Halne 06-07 June 2024 - Hardangervidda light

Unfortunately this visit was just a stop along the way elsewhere.

Still quite a bit of snow and the lakes only about half open but still plenty to see.

During a half-hour evening stroll on 06 June the best birds were three very unexpected Great Snipe dobbeltbekkasin feeding close to the road. Several pairs of Fieldfare gråtrost were incubating. Otherwise little in the way of wildfowl (just a pair of Long-tailed Duck havelle on a roadside lake) and small numbers of the commoner waders.

The following morning I took a slightly longer walk before hitting the road again. Bluethroat blåstrupe, Rough-legged Buzzard fjellvåk,  another Great Snipe dobbeltbekkasin and Willow Grouse lirype  were among the sightings. 

Bluethroat blåstrupe

White Wagtal linerle

Willow Grouse lirype

Willow Warbler løvsanger with nesting material

The rest of the day was spent driving ever further east, only birds of note were a Black Woodpecker svartspett flying over the road and a flock of around 20 Cranes trane in a roadside field.

A stop at Akersvika, Hamar produced singing Wood Warbler bøksanger, good numbers of Canada Geese kanadagås, a Whooper Swan sangsvane, Garden Warbler hagesanger, a few Wigeon brunnakke and most of the usual suspects here

Hardangervidda 09-10 June 2023 - A brief stop in the hills

Heading east I had to stop for a meeting and what better place than Halne on the Hardangervidda:)

After work I had a couple of short walks in the area, still some snow around and the lake was mostly covered in ice. Best bird in a Hardangervidda context was a Black-throated Diver storlom which fed briefly on an ice free area. Otherwise it was more or less situation normal, or perhaps the "new normal" as I did not see any Lapland Bunting lappsourv.

Singing Bluethroat blåstrupe and Shorelark fjelllerke, displaying Rock Ptarmigan fjellrype and a selection of the usual waders were among the sightings here.

Bluethroat blåstrupe, Halne

One of many Fieldfare gråtrost nests in the area

Fieldfare gråtrost

Dunlin myrsnipe at Dyranut

Ringed Plover sandlo at Dyranut

Rock Ptarmigan fjellrype, Hardangervidda

Shorelark fjelllerke

Hardangervidda 26-27 June 2020 - Stay in the hills

Essentially a camping trip with two of my daughters, but needless to say some birds were seen.

Somewhat cooler up on the vidda - fantastic! Temperatures were definitely shorts and T-shirt but at long last probably not over 20 degrees.

An afternoon stroll produced Temminck's stint temminkssnipe, Shorelark fjellerke, Ptarmigan fjellrype, Rough-legged Buzzard fjellvåk, Velvet Scoters sjoørre, Bluethroat blåstrupe, a selection of other wildfowl and small numbers of the usual waders.

Dunlin myrsnipe

Evening view from the tent...

How my daughters see me - here photographing Temminck's Stint

Ptarmigan fjellrype

Temminck's Stint temminkssnipe

This bird caught a couple of rather large grubs / larvae during the short period I  watched it.

No display flight or song.

I awoke bright and very early the next morning and pottered about whilst waiting for the girls to wake up. More Shorelark, a few Bluethroat, Willow Grouse lirype and most of the usual species for the area BUT NOT ONE SINGLE LAPLAND BUNTING. This is the same area that in some previous years they seemed to sing from every large rock.

Where there is food there is hope......and this bird just kept gathering up more and more after this photo was taken

Shorelark fjellerke

Willow Grouse lirype - very close to overlapping habitat with Ptarmigan here!

Bluethroat blåstrupe

Rough-legged Buzzard fjellvåk

Another short walk after breakfast produced a single Great Snipe dobbeltbekkasin and a Rough-legged Buzzard fjellvåk. Time was short so we had to head on out.

We'll be back!

Hardangarvidda 07 August 2019 - Late season vidda

Constantly changing conditions from overcast with rain to sunny - as can so often be the case in the mountains

Although this was not intended as a birding trip as such, a few stops were made in the usual kinds of places and at least some of the target species were found to still be present including five Temminck's Stints temminksnipe and small numbers of Shorelark fjellerke. Bluethroats blåstrupe were still widespread and a reasonable selection of other waders were seen including a Green Sandpiper skogsnipe. Lapland Bunting lappspurv was heard only at one location.

The commonest species were Meadow Pipit heipiplerke, Fieldfare gråtrost, Yellow Wagtail gulerle, White Wagtail linerle, Wheatear steinskvett, Willow Warbler løvsanger, Common Gull fiskemåke and Golden Plover heilo. Other species were Kestrel tårnfalk, Reed Bunting sivspurv, Raven ravn, Common Sandpiper strandsnipe, Ringed Plover sandlo, Cormorant storskarv, Herring Gull gråmåke, Redwing rødvingetrost, Redshank rødstilk and Tufted Duck toppand.

Some young Bluethroats blåstrupe were particularly cooperative!

 Young Bluethroats blåstrupe

A more typical view of Bluethroat blåstrupe

An adult female

One of this year's Dunlin myrsnipe

Various views of the Hardanger glacier

Young Ringed Plover sandlo

Young Shorelark fjellerke

Yellow wagtail gulerle

Øygarden 11 May 2016 - Another bogey bites the dust

Hot and sunny again.

Work has almost stopped play again.

2cy Bluethroat blåstrupe

Female Black Redstart svartrødstjert

Instantly recognisable Tree Pipit trepiplerke

Today another of my Øygarden bogey-birds bit the dust - not quite in the way I like but anything goes. Mr Goodgame caught a Bluethroat blåstrupe at Herdlevær - a new species for us both in Øygarden. Nice. Although little more than a drive by a Tree Pipit trepiplerke dropped in - perhaps the same bird that was caught later and the female Black Redstart svartrødstjert was still around - impossible to get close to but I tricked it by pretending to leave and then snapping a couple of shots from the car.

Male Gadwall snadderand

Lesser Redpoll brunsisik

Female Pintail stjertand

I managed a short walk at Tjeldstø which turned up the long-staying male Gadwall snadderand, the female Pintail stjertand that turned up yesterday and perhaps even better - singing Sedge Warbler(s). Sedge Warbler sivsanger were a regular breeder at Tjeldstø when I first moved out here but it has been a few years since I last heard one singing at this locality. Hope it / they stick around. It was very hot and the heat haze didn't exactly help with the record shots.....

Just before midnight last night a Greenshank gluttsnipe dropped into the bay in front of my house.