Hernar 27 May 2020 - Back in Black

Calm with some high cloud early on, sunny later.

After a couple of days dealing with work-related stuff (though you might well ask how on earth this should be necessary when I don't technically have a job) it was time to do some more birding. 

Hernar was the name of the game and almost the very first bird I put my binoculars onto was a cracking male Black Redstart svartrødstjert. This is the fifth time I have seen this species on the island and is a rather late spring record.

Male Black Redstart svartrødstjert

Carrion Crow svartkråke (or black crow - continuing the black theme for the day)

The long-staying Carrion Crow svartkråke was unsurprisingly still present. There was not much in the way of other migrants - just a male Blackcap munk and a flock of six Woodpigeon ringdue that made a brief stop on the island before heading off to the north. However, numbers of Sedge Warblers sivsanger, Whitethroat tornsanger had both increased.

Arctic Tern rødnebbterne - a cracking bird posing among flowering thrift and goose droppings

Common Tern makrellterne

Many Swallows låvesvale nest in the fishing cabins at Nautnes. Here one poses briefly on a boat.

Checked out a small breeding island near my house - plenty of Common Tern makrellterne and some Arctic Terns rødnebbterne are settling in there. Fingers crossed as always!

Herdlevær 11 May 2020 - Twite helping the garden

A walk around Herdlevær in the evening gave plenty of birds without anything very exciting.

Common Tern makrellterne

Skylarks sangelerke

The only colourful part of a Twite bergirisk is the rump!

Twite munching on dandelion seeds

A flock of Twite bergirisk were feeding on dandelion seeds - as they so often do in the spring. This must help gardeners a lot as they consume the seeds. Pity I just did a lot of weeding back home:)

A couple of Skyark sanglerke fed in the fields there, Common Tern makrellterne were the first of the year for me, Common Sandpipers strandsnipe, Curlew storspove and Snipe enkeltbekkasin were all displaying.

Øygarden 30-31 May 2019 - Hanging in there for Manx

Birding activity at a virtual standstill but still trying to squeeze in some time here and there.

On 30th May drive-bys at the usual places on the way to and from work provided encouraging signs for the local Common Terns makrellterne and Arctic Terns rødnebbterne 

One of several Arctic Tern rødnebbterne pairs in among the Common Terns

Common Tern makrellterne (though I did look twice given the all dark bill!)

Lapwing vipe chicks at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

Young Lesser Redpoll brunsisik

Skylark sanglerke - not often I take pictures of this species despite small numbers breeding in the area

Adult White-tailed Eagle havørn

The various breeding waders are starting to hatch with Ringed Plover sandlo, Lapwing vipe and Curlew storspove all with young. The Redshanks rødstilk must be imminent if they don't already have young.

On 31st May I spent a few hours seawatching at Skogsøy. This paid off well with the first Manx Shearwater havlire of the year. Plenty of other stuff passing too, so well worth the effort! In addition to the birds listed below a pair of Arctic Skua tyvjo, one pale phase, the other dark flew overhead as I walked out to the lookout point.

Red throated Diver smålom N 19

Northern Fulmar havhest N 3

Northern Gannet havsule N 170

Northern Gannet havsule S 8

Great Cormorant storskarv N 3

Common Scoter svartand N 27

Turnstone steinvender N 8 (first of the year for me)

Great Skua storjo N 1

Common Gull fiskemåke N 21

Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje N 79

Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje S 13

Arctic Tern rødnebbterne N 3

Common Guillemot lomvi N 43

Razorbill alke N 18

Atlantic Puffin lunde N 2

Guillibill alke/lomvi N 17

Common Scoter svartand

As usual at this time of year non-adult birds start to dominate

Migrating Red-throated Diver smålom

Some Red-throated Diver smålom are not in breeding plumage - younger birds heading north to check out what to do next year?

Øygarden 19-20 September 2018 - The weather is here, wish I was out

Near gale force winds with only occasional short showers. In other words very nice weather to be out and about - but I have, as usual, been inside most of the time instead.

Common Scoter svartand

Juvenile Common Tern makrellterne

Dunlin myrsnipe

Migrating Oystercatcher tjeld

Ringed Plover sandlo

Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke

A quick coffee break at Herdlevær on 19th produced seven species of waders including Knot polarsnipe, a juvenile Common Tern makrellterne and enough action over the sea to make me want to stay a lot longer. Wheatears steinskvett and Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke were among the passerines seen.

A Kestrel tårnfalk put in an appearance over the house in the afternoon.

On 20th there was a steady passage of Gannets havsule seen from the terrace and a variety of waders were sheltering in the lee of the islands, including a Knot polarsnipe and a flock of Ringed Plover sandlo.

Great Skua storjo with Herring Gull gråmåke and Gannet havsule

Great Skua storjo chasing White-tailed Eagle havørn

Ten minutes at Tjeldstø in the evening provided a fantastic experience with first one, then three Great Skuas storjo beating up on the gulls and Gannets havsule feeding there and one of them even gave one of the two White-tailed Eagles havørn present there a pretty hard time. A bonus bird here was at least one dark phase Arctic Skua tyvjo. Fantastic!

This is only the second time I have seen Great Skua at Tjeldstø - the first time being 19.09.2018

Inner islands, NW Øygarden 15 July 2018 - Game on

Southerly winds and overcast to start with (rain during the night), hot and sunny later.

Two of this year's Common Tern makrellterne (left and right)

Note that the second bird from the right is an Arctic Tern rødnebbterne.

Two Common Tern chicks - fingers crossed!

Another day, another boat trip. The aim of the day was to check out potential tern colonies. Bad news for Arctic Terns rødnebbterne as we found no definite nests, although we did see a number of adults (and there ARE some pairs breeding in the area as I see adults with fish flying over my house every day). Common Terns makrellterne seem to be fairing better - another look at the site I checked in on yesterday revealed six fully fledged young and two chicks still at the nest.

Not the easiest of conditions today.....

Adult Knot polarsnipe

Young Oystercatcher tjeld almost "good to go"

Wader migration is now picking up with the first Knot polarsnipe of the autumn. Two flocks, one of eight and another of six were seen, though there is some potential for these being the same birds. As usual for this time of year the birds were adults. Two Dunlin myrsnipe migrating were also the first of the autumn. Plenty of Oystercatcher tjeld again - some young looking ready to go. It will only be a couple more weeks before these birds are migrating. The only other waders were a few each of Curlew storspove and Whimbrel småspove.

This Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke was colour ringed but flew a couple of seconds too soon to read the number :(

Merganser siland with young

Eiders ærfugl posing around the islands.....

More Eider ærfugl with young, a Merganser siland with eight chicks and a light but steady passage of Gannet havsule were among the other birds seen.