Kristin 05 May - 16 May 2023 - Two good sightings in the North Sea

Another couple of weeks spent offshore, once again missing a number of quality sightings back home.

The best birds of this trip were a Peregrine vandrefalk and a Slavonian Grebe horndykker. Other species included several species of wader, and three species of skua - Great, Pomarine and Arctic. The only passerines identified were two Meadow Pipits heipiplerke, a Swallow låvesvale and a Wheatear steinskvett.

A few "blue" Fulmar havhest joined the normal ones early in the trip but none seen later. 

Up to four Basking Shark brugde were seen simultaneously and a Porbeagle Shark hårbrann was also seen a couple of times.

Fulmars havhest, Kristin field, 08 May

Gannet havsule, Kristin field, 08 May

Herring Gull gråmåke, Kristin field, 08 May

Kittiwake krykkje, Kristin field, 08 May

Lesser Black-backed Gulls sildemåke 08 May 

2cy Peregrine vandrefalk, Kristin 08 May

Basking Shark brugde, 09 May

Slavonian Grebe horndykker, Kristin, 10 May 2023

This is a rare species offshore and may even be the first I have seen from a vessel in the North Sea

Turnstone steinvender, Kristin, 10 May 2023

A common enough migrant in the North Sea

Basking Sharks brugde, 11 May 2023

Fulmar havhest, 14 May

Kittiwakes krykkje, 14 May

Some scenery on our way south.....

Dåvøy & Tjeldstø 13 December 2020 - A taste of winter

 Calm and mild again - but it was obviously colder during the night as much freshwater was frozen.

Started at Dåvøy where the hoped for species - Slavonian Grebe horndykker showed well in the scope with two birds fishing together. The other birds of note were mostly at long range with a Little Auk alkekonge, a Velvet Scoter sjøorre and a Red-throated Diver smålom also present. Birds that were a lot closer included a couple of Snipe enkeltbekkasin, White-tailed Eagle havørn and a flock of 17 Common Crossbill grankorsnebb.

Juvenile Peregrine vandrefalk

Whoopers sangsvane

A lunch break at Tjelstø saw two Whoopers sangsvane looking for some unfrozen water - and they did find what they were looking for not too far away:) A juvenile Peregrine vandrefalk put on an impressive performance - it seemed to spot a Snipe enkeltbekkasin on the ground at long range and headed straight for it. The Snipe escaped at great altitude and the Peregrine just kept going until I lost it just before it went into orbit.

Other birds seen included a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett at Nautnes.

Herdlevær / Nautnes 19 August 2020 - Early morning rain:)

 Some rain and a bit of southerly winds around dawn meant that even with a late start Herdlevær paid dividends with plenty of waders. Highlights were a Green Sandpiper skogsnipe, my first Ruff brushane of the autumn and a Little Stint dvergsnipe. Most of the usual waders were also present including Knot polarsnipe, Sanderling sandløper, Turnstone steinvender and more. A steady passage of Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak heading south and a Shelduck gravand hanging around were among the other sightings.

Less predictable was a Nuthatch spettmeis at Tjeldstø on the way home.

In the evening a non-birding trip west of Nautnes produced yet more waders - and a nice adult Peregrine vandrefalk  hunting them. It took a while to make it a habit but I don't leave the house without my camera, even if it is only a trip to the shops:)

Skogsøy 19 May 2020 - Another day, another seawatch

Northerly winds and sunny so predictably seawatching again.

The best birds today were a nice adult Long-tailed Skua fjelljo and a couple of flocks of Knot polarsnipe.

Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås

One of the Great Skuas storjo that passed

Raven ravn

Still reasonable numbers of Red-throated Diver smålom heading north

Red-throated Diver smålom followed by two Guillemots lomvi

Today's totals were:

Red throated Diver N	149
Northern Gannet N	32
Great Cormorant N	3
Great Cormorant S	1
Eurasian Shag N	5
Eurasian Shag S	24
Barnacle Goose N	64
Long tailed duck N	12
Common Scoter N	20
Merganser N	10
Oystercatcher N	10
Red Knot	23
Whimbrel N	1
Arctic Skua N	1
Long-tailed Skua N	1
Great Skua N	2
Common Gull N	47
Lesser black backed Gull N	1
Black-legged Kittiwake N	12
Arctic Tern N	23
Common Guillemot N	14
Razorbill N	16
Atlantic Puffin N	10
Auk N	23

On my way home I had to come to an abrupt stop to check out a raptor - a nice Peregrine vandrefalk causing havoc:)

Peregrine vandrefalk

Skogsøy 12 March 2020 - A most excellent day

Strong SW winds with occasiona short but heavy hail showers.

The morning started well with the first Dunnock jernspurv of the singing from one of the usual spots  - an early date for this species that normally turns up somewhat later.

Oystercatcher tjeld flock heading north

Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke

Shags toppskarv

I seawatched for just over 1.5 hours; there was nothing like the numbers of seabirds passing compared to yesterday with just 18 Kittiwake krykkje heading north. Small numbers of Gannets havsule were also on the move with birds moving in both directions. Several auks passed including several Guillemot lomvi, a Razorbill alke and some went unidentified. The southward migration of Shag toppskarv was obviously underway with over 40 birds passing. Oystercatcher tjeld headed north despite the hail showers and ended up with a total of 140.  A Peregrine vandrefalk drifted past - no doubt on the lookout for an unwary auk or Oystercatcher.

Other than that a few White-tailed Eagle havørn, several Raven ravn and Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke obviously settling in for the season.

Record shots of today's Stonechat svartstrupe

On the way home I managed to confirm yesterday's Stonechat svartstrupe with a female bird still present but just as difficult to follow and document. Several Skylark sanglerke and a Meadow Pipit heipiplerke were in the same area.

More Woodpigeon ringdue and Starling stær seen here and there too so birds are still arriving even with the strong winds.

After a visit to the shops, which were full of people buying enormous amounts of food the wind started dropping and I started to think I should fill my freezer up with fish. I spent the late afternoon / evening fishing and during this time had cracking views of a Goshawk hønsehauk, had the first roding Woodcock rugde of the year, watched Ravens ravn chasing White-tailed Eagles havørn and heard several species singing - Blackbird svarttrost, Robin rødstrupe, Wren gjerdesmett and Coal tit svartmeis all joined in - a cracking way to end a computer free, corona free day!!

Herdlevær 11 March 2020 - Status check

With strong SW winds and heavy showers whilst I prepared for the day I opted not to go to Skogsøy which had been my original plan and instead checked a few places to get an idea about what was going on. This turned out to be a mistake as the weather was fine, if rather windy, for a few hours and there was obviously a lot passing over the sea.

A half hour breakfast break at Herdlevær produced 66 Kittiwake krykkje, 34 Gannet havsule and a Curlew storspove heading north. Small numbers of auks and most of the usual suspects also turned up - including several White-tailed Eagles havørn.

Bathing Peregrine vandrefalk

Elsewhere some larger Starling stær flocks indicated new arrivals with 30-40 at a few locations. A few Skylark sanglerke, a bathing Peregrine vandrefalk and Snipe enkeltbekkasin.were among the other sightings.

A potentially bigger miss than not going to Skogsøy was a sighting of two distant birds in silhouette which were almost definitely Stonechats svartstrupe. However, despite only looking away long enough to get my camera out before I walked closer to where the birds were I could not relocate them.

UK3 with friends

One of at least 60 Greylags grågås at Tjeldstø had a neck ring - UK3 - a bird I have not seen before. According to geese.org this bird was ringed a little further south in Norway (Kårstø) on 23 June 2019 and was then reported for a few days in northern Germany 21-23 September 2019 before turning up at Tjeldstø today.

Nautnes 08 September 2019 - Home is best

In the morning I covered a few localities starting with a failed attempt for the Rosefinch rosenfink at Herdlevær. A Merlin dvergfalk, a few Chiff-chaffs gransanger and an obvious movement of Golden Plover heilo were the among the sightings here. Little of note at Breivik or Tjeldstø either.

First year Peregrine vandrefalk at Tjeldstø. Another was present at Nautnes later in the afternoon

So I returned home and sat on my terrace for a couple of hours to see what would pass. A Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove was a new for the house and passed together with a flock of Golden plover heilo - 116 of the latter headed south. A couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn, a Peregrine vandrefalk and a Kestrel tårnfalk were the raptors.

Possibly the most interesting sighting was a relatively late Swift tårnseiler which spent the whole time I was outside feeding over the woods with Swallows låvesvale. Most of the usual stuff also put in an appearance with several Gannets havsule, a Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke on the shore in front of the house and a couple of Red-throated Divers smålom.

A flock of 300 Starling stær fed in the area but contained no interesting ones.....