Engerdal 11-18 June 2025 - Engerdal calling

A visit to Engerdal in June is part of the annual routine and this year was no exception. Always too long since the last visit and as ever I was keen to see what was about.

We headed up on 11th June with a stop in Hamar on the way up, just as normal. An hour or two Åkersvika gave some good species with singing Rosefinch rosenfink, Little Ringed Plover dverglo, two Osprey fiskeørn, a variety of other wader species and a Goosander laksand with 10 young.

At Heggeriset in the evening a few minutes birding gave a couple of Kestrel tårnfalk, Swifts tårnseiler and the usual hirundines.

I was up bright and early the next day doing my usual first day round. Highlights were many including a Hawk Owl haukugle, Ospreys fiskeørn (inlcluding birds on a nest) and Black Woodpecker svartspett (in the garden!) Also eight Velvet Scoter sjøorre on Galtsøen which I considered a bit strange so late in June - still waiting for somewhere to thaw or given up and moving on? Plenty of birds about in general but few waders compared to previous years.

Golden Plover heilo in the churchyard in Engerdal

Roadside Hauk Owl haukugle

I had to work all day on 13.06 but a few minutes out produced singing Icterine Warbler gulsanger at Heggeriset. A Swallowtail butterfly in the garden was a nice surprise.

A few hours walking around the Hyllsjøen / Hundsjøen area on 14th June gave some good surprises with another Hawk Owl haukugle and a male Red-backed Shrike tornskate. These in addition to the usual suspects which included a few Siberian Jays lavskrike, at least five male Black Grouse orrfugl, singing Redsarts rødstjert and more. Once again, rather fewer waders than what I used to consider normal.

Red-backed Shrike tornskate

Siberian Jay lavskrike - uncropped!!

On 15.06 I was again not really out but a Mistle Thrush duetrost at Kvilten was nice to see. Lots of Goldeneye kvinand with young on the river at Heggeriset too.

Hare at Drevsjø

Mistle Thrush duetrost at Kvilten

Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper at Drevsjø

On 16.06 I managed a pre work foray into the hills - Svarthammaren. Here singing Tree Pipits trepiplerke as I got out of the car, Ring Ousel ringtrost playing hard to get, a surprise Green Sandpiper skogsnipe (don't often see them so high up), several of the more expected Wood Sandpipers grønnstilk, singing Yellow Wagtails gulerle, Black-throated Diver storlom on the nest, Whimbrel småspove, Golden Plover heilo and more. 

Much more surprising was a Beaver, well above the treeline. Not sure what was going on there!

Beaver above the treeline

Black-throated Diver storlom trying to hide

Pictures heavily cropped - no way was I going closer to this bird that obviously had something important going on

Wood Sandpiper grønnstilk

A very smart Yellow Wagtail gulerle

The way home produced Garden Warbler hagesanger and a nice Golden Eagle kongeørn:)

The 17th June was the last full day in this wonderful area and I spent the morning doing my usual round of Galtsjøen, Isterfossen and Drevsjø along with a little side trip to Sorken.

37 Black-headed Gull hettemåke on Galtsjøen was quite a high number - but again a bit concerning as these birds should have been breeding somewhere at this time.

Isterfossen punched above its usual weight with a Herring Gull gråmåke (strange time to see an adult bird in Engerdal), Grey Wagtail vinterle, Icterine Warbler gulsanger and more.

Other birds seen during the morning included Slavonian Grebe horndykker, Red-throated Diver smålom and several Black-throated Diver storlom.

Herring Gull gråmåke at Isterfossen

Slavonian Grebe horndykker

A pre-breakfast walk on the last morning saw me on the edge of Kvisleflået. Just a couple of female Black Grouse orrfugl and a couple of singing Mistle Thrush duetrost of note.

xxx

Hardangervidda 16. June 2024 - Hardangervidda Light II

Heading home to Øygarden I made a few roadside stops on the vidda. Most of them made me want to just keep walking further and spending a LOT more time up on the vidda.

Plenty of Shorelark fjellerke in suitable habitat, but no Lapland Buntings lappspurv. Otherwise many of the usual suspects showed up - Ptarmigan fjellrype, Rough-legged Buzzard fjellvåk and more.

Female Ptarmigan fjellrype at Dyranut

Ringed Plovers sandlo at Dyranut

Shorelark fjellerke on the vidda

At Dyranut there were a few pairs of Ringed Plover sandlo getting started with the breeding season - down at the coast I saw the first young weeks ago!

Also picked up a pair of Hawk Owl haukugle in suitable habitat:)

Hawk Owl haukugle pair

The drive over the vidda and back to Bergen was a timely reminder of how incredibly spectacular this country is. The vidda, måbødalen, Eidfjord, Voss and the road from Voss to Bergen are amazing! Just wonderful and I wish I had had the time to stop and take some photos. Just fantastic to be lucky enough to call this place home:)

Back home at Nautnes a nice Red-throated Diver smålom was waiting for me on the sea outside my terrace.

Second year Red-throated Diver smålom at Nautnes

Engerdal 20-26 May 2021 - Almost ice free

A week spent in Engerdal was quite productive - despite the fact that many of the lakes were still almost completely frozen when I arrived, some of which thawed during my time there.

Access to many of my usual sites was limited as roads were still closed as winter maintained its grasp. 

At lower altitudes spring was well on the way with flooding in some areas providing feeding areas for waders and wildfowl that were obviously doing regular checks at higher altitudes.

Higher up there was more bare ground than snow covered ground but the lakes were still mostly ice covered even when I left. However, many species were back on their breeding grounds despite the conditions whilst others seemed to be checking these areas out before heading back down to lower altitudes.

I managed to clock up a few new species for my Engerdal list in the form of Mandarin mandarinand, Merlin dvergfalk and Pintail stjertand.

Of rather more interest were two different Tengmalm's Owl perleugle nests (one in a nestbox and one in an old Black Woodpecker hole), breeding Hawk Owl haukugle, Ruff brushane, Cranes trane, Capercaille tiur and most of the usual Engerdal suspects including Black-throated Divers storlom, Red-throated Diver smålom, Osprey fiskeørn and Whoopers sangsvane.

Hawk Owl haukugle keeping an eye on its nest

This male Pintail stjertand was a new Engerdal species for me

Male Ruff brushane at Heggeriset

Small numbers of Ruff were seen on lower ground - presumably still waiting for their breeding grounds to thaw

Roadside Capercaille storfugl

Crane trane

Small numbers of Slavonian Grebes horndykker were seen - no doubt waiting for breeding localities to thaw.

Male and female Black Grouse orrfugl

Kestrel tårnfalk were more numerous and widespread than normal - looks like it might be a good rodent year.

Greenshank gluttsipe

Mergansers siland at Galtsjøen

Siskin grønnsisik

Tengmalm's Owl perleugle chicks posing after being ringed.

Unfortunately the father of this brood died but the mother was still around and with some supplementary feeding most of these chicks were still doing well a week after this picture was taken

Wood Sandpipers grønnstilk

Redshank rødstilk were displaying in most of the usual places

Willow Tit granmeis

Tufted Duck toppand pair

Goosander laksand pair on a small ice-free patch of water

Lots of Yellow Wagtails gulerle about - both in the valleys and higher up.

Mammals were particularly obvious with a lot of Hare, Roe Deer and a few Elk.

Hares were moulting out of their winter colours.....

Roe Deer rådyr