Øygarden 28.09-02.10.2026 - New species for the house list / the Nutcrackers are here

A most frustrating week: conditions were perfect and I have full time job. I say it every year but I really have to book holiday for the last week in September....

I managed anything between half an hour and an hour or so out and about with more summer than we had in the summer, easterly winds and so on.

On 28th I managed to spend 15 minutes at Tjeldstø and half an hour an Sæle. Tjeldstø gave a few White-tailed Eagles havørn, a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk and a Wheatear steinskvett along with the usual Wigeon brunnakke and so on.

Sæle was full of birds but nothing remarkable, just a female Blackcap munk, several Chiff-chaff gransanger and four Common Crossbill grankorsnebb.

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk

Male Wheatear steinskvett

On Tuesday 29th it was almost wall to wall Teams meetings and frustratingly I received a call from Bjørnar saying he had found what we had been expecting - a Nutrcracker nøttekråke. I've seen plenty this year, just not here at home where it is something of a rarity. Having suffered through a meeting or two I finally made it out and heard Nutcracker at close range without seeing it. I sat down to wait and soon heard a more distant call and scanning over the treetops I found two gaining height rapidly and heading north.

As this was really a trip to the shop I also stopped very quickly at Husvatnet where a late Lapwing vipe was present.

The photo that could have been something had I not knocked a button on my camera and screwed up the settings. Same thing happened with the Nutcrackers...

After this breif foray out it was back to barracks. Three minutes on the terrace during a break whilst making dinner I picked up a Stonechat svartstrupe. Luckily the bird stayed and a post dinner stroll with my better half and NBB junior #1 provided a photo opportunity.

Stonechat svartstrupe at Nautnes

The next day I found out my "good dad rewards" don't just apply to my daughters. There is also a similar concept called "good boyfriend rewards" where bird karma also kicks in. So, to save my better half some transport time, I offered to drive her half an hour to a bus stop with some more connections to civilisation. This resulted in a Common Buzzard musvåk on the way south and a lovely Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett on the way home:)

Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett at Sture

Back home I had Jay notteskrike in the garden along with the much commoner White-tailed Eagles havørn.

Eastern Norway 01.01-04.01.2026 - Urban Birding

I started the New Year in Hamar, which, lets face it, is not normally the best place to kick of the year. A stroll along the mighty Mjøsa through town resulted in an underwhelming 18 species. Two of these were of minor interest - a female Goosander laksand and two Rook kornkråke.

The next day was almost as unadventurous and was limited to a walk in the Botantic Gardens in Oslo but was considerably better on quality. I actually did two walks there during the course of the day. The first visit was more thorough and gave some good birds such as the regular Nutcracker nøttekråke, a Waxwing sidensvans, Goshawk hønsehauk and Sparrowhawk spurvehauk along with lots of Fieldfare gråtrost and the usual. It was here I found out my camera wasn't working and on returning home I found out this was not merely a dead battery as I had anticipated. So I had to jump on the subway and get hold of a replacement. 

Walking through the gardens again on my way home, luckily this time with a functioning camera I found a nice Woodcock rugde!! Always nice to see and common enough back home in Øygarden it is an altogether different story in Olso. According to the national database this is the first January record in Oslo!

Woodcock rugde in the Botanic Gardens, Oslo

Seems to be the first January record of this species in the area

On 3rd January we were dog sitting and took a walk around Sørenga and the opera house. This gave  a Coot sothøne as the best bird, a few Tufted Duck toppand and the usual good numbers of gulls.

Finally out birding for real on 4th January I took the trip to Gressholm where a male Lesser-spotted Woodpecker dvergspett gave excellent views. Goldcrests fuglekonge and a Wren gjerdesmett managed to find food despite the -6C temperatures and snow. Small numbers of the usual seaduck, including several Velvet Scoter sjøorre showed well here too.

Male Lesser-spotted Woodpecker dvergspett on Gressholm

Fieldfare gråtrost on Gressholm - thrushes must be struggling in this cold snap

Nutcracker nøttekråke in the Botanic Gardens

After this a quick look in the Botanic Gardens again revealed no trace of the Woodcock but the Nutcracker nøttekråke showed again.

Botanic Garden, Oslo 21 December 2025 - Nutcracker "drinking" ice

 A last look at the Botanic Gardens (my neighbour when in Oslo) gave more or less the usual selection of stuff but a Nutcracker nøttekråke gave good views as it did something which (for me at least) was a rather unsual - it landed on a frozen puddle and ate pieces of ice - obviously very thirsty!

Nutcracker nøttekråke eating / drinking ice

Oslo and Vestfold 19-23 November 2025

On 19th November I spent a couple of hours on Gressholmen. The initial feeling was that it was way too quiet and there was little to see. But a Little Auk alkekonge turned up along with most of the usual seaduck, a Red-throated Diver smålom and the usual suspects on the sea.

Little Auk alkekonge

Treecreeper trekryper - something I see less of than Little Auk alkekonge in my normal birding back in Øygarden

Passerines were a bit thin on the ground but good numbers of Blackbird svarttrost and a Treecreeper trekryper that gave cracking views were among the species seen here.

On 20th November we headed west of Oslo for an impromptu few days away. A short stop at Ilene, near Tønsberg gave a male Smew lappfiskand as the best bird, even though it was distant and against the light. A Red-throated Diver smålom and a nice variety of wildfowl were among the other sightings here. Both the Smew and the diver were new species for this locality for 2025 - never too late to stop trying:)

Next stop was Presterødkilen where there were good numbers of dabbling ducks, including a Teal krikkand, Goosanders laksand and plenty of other wildfowl.

The next day we visited Verdens Ende (the end of the world) which was just spectacular. Insane geology there! Out on the sea were good numbers of Eiders ærfugl (600++), several Little Auk alkeonge, and a variety of other seaduck. A flock of Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt fed among resting seals on an offshore island.

Next up was a walk at Moutmarka where the best birds were a Great Northern Diver islom on the sea, another Little Auk alkekonge and small numbers of pipits, including a couple of Meadow Pipit heipiplerke. A Treecreeper trekryper here was a new species for this locality in 2025 - another reason to not stop trying:)

Great Northern Diver islom

A couple of Meadow Pipit heipiplerke 

A trip to one of Norway's best birding destinations, Mølen, on 22nd November was quite productive with Slavonian Grebe horndykker, Little Auk alkekonge, Red-throated Diver smålom and good numbers of Velvet Scoter sjøorre giving great views. The vegetation along the coast gave Goldcrests fuglekonge, Crested Tit toppmeis and other species. It is obvious why this place works during the migration seasons!

Nevlunghstrand held well over 20 Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke, a couple of Meadow Pipit heipiplerke and more.

Back in Oslo on 23rd I took things easy and spent an hour or so in the Botanic Gardens. Best birds here were a Nutcracker nøttekråke, a female Blackcap munk, Hawfinch kjernebiter and Goldcrests fuglekonge. Over 60 Fieldfare gråtrost fed on the ample supply of berries together with Blackbirds svarttrost and other species. 

Just wonder what it would be like if the vast variety of bushes and trees in these gardens were moved to an offshore island on the west coast.....

Nutcracker nøttekråke in the Botanical Gardens, Oslo

Skogsøy and Sture 01 April 2013 - New species for Øygarden!

Calm and sunny with a northerly breeze picking up later. Very heavy frost overnight.

Kicked the day off with a few hours seawatching at Skogsøy. Plenty of migration today with getting on for 1000 Oystercatcher tjeld as the mainstay of the passage. Other stuff included the first Wigeon brunnakke of the year, a fly over Snow Bunting snøspurv (my first of the year), a Dunlin myrsnipe,  four Red-throated Diver smålom, a Little Auk alkekonge, a Puffin lunde, a Velvet Scoter sjøorre, a few Black-headed Gulls hettemåke and a light but steady movement of Curlew storspove and Common Gulls fiskemåke.

A Great Northern Diver islom headed south and a Peregrine vandrefalk caught a passerine nearby.

Nutcracker nøttekråke - first new species for Øygarden this year.

A tip off about a local mega resulted in decent views of the first Nutcracker nøttekråke for Øygarden - a long-awaited first. The bird was seen between Skjold and Sture.

Another tip-off saw me standing on my terrace for an hour or so - without any luck this time - but picked up several White-tailed Eagles havørn, a Jackdaw kaie, a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk, my first Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke of the year and a further movement of Common Gulls fiskemåke.