a nice male Black Grouse orrfugl.

It was a cold and windy day on 21.02 and a walk at Drevsjø in conjunction with a shopping trip produced a nice male Capercaille storfugl flying over.

Female Black Woodpecker svartspett playing hide and seek

Part of a flock of Mute Swans knoppsvane that flew over

Velvet Scoter sjøorre

Back in Oslo on 23.02 we took an afternoon trip to Gressholmen, thinking that we would cover at least one of the other islands but ended up using up our time on a feeding female Black Woodpecker svartspett. Not much else of note other than the first Starling stær I've seen in Oslo this year and a few small flocks of Velvet Scoter sjøorre.

Øygarden 09 January 2016 - Flu (almost) stops play

Calm, cold and sunny again

Roadside Black Grouse orrfugl

Spent most of the day asleep on the sofa fighting flu. However, a trip to the shops saved the day with a nice roadside Black Grouse orrfugl.

Other stuff included a Song Thrush måltrost at Nautnes, Snipe enkeltbekkasin and the usual.

Hernar 16 April 2015 - Macho posturing

Fresh northerly breeze and relatively overcast

Not the best of conditions to go looking for migrant passerines - but it really was a lovely day out of the wind whenever the sun got out.

Black Grouse orrfugl displaying from a rooftop - together with a Hooded Crow kråke

....and on a telegraph wire

We picked up at least two, quite possibly three, male Black Grouse orrfugl - they were displaying on anything and everything from rooftops to telegraph poles and wires. Hopefully there is a female about somewhere so that all the macho posturing can pay off.....there was some possible evidence with some feathers found that may have been lost by a female whilst enjoying the attentions of one of the boys we saw today.

Migrants were fairly thin on the ground but a small flock of Twite bergirisk, some Linnet tornirisk, a few Wheatear steinskvett, a couple of Chiff-chaffs gransanger, a male Merlin dvergfalk and several each of Redwing rødvingetrost and Goldcrest fuglekonge meant that all was not lost.

Other stuff included at least six White-tailed Eagle havørn, a Black Guillemot teist and a flock of nine Red-throated Diver smålom heading north.

Pipefish havnål

Also of interest was a Pipefish havnål which was still alive. This virtually inedible fish must have been dropped by a gull flying over. It has been quite a while since the last massive influx died off - might this be the sign of a new surge in numbers? For more details about these strange fish see this link.

Hernar 03 April 2014 - Black Grouse

Very light easterly breeze, warm and sunny after a frosty start.

With the weather as good as it was today there was never going to be much in the way of grounded migrants but I was rather hoping for some movement overhead. All in all rather quiet but around 30 species seen including a number of the island specialities - Twite bergirisk were very obvious as were at least two male Black Grouse orrfugl - the first I've had in Øygarden this year.

Black Grouse orrfugl

Robin rødstrupe

Above and below Twite bergirisk

White-tailed Eagle havørn

A handfull each of Robins rødstrupe and Song Thrush måltrost along with a Dunnock jernspurv, a Linnet tornirisk and most of the usual suspects were seen.

News from Hernar included a new boat and timetable. The route is now operated by Gulen Skyssbåt Service. Sadder news was that the island shop has now closed. No chocolate or beer to celebrate good finds anymore!

Before leaving the house I had another Black Grouse orrfugl - a new species for Nautnes and for the house list.

Nuthatch spettmeis - a very scarce breeder in Øygarden

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk

An evening stroll at Sture produced nice views of a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk and, of rather more interest, a pair of Nuthatch spettmeis nest building.

Hernar 30 October 2013 - dawn to dusk birding

Light northerly winds, mostly sunny

Given the conditions it was never going to be a day for grounded migrants. However, it was a day of good late autumn birding.

Predictably there was a lot of passage early on, largely Mealy Redpolls gråsisik, Common Crossbill grankorsnebb and other finches.

Part of one of the Mealy Redpoll gråsisik flocks - unfortunately they almost never stop to allow checking for more interesting things...

Colour ringed Herring Gull gråmåke

A few of the Waxwings sidensvans seen today

Twite bergirisk

1cy Woodpigeon ringdue

Twite bergirisk

Wren gjerdesmett - numbers still increasing

Female Black Grouse orrfugl showing off camoflauge

Female Black Grouse orrfugl - very regular on Hernar this year

Highlights were a flock of 15 Waxwing sidensvans, a flock of six Two-barred Crossbill båndkorsnebb (though many more were heard) and a late Lesser Whitethroat møller. Other notable sightings were a total of 13 Goldfinch stillits, a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett, two  Water Rail vannrikse, a Peregrine vandrefalk and a Yellowhammer gulspurv (the latter being a new species for the island).

In all a total of 56 species seen.

Ljøsneset 19 December 2012 - Black Grouse

Another calm and mild day.

Nothing much of interest other than a male Black Grouse orrfugl - the first I've seen for some time.

Back at Tjeldstø the party of five Whoopers sangsvane that checked the area out a couple of days ago returned and stayed to feed close to Rotevatnet, Tjeldstø - still not thawed yet!

Øygarden 13 January 2012 - Jackdaw

Strong north westerly gales, occasional wintery showers.

Spent the morning tramping through some pretty heavy terrain seeing very little indeed - but a male Black Grouse orrfugl made it all worthwhile.

A Jackdaw kaie near the "car park" at Skogsøy was the bird of the day and probably the first January record for Øygarden.

A couple of adult Iceland Gulls grønlandsmåke seen from the comfort of my living room provided some additional interest.

Øygarden 30 April 2011

Black Grouser orrfugl
Black Grouse orrfugl

White-billed Diver gulnebblom

Velvet Scoter sjøorre

Walm, calm and sunny

Most of today's birding consisted of a quite respectable seawatch at Skogsøy. Highlights were a total of 13 White-billed Diver gulnebblom and 114 Red-throated Diver smålom. Other sightings of note included a Great Skua storjo, a Whimbrel småspove, 18 Velvet Scoter sjøorre, 199 Common Scoter svartand, a Peregrine vandrefalk and a couple of Shelduck gravand. Generally quite a bit passing and well worth the trip.

On the way there I heard the first singing Wren gjerdesmett I have heard for a long time at Oen, Reed Bunting sivspurv, Sedge Warbler sivsanger and the usual suspects at Breivik.

Family errands in the evening produced a number of Black Grouse orrfugl and a Common Sandpiper strandsnipe at Tjeldstø.

Ljøsneset 21 November 2010

"Northern" Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis still on the move

Took things easy today.

A small flock of Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis in the garden joined the 60+ Greenfinch grønnfink, 10 Tree Sparrow pilfink and the others at the bird table.

Ljøsneset was pretty quiet with just 15 Waxwing sidensvans, a small flock of Common Crossbill grankorsnebb, a female Black Grouse orrfugl and a Woodcock rugde of note.

Øygarden 27 March 2009

Record shot of a Mistle Thrush duetrost at Sture

Black Grouse orrfugl at Hjelme

Highlight today was a rather flighty Mistle Thrush duetrost at Sture. At the same place another new bird was the first Brambling bjørkefink of the year.

At Hjelme a male Black Grouse orrfugl fed out in a field and a Woodcock rugde was seen in the woods.