Northern Øygarden 04.03 - 06.03 2022 - Seawatching season start

On Friday 04.03 all my free time was taken up with an abortive attempt to get my COVID booster. A flock of 60 Redpoll gråsisik headed south over my house not long after dawn and a couple of Guillemot lomvi turned up just off my terrace.

A couple of Guillemot lomvi photographed from my terrace

A trip to Herdlevær on 05.03 was relatively quiet but once again flocks of Redpoll gråsisik and Siskin grønnsisik very obvious. There was some light rain early in the morning so I checked out a few places on the way to Herdlevær and was rewarded with two Mistle Thrush duetrost at Harkestad - which predicatably proved popular with the birders from town. On the way home I picked up a male Stonechat svartstrupe at Kollsnes which had been found there a short time earlier.

Male Stonechat svartstrupe at Kollsnes

Two Mistle Thrush duetrost at Harkestad

...one came ever so slightly closer

I started the seawatching season at Skogsøy with a couple of hours from 08:00-10:00 on 06.03. Passage wise it was a relatively normal early March seawatch with 91 Oystercatchers tjeld heading north and 87 Shag toppskarv heading south. A nice White-billed Diver gulnebblom fished offshore in very nice scope range as did a Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker, Black Guillemot teist and the largest flock of Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt thus far this year flew past (29 is still not very many though!).  Other sightings included a Great Northern Diver islom flew south quite close in, a hunting Peregrine vandrefalk and some large flocks of Siskin grønnsisik and Redpoll gråsisik heading over - once again south was the direction of choice.

Great Northern Diver islom

One of the many Oystercatcher tjeld flocks heading north

Massively cropped Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker.

It looked much better in the scope:)

On the way home two Stonechat svartstrupe at Kollsnes and the two Mistle Thrush duetrost remained at Harkestad.

Back home a Goshawk hønsehauk flew over (first from the house this year) and a Guillemot lomvi put in an appearance too. A Collared Dover tyrkedue singing in the evening was probably the first time I have heard this song from the terrace.

Guillemot lomvi

Hernar 13 November 2021 - Red-necked Grebe and more

Fantastic conditions with a light easterly breeze with the sun showing at times.

There were a number of reasons for choosing Hernar today (VERY unusual for me to head out there on a weekend): 

1) The Hernar year list is rather poorer than it has been in recent years

2) The weather conditions, including the rain during the night looked promising

3) There has been some "vis mig" at various locations the last day or two.

So Hernar it was and no regrets despite the fact there was very little in the way of visible migration  - something of a surprise given recent conditions. A few small flocks of Siskin grønnsisik and a light passage of Red-throated Diver smålom were pretty much the whole migration thing today.

Nevertheless a very nice day out in optimal late autumn conditions, mild and calm. 

Highlight was Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker on the sea during my first cup of coffee. The first in Øygarden this year (though one was seen later in the day from Sæle). Two Great Northern Diver islom and a Woodcock rugde were also additions to the Hernar 2021 list. At least one Water Rail vannriske was present  - the first I have seen locally this year.

Other sightings of interest included a few Meadow Pipits heipiplerke, a late Oystercatcher tjeld, a few Black Guillemots teist, a selection of the usual seaduck and a late(ish) Song Thrush måltrost.

Just short of 40 species so around the average on the island.

The moon was massive whilst waiting for the boat home

This pile of apples was very popular with Blackbirds svarttrost, Fieldfare gråstrost and Chaffinches bokfink

Great Northern Diver islom - one of two seen today - this one came in from the north and went in for landing close to the first one

One of the good things about island birding is that even common stuff can be of interest. On Hernar Great Tit kjøttmeis is a common late autumn migrant and winter visitor in small numbers

Another photo from the quayside whilst waiting for the boat home - Grey Heron gråhegre.

Skogsøy 28 April 2020 - Loonatic kick off. All four divers!

Sunny with light easterly winds.

A cracking day for migration with very nice conditions.

Despite some efforts no other loonatics were present today.

In almost 5.5 hours there was plenty to see with the highlight being 24 White-billed Divers gulnebblom - including two flocks of four! Over 400 Red-throated Diver smålom, two Great Northern Diver islom and a single Black-throated Diver storlom.

A Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker was a bonus bird - not often we see them migrating here - they are normally seen on the sea. Three Shelduck gravand were another local year tick too.

Common Sandpipers strandsnipe displaying in front of the house in the evening were the first of the year for me too.

Black-throated Diver storlom

Most of the migrating Cormorants storskarv now are immatures

Gannet havsule

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke

Still some Oystercatcher tjeld heading north

Single Red-throated Diver smålom

Nice flock of Red-throated Diver smålom

White-billed Diver gulnebblom

Four White-billed Diver gulnebblom

White-tailed Eagle havørn (4th or 5th year bird)

The totals were as follows:

Red throated Diver N	441
Black throated Diver N	1
Great Northern Diver N	2
White Billed Diver N	24
Red necked Grebe N	1
Northern Gannet N	109
Northern Gannet S	12
Great Cormorant N	24
Great Cormorant S	1
Eurasian Shag N	7
Eurasian Shag S	13
Shelduck N	3
Eider N	4
Eider S	3
Long tailed duck N	9
Common Scoter N	1
Common Scoter S	17
Merganser N	7
Merganser S	3
Oystercatcher N	78
Oystercatcher S	7
Black headed Gull N	2
Black headed Gull S	1
Common Gull N	240
Common Guillemot N	5
Auk N	13

Bonus sighting was a pod of at least five Orcas feeding and heading slowly north

Hernar 16 April 2019 - A productive day on the sea

Calm and sunny again.

Although the conditions were far from ideal for grounded migrants it was time to visit the island of Hernar again today. Although there was not much in the way of migrants, there were a number of new arrivals since my last visit in the form of Twite bergrisik, Linnet tornirisk, Lesser Redpoll brunsisik and Woodpigeon ringdue. A big increase in the number of Wheatear steinskvett and some of the other species. A single Lapland Bunting lappspurv and a Chiff-chaff gransanger or two were the only migrants.

Linnet tornirisk

Raven ravn

Rather odd looking Greylag grågås - much white and for a second I thought I had something more interesting...

Porpoises nise

A large pod of Porpoise nise fed close in to the island.

Long-tailed Ducks havelle

A couple of the several Black Guillemot teist seen today.

Great Northern Diver islom in almost full summer plumage  (massively cropped!)

Long-tailed Ducks havelle are one of the most photogenic species ever

Part of a flock of Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt

Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker 

The boat trip there and back produced the best birding of the day with a Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker, an adult Great Northern Diver islom, 30+ Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt and some nice flocks of Long-tailed Duck havelle. The latter are getting in the mood for spring, displaying and flying around - in the calm weather they can be heard a long way off.

The first shot I took at very long range as I attempted to approach a little closer.

The birds were then scared up by a passing car and flew towards me giving the opportunity for a few flight shots....

Male Ring Ouzel ringtrost

In the afternoon a few diversions on a trip to the shop produced the Pinkfoot kortnebbgås flock at Kollsness and three cracking Ring Ouzel ringtrost at Breivik in part of a larger flock of mixed thrushes. Reed Bunting sivspurv also put in an appearance here.