Øygarden 24.02-02.03 - Out of work = even less time in the field

Now that I no longer have a real job the thinking would be that there would be plenty more time to be out and about. This is in fact just a fanciful notion - I spent the entire week stuck on the computer with the exception of a short but pleasant walk at Hjelme Vest.

Here there were 14 White-tailed Eagles havørn, 50 Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt, 4 Oystercatcher tjeld (first of the year for me), a Black Guillemot teist and 60 Long-tailed Duck havelle.

White-tailed Eagle havørn were constantly in view from my terrace with up to three present at any given time. Greylags grågås also turned up - obviously prospecting for breeding sites and geese numbers at Tjeldstø rose to 24.

Still good numbers of Brambling bjørkefink around with 30+ seen a few times. A roadside Woodpigeon ringdue on 27.02 must have been a newly returning bird and a flock of 11 Starling stær at Tjeldstø on 29.02 was the biggest flock I have seen thus far this year.

Collared Dove tyrkedue with nest material

On 02.03 a Collared Dove tyrkedue was collecting nest material so the singing over the last few weeks must have paid off.....this species is a relatively recent colonist at Tjeldstø.

2cy Glaucous Gull polarmåke

Travelling for a job interview gave me a short break in downtown Bergen where the long staying Glaucous Gull polarmåke gave good views.

Others with a bit more time on their hands reported, among other things, White-billed Diver gulnebblom and the first Shelduck gravand.

Kollsnes July 2019 - Industry as a nature reserve

I have been working out of the Kollsnes gas processing plant in Øygarden for the last few weeks. Although there has been no birding as such I have parked my car and walked through the area daily. Photography is not allowed so my camera has been left in my car.

I have spent up to several seconds taking the following photos from my car window. I'm sure the photography ban doesn't cover the birds.....

At least one pair of Common Sandpiper strandsnipe breed inside the Kollsnes gas processing plant area

A few pairs of Oystercatcher tjeld have well grown young

This Ringed Plover sandlo had at least one young in tow. Right outside the accomodation block inside the plant

The Kollsnes plant covers a large area, much of which seems to be undisturbed a lot of the time. It is fenced off and access strictly controlled so there are no walkers, joggers or other normal forms of disturbance. At least five species of waders breed inside the fence - and I saw young of three of these without even trying. Curlew storspove, Ringed Plover sandlo, Common Sandpiper strandsnipe, Oystercatcher tjeld and Snipe enkeltbakkasin were breeding in the area during my time there. I strongly suspect that Lapwing vipe also breed within the fenced off area but may already have moved out. I only saw part of the area, it would be interesting to have a walk around more of it, preferably with binoculars...

In other words more pairs of more species than on the surrounding farmland. More pairs of more species than in nearby designated "friluftsområde" (basically places for walking etc).

Almost on a par with the nature reserve at Tjeldstø (where cats and other disturbance are prevalent).

Protection by industry. Worth a re-think......?

Skogsøy 11 January 2019 - Only slightly better than the kitchen window....

Brisk north westerly winds.

Once again looking out of the kitchen window during a telephone call paid dividends. This time in the form of the the first Oystercatcher tjeld of the year in Hordaland (and species #100 for the county this year).

Spurred on by this I took a quick trip to Skogsøy. It was almost painfully quiet but there were some birds about including four guillebills alke/lomvi that landed on the sea and three Razorbill alke heading north, another new for the Øygarden year list was a Gannet havsule heading south. The most interesting sighting, however, was a Peregrine vandrefalk aktively hunting over the sea for long periods at a time. Normally they sit on a suitable look-out and make relatively brief forays out to sea. Today it hung almost kestrel-like high over the waves scanning for prey.

Øygarden 22-23 September 2018 - A late update....

On 22 September there were strong winds from the west so I took a late trip to Skogsøy and seawatched for just over an hour. Nothing remarkable seen but 150 Gannets havsule heading north, a couple of Fulmar havhest, several Kittiwake krykkje, 5 Red-throated Diver smålom heading south and three Guillemots lomvi north were seen.

Inevitable Gannet havsule spam

Red-throated Diver smålom

A Peregrine vandrefalk hunted over the house on my return.

Common Sandpiper strandsnipe on the road near my house - a sure sign of the conditions - normally seen on the shore in front of the terrace.....

Oystercatcher tjeld at Hellesøy

Rosefinch rosenfink at Hjelme - patience pays off.

On 23 September I briefly visited a few sites in the north of Øygarden. At Sæle I picked up a Grey Wagtail vinterle, a Chiff-chaff gransanger and a few Blackcap munk among other things. At Hjelme I caught up with the long-staying Rosefinch rosenfink and had a variety of other species including Woodcock rugde and Blackcap munk.

Inner islands, NW Øygarden 15 July 2018 - Game on

Southerly winds and overcast to start with (rain during the night), hot and sunny later.

Two of this year's Common Tern makrellterne (left and right)

Note that the second bird from the right is an Arctic Tern rødnebbterne.

Two Common Tern chicks - fingers crossed!

Another day, another boat trip. The aim of the day was to check out potential tern colonies. Bad news for Arctic Terns rødnebbterne as we found no definite nests, although we did see a number of adults (and there ARE some pairs breeding in the area as I see adults with fish flying over my house every day). Common Terns makrellterne seem to be fairing better - another look at the site I checked in on yesterday revealed six fully fledged young and two chicks still at the nest.

Not the easiest of conditions today.....

Adult Knot polarsnipe

Young Oystercatcher tjeld almost "good to go"

Wader migration is now picking up with the first Knot polarsnipe of the autumn. Two flocks, one of eight and another of six were seen, though there is some potential for these being the same birds. As usual for this time of year the birds were adults. Two Dunlin myrsnipe migrating were also the first of the autumn. Plenty of Oystercatcher tjeld again - some young looking ready to go. It will only be a couple more weeks before these birds are migrating. The only other waders were a few each of Curlew storspove and Whimbrel småspove.

This Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke was colour ringed but flew a couple of seconds too soon to read the number :(

Merganser siland with young

Eiders ærfugl posing around the islands.....

More Eider ærfugl with young, a Merganser siland with eight chicks and a light but steady passage of Gannet havsule were among the other birds seen.

Nøvlingane 08 July 2018 - The Young Ones

Calm sunny and very nice weather to be out and about in.

This is nothing to do with the cult British TV comedy series from the '80s :)

We took a boat trip to look around the islands to check out what was going on.

Whimbrels småspove - a sure sign that autumn migration has begun.

Migration wise a flock of 8 Whimbrel småspove put in an appearance close to Nautnes.

One of a few families of Eiders ærfugl seen today.

Young Great black-backed Gulls svartbak

Grey Seal havert

Young Herring Gull gråmåke

Lesser Black Backed Gull sildemåke - by far in the minority out on the islands

One of several young Oystercatcher tjeld seen.

Adult Oystercatcher tjeld with limpit. Of more interest is that this bird is ringed....highly likely to have been ringed on the south coast of the UK if experience is anything to go by.

Raven ravn

Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke really living up to it's name

Shag toppskarv

Other than these it was just the usual breeding birds including a single Black Guillemot teist, several Cormorants storskarv among the local Shags toppskarv, Oystercatchers tjeld, Eider ærfugl and the usual gull species. There were plenty of young Herring Gulls gråmåke and Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak on several of the islands.

Other stuff included a White-tailed Eagle havørn, a couple of Raven ravn, Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke and a couple of Gannets havsule. Several Arctic Tern rødnebbterne were seen but none on the island that looked so promising earlier in the year.

As is so often the case a couple of Grey Seal havert were hanging around.