Tjeldstø 20 February 2024 - Lunch-break birding

Rather grey and wet most of the day but the rain stopped for a couple of hours around lunchtime.

A walk at Tjeldstø with #2 daughter gave an unseasonal Kestrel tårnfalk as the best sighting. A couple of Starling stær turned up, a Robin rødstrupe sang and the Greylags grågås are starting to make a bit of noise - so all in all a bit springlike. The Mistle Thrush duetrost also put in a brief appearance again.

Otherwise just a Rock Pipit skjæpiplerke and a huge flock of over 20 Blue Tits blåmeis.

A minimum of four White-tailed Eagles havørn were in the area and I even tried taking a picture of one of them with my point and pray. It was a bit of a rush to get the camera out and switched on but the results weren't too bad at all given the conditions.

 

The point and pray did well given the conditions - the auto setting almost always has too slow a shutter speed for flight shots but there was no time to fiddle with settings.

More eagles seen from my terrace later in day along with a Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett actually in my garden (garden is too big a word for it!).

 

Øygarden 15 September 2015 - Even "normal" people are reacting....

Light Easterly winds, rain in the afternoon.

Didn't do much in the field today, just a quick look at Tjeldstø and a brief visit to Breivik, Much the same as of late with decent numbers of Kestrel tårnfalk, Sparrowhawk spurvehauk etc along with the usual waders including a flock of seven Ruff brusahane at Breivik.

A rather wet, worm hunting Kestrel tårnfalk at Tjeldstø today

There have been so many of the smaller raptors recently that even "normal" people (by that I mean non-birders) have been noticing them. Everyone is asking about the Kestrels tårnfalk.

Long live the easterlies!

Tjeldstø 23 August 2013 - more migration

Sunny again with light southerlies.

A quick stroll around the reserve produced the first Kestrel tårnfalk and Wigeon brunnakke of the autumn.

Kestrel tårnfalk

A Ruff brushane or two, several Golden plover heilo and about 20 Snipe enkeltbekkasin were out in the reserve. Ringed plover sandlo and Redshank rødstilk were heard flying over.

Herdlvevær 23 September 2012

Another day of fantastic weather and few birds.

Migrating Kestrel tårnfalk

Not much going on with just Kestrel tårnfalk and Sparrowhawk spurvehauk seen migrating. Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett, a Reed Bunting sivspurv and a few thrushes were the only other migratnts seen.

Skogsøy 25 February 2012

Light northerly and clear skies (after a while at least)

Highlight was the first White-billed Diver gulnebblom of the year - heading north at reasonable range. For once I did not give in to photography and followed it in the scope long enough to clinch it.

Great Black-backed Gull svartbak - moving north

 Goshawk hønsehauk mobbed by Hooded Crow kråke

Kestrel tårnfalk

Other good birds included a Kestrel tårnfalk and a Goshawk hønsehauk.

Passage was limited to three Oystercatcher tjeld, small numbers of Kittiwake krykkje and a steady passage of large gulls. Amazingly not one single auk of any species passed. There was also a light but noticeable southerly movement of Shags toppskarv - spring migration.

A small pod of Orcas spekkhogger feeding offshore was a nice bonus - these animals were probably also present on Thursday but heavy swells on both days restricted views.

Two Slavonian Grebes horndykker were on the sea at Herdlevær.

Øygarden 14 January 2012

Wonderfully calm and relatively mild.

 Above and below: record shots of the second year (first winter) Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke

Took things relatively easy today picking up a Kestrel tårnfalk at Ormhilleren, a Curlew storspove and a Puffin lunde at Solberg and a second year Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke at Tjeldstø.

A flock of 60 Common Crossbill grankorsnebb at S. Straumsundet was the biggest flock for some time.

Elsewhere an Eagle Owl hubro gave a single hoot during an hour or so of waiting.

Skogsøy 20 December 2011

Clear and sunny cold SE wind.

A Woodcock rugde flew over the garden before I left the house.



I was out at Skogsøy before the sun came up but despite searching for a few hours yesterday's duck was nowhere to be seen - just the Common Scoter svartand it was associating with.

 Above and below: hunting Kestrel tårnfalk

The reason the Kestrel was rather warmly coloured....spectacular sunrise

Goshawk hønsehauk

All was not lost as a couple of good winter sightings put in an appearance - a Kestrel tårnfalk and at least one Snow Bunting snøspurv. Other raptors included a Peregrine vandrefalk, a Goshawk hønsehauk and at least two very vocal White-tailed Eagles havørn.

Nothing strange about this Scaup bergand...

Domestic duties produced a quite normal looking Scaup bergand at Alvheim - a bird that gives more confidence to yesterday's bird....