Øygarden 17-23 June 2024 - Giving up again

Almost no birding as almost usual. Random glances from the terrace and a few short drive-bys on the way to and from the shops were pretty much all that I managed apart from a few hours out on  22 June and a day of guiding on 23 June.

On 17 June I was away on a work trip from 0500-2100 but had a White-tailed Eagle havørn, singing Lesser Whitethroat møller etc from the terrace whilst drinking my morning coffee.

The next day a very young Common Sandpiper strandsnipe running by the roadside at Alvheim made me slow down, the youngster quickly disappeared into the undergrowth but one of the accompanying adults stayed close allowing some photos from the car.

Anxious Common Sandpiper strandsnipe

On 21 June a drive to the shops gave the first Peregrine vandrefalk I've seen for a while along with the usual suspects.

Lapwing vipe at Kollsnes

The next day was Saturday so no work but having to catch up on everything else. I managed my usual round at Herdlevær picking up most of the usual species plus a Whimbrel småspove, Crested Tits toppmeis and more. Unfortunately having lost my notebook a couple of weeks later I no longer have the full species list.....

Similarly to a few days ago a pair of roadside Common Sandpiper strandsnipe were very anxious and obviousy had young nearby. I spent a little over 30 seconds taking some pictures before driving on. The point and pray did remarkably well:)

Common Sandpiper strandsnipe at Breivik - very similar to a couple of days ago.

These images were taken with my point and pray rather than my "proper" camera which I used on the Common Sand at Alvheim a few days previously.

On the way home I picked up a second year Great Northern Diver islom on the sea at Alvheim where a White-tailed Eagle havørn also flew over.

A day of guiding on 23 June saw me visit Herdla again along with some localities closer to Bergen. In a local context the best birds were a male Ruff brushane, a Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove and a good selection of other waders at Herdla. Quail vaktel, White-tailed Eagle havørn and many, many other species were seen here.

Adult Skylark sanglerke

Recently fledged Skylark sanglerke

Further inland highlights included White-tailed Eagle havørn, a family of Whinchat buskskvett, Sedge Warbler sivsanger and more.

Øygarden 06-11 November 2022 - November:)

November is one of my favourite months as although the main migration may be over there is always something to see and it often a time for things that may be common elsewhere to turn up.

I arrived home as the light was going on 06 November and just had to pop across to Sæle, just in case "something" might have lingered on. This was not the case but a couple of Bullfinch dompap (never common here but a typical early November migrant), some Blackcaps munk, a few Chiff-chaff gransanger and a Rook kornkråke along with the usual thrushes, Robins rødstrupe etc meant that it wasn't waste of time.

Chiff-chaff gransanger - this one was calling like a normal one

Rook kornkråke, a scarce but annual visitor in early spring and late autumn

The following day I was back there again for an hour or so - hoping to turn one of the Chiff-chaff into a tristis. This was also not the case but a Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis and a Willow Tit granmeis put in an appearance amongst the Blackcaps munk, Chiff-chaffs gransanger, Goldcrests fuglekonge and other migrants present. Plenty going on so it was most enjoyable.

Chiff-chaffs gransanger at Sæle

Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis

A very short visit to Herdlevær on 08 November produced a very vocal tristis Chiff-chaff sibirgransanger, a Woodcock rugde, a Willow Tit granmeis, a flock of six Waxwing sidensvans, a Goldfinch stillits and plenty of commoner migrants.

On the way home I picked up a couple of lateish Meadow Pipits heipiplerke at Breivik and a Lapwing vipe at Tjeldstø.

Crested Tit toppmeis at Herdlevær

Lapwing vipe at Tjeldstø

Three of six Waxwing sidensvans at Herdlevær

A morning visit to Hellesøy on 09 November gave a Waxwing sidensvans and a Merlin dvergfalk as highlights.

On the way home a couple each of Goldfinch stillits and Goldcrest fuglekonge were the only things of interest but plenty of Redwing rødvingetrost and Blackbird svarttrost about. Sæle gave up the same as the previous visits with Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis, Blackcaps munk and Chiff-chaffs gransanger still around. 

It was here disaster struck - my trusty DSLR gave up the ghost. I thought it was my lens that was on the way out but the camera itself refused to take pictures. Yet another one bites the dust and puts me in a predicament....

Next up was a female Scaup bergand at Husvatnet, without a camera there were no pictures...

Back home a Redpoll gråsisik and a couple of Tree Sparrow pilfink joined the more usual selection of species in the garden

There was no time to get out of the house on 10 November, though a trip to the shops in the late afternoon produced an unusual sighting in the form of a Fulmar havhest swimming amongst the boats at Rong and the Lapwing vipe a Tjeldstø was still present along with the Scaup bergand.

Fulmar havhest, either sick or exhausted at Rong.

Unusual place and time of year, this bird swam in among the small boats tied up along the quayside

On 11 November I did no birding at all, but drove into Bergen for a lovely couple of hours with my youngest and a quick visit to a camera shop. More about the latter later....

Tjeldstø and Skogsøy 08-09 July 2020 - Summer stuff

A walk around the reserve at Tjeldstø gave little in the way of migrants - though a Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper here was a relatively unusual sighting at this locality.

Waders and passerines with young - the woods are full of Lesser Redpoll brunsisik, Crested Tits toppmeis and Willow Warblers løvsanger all with families. 

Crested Tit toppmeis

Lesser Redpoll brunsisik

With light westerly winds on 09 July I gave Skogsøy another go - nothing remarkable but a couple of Arctic Skua tyvjo and 14 Puffins lunde heading north meant it was not a waste of time. A couple of Whimbrel småspove also rested here.

Song Thrush måltrost

Tree Sparrow pilfink

Whimbrel småspove

Even though the White-tailed Eagles havørn are now in "stealth mode" I picked up an adult near a breeding location on the way home.

Øygarden 31.01 - 02.02.2018 - Bits and bobs

Fieldfare gråtrost

Redwing rødvingetrost

Part of the Fieldfare gråtrost flock feeding in the snow

Three of the four albifrons Whitefronts tundragås

Rain and snow on the last day of January combined with a heavy workload meant I limited things to a drive-by at Tjeldstø. Plenty of thrushes feeding in the fields and four albifrons Whitefront tundragås at Harkestad were pretty much the only sightings.

Crested Tit toppmeis - a common woodland bird that I don't tend to photograph very much

Tufted Duck toppand

Whitefront tundragås

I try not to take too many White-tailed Eagle havørn photographs but it would have been downright rude to ignore this poser

February started with very nice conditions indeed - calm and sunny with some frost. A quick trip out to Hjelme Vest produced pretty much the usual with a few Great Northern Divers islom, a couple of Kittiwake krykkje feeding, a few Black Guillemots teist and several White-tailed Eagles havørn among the sightings. Long-tailed Duck havelle now up to more than 40 birds - pathetic numbers compared to relatively few years ago.

An aythya duck at Husvatnet fooled me for a while and needed closer inspection - it turned out to be a Tufted Duck toppand. However, the effort was not wasted as some Whitefronts tundragås flew in right over my head.

Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb weightlifting

Razorbill alke

A quick walk at Skogsøy in stunning conditions on 2nd February gave little out of the ordinary - at least three White-tailed Eagle havørn, a Great Northern Diver islom and a massive eight Gannet havsule heading north. A Razorbill alke was feeding close in and some Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb put in an appearance.

Øygarden 25-28 March 2017 - Fog stops play for the only day I was out

Largely little wind, ranging from foggy to glorious sunshine.

Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås beside Husvatnet - my first in Øygarden this year but this species was first seen back in February. I wonder if these two are "overshoots" from Oslo - having joined up with the wrong flock of Greylags on their way north...

Crested Tit toppmeis are setting up territories now

I had the good fortune to stumble over Eagle Owl hubro - these shots are very heavily cropped and I turned around and left the area immediately. This is a sensitive time of year for them.

Distant flock of Oystercatcher tjeld at Solberg on 28th - they would have been very close at Skogsøy

White-tailed Eagle havørn enjoying its ill-gotten gains at Nautnes, picture taken from my terrace.

The trend of not getting out continued - with the exception of 26th March when I got up early and went out to Skogsøy to watch the fog. Seriously, the visibility looked misty but reasonable from Nautnes but at Skogsøy I spent and hour waiting in vain for the vis to clear a bit. I gave up and went back home to work. Elsewhere I had Woodcock rugde roding over the house, Song Thrushes måltrost arriving in bigger numbers now - pretty much everywhere and more Meadow Pipits heipiplerke too.

On 25th I barely left the house but had the first Merlin dvergfalk flying over the road on a trip to the shop. Same story on 27th, although a trip to the shops produced a couple of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås and two Black-headed Gulls hettemåke at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø.

From the house Otter and White-tailed Eagle havørn still being seen daily - the latter robbing the former more often than not. Also Black Guillemot teist, Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke and most of the usual.

The 28th was most frustrating as I had hoped to get out to do some seawatching but work made sure that didn't happen. I ate my breakfast at Solberg and had a few hundred Common Gull fiskemåke and over 100 Oystercatcher tjeld in just 20 minutes. Also a Turnstone steinvender heading north. This passage continued until at least lunchtime (seen from the kitchen window....). A White wagtail linerle turned up just outside the house.