Birders often have a very different take on what good weather is. At this time of year southerly winds and rain count as good and towards the end of the period this is exactly what we got. This brought down some decent birds. I am not complaining about the weather at least:)
Still some Greylags grågås around although the migration is definitely underway.
Some of the Greylags grågås at Nautnes 4th August
Thursday 6th August was spent guiding around my old haunts prior to the move to Øygarden. So Unneland, the lower reaches of Gullfjell and "the back roads". Not quite as many species as last time but a number of different ones including Grey Wagtail vinterle, Tawny Owl kattugle, Spotted Flycatcher gråfuesnapper, Yellowhammer gulspurv and Jay nøtteskrike. A most enjoyable day out:) Non bird sightings included an Adder hoggorm (roadkill) and lots of tiny toads.
Tawny Owl kattugle at Unneland
I didn't leave the house on 7th August but as usual a White-tailed Eagle havørn flew over and the first Cormorant storskarv of the autumn fished in front of my house. Otherwise just the usual Common Sandpipers strandsnipe and so on. A light but noticable passage of Common Gulls fiskemåke heading south over the house too.
Cormorant storskarv at Nautnes
Adult White-tailed Eagle havørn photographed from the terrace
Strong winds and at times heavy rain set in at the weekend. This meant that I really did have to get out and about!:)
My usual round at Herdlevær on 8th August gave eight species of wader including a Ruff brushane and the first Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt of the autumn. A lone Lapwing vipe was also present. On my way to and from Herdlevær a Carrion Crow svartkråke was at Breivik - incredibly shy it flew up well ahead of the local hoodies. A quick check at Tjeldstø on the way home produced a Greenshank gluttsnipe, a flyover Dunlin myrsnipe, several Curlew storspove, some Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk.
Carrion Crow svartkråke at Breivik
I did pretty much the same the following day picking up a nice Green Sandpiper skogsnipe and a Whimbrel småspove at Herdlevær. The Stonechats svartstrupe performed again at Kollsnes. Tjeldstø produced a couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn, a young Merlin dvergfalk chasing crows, a Spotted Redshank sotsnipe and a Greenshank gluttsnipe among other things. Another nice day out in "bad" weather.
The week was spent counting down the days until the start of what will be the longest period of time off since I stopped working offshore full time. May should be a month to remember for a long time to come!
Although I was glued to my computer all week I did manage short trips out before and after work most days and there was plenty to see including a good dose of new arrivals.
An early morning round on 21st produced the first Willow Warbler løvsanger, Sand Martin sandsvale and Golden Plover heilo of the year along with the first local Swallows låvesvale, Brambling bjørkefink and Wheatear steinskvett.
Picking up a package at the local shop after work (repaired binoculars returning home) produced four Canada Geese kanadagås on Husvatnet - a species that is considerably rarer here in northern Øygarden than Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett.
Crazy but in an Øygarden context these invasive Canada Geese kanadagåswere a much rarer sighting than the woodpecker below:)
Female Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett in the early morning sun
In this very short video I managed to capture the call of GHW
A bonus sighting was a pod of around 20 Porpoise nise, a common species in Øygarden but normally seen in much smaller groups.
On 22nd April I checked Tjeldstø before work. Some Curlews storspove holding territory but only a couple of pairs at most, luckily they are still widespread in Øygarden and will hopefully remain so. I'm hoping it is still a little early and that more will arrive at what was once a stronghold for this struggling species. Lapwings vipe are liking the area where the sikta spruce have been removed. Fingers crossed that they increase in numbers following this improvement. Snipe enkeltbekassin are back too and displaying "everywhere". Redshank rødstlk numbers seem low, again I hope more will arrive and take up territories.
Norway in a nutshell - an FPSO out in the fjord and Hurtigruten heading south...
The next day I spent slightly longer out of the house as I had to get my wheels changed over to summer tyres. A short walk at Tjeldstø whilst I was waiting for this to be finished resulted in a nice Peregrine vandrefalk flying over. A Green Sandpiper skogsnipe was a bonus on the way to the garage - a regular enough species here during the autumn migration but much fewer turn up in the spring.
Male Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett sticking its tongue out at me:)
Green Sandpiper skogsnipe
"My" Herring Gulls gråmåke spend a large part of their day waiting for me to give them some food.
Wheatear steinskvett at Tjeldstø
White-tailed Eagle havørn over my terrace. Pity the photo is not in focus:(
Otters are still pretty much a daily sight. Soon they'll become more nocturnal and harder to see. Filmed from my terrace in between meetings.
On 24th I did a quick trip out after work to buy some beers to celebrate the start of my holiday. This resulted in a male Wigeon brunnakke at Tjeldstø and a Carrion Crow svartkråke at Breivik where there was also a nice flock of 30 Linnet tornirisk - biggest flock so far this spring:)
Carrion Crow svartkråke
Fieldfare gråtrost - some are holding territories while there are still some flocks moving through to other places.
Redwing rødvingetrost
Much the same status as Fieldfare - many are singing but there also flocks obviously just passing through
Bring on the next several weeks😊 Work won't be the problem from here on in!!
This period was marginally better for time spent birding, but only just. I also spent the best part of a couple of weeks working away.
In many ways rather similar to the first half of the month, though wader and gull passage was more obvious with Common Gulls fiskemåke on the move and some obvious Oystercatcher tjeld migration.
The last few days of the month gave Green Sandpipers skogsnipe at three localities, including from my terrace at Nautnes.
One of three Green Sandpiper skogsnipe feeding at Herdlevær
This is a typical second half of July species in Øygarden, especially if it rains:)
I had my first local Swifts tårnseiler of the year on 30 July - again from my terrace during a break from work.
The biggest news was that Tufted Duck toppand have bred at two localities - a female was looking after seven chicks on Husvatnet on 30 July:)
On 21 July I managed my usual round at Herdlevær where a Reed Bunting sivspurv was an unseaonal oberservation. Even managed to sit and look out over the sea for an hour where there was a steady passage of Common Gull fiskemåke and Oystercatcher tjeld, plus a few Common Scoter svartand, two Red-throated Diver smålom and various other species. Curlew storspove and Whimbrel småspove fed in the area too.
The next day I was out at Skogsøy for a massive 1.5 hour seawatch. Unfortunately not much going on, just 50 Gannet havsule heading north and a light passage of Common Gulls fiskemåke. Best bird was a Great Skua storjo.
Meadow Pipit heipiplerke
Rock Pipit heipiplerke
I ended the month leaving home yet again but picked up a male Stonechat svartstrupe with three young on my way out....
With SE winds and rain I hoped for a wader bonanza at Herdlevær. This was not the case with just a couple of Golden Plover heilo, Snipe enkeltbekkasin, a Common Sandpiper strandsnipe, a Greenshank gluttsnipe and some Oystercatcher tjeld.
Green Sandpipers skogsnipe
Snipe enkeltbekkasin
The way home produced a few more waders with a couple of Ruff brushane at Kollsnes, a couple of Green Sandpiper skogsnipe and more Snipe enkeltbekkasin at Ådnevika and a couple more Greenshank gluttsnipe at Tjeldstø.
Taking things very easy with just a couple of strolls at Tjeldstø, some observations from the garden and a walk at Hjelme West.
Tjeldstø produced the usual seasonal waders with up to three Green Sandpiper skogsnipe on 11 August when a Wood Sandpiper grønnstilk also put in an appearance. Other waders included a few Greenshank gluttsnipe, Redshank rødstilk, several Ruff brushane and up to 20 Snipe enkeltbekkasin.
Tjeldstø also produced Merlin dvergfalk and a "rusty" Cuckoo gjøk.
The house and garden gave pretty much more of the same plus a Whimbrel småspove.
Heavily cropped shots of the bird near Storavatnet
The male Two-barred Crossbill båndkorsnebb at Hjelme West
Male Two-barred Crossbills båndkorsnebb were heard singing close to Storavatnet and at Hjelme West on 11 August. I was completely thrown when I first heard the song - I am well accustomed to the usual harsh metallic call and the better known trumpet call. But the song was totally unexpected - and thoughts of some strange sylvia warbler sprang to mind as the song reminded me somewhat of a rather strange Lesser Whitethroat. The bird at Storavatnet was alone but the one at Hjelme West had a companion which answered its calls / song but did not show well.
This singing is just another unusual aspect of the ongoing irruption. Some of the other differences are largely single birds rather than flocks, later than "usual" and bypassing the area and getting to the UK before here.
My usual stroll at Herdlevær produced some migrants on 04 August with my first Knot polarsnipe of the autumn heading south with Oystercatchers tjeld. A Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper was the first I have seen there this year too. Other migrants included a couple of Greenshank gluttsnipe, a skein of southbound Greylags grågås (good timing at the hunting season started the same day!).
Back home at Nautnes a Peregrine vandrefalk flew over the garden.
I spent much of 05 August out fishing but had a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett from the garden and a Green Sandpiper skogsnipe at Hatten among other things. Lots of terns about with decent flocks of both Common Tern makrellterne and Arctic Terns rødnebbterne, with quite a few fledged young of both species - a good tern year at last!
Brisk northerly winds with a few drops of rain. More wind and a lot more rain later.
Took a pre-work seawatch and managed to get out of bed a little earlier than of late. However, barely the usual suspects were to be seen with Gannets havsule, a light passage of Oystercatcher tjeld, Greenshank gluttsnipe, Redshank rødstilk, a few Common Scoter svartand and not a lot else to be seen.
Green Sandpiper skogsnipe
Swift tårnseiler
Later in the day a few Swifts tårnseiler feeding over Husvatnet, Tjeldstø and the rain deposited a nice Green Sandpiper skogsnipe in the fields.
Late July / Early August is the best time for Green Sandpiper skogsnipe in Øygarden but I didn't find time to get out and look for them. However, roadside birds enabled me to pick them up as drive-bys on the way to and from work. I had up to four on 02 August.
Curlew storspove at Tjeldstø
Green Sandpiper skogsnipe, Hatten
Grey Heron gråhegre
Twite bergirisk
Others had more luck with Wood Sandpiper grønnstilk but I only picked up one - on the same pools as the Green Sands showed up on.
Other stuff included the long-staying Pinkfoot kortnebbgås at Tjeldstø, small flocks of Twite bergirisk here and there along with most of the usual suspects.
Breakfast at Herdlevær on 30th July produced a selection of the usual waders including 17 Knot polarsnipe, a Greenshank gluttsnipe, several Golden Plover heilo and eight Common Sandpiper strandsnipe. Small numbers of Velvet Scoter sjøorre and Common Scoter svartand passed during the 15 minutes I spent eating.
A couple of early Brambling bjørkefink put in an appearance by my postbox at Nautnes on 02 August. Maybe they are breeding closer than I thought they were....
