Øygarden + 03.08-09.08.24 - Some birding time at last - Spotted Reds starting to show

On my return to the west of Norway I went straight into guiding mode and on 0308 visited Herdla.  At least 47 species here including 10 species of wader. At least 20 Ruff brushane, a Whimbrel småspove and most of the usual suspects.

One of the Greylags was neck ringed - UK3 - a bird that I have seen in Øygarden previously:

Passerines included a couple of Whinchat buskskvett, a Yellow Wagtail gulerle and a Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper.

After Herdla we hit my old turf in the Haukeland/ Gullfjell area where we added a number of new species for the day including Common Buzzard musvåk, Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper, Swift tårnseiler and Goldfinch stillits. The lower levels of Gullfjell produced among other things Kestrel tårnfalk, White-tailed Eagle havørn and Common Crossbill grankorsnebb. Not a bad day all in all:)

The next day I spent just over an hour seawatching at Skogsøy in NW winds but it was surprisingly disappointing and was similar to my previous visit there. Very little to report indeed. However, getting on with things back home was a lot more productive with a Spotted Redshank sotsnipe and a couple of Greenshank gluttsnipe flying over.

Monday 05.08 was spent working from home with just the first Dunnock jernspurv for some time and Greenshank gluttsnipe flying over of any note.

On Tuesday 06.08 I did my usual round at Herdlevær before work including half and hour looking out over the sea which produced several flocks of Oystercatcher tjeld heading  south along with a variety of other waders including a Knot polarsnipe and a couple of Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove. Nice views of an Otter feeding too:)

Otter at Herdlevær

A pre-work visit to Tjeldstø the following day gave the first Wood Sandpiper grønnstilk of the year, a single flock of 29 Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a variety of other waders.as well as two first year White-tailed Eagles havørn.

The first Mink I have seen for some time ran along the shore in front of my house, I really need to get that hunting license and a rifle:)

On 08.08 I once again left the reservation for another trip to Herdla, this time a rare birding trip rather than guiding. At least 600 Greylag grågås in the area with more heading south overhead. A new neck-ringed bird VP5 was present - as usual with such birds observations come from Holland, Germany and Denmark.

Other sightings here included a Little Stint dvergsnipe, a few Kestrel tårnfalk, a Peregrine vandrefalk, a few Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove, 95 Ringed Plover sandlo and 35 Ruff brushane.

The next day I didn't get out at all but had a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk in the garden and nice views of a Spotted Redshank sotsnipe at Tjeldstø during a trip to the shops.

The "new" housing estate they insisted on building may be the source of the plastic

First year Spotted Redshank sotsnipe at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

Øygarden 23.07-26.07.2024 - Otters again

 Yet more not birding but good results on a family fishing trip and the Otters performed well from the terrace again.

A walk at Løvstian in Bergen on 24.07 was very nice in glorious weather but not much in the way of birds. 

On 25 July a family walk at Tjeldstø produced an adult White-tailed Eagle havørn, a couple of Reed Bunting sivspurv (my first at this locality this year) and most of the usual suspects.

The following day the absolute highlight was watching the mother Otter with her young in the early morning rain together with my granddaughter. A Greenshank gluttsnipe also flew over the house and a couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn put in an appearance.

Øygarden 20-21 January 2024 - Otters

On Saturday I was out bright and early in very nice conditions - I opted for Hjelme Vest. 

Once again it felt rather quiet on the sea with just a Great Northern Diver islom, 30 Long-tailed Duck havelle, several Common Scoter svartand, a Black Guillemot teist and a Guillemot lomvi of any note. A couple of Oystercatcher tjeld fed on the rocks close by and a small flock of Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt put in an appearance. 

On my way out to where I scan the sea three female Velvet Scoter sjøorre fed close in - the first I have seen in Øygarden this year.

A flock of around 20 Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb and a Woodcock rugde were the best sigthings in the woods. 

Crested Tits toppmeis, White-tailed Eagles havørn and the usual also seen.

As usual there was an Otter fishing just off the rocks, it came onshore and started rolling about in the snow, seemingly enjoying getting clean and having a scratch.

Otter enjoying the snow:)

Elsewhere a Snipe enkeltbekkasin fed in one of the few unfrozen areas available.

On Sunday the weather was less than optimal to start with - with heavy rain and strong winds. Can't complain though - almost all the snow disappeared during the night and the ground is thawing - great news for the Woodcock rugde and Snipe enkeltbekkasin that have quite literally gambled everything on a survivable winter:)

I started with some drive-bys. Herdlevær produced a couple of Otter and three Curlew storspove as the best sightings.

Otters at Herdlevær

The weather cleared up nicely after lunch and a walk along Langøysundet gave a flock of five Oystercatcher tjeld, a Red-throated Diver smålom, nine Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb and most of the usual suspects.

Nautnes 13 February 2023 - Home Office advantages

Fantastic weather, calm and mild. It was criminal not to be out under such conditions but a couple of coffee breaks on the terrace made things just about bearable.

Clocked up another couple of new species for the garden this year in the form of a fly-over Red-breasted Merganser siland and a Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett. More unusually a Collared Dove tyrkerdue turned up again. Only saw one White-tailed Eagle havørn today but a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk put on a decent show and the usual Otter fed on the shore.

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk takes a break

Collared Dove tyrkerdue

Otter

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk - not a bad flight shot for a point and pray:)

Sparrowhauk spurvehauk

Øygarden 01-02 November 2019 - Still plenty going on!

On 01 November I did a quick check at Herdlevær which produced Goshawk hønsehauk and Goldfinch stillits as the best birds.

Peregrine vandrefalk at Tjeldstø

Tjeldstø was slightly better with three White-tailed Eagles havørn - two adults seemed to cooperate on catching a large fish and a younger birds that tried to get in on the action. Also a first year Goshawk hønsehauk and an adult Peregrine vandrefalk.

Thrushes and finches still picking off the last of the rowan berries and some late Dunnock jernspurv also moving through - heard or seen at a few locations.

Female Blackcap munk at Blomvåg

On 02 November I spent at hour at Sæle where I had a couple of flocks of Waxwing sidensvans as the best birds. Family errands meant I had to chase a bus to Rong and on the way home I picked up a couple of female Blackcaps munk at Blomvåg, a Merlin dvergfalk over the road at Oen and both Waxwing sidensvans and Goldfinch stillits at Ådnevika.

A short trip out in the afternoon finally gave me actual views of a Green Woodpecker grønnspett, a few more Waxwing sidensvans flocks heading south and 100s of finches - mostly Common Redpoll gråsisik, Siskin grønnsisik and Brambling bjørkefink.

Otter in my "garden"

I did actually leave the terrace to get the close up shots!

Back home at Nautnes a Little Auk alkekonge turned up on the sea outside the house and an Otter put on a nice performance as it devoured a butterfish.

Nautnes / Tjeldstø 22 - 27 April 2019 - Back to incidental birding

The cracking weather continues but work took its toll this week and there were no trips out at all, just the usual stop beside Husvatnet on the way to shops / bus stop and whatever happened to pass the terrace.

On 23 April a flock of 19 Sand Martin sandsvale was a huge number in a local context.

Otter from the terrace

From the terrace displaying Curlew storspove, Woodcock rugde, Snipe enkeltbekkasin were pretty much daily along with Swallows låvesvale, Wheatear steinskvett, Willow Warbler løvsanger, Chiff-chaff gransanger etc. On 26 April House Martin taksvale and Common Sandpiper strandsnipe were new for the year. Otter was, as usual, pretty much daily along with White-tailed Eagle havørn.

Fieldfare gråtrost

Male Ruff brushane

Twite bergirisk at Tjeldstø

White Wagtail linerle

On 27 April misty conditions brought down a variety of migrants at Tjeldstø including a nice male Ruff brushane, a flock of 200 Fieldfare gråtrost, several Golden Plover heilo and a 2cy Peregrine vandrefalk were among the birds noted.

Skogsøy 02 November 2017 - Little Auks but only just

Gale force northerly winds but sunny.

Cormorant storskarv struggling north into the wind

Gannet havsule

Long-tailed Ducks havelle

One of a number of Razorbill alke seen heading north

View to the south today - worth the walk in itself......

As usual couple of hours spent seawatching produced some decent birds. Technically I suppose three adult Great Northern Diver islom beat four Little Auks alkekonge but the former have been a lot more obvious of late than the latter - the first of the autumn for me.

Other than that it was the usual suspects with good numbers of Gannet havsule, some Common Scoter svartand heading south and small numbers of Kittiwake krykkje, Razorbill alke and Long-tailed Duck havelle also seen.

Perhaps the most interesting sighting given the weather conditions were some flocks of passerines coming in off the sea - most unusual with the wind in the north. The only flock positively identified were Redpoll gråsisik but the other flocks were also very likely this species. Perhaps arriving from Iceland....

The walk there and back produced the usual suspects - White-tailed Eagle havørn, Raven ravn, Crested Tit toppmeis etc along with a single male Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb, a Meadow Pipit heipiplerke, three Willow Tit granmeis and a flock of around 40 Common Redpoll gråsisik.

Up close and personal with an Otter at Tjeldstø - I've managed to not take pictures on a number of occasions the last few days but it would have been downright rude not to have taken advantage of today's opportunity....

At Tjeldstø one or two Little Auk alkekonge put in an appearance alongside White-tailed Eagle havørn and an Otter oter - seen daily of late including on the shore in front of my house.