Skogsøy 25 May 2002 - Back on form

Fresh SW winds with rain during the night. I used the rain as an excuse to lie in and did not get out and seawatching until 0630. With further rain on the forecast I opted to use the "hide" which is not as good as sitting out in the open where I usually sit but is very comfortable:)

Birds were pouring past to start with but passage tailed off quite quickly. Should have ignored the rain:)

Highlights were two Long-tailed Skua fjelljo and a Pomarine Skua polarjo. During "a last scan" whilst packing up a Sandwich Tern splitterne flew south at reasonable range:)  A couple of Black Guillemot teist and a lone hrota Brent Goose ringgås were among the other sightings.

The "hide" is a bit challenging, especially when it comes to photography so I mostly didn't get any images.

The biggest flock of Red-throated Diver smålom today...

Rock Pipit skjærepiplerke

Brent Goose ringgås going it alone

In almost 3.5 hours the following past:

Red throated Diver smålom N 49, S 2

Northern Gannet havsule N 192, S 7

Eurasian Shag toppskarv N 3, S 4

Brent Goose ringgås N 1

Long tailed duck havelle N 2

Common Scoter svartand N 2, S 10

Oystercatcher tjeld N 8, S 1

Pomarine Skua polarjo N 1

Arctic Skua tyvjo N 6

Long-tailed Skua fjelljo N 2

Black headed Gull hettemåke N 2, S 4

Common Gull fiskemåke N 6

Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje N 118, S 4

Arctic Tern rødnebbterne N 1, S 3

Common Guillemot lomvi N 8, S 3

Razorbill alke N 10

Black Guillemot teist N 2

On the way home I picked up a Kestrel tårnfalk and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk at Tjeldstø.

Tragically the Starling stær chicks that were being fed so prolifically by their parents in my nestbox died at some point in the last 24 hours. There was no lack of food so I have no explanation other than that something happened to the parents.

Four dead chicks....

Strangely little in the way of nesting material

....yet up to a day or so ago the parents were coming in with food constantly

Skogsøy 19 May 2020 - Another day, another seawatch

Northerly winds and sunny so predictably seawatching again.

The best birds today were a nice adult Long-tailed Skua fjelljo and a couple of flocks of Knot polarsnipe.

Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås

One of the Great Skuas storjo that passed

Raven ravn

Still reasonable numbers of Red-throated Diver smålom heading north

Red-throated Diver smålom followed by two Guillemots lomvi

Today's totals were:

Red throated Diver N	149
Northern Gannet N	32
Great Cormorant N	3
Great Cormorant S	1
Eurasian Shag N	5
Eurasian Shag S	24
Barnacle Goose N	64
Long tailed duck N	12
Common Scoter N	20
Merganser N	10
Oystercatcher N	10
Red Knot	23
Whimbrel N	1
Arctic Skua N	1
Long-tailed Skua N	1
Great Skua N	2
Common Gull N	47
Lesser black backed Gull N	1
Black-legged Kittiwake N	12
Arctic Tern N	23
Common Guillemot N	14
Razorbill N	16
Atlantic Puffin N	10
Auk N	23

On my way home I had to come to an abrupt stop to check out a raptor - a nice Peregrine vandrefalk causing havoc:)

Peregrine vandrefalk

Dubai and the Persian Gulf 03.05-17.05 Birding without bins

About the only thing about life that is predictable is that it is unpredictable. An overnight trip to SE England turned into a few weeks in Dubai, including some time offshore in the Persian Gulf.

This was not exactly planned for and as such I had no luggage, no binoculars and no DSLR. Equipped only with eyes and a "point and pray" superzoom I had to make the best out of the few chances I got to look at any birds....

Common Mynah

Graceful Prinia

Laughing Dove

Red-wattled Lapwing - this pair had raised young in the middle of a busy road junction!

White-eared Bulbul

For the first few days I was stuck in a hotel but one morning I took 20 minutes free to walk around the block. This produced a selection of the commonest birds in the area, White-eared Bulbul, Graceful Prinia, Common Mynah, Red-wattled Lapwing, House Sparrow, Indian Silverbill, Laughing Dove, Collared Dove and House Crows were the species I managed to identify here. Some flocks of swifts went unidentified.

Leaving Dubai behind....

Sunset in the Persian Gulf

A six hour transit in a small boat out to the vessel I was joining produced several Bridled Tern and a few Greater Crested Terns.

Bridled Tern - a common species offshore

Cormorants

Just a couple of the different kinds of Grasshoppers that turned up onboard - a long way from land!

Greater and Lesser Crested Terns (birds 3,4 and 5 from left) resting on a hose

Greater Crested Terns with one Lesser Crested Tern (in flight on right of image)

Greater Crested Terns with one Lesser Crested Tern (in flight)

Greater Crested Terns with two Lesser Crested Tern (front centre)

Marsh Warbler

Willow Warbler

Butterfly (one of several species seen)

Cicada?

Once offshore I was, as so often the case, stuck inside. Towards the end of the trip I had some opportunities to pop out on deck. There was almost always a passerine on deck feeding on the huge number of grounded insects. The only species I managed to identify were Willow Warbler, Marsh Warbler and a Yellow Wagtail (the latter as I left the vessel).

Nocturnal Sooty Gull

Once night I went out on deck for a breath of fresh air and was rewarded with several Sooty Gulls feeding around the vessel - no doubt attracted to the small fish and other creatures attracted by our lights.

How to charge a camera battery without a charger......(don't try this at home!)

As the trip was so unplanned I did not even have the charger for my camera battery with me. I did, however, have access to a few helpful bits and pieces which meant I managed to charge the battery without this essential bit of gear (not the first time something this has happened!)

Greater Crested Tern Roost

Seabirds were generally limited to small feeding parties of Greater Crested Terns and Bridled Terns. However, on one occasion a group of well over 200 Greater Crested Terns rested on the hose of a loading buoy, among them were several Lesser Crested Terns and a few Cormorants were knocking about.

Returning to Port Rashid

The way home was once again in a small boat. This time I was not hunched over a laptop and manged to see two Long-tailed Skua (flying south), two Swallows (more predictably heading north) and quite a few more Bridled Terns and Greater Crested Terns.

Skogsøy 03 July 2017 - Weather is great / quality not quantity

A lot of normal people complain about the weather here in the west of Norway. I love it! Weather brings the birds - in this case the strong winds of yesterday afternoon / evening pushed seabirds close to land and gave a spectacular backdrop.

I can cope with a few days of what the general population call good weather and may even spend time with my family under such conditions - as has been the case of late. The last few days I've been fishing, swimming and even camping in attempt to fit in.

However, today I was back at the coal face for an early morning shift. Cracking light and a westerly breeze after the very strong winds during the night meant there were plenty (92) of Gannet havsule to see in the two hours or so I spent out there. Many passed very close giving amazing views.

Highlight were among the first birds to pass - a flock of three Sandwich Terns splitterne together with a 2cy Kittiwake krykkje. Whilst they were a long way off this caused some initial confusion as I kept thinking Sandwich Tern but the gull kept popping into view. Next best bird was a nice Long-tailed Skua fjelljo - though not a full adult.

This might just be a record shot - the three birds in front are Sandwich terns splitterne, the one on the left is obviously a second year Kittiwake krykkje.

Even more cropping shows two of the terns....

...and three

The welcoming committee - an adult Raven ravn with a recently fledged youngster

Adult Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke with food for its young

Two southbound Red-throated Diver smålom

2cy Kittiwake krykkje - not the same bird as with the terns but very similar in terms of plumage.

As so often at this time of year it was quality rather than quantity - not much else passed - just a couple of Puffin lunde, a Guillemot lomvi, a few Red-throated Diver smålom and a Fulmar havhest.

Heard the Corncrake åkerrikse singing again from Herdlevær on the way out.