Tjeldstø and Solberg 08 Febraury 2020 - Another day, another new species

Fresh southerly winds.

Took things easy again today and just popped in at a few localities.

The first Greylags grågås at Tjeldstø

A pair of Greylag grågås on Husvatnet, Tjeldstø were the first I have seen locally this year.

At Solberg there were FINALLY a few seaduck in the form of nine Long-tailed Duck havelle and a Common Scoter svartand. A Curlew storspove and a few Gannets havsule were the first I have seen at this locality thus far this year. Also of note here (and other places) was a build-up of resting large gulls - perhaps preparing for the coming storm.....

Back home a Sparrowhawk spurvehawk in the garden, a couple more White-tailed Eagles havørn, a Black Guillemot teist and a few Long-tailed Ducks havelle.

Tjeldstø 17 April 2018 - Lunchbreak

Light cloud with southerly winds.

I have been travelling a lot the last few days and today I had to work from home. A short lunch break at Tjeldtsø provided some interest with a neck-ringed Greylag grågås ringed near Karstø last summer. Rather early for a young bird from Tjeldstø to have moved south so early - but who knows when the first chicks hatch late April / early May and by late June Greylag numbers are dropping in Øygarden....

It is always cool to see colour ringed birds but yet again this project has yet to be registered on http://www.cr-birding.org/

After some detective work it seems that http://www.geese.org/ is the place to report such sightings.

Greylag grågås VJ3 feeding near Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

From the life history of this bird...

This Heron gråhegre caught several stikkleacks stingsild whilst I watched.

Evidence that fish-eating birds can actually benefit game fisheries (there are trout ørret in this lake).

Hunters and fishermen often want to get rid of birds like Herons and Cormorants but time and again it is proved that they eat species that prey either eat the eggs of more desirable species and / or are in competition for food with Trout etc. 

Newborn lambs - lots more than a few days ago and very obviously a lot more imminent - judging by the size of many of the sheep....

Other species included Redshank rødstilk, a few White-tailed Eagles havørn, Wheatears steinskvett and so on.

Tjeldstø 10 February 2018 - Short but sweet

Strong SE winds and overcast

Of late I have been using my spare time for fishing rather than birding, landing some decent Cod torsk to 4kg, Halibut kveite, Ling lange, Coalfish sei and Pollack lyr. Despite eating fish almost every day the freezer is full.

Today I took a very short walk at Tjeldstø where I had two more new species to the Øygarden year list- Best bird was a Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin which was something of a surprise given the conditions. Although quite a regular species out here during the winter months they can be hard to find when conditions are good for them - and now it seems there is plenty of boggy ground to choose from. A small flock of Greylags grågås may have been early returning migrants as they were on the most popular breeding sites rather than the fields that tend to be used by visiting geese. Eight Whoopers sangsvane, small flocks of Redwing rødvingetrost and a Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke were among the other stuff seen here.

An equally quick look at Solberg gave a small flock of Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt, a couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn, a Gannet havsule , around 25 Long-tailed Duck havelle and another Greylag grågås..

Breivik 11 March 2016 - What have I missed....?

Southerly winds and feeling cold.

FINALLY out of the house for a massive hour in the field. This short trip out makes me wonder what I've missed during the recent time spent at home and working.

Looking good for Taiga bean (fabalis) sædgås

A Bean Goose sædgås looking good for Taiga bean (fabalis) sædgås was at Breivik.

One of several pairs of Greylag grågås at Tjeldstø

Starling stær flock

At Tjeldstø there were Lapwings vipe displaying, a flock of Starling stær and many of the ever increasing numbers of Greylag grågås were already paired up and good to go. Four Woodpigeon ringdue here too - new migrants.

Whooper Swan sangsvane

A 15 minute walk in the sunset yesterday evening produced, among other things, a Whooper Swan sangsvane and a flock of eight Lapwing vipe at Tjeldstø.

Tjeldstø 07 February 2016 - Onwards and Upwards

South westerly winds with rain during the morning, clearing in the afternoon.

Female Velvet Scoter sjøorre - picture taken from my terrace

Took things very easy today. A Velvet Scoter sjøorre in front of the house was unbelievably the first of the year in Øyarden. How it took so long to see this regular winter visitor remains a mystery.

Brief stops / drive-bys at Solberg and Dåvøy produced little - just the usual White-tailed Eagles havørn and the Heron  gråhegre roost (22 birds today).

The first Greylag grågås of the year

Adult (or very close to it) White-tailed Eagle havørn - one of a minimum of five seen today

A quick check at Tjeldstø once again proved quite productive with the first Greylag grågås of the year - possibly confirming the ID of a lone goose seen in flight from the car a few days ago. More White-tailed Eagles havørn here along with a single Razorbill alke on the sea along with singles of Common Gull fiskemåke, Long-tailed Duck havelle and Common Scoter svartand.

Øygarden 27 March 2014 - Catch-up

Sunny with light northerly winds

A brief check at a few localities allowed me to catch up on a few of the species that arrived whilst I was away and get one more new for the year in Øygarden - a Dunnock jernspurv. Singing Meadow Pipits heipiplerke and a Willow tit granmeis were among the other species seen here.

Greylag grågås at Breivik

The first Meadow Pipit heipiplerke of the year for me

At Tjeldstø well over 100 Greylags grågås now present and four Teal krikkand on Rotevatnet were the first I've seen in Øygarden this year.

A single Ringed Plover sandlo was displaying at the most usual breeding site for this species.

Nautnes 27 December 2013 - Geese

Considerably calmer today - with immediate results.

Nautnes produced almost all the interest today. New species for the house list were a flock of 67 Greylags grågås together with a lone Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås. Other sightings of note from the garden were Bullfinch dompap and Meally Redpoll gråsisik. A female Otter oter with two young also spent some time feeding in front of the terrace.

Curlew storpsove at Herdlevær

Greylag grågås flock with a single Barncale goose hvitkinngås (bottom bird)

A short walk at Herdlevær produced a Curlew storspove, a flock of 40 Starling stær and three Jackdaw kaie as well as Tree Sparrow pilfink and most of the usual suspects.

Øygarden 10 November 2013 - Just Two-barred Crossbills today.....

Sunny with northerly winds.

Given the weather conditions it was no surprise that the twitchers making the trip out dipped on the thrush today. The area in which the bird had spent yesterday had pretty much emptied.

Song Thrush måltrost - something horribly wrong with its bill - quite possibly the explanation as to why this bird has not yet migrated.

Redwing rødvingetrost - numbers much reduced today

A few Two-barred Crossbill båndkorsnebb over the garden and more over Tjeldstø (whilst changing over to winter tyres) were perhaps the best birds of the day. Strange when that actually comes as a disappointment....

Greylags grågås

A few Pinkfeet kortnebbgås with Greylags grågås

Elsewhere a flock og around 45 Greylags grågås and five Pinkfeet kortnebbgås at Breivik / Kollsnes were new in and a decent sighting.

Solberg was virtually dead - just the usual White-tailed Eagle havørn etc.

Herdlevær 28 March 2013

Sunny with light northerly wind.

It was after lunch before I managed to get out and with lots of people out and about there was little to see.

Greylag grågås pair claiming their territory

Small numbers of most of the usual suspects including several Lapwings vipe were all that was to be seen. Greylags grågås already settling in nicely.

Herdlevær 04 August 2012

A couple of Golden Plover heilo and a Common Sandpiper strandsnipe were the only indications of autumn migration.

These Greylags grågås will soon be leaving...

Mink - too near the water for the dog to catch

Lots of Willow Warbler løvsanger about

At least two mink were seen, one of which only just escaped the dog. Better luck next time!