Herdlevær 14 November 2021 - Photo bonanza and first ever November record of Ringed Plover

Another day of cracking weather, light southerlies and sunny.

This post shoud come with a warning - rather more pictures than usual:)

Already during the short drive to Herdlevær I felt this was going to be a good day. A couple of late Woodpigeon ringdue flew over the road at Breivik as did a Woodcock rugde and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk.

The Jackdaw kaie first seen amost a week ago turned up shortly after I started my usual round.

Jackdaw kaie

The walk out to my usual coffee and sandwich spot was relatively quiet. Howevr, a Ringed Plover sandlo on the shore was a real November rarity - the first record for November in Øygarden as far as I can tell. It was a first year bird and gave good views. As the sun rose the light improved and I crept down along the rocks to take some better photographs. Whilst doing this a flock of seven Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt flew in and gave some decent photo opportunities.

Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt - one of my favourite species that takes me back to where I grew up.

This bird is probably the one that is to blame for the state I am in now:)

I was initially quite happy with this photo of a species that has not been recorded in Øygarden in November before.

Nice preening image:)

Then the sun rose ever so slightly higher and I had to go crawling back over the rocks....

Over the sea there was obviously a fair bit going on, albeit at some range, several Little Auk alkekonge, Kittiwakes krykkje, a Curlew storspove and most of the usual late autumn suspects. A Peregrine vandrefalk was on the lookout for unwary migrants.

On my way back two Chiff-chaff gransanger gave good views feeding on flies attracted to mature ivy - hopefully the ivy I have got going in my garden will produce flowers before too long:). Neither of them gave any tristis indications.....

Chiff-chaffs gransanger

Some of the Herdlevær residents stopped me to ask if I'd seen anything rare just long enough to give a reasonable shot at one of the several White-tailed Eagles havørn seen today. 

2cy White-tailed Eagle havørn

Heading back to Nautnes a brief stop at Tjeldstø showed that the Whooper sangsvane numbers had doubled to four - unfortunately all adults. They were, as usual, accompanied by a flock of dabbling duck which included a Teal krikkand and a Wigeon brunnakke.

Tjeldstø 17 March 2020 - Taking it easy again

Sunny but windy.

The first Teal krikkand of the year

More geese in and highlight was the first Teal krikkand of the year as well as a Curlew storspove back on its breeding grounds (as opposed to the wintering birds along the coast).

Adult White-tailed Eagle havørn

The local White-tailed Eagles havørn seem to be enjoying the fact that the geese are back and are very visible indeed. This cracking adult flew right overhead as we strolled around the area.

Skogsøy 18 April 2019 -

SE3, sunny. It felt quite cold today despite there being no overnight frost.

Migration wise today was something of a non-starter with fewer birds passing than the last couple of visits. SE winds in spring are not renowned for numbers but can produce unexpected birds - today was not one of those days. With the exception of the usual suspects the only birds of any note at all were a flock of 10 Teal krikkand which are not normally associated with such nice weather at this time of year. A Brambling bjørkefink also passed overhead.

Once again southbound Common Scoter svartand were largely 2 cy birds and all northbound birds were adults.

2 cy White-tailed Eagle havørn fly-by

A White-tailed Eagle havørn did a relatively close fly-by with another bird present at longer range.

On the way home I stopped at Husvatnet where a pair of mating Redshanks rødstilk were almost comical - a rather noisy affair and something of a balancing act. Let us hope they have plenty of young and manage to raise them successfully.

Hernar 18 October 2018 - Better late than never

Hardly the best conditions for migrants with a strong westerly wind blowing. However, a trip to Hernar was on the cards as I have yet to make it out there this autumn so there really was no choice.

Female Blackcap munk

Chiff-chaff gransanger

Tree Sparrow pilfink - one of the new species for the year on Hernar today

One of only a few Twite bergirisk left on the island

Wren gjerdesmett

There were plenty of birds about without anything very special. In a Hernar context a couple of Tree Sparrow pilfink may have been the best birds and were the first to be recorded there this year. A fly over Great Northern Diver islom, several each of Chiff-chaff gransanger and Blackcap munk, a couple of Water Rail vannrikse and a few Twite bergirisk took the tally to around 40 species on the island today.

Good numbers of the usual four species of thrush, a few Brambling bjørkefink, plenty of both Robin rødstrupe and Wren gjerdesmett along with an obvious movement of tits - a flock of around 60 Blue tits blåmeis dropped in briefly and there were also both Great Tit kjøttmeis and Coal tit svartmeis on the island - in other words these birds were migrants.

House Sparrows gråspurv feeding on the harbour wall at Hellesøy

One of several White-tailed Eagles havørn seen today

Heading back from the boat to my car a White-tailed Eagle havørn gave good flight views, also had four more earlier in the day.

Nautnes 17-18 September - Home office birding

Windy and warm with some rain and some sunshine.

Being a birder it is not easy to be stuck inside working in mid September. Having missed most of the spring it feels like autumn is also speeding past with nothing like enough time in the field.

However, at least I get to work from home a fair bit - where I can actually get things done AND occasionally look out of my window.

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke photographed close to my mailbox

Robin rødstrupe - not a bird I bother taking photos of much

Pre-breakfast White-tailed Eagles havørn photographed from my terrace.

White-tailed Eagle havørn have been making the most of the wind to hang around outside the house with three present before breakfast on 17th.

Rather heavily cropped and distant shots of an adult Rose-coloured Starling rosenstær

White Wagtail linerle

On 18th I went outside onto my terrace after dinner to see an adult Rose-coloured Starling rosenstær feeding with a large flock of Starling stær. This is the second time I have seen this species from my house but is the first adult.