Herdlevær and Tjeldstø 28 April 2024 - Taking things easy pays off

After some weeks of little physical activity it was time to let my body recover a bit - 0430 starts and the hike out to Skogsøy with a heavy rucksack is a good way to stay more or less in shape but after only two days I could feel it. I also thought that it would be a quiet day over the sea with the third day in a row of identical weather conditions - and there are other places than need some coverage.

So I stayed in bed until 0700 and took a lazy walk at Herdlevær. Before I left the house I heard the first Cuckoo gjøk of  the year. Herdlevær turned out quite well with a cracking male Lapland Bunting lappspurv, a couple of Blackcap munk, a few Willow Warbler løvsanger and two Chiff-chaff gransanger among the sightings. A few Twite bergirisk, a noticeable increase in the numbers of Wheatear steinskvett and more meant this was a decent start to the morning.

Lapland Bunting lappspurv at Herdlevær

My plan was to have a look at the much neglected Tjeldstø on the way home, something that really paid off. An albifrons Whitefront tundragås had been found there earlier in the morning and was still present when I got there  - in the company of a couple of Greenshank gluttsnipe - both species are scarce in Øygarden during the spring. But my real reason to visit Tjeldstø was to have a look for some raptors. It didn't take long before a male Marsh Harrier sivhauk showed up. The Golden Eagle kongeørn put in an appearance and at least three White-tailed Eagle havørn showed up. A flock of 20 cracking summer plumaged Golden Plover heilo joined the usual selection of breeding waders in the reserve.

Some record shots of the Marsh Harrier sivhauk

albifrons Whitefront tundragås

Whitefront on the right and two Greenshank gluttsnipe just visible on the left

Marsh Harrier sivhauk is not even annual in Øygarden but has a definite peak in late April/early May. It is likely to be under recorded as most birders including myself tend to concentrate on seabird migration at this time

Breivik 11 February 2018 - Back to winter again

Snowing.

I was out of the house for about 45 minutes all in today and thought I would check if any more geese had arrived after yesterday's Greylag grågås arrival. I found four albifrons Whitefronts tundragås at Breivik but that was it - probably the same birds I have seen in the area for the last week or so.

albifrons Whitefronts tundragås

A cooperative Snipe enkeltbakkasin was another of the sightings today

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.

Tjledstø 27 January 2018 - Scaup movement?

Not out today really but did a drive-by past Tjeldstø.

Two Scaup bergand on Husvatnet

albifrons Whitefront tundragås

A pair of Scaup bergand on Husvatnet were the best sighting and an albifrons Whitefront tundragås flew in and landed. The second sighting of Scaup in as many days may indicate some kind of a movement of this species.

Otherwise just a small flock of Starling stær, a Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a Rock pipit skjærpiplerke in addition to the usual thrushes etc.

Back home at least two White-tailed Eagle havørn put in an appearance and the Willow Tit granmeis that recently started using the garden made it onto the list for the national Garden Bird Count which is this weekend.

Øygarden 24 January 2018 - Plugging some gaps

Gale force SW winds, rain at times but with some sunny spells after I got home.

Overnight the snow was gone and the thaw has obviously given the thrushes a break - although I still found a dead Fieldfare gråtrost during my brief foray out of the car. Too little too late for this one too.

I was just about out yesterday with just a Great Northern Diver islom at Solberg of any note. Today wasn't much better as I needed to get some work done.

Given the conditions I did a few targeted drive-bys in an attempt to get a few new species for the Øygarden year list. Of minimal interest one of these target species was Collared Dove tyrkerdue. There is a small resident population out here that I almost never check out. Away from the regular site this is a good species to see out here - largely as a late spring / early summer migrant. It is a hopelessly under-recorded species out here.

Two of today's Collared Doves tyrkerdue

Today there were four Collared Dove tykerdue present along with a couple of Nuthatch spettmeis and a small flock of Siskin grønnsisik.

Another new for the year for me locally was a female Tufted Duck toppand on Stegeviksvatn.

Part of the albifrons Whitefront tundragås flock at Harkestad

By far the best sighting today was a flock of eight albifrons Whitefronts tundragås at Harkestad. I had to use ISO values I didn't even know I had to get anything resembling a photograph.

Back home the Mealy Redpoll gråsisik flock remained in the garden and a couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn put in an appearance.

Øygarden 22 January 2018 - A cracking day out

High cloud and SE winds, temperatures creeping over freezing.

The intention today was a quick walk at Hjelme Vest and then home again to get on with things but this plan went horribly, horribly wrong. There was just too much to see.

Hjelme Vest was rather quiet with just a nice Great Northern Diver islom on the sea, a few small flocks of Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt, a couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn, Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke and many of the usual suspects.

A Fieldfare gråtrost in a bad way...

.....and another just slightly worse off

A Redwing rødvingetrost working its way along a snow free area of ground. This spot is often used by sheep to shelter from the worst of the weather and the soil is therefore no doubt a little richer - hopefully providing something in the way of food.

A Wren gjerdesmett worked the same section of ground and even passed under the Fieldfare gråtrost.

It is obvious that the Fieldfares gråtrost are struggling - a few good sized flocks came in off the sea heading south -numbering some 250 in total. I found three dead and one moribund bird on the short walk. The first dead bird looked like it had just dropped dead from its perch in a tree - it is quite possible this bird used the last of its energy evading a bird of prey and then could not survive the night. Other dead Fieldfares gråtrost had been dead slightly longer - two of them along a stretch of ground protected from snowfall by an overhanging cliff.

I left most of one of my sandwiches along this stretch -hoping it might just be enough to save a thrush or two as they work their way along looking for food. Very shortly afterwards a Redwing rødvingetrost showed up working its way along in the direction of the sandwich crumbs.....

Above: two Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin

Woodcock rugde feeding very close to my house.

A Woodcok rugde fed just outside my house and gave good views from the car. Elsewhere a couple of Snipe enkeltbekkasin also gave an excellent roadside showing.

Best sighting of the day - two albifrons Whitefronts tundragås

The drive-bys continued with a pair of adult albifrons Whitefronts tundragås at Sture.

Trying by now to limit the birding I swung by Blomvatnet as I neared the grocery shop - where I picked up a Dipper fossekall.

Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett

An unseasonal Meadow Pipit heipiplerke

On my way home I drove through Hatten where a Meadow Pipit heipiplerke put in a very unseasonal appearance, my first Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett of the year showed up and a Goshawk hønsehauk flew over.

Not bad at all.
   

Tjeldstø 12 January 2017 - Bad weather = Good birds

Strong Westerly gale with heavy hail showers.

Adult Glaucous Gull polarmåke, Tjeldstø

Not the most pleasant of weather but yesterday's optimism/prediction came true with a nice adult Glaucous Gull polarmåke as the best sighting at Tjeldstø. There are surely more white-winged gulls about....

Whitefronts tundragås, the two birds on the left are young.

The Whitefronts tundragåss (albifrons) were about again and feeding in the fields at Harkestad and the Scaup bergand remained on Husvatnet where there were also six adult and three young Whoopers sangsvane.

One of the two Greylags grågås at Breivik - they haven't managed to pull in anything more interesting yet

Probably the same Whooper sangsvane family that has been in northern Øygarden all winter

....and all the Whoopers sangsvane present at Tjeldstø today

Didn't have time to do much else,,,,,