Øygarden 29.01- 01.02.2025 - Playing catch-up

Having spent some time in Oslo it was great to be back in Øygarden from a birding point of view - Oslo has some birds but in my day to day life there it is hard to find the time to get out to where they are. One of the main advantages of where I live is that "incidental" birding is just so much better. Going outside on my terrace or a trip to the shops is just so much more productive.

Quite a few birds turned up after a storm whilst I was away so it was a case of trying to catch up on stuff I had missed.

I arrived home after dark on 28.01. The following day I was stuck in meetings almost the entire day but managed to sneak out for an hour after work. Only a couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn and a flock of 25 Siskin grønnsisik from the house along with couple of Shags toppskarv that provided some interest by catching stuff. The long-staying Greylag grågås flock at Sæle gave a local new for the year. A flock of 22 Fieldfare gråtrost, two Redwing rødvingetrost, six Starling stær and eight Goldfinch stillits were also present here.

Fieldfare gråtrost at Sæle

2cy Shag toppskarv from my terrace

Shag toppskarv finally managed to swallow its catch - a Sea Scorption ulke.

The two long-staying Little Grebes dvergdykker were still present at Dåvøy.

On 30th January I managed a couple of hours out in a boat in pretty good conditions. Unsurprisingly this resulted in several new species for the year locally including Razorbill alke, Little Auk alkekonge and Guillemot lomvi. Black Guillemot teist were rather obvious with around 15 seen. A flock of over 20 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, a few Oystercatcher tjeld , at least 12 White-tailed Eagle havørn and a Great Northern Diver islom were among the other sightings.

Guillemot lomvi near Hellesøy

After work I headed out again following a message about an albifrons White-fronted Goose tundragås at Breivik. I connected with this and picked up a male Tufted Duck toppand on Husvatnet on the way home.

albifrons Whitefront tundragås at Breivik

Friday 31st was a particularly frustrating day as the weather was just fantastic. After work (thank goodness the days are getting longer!) I popped in at Tjeldstø for a few minutes, here a Turnstone steinvender was new for the year. Four Purple Sandpiper fjærplytt, a Long-tailed Duck havelle and one of last year's White-tailed Eagle havørn all showed well, if rather distantly in the scope.

After this I kicked off the year's fishing with a 4.5kg Cod torsk , a decent haul of Whiting hviting and a squid.

On 1st February I took my first trip to Skogsøy where a Great Northern Diver islom gave point blank views as it flew south moments after I sat down. Things were generally rather quiet but a Kittiwake krykkje heading north, a Gannet havsule heading south and a single Little Auk alkekonge meant it was not a complete waste of time.

3cy White-tailed Eagle havørn at Skogsøy - one of four White-tailed Eagle seen at this locality.

The way home produced a couple of Mute Swan knoppsvane at Sture (still not a common bird in northern Øygarden) and eight Collared Dove tyrkedue at Oen.

Mute Swans knoppsvane at Sture - probably the same bird that turned up at Hellesøy in December.

Herdlevær and Nautnes 04 May 2023 - A big migration day and a new species for Nautnes

Unfortunately not out in any significant way but still caught up with at least part of a massive day of migration - 45 minutes with the scope at Herdlevær gave 237 Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås on their way to Svalbard, 173 Red-throated Diver smålom, a Great Northern Diver islom and a White-billed Diver gulnebblom along with some of the usual suspects. 

Record numbers of Red-throated Divers smålom (>1300) and White-billed Divers gulnebblom (50) passed today !!

Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås

Curlew storspove

Golden Plover heilo

Horse Mackrel hestemakrell

Small numbers of Golden Plover heilo were present at Herdlevær and a flock of around 80 were at Breivik.

The rest of the day was spent just trying to catch up on life before the next trip. In the evening a flock of five Mute Swan knoppsvane turned up on the sea in front of the house - a new for the house list (#158) and Nautnes in general. This species was once a real rarity in Øygarden but has been more and more regular in recent years in line with the species expansion in the Bergen area. This bird has been seen in downtown Bergen on a number of occasions since October 2021, most recently on 22 April this year.

Mute Swan knoppsvane - a new species for the house list which is now at least 158

Above picture taken with compact superzoom

A few snaps using an older DSLR

Much rarer than White-billed Diver!!

Skogsøy and Tjeldstø 04 January 2020 - Skogsøy blow out

Near gale force north westerly winds with some sleet / hail showers.

Given yesterday's Kittiwake at Nautnes I hoped that the winds might produce something at Skogsøy. I did not sit out there very long but there was almost nothing passing and it was one of the most disappointing Skogsøy trips ever. A few White-tailed Eagles havørn were present and being only the second day I have been in Øygarden there were a few local year ticks in the form of Eider ærfugl, Coal Tit svartmeis, Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke, Goldcrest fuglekonge and Goldeneye kvinand.

Mute Swans knoppsvane at Tjeldstø - a local rarity.

On the way home I spent some time at Tjeldstø which was MUCH better with two Mute Swans knoppsvane as the best sighting - similar to last year's winter sighting. This is only the sixth record of this species here although it seems like it is becoming more regular. Other sightings included a Woodcock rugde, a Snipe enkeltbekkasin, six Redwing rødvingetrost, a Fieldfare gråtrost, Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke and a Tree Sparrow pilfink.

Dying Robin rødstrupe at Solberg. The puffy eye may indicate some kind of disease

I also popped in at Solberg where the lack of sea duck was once again noticable. Only one Common Scoter svartand was present. A dying Robin rødstrupe sat in the path here, the puffy eye probably indicates some kind of disease. Of more interest was a hunting Peregrine vandrefalk and the 11th White-tailed Eagle havørn of the day.

Mother-of-pearl clouds perlemorskyer (polar strasospheric clouds)

Another observation of interest were polar stratospheric clouds - so called mother-of-pearl clouds (perlemorskyer) - particularly obvious as I left the house before the sun came up.

Tjeldstø 23 February 2019 - A new species for Tjeldstø!

Strong southerly wind but mild and dry.

I did no birding today other than a quick stop a Tjeldstø on my way home from various errands. Highlight was a new species for Tjeldstø - Mute Swan knoppsvane! Four second year birds fed there and represent only the fifth record of this species for Øygarden. Not the most exciting of "rarities" but a very nice record indeed and takes the species list at Tjeldstø up to 212.

VJ3 is back and strutting his stuff again. He bred here last year and looks to be intent on doing the same this season. 

The first Mistle Thrush duetrost of the spring

There was plenty of other interest including a Mistle Thrush duetrost feeding in the fields (this seems to be the earliest ever in Øygarden), my first local Tufted Duck toppand of the year and plenty of Greylags grågås - a species that arrived the day after I left Øygarden last week....One of these birds was neck ringed and was a bird I first saw last spring at the same locality. I checked it out on geese.org and very interestingly this bird was observed in Holland back on  20 January this year. It was first seen at Tjeldstø on 21.02.

A rare sight this winter - a young Whooper sangsvane accompanying its parents. Thus far this winter there have only been adults in Øygarden. Not an encouraging sign. Note the female Tufted Duck toppand to the left in the bottom picture.

There were also quite a few Whoopers sangsvane about - including the first immature bird I have seen in Øygarden this winter.

Working on various things outside my house I had the usual White-tailed Eagle havørn and a flyover Skylark sanglerke in addition to the usual stuff at the feeders.

Øygarden 07 November 2014 - Going to the office produces Øygarden mega!

Stronger SE winds today with high cloud.

A trip to the office would normally mean that the day was a write-off. Not so today - returning home I stopped to check out two swans on Stegeviksvatnet, Toft. Initially I had driven past thinking these were just the first Whoopers sangsvane of the autumn but something made me turn around and go back....

A real mega for Øygarden - the second ever record of Mute Swan knoppsvane for the islands

This was a stroke of luck (or my gut feeling was good) as the two swans turned out to be Øygarden's second ever Mute Swans knoppsvane - a real mega! As I had gone to the office I didn't have my "proper" camera with me but I had my compact super-zoom in the car with which to document this exciting find. The swans must have moved on pretty quickly as they had already disappeared an hour or two later.

The only previous record of this species was from Hernar in conjuction with the Crag Martin twitch back in May 2011.

To anyone not living on some of the remoter islands this species is probably one of the least exciting imaginable. Not so in Øygarden!

Chiff-chaff gransanger at Sæle

A quick look at Sæle produced at least two each of Chiff-chaff gransanger and Blackcap munk along with a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett, a couple of Sparrowhawk spurvehauk and Brambling bjørkefink.

Brambling bjørkefink at Nautnes

Whilst I was taking pictures of the swans with a point and pray camera my daughter was taking pictures of a Brambling bjørkefink from the terrace back home with a "proper" camera....