Traditionally it is the last week of September / first week of October that is the best for rarities. I have always liked early November and this week was just brilliant, despite having to travel for work.
Whilst frantically preparing for a conference in Stavanger a message ticked in about a Firecrest rødtoppfuglekonge at Sæle. I flung the last things I needed into my bags and headed to Sæle before continuing on to the airport. I had just a few minutes to spare and managed to connect with it - a new species for me in Øygarden. Thanks Terje!
Firecrest rødtoppfuglekonge at Sæle
Later in the afternoon I arrived at Sola Strand, Stavanger. Here, even without binoculars the birding was just too easy. Not difficult to understand why such a large percent of Norwegian birders are from the Stavanger area:)
Long-tailed Ducks havelle in the surf
There were several White Wagtails linerle hunting flies along the beach
A short walk on the beach the morning before the conference was almost equally productive. With scope and bins there would have been a lot more to see!
Great Northern Diver islom
First year Red-throated Diver smålom
Yellowhammer gulspurv
Back home in Øygarden and back to the grindstone I managed a few short drive-bys on 06 November in misty conditions. There was a big movement of thrushes down the east side of Øygarden with big flocks of Fieldfare gråtrost and smaller flocks of Redwing rødvingetrost heading south under the low cloud. Several Snipe enkeltbekkasin fed at Tjeldstø. Definitely a feeling that something good must have arrived today.
Heron gråhegre at Hellesøy
Some of the Snipe enkeltbekkasin feeding at Tjeldstø
Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin feeding at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø
On 07 November I spent the morning on Hernar. There was a LOT of activity and no time to drink coffee or eat sandwiches like I normally do. Well over 40 species noted without having the time to cover some of the areas I normally do. The most interesting bird by far was an eastern type Lesser Whitethroat møller with a very unusual call. According to one site I have investigated blythi has not been recorded as giving this call. This, along with some other features has me leaning towards halimodendri (Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat). My first ever Jackdaw kaie for the island was an added bonus along with Mistle Thrush duetrost, Water Rails vannrikse, Chiff-chaffs gransanger and plenty more besides.
Chiff-chaff gransanger - seemed to be "normal" without any tristis sounds
Tail good for the eastern types
Rather warm and brown appearance, pale lores in angles where the face is illuminated. Differs with lighting angle though
Here with prey:) Note the brown extending onto the nape / crown
Brown looking tail here
Sonogram (taken from video). Thanks to Stein Rune Risa for this)
This shows the jizz of the bird. Mouse-like, jerky and busy.
One striking thing about this bird was the tail pumping and Redstart-like "shivering" of the tail.
This video includes the call.
According to https://nicksbird.blog/2023/06/11/identification-of-the-lesser-whitethroat-species-complex/
there are no records of blythi that have been recorded with this call.....
Jackdaw kaie
Mistle Thrush duetrost
...and the much commoner (i.e. very common) White-tailed Eagle havørn
I was only out for half an hour as the light was going on 08 November, still lots of birds about - especially Redwings rødvingetrost and Fieldfare gråtrost. A Mistle Thrush duetrost at Hjelme was probably the same bird seen there the previous day.
From the house the best sighting was a Lapwing vipe heading south
My usual round at Herdlevær really produced the goods with the absolute highlight being a Hume's Leaf Warbler blekbrynsanger. Incredibly active and difficult to photograph it was at times obligingly vocal - it was the call that really made me investigate this bird in the first place. This is the first record in Øygarden for around 20 years!! Twitchers arrived quickly on the scene but the bird did a disappearing act for the rest of the day. Thankfully it was re-found the following day and stayed for some days more.
Hume's Leaf Warbler blekbrynsanger - the call can be heard in this video
Sonogram of the call - taken from the video above - thanks to Stein Rune Risa
There were plenty of other things to see too with a flock of 30 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, a couple of Whooper Swans sangsvane, Chiff-chaff gransanger, several Great Northern Diver islom and lots of the usual migrants.
Whooper swans sangsvane at Herdlevær
A female Scaup bergand and a couple of Lapwing vipe on Rotevatnet were an added bonus.
Skylark sanglerke at Hjelme
Back home a first year Red-throated Diver smålom struggled with a large fish for some time in front of my house - looked like it might have been a Herring sild.
First year Red-throated Diver smålom at Nautnes
On Sunday 10th November I covered a number of localities without finding much new - although the Hume's Leaf Warbler blekbrynsanger was present at Herdlevær. A flock of six Lapwing vipe flew over at Breivik and what were probably the same birds were seen later at Tjeldstø where the Scaup bergand remained. Good numbers of thrushes, a Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb and a couple of Woodcock rugde were among the sightings.
I took a break from seawatching today and had a look around at various localities.
Several singing Lesser Whitethroat møller at various localities, Cuckoo gjøk, Skylarks sanglerke seemingly breeding at three different places.
Siskin grønnsisik singing at Herdlevær
Whimbrel småspove at Tjeldstø
White Wagtail linerle
Otherwise it was a days of nests and young ones. A Blackbird svarttrost nest at Alvheim held almost fully fledged young whilst a Song Thrush måltrost was still adding some nest lining only a few metres away. A Ringed Plover sandlo watched over at least one newly hatched chick at the usual place.
At Tjeldstø a few Whimbrel småspove took a breather in one of the fields.
From the house a couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn, two pairs of Oystercatcher tjeld and one of Curlew storspove breeding close by, Common Sandpipers strandsnipe displaying and a pair of Twite bergirisk establishling themselves. Meanwhile the Starling stær parents are in shuttle traffic feeding their young in the nestbox I put up last year.
Northerly gale with hail and snow showers. A very cold and wintery feel to conditions today!
Even with my thermal suit on I only managed to sit out there for a little over three hours. The day was surprisingly productive with best birds a couple of distant Pomarine Skuas polarjo and two White-billed Diver gulnebblom. A single Bonxie storjo and six Velvet Scoter sjøorre were among the other species noted.
The mainstay of the birding were flocks of Long-tailed Ducks havelle heading north. Mid-May is the peak time for this species to be on the move. More here.
Flocks of migrating Long-tailed Ducks havelle
Obligatory White-billed Diver gulnebblom shots
Red throated Diver
N
65
White Billed Diver N
2
Northern Gannet N
41
Northern Gannet S
4
Great Cormorant N
1
Eurasian Shag N
5
Eurasian Shag S
8
Long tailed duck N
230
Common Scoter N
18
Velvet Scoter N
6
Pomarine Skua N
2
Great Skua N
1
Black-legged Kittiwake N
18
Common Guillemot N
12
Razorbill N
6
Auk N
8
On my way out to the seawatching point I heard my first singing Lesser Whitethroat møller of the year - and subsequently heard them other places on the way home
