With temperatures down to less than -23C it wasn't exactly warm, but the sun shone a lost of the time.
We arrived in the afternoon of 14.02 and in the evening heard a singing Tengmalm's Owl perleugle from the garden.
On 15.02 I did my usual round, some drumming woodpeckers but only Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett was the only species positively identified. Good numbers of Mallard stokkand on some open water on Engersjøen, a few flocks of Redpoll gråsisik, several Dipper fossekall and most of the usual suspects without anything special.
Dippers fossekall at Heggeriset
Redpoll gråsisik at the feeder in the garden
Whoopers sangsvane at Heggeriset
A long walk higher up on 16.02 produced none of the target species with just a Golden Eagle kongeørn of any interest. Some gamebird tracks but not as many as I usually see and no birds actually seen.
This Redpoll gråsisik looked rather pale and "snowball" like but was just a Common rather than the hoped-for Arctic
There was no meaningful time outside for the next couple of days but a Goshawk hønsehauk hunted over the garden on 17th February and I encountered a lovely flock of Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis during a trip to the shops.
Part of the Mallard stokkand flock hanging around on open water near the power station.
On 19th February I was out bright and early for my first skiing of the year - just brilliant with nobody else seen for kilometre after kilometre. Unfortunately it was almost the same birdwise although tracks in the snow showed that something could turn up at any time. A few Common Crossbill grankorsnebb, a single Willow Grouse lirype and the usual woodland suspects were seen.
A Sparrowhawk spurvehauk caught a Redpoll gråsisik in the garden in the afternoon.
Just wonderful to be out skiing in Engerdal:)
In the evening a singing Tengmalm's Owl perleugle was a highlight.
Tengmalm's Owl perleugle singing from the neighbour's garden:)
Several days spent bucking the trend by heading east instead of staying put lost me a few good birds on the home front but at the same time put me in touch with a number of species that are impossible to see in Øygarden. I saw around 50 species there, several of which had not been reported thus far this year in Engerdal. I managed to get out for a few mornings in this magical area where I always have the feeling something can turn up:)
Partly due to low cloud and poor visibility it was hard going for some of the time but obviously still plenty of birds about and the first hints of some interesting stuff on the move - for example small numbers of Waxwings sidensvans starting to show and a single Pine Grosbeak konglebit seen and heard at Isterfossen.
On 18th October I started with my usual Engerdal round - checking a few of the lakes and surrounding areas to get a feel for what was about. Best bird was a female Scaup bergand at Vurrusjøen where there was also a decent flock of Goosander laksand. Otherwise it was just the usual species including several Whooper Swan sangsvane, a couple of Black-throated Diver storlom, Dippers fossekall and so on.
Scaup bergand at the Drevsjø end of Vurrusjøen
The following morning I headed a bit higher up to Hyllsjøen but low cloud and poor visibility up here meant things were a bit hard going. Nothing special at all, just small numbers of thrushes and a few Waxwings sidensvans. Back down in the valley a flock of six Waxwing sidensvans at Heggeriset and some good flocks of Redwing rødvingetrost, Fieldfare gråstrost and Starling stær in downtown Engerdal.
Part of a flock of at least 32 Starling stær in downtown Engerdal - probably the biggest flock I've seen of this species in the area
Waxwings sidensvans at Heggeriset
Sunday 20.10 was spent mostly at the house but a flock of 57 Pinkfeet kortnebbgåas heading south was a good sighting and later in the afternoon I connected with a late Robin rødstrupe and a Wren gjerdesmett along with a nice flock of charming Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis.
Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis at Heggeriset
No birding the next day but on Tuesday 22.10, another cloudy day, I kept in the lowlands again. The Scaup bergand remained at Drevsjø where I also heard Waxwing sidensvans and had a distant flock of around 150 geese heading south - presumably Pinkfeet kortnebbgås. I also managed to pick up Treecreeper trekryper and Crested Tit toppmeis in the Drevsjø area - neither of which I see every time I am in the area.
I then tried some promising areas on the edge of the Kvisleflået nature reserve where I was rewarded with good views of a female Capercaille storfugl from the car. A walk in the woods produced almost no birds at all but, just as I returned to the car feeling a bit disappointed a couple of Siberian Jays lavskrike turned up and put on a real show - saving the day by a long way:)
Typical view of Capercaille storfugl
Siberian Jay lavskrike - just love this species, what a character and the places in which it resides are just wonderful.
The morning of my last full day was spent doing pretty much the same as I did on my first day - a "goodbye" round. This was quite a productive trip with singing (!) Black Grouse orrfugl at Volbrenna, a roadside Willow Grouse lirype near Galten, more Waxwings sidensvans, a flyover Pine Grosbeak konglebit at Isterfossen where I also had a Mistle Thrush duetrost, a small flock of Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb (the only positively identified crossbills this time around), a couple of Goldfinch stillits at Drevsjø where I also had a flock of 28 Goosander laksand.
Dipper fossekall at Galten
Goldfinch stillits at Drevsjø
Goosander laksand at Galten
Roadside Willow Grouse lirype moulting into winter plumage
On the way home downtown Engerdal produced a late Blackcap munk and good numbers of thrushes and finches.
Fieldfare gråtrost
Redwings rødvingetrost
The last morning was spent in and around Heggeriset, a distant aythya duck proved too far off to identify conclusively but was either Tufted Duck toppand or Scaup bergand. Plenty of Brambling bjørkefink still around, along with Whooper sangsvane, Goldeneye kvinand, Mallard stokkand and a Wigeon brunnakke on the lake.
Mostly light westerly winds, but briefly rather strong. Largely dry but some showers.
Five keen birders trawled the island for migrants on the almost routine autumn Thursday visit. There were loads of birds about and plenty of activity - over 1000 birds of well over 50 species were noted. Nothing very rare in a conventional context but some decent Hernar sightings.
A probable Richards's pipit tartarpiplerke would have been the best bird if confirmed. THe best of the conventional migrants were a Wryneck vendehals and a Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger that eventually gave good views to most of us.
15 Blue tit blåmeis feeding in the scrub
Goldcrest fuglekonge
Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis
The main activity came in the form of a big movement of Blue Tits blåmeis with at least 700 heading west - probably a conservative estimate of the total passing. Smaller numbers of Great Tit kjøttmeis and Coal Tit svartmeis also moved through. At least one flock of Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis spent some time on the island too. In a Hernar context a couple of migrating Jays nøtteskrike may have been the best sighting of the day - seemingly a new species for the island.
A couple of WaterRail vannriskse, two Reed Bunting sivspurv, several Goldfinch stillits, around 60 Twite bergirisk, a Ring Ousel ringtrost, a Dunlin myrsnipe, a few Blackcap munk, at least one Chiff-chaff gransanger, over 100 Common Redpoll gråsisik and plenty of Brambling bjørkefink were also present.
Other sightings of interest included the first Long-tailed Ducks havelle of the autumn and a Peregrine vandrefalk that snatched a passing Snipe enkeltbekkasin out of the air with apparent ease.
Above two pictures from yesterday
The Yellow-legged Gullgulbeinmåke gained more cred today....
The Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke put in an appearance at Harkestad later in the day.
