Herdlevær 11 March 2020 - Status check

With strong SW winds and heavy showers whilst I prepared for the day I opted not to go to Skogsøy which had been my original plan and instead checked a few places to get an idea about what was going on. This turned out to be a mistake as the weather was fine, if rather windy, for a few hours and there was obviously a lot passing over the sea.

A half hour breakfast break at Herdlevær produced 66 Kittiwake krykkje, 34 Gannet havsule and a Curlew storspove heading north. Small numbers of auks and most of the usual suspects also turned up - including several White-tailed Eagles havørn.

Bathing Peregrine vandrefalk

Elsewhere some larger Starling stær flocks indicated new arrivals with 30-40 at a few locations. A few Skylark sanglerke, a bathing Peregrine vandrefalk and Snipe enkeltbekkasin.were among the other sightings.

A potentially bigger miss than not going to Skogsøy was a sighting of two distant birds in silhouette which were almost definitely Stonechats svartstrupe. However, despite only looking away long enough to get my camera out before I walked closer to where the birds were I could not relocate them.

UK3 with friends

One of at least 60 Greylags grågås at Tjeldstø had a neck ring - UK3 - a bird I have not seen before. According to geese.org this bird was ringed a little further south in Norway (Kårstø) on 23 June 2019 and was then reported for a few days in northern Germany 21-23 September 2019 before turning up at Tjeldstø today.

Nautnes & Tjeldstø 03 Janaury 2020 - First bird photo of the year

Very strong westerly winds with some showers.

The first bird I saw in Øygarden in 2020 was rather fittingly a White-tailed Eagle havørn flying over the road as I drove over the bridge at Toftøy.

2cy Kittiwake krykkje - photo taken from my terrace

I returned home in the early afternoon and the first bird I saw from my terrace was a storm blown Kittiwake krykkje. Not often they come so close to my house!

After that I had a quick look around in combination with a trip to the shops. Disturbingly a dead Whooper Swan sangsvane lay under the power lines that cross the nature reserve at Tjeldstø - it was being fed on by an adult White-tailed Eagle havørn and some Hooded Crows kråke. This dead swan was not there when I left just before New Year and it is not unreasonable to imagine that it was panicked on New Years eve and collided with the power lines in the dark.

Other species noted included a Peregrine vandrefalk flying over the shops, a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk and small numbers of Brambling bjørkefink.

Skogsøy 13 January 2019 - Seawatching again

North westerly gale increasing to strong gale.

The winds increased during the hour I spent seawatching making it difficult to walk on the way home - goodness knows how the birds manage to fly into that kind of wind.

Gannet havsule

Kittiwake krykkje

It was more or less typical for mid January with just single Gannets havsule heading north and south, an adult Kittiwake krykkje heading north, the first Guillemot lomvi this year for Øygarden (and the county for that matter), a couple of Razorbill alke and small numbers of the usual gulls.

Skogsøy 30 December 2018 - New Year Bird Race Day 1

It's that time  of year again.  The New Year Bird Race and for once I am actually in Øygarden.

Today it was rather predictably Skogsøy where there was, equally predictably, little passing. However, I did manage to nail a number of the target species including at least two that were seemingly not seen elsewhwere - Kittiwake krykkje and Little Auk alkekonge.

Other stuff included a Great Northern Diver islom on the sea, a few Gannets havsule, White-tailed Eagle havørn, Sparrowhawk spurvehauk, a couple of Whoopers sangsvane and most of the usual ducks.

No time to post any pics today.

Øygarden 14 October 2018 - A day out at last!

Pretty much a full day in the field today. It would have been hard to pick a worse day for it with a southerly gale and rain for most of the day.

Despite the conditions it was magic to be out and about without having to watch the clock for once.

Dunlin myrsnipe struggling against gale force winds

First year Kittiwake krykkje.

Seems like I'm not the only one to be restricted to this species.....there are obviously some "Sabine's shadows" along the Norwegian coast

Willow Tit granmeis at Skogsøy, a relatively scarce bird in Øygarden

With the forecast telling me the winds would drop during the morning and there would be little or no rain I opted for Skogsøy. The forecast was wrong on both counts. The wind did not drop and after half an hour of seawatching the rain set in. Given the strength of the wind (I was nearly blown over a few times!) it is amazing that anything passed at all. A couple of first year Kittiwakes krykkje, a few Common Scoter svartand, a Razorbill alke and two Dunlin myrsnipe heading south were pretty much all I had to show for my efforts. A Red-throated Diver smålom fished very close in and a couple of Gannet havsule headed north. A Willow Tit granmeis was the only out of the ordinary passerine.

Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke at Herdlevær

This species is all over the place at the moment - not just in its usual shoreline habitat

Song Thrush måltrost at Herdlevær

Plenty of this species on the move at the moment too

A drive-by at Herdlevær proved that things were on the move with flocks of the usual thrushes, Meadow Pipits heipiplerke, Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke, Bramblings bjørkefink and the usual.

Next up was Breivik where there were a few hundred thrushes, more Brambling bjørkefink, 40 Common Gulls fiskemåke feeding in the fields, a few Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a White-tailed Eagle havørn.

The best bird at Harkestad was a Goldfinch stillits, other stuff included yet more Brambling bjørkefink, 130 Redwing rødvingetrost, several Song Thrush måltrost, Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke etc

Tjeldstø produced more of the same but with a Hawfinch kjernebiter as the highlight, a White-tailed Eagle havørn, seven Teal krikkand and seven Tufted Duck toppand were among the other sightings.

I then tried for the Rose-coloured Starling rosenstær at Sæle but just as I got onto the Starling stær flock a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk buzzed them and they, along with a 100 or so Redwing rødvingetrost fled south. A Grey Wagtail vintererle provided superb views but was impossible to photograph as it kept being scared up by an endless stream of cars and people so I just gave up. Otherwise just a couple each of Chiff-chaff gransanger and Blackcap munk during what was a very brief check.

Sture and Skogsøy 26 January - Another good day

Light North Westerlies with a few short hail showers, largely sunny.

Goshawk hønsehauk at Sture

Female Scaup bergand

Kicked the day off at Sture to check out a female Scaup bergand. The same locality also turned up, among other things, a Goshawk hønsehauk, a Dipper fossekall and some Willow Tits granmeis.

Next up was Skogsøy which was much quieter than my previous visit both in the woods on the way out and over the sea. Of saving grace were a couple of Kittiwake krykkje - the first in Hordaland this year and not exactly unexpected.

A roadside Snipe enkeltbekkasin

Willow Tit granmeis in the garden

Plenty of thrushes, again mostly Redwing rødvingtrost all over the place, the female Wigeon brunnakke on Husvatnet, Whoopers sangsvane at a couple of places and the first Willow Tit granmeis actually in my garden this year were some of the other sightings.

Norwegian Sector 06-j7 July 2017 - Offshore Opportunties

For the last few weeks it has been extremely difficult to find time to do much in the way of birding. One of the reasons is an offshore trip that offered even less time on deck than usual. A trip that covered a large portion of the Norwegian sector of the North Sea provided a total of about one hour out on deck looking for birds and as is often the case I ended up wondering what could have been seen.

Arctic Skuas tyvjo at Heidrun 09-10 July. Above picture is of a second year bird.

Cormorant storskarv - a species that may be eyeing up Heidrun as a potential breeding site

Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak

The Heidrun platform, July 2017

Kittiwakes krykkje were breeding on every available ledge. The platform sounded like the Farne Islands where I grew up.

The first few days were spent near the Heidrun platform in the northern part of the Norwegian sector. In recent years Kittiwakes krykkje have bred on this platform and this was obviously the case this year too. There were hundreds of Kittiwakes krykkje present with nests on virtually all of the potential places. These in turn attracted Arctic Skua tyvjo which preyed on them. Other species may have an eye on the Heidrun platform as a potential breeding place as there were a number of adult Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak present and even a Cormorant storskarv. During the summer months it is largely younger gulls that are present but here there were also a number of adults.

After Heidrun and Åsgard we went to Veslefrikk where a passing trawler attracted a couple of hundred Fulmar havhest along with Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak and Gannets havsule. Most of the gulls seen here were non breeders.

Fulmars feeding on discarded Ling neear Veslefrikk

Fulmars havhest behind fishing vessel

Fulmar havhest feeding on Ling lange discarded by fishing vessel

Veslefrikk

At Veslefrikk a passing trawler provided most of the action with hudreds of Fulmar along with smaller numbers of Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak anda few Gannets havsule.

Grane platform

Kvitebjørn

Valemon with West Elara in attendance

The next stops were Kvitebjørn, Valemon and Grane. Just small numbers of the usual suspects were seen at these locations.

Skogsøy 13 January 2017 - Only a little bit unlucky for a Friday 13th

Calm and sunny as I set off but degenerating into a strong northerly gale with showers.

I wasted spent time on work for the first few hours of the day. This meant I was both late and pressed for time by the time I got out. Conditions during the morning were wonderful, although I did have to scrape a thin layer of ice off the car windows and everyone else seemed to be driving very slowly indeed for some reason.....

It was always going to be Skogsøy today - first trip of the year and I really needed the walk if nothing else. A lot of the usual suspects failed to put in an appearance (the unlucky side of the day) but it was not a total loss.

One of several northbound Gannets havsule seen today. I don't normally bother taking such long range shots of this species but since this was only the second time this year (or week really) I snapped a few record shots.

Massively cropped record of the first Kittiwake krykkje of the year

There was a light movement of Gannets havsule and the first Kittiwakes krykkje of the year for Hordaland (not just Øygarden) put in an appearance during the 40 minutes I spent seawatching. The only other stuff on the move were Herring Gulls gråmåke and Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak. Oh, and a lone diver, probably Great Northern, heading south.

Small numbers of Long-tailed Duck havelle and just one White-tailed Eagle havørn also put in an appearance.

Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt

Highlight was an unusual sighting of Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt - they are quite a common bird out here during the winter but this one was feeding in freshwater pools on top of the cliff where we seawatch from rather than down on the shore close to the sea where they normally hang out. Given the state of the surf I can't say I blame the poor thing but I think if I was a Purple Sand I would have moved to the east side of Øygarden out of the worst of the weather.....

Skogsøy 28 October 2013 - Seawatch fix at long last

Strong SW with showers becoming calmer and drier later.

FINALLY made it out to Skogsøy for the first time in way too long. For a seawatch junky like myself this was just what the doctor ordered. I paid scant attention to the weather forecast and just went for it as the first and only likely chance in the foreseeable future.

I spent three hours seawatching - something that proved quite productive without anything very special. All heading south:

Kittiwake krykkje

Peregrine vandrefalk

Part of a Red-throated Diver smålom flock

Mixed flock of Common Scoter svartand and Long-tailed Duck havelle

White-tailed Eagle havørn

White-tailed Eagle havørn

Great Northern Diver islom 2 (1ad and 1 1K+ together)
Red-throated Diver smålom 88 inlcuding a single flock of 21 - a HUGE flock by autumn standards
Black-throated Diver storlom 1
Little Auk alkekonge 133
Razorbill alke 30
Guillemot lomvi 3
Black Guillemot teist 2
Wigeon brunnakke 1
Common Scoter svartand 285
Velvet Scoter sjøorre 4
Long-tailed Duck havelle 54
Merganser siland 5
Black-headed Gull hettemåke 1
Common Gull fiskemåke 5
Herring Gull gråmåke 150++
Kittiwake krykkje 31 (6 first years)
Dunlin myrsnipe 3

Other sightings included a few White-tailed Eagle havørn, a Peregrine vandrefalk and at least one Two-barred Crossbill båndkorsnebb.

Back home a Treescreeper trekryper was another addition to the new house list.

Skogsøy 19 February 2012

Strong northerly gale and snow showers.

Hardly pleasant conditions but an hours seawatching was well worth the walk - with a decent movement of birds heading north.

 Cormorant storskarv struggling into gale force winds

All but one of the Kittiwakes krykkje today were adults like these

In all 22 Gannets havsule, 33 Kittiwake krykkje, 10 Guillemots lomvi (first of the year) and four Razorbill alke headed north.

On the way back to the car a flock of 10 Fieldfare gråtrost flew over - the biggest flock I have seen thus far in 2012.

Skogsøy 16 November 2010 - too bad!

Stong south westerly winds and persistent rain made things difficult. Even the dog stuggled today and with him in mind I gave up and went home.

Just a few Little Auk alkekonge heading south and eight adult Kittiwake krykkje heading north were all that I saw of any movement during an hour of seawatching.