Tjeldstø 03 March 2018 - Dead stuff

Overcast with very light snowfall. Slightly warmer today and temperatures may even have risen above freezing briefly. Very light winds again.

The situation for many species remains dire so today I did what I have done in similar circumstances in the past and visited a few wet and boggy areas to feed the birds with finely chopped hot dog sausages. I have no idea if this helps and suspect only Water Rail vannrikse may benefit or even realise that this is food.

Snipe enkeltbekkasin running for cover

Snipe enkeltbekkasin tracks (not from the same bird as above)

2cy Whooper sangsvane, now all on its own.

Desparate Woodcock rugde seen in flight a few places today whilst Snipe enkeltbekkasin seem to be just about hanging in there but are now being chased by corvids when they come out in the open to feed (something they pretty much have to do).

Even the sheep are struggling - this one had attracted the attentions of Ravens ravn and Hooded Crows kråke - carrion eaters are well catered for now with two very large meals a short distance from each other.

It is not just these species that are having a hard time of things - an adult Whooper sangsvane has succumbed at Tjeldstø - possibly one of the parents of the lone youngster present today. Sheep too seem to be struggling....

Finally a short video from yesterday of a Redwing rødvingetrost mining for food in long grass.

Øygarden 01 March 2018 - Cracking weather unless you have a long probing bill

Freezing calm and sunny.

Fantastic weather for humans, less so for those creatures who like to find their food in the upper layer of the soil. Calm and sunny but frozen. It did not feel cold but it never got warm enough to thaw much even in the middle of the day.

Took a lazy walk at Skogsøy but the lagoons which were the target area today were pretty much frozen. Just a couple of Whoopers sangsvane along with the usual duck. Over the sea a solitary Gannet havsule, a single White-tailed Eagle havørn and not a lot else were to be seen.

Fieldfare gråtrost

Redwing rødvingetrost

Starling stær - probably a returning migrant and quite possibly the only time this year I will bother photographing this rather photogenic species.

A drive-by at Herdlevær gave perhaps the best photographic opportunities of the day with Starling stær, Redwing rødvingetrost and Fieldfare gråtrost feeding on a patch of ground that looked like it had a chance of thawing.

Snipe enkeltbekkasin are having a hard time of things now

Most of the Whooper sangsvane family

Whoopers sangsvane

Tjeldstø was rather better with a family of Whoopers sangsvane, at least two Woodcock rugde, a Snipe enkeltbekkasin, a fly-over Greylag grågås and many of the usual suspects.

Another Woodcock rugde turned up very close to my house at Nautnes. They will start dying very soon if the weather remains as cold as is forecast.....

Øygarden 31.01 - 02.02.2018 - Bits and bobs

Fieldfare gråtrost

Redwing rødvingetrost

Part of the Fieldfare gråtrost flock feeding in the snow

Three of the four albifrons Whitefronts tundragås

Rain and snow on the last day of January combined with a heavy workload meant I limited things to a drive-by at Tjeldstø. Plenty of thrushes feeding in the fields and four albifrons Whitefront tundragås at Harkestad were pretty much the only sightings.

Crested Tit toppmeis - a common woodland bird that I don't tend to photograph very much

Tufted Duck toppand

Whitefront tundragås

I try not to take too many White-tailed Eagle havørn photographs but it would have been downright rude to ignore this poser

February started with very nice conditions indeed - calm and sunny with some frost. A quick trip out to Hjelme Vest produced pretty much the usual with a few Great Northern Divers islom, a couple of Kittiwake krykkje feeding, a few Black Guillemots teist and several White-tailed Eagles havørn among the sightings. Long-tailed Duck havelle now up to more than 40 birds - pathetic numbers compared to relatively few years ago.

An aythya duck at Husvatnet fooled me for a while and needed closer inspection - it turned out to be a Tufted Duck toppand. However, the effort was not wasted as some Whitefronts tundragås flew in right over my head.

Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb weightlifting

Razorbill alke

A quick walk at Skogsøy in stunning conditions on 2nd February gave little out of the ordinary - at least three White-tailed Eagle havørn, a Great Northern Diver islom and a massive eight Gannet havsule heading north. A Razorbill alke was feeding close in and some Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb put in an appearance.

Øygarden 22 January 2018 - A cracking day out

High cloud and SE winds, temperatures creeping over freezing.

The intention today was a quick walk at Hjelme Vest and then home again to get on with things but this plan went horribly, horribly wrong. There was just too much to see.

Hjelme Vest was rather quiet with just a nice Great Northern Diver islom on the sea, a few small flocks of Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt, a couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn, Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke and many of the usual suspects.

A Fieldfare gråtrost in a bad way...

.....and another just slightly worse off

A Redwing rødvingetrost working its way along a snow free area of ground. This spot is often used by sheep to shelter from the worst of the weather and the soil is therefore no doubt a little richer - hopefully providing something in the way of food.

A Wren gjerdesmett worked the same section of ground and even passed under the Fieldfare gråtrost.

It is obvious that the Fieldfares gråtrost are struggling - a few good sized flocks came in off the sea heading south -numbering some 250 in total. I found three dead and one moribund bird on the short walk. The first dead bird looked like it had just dropped dead from its perch in a tree - it is quite possible this bird used the last of its energy evading a bird of prey and then could not survive the night. Other dead Fieldfares gråtrost had been dead slightly longer - two of them along a stretch of ground protected from snowfall by an overhanging cliff.

I left most of one of my sandwiches along this stretch -hoping it might just be enough to save a thrush or two as they work their way along looking for food. Very shortly afterwards a Redwing rødvingetrost showed up working its way along in the direction of the sandwich crumbs.....

Above: two Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin

Woodcock rugde feeding very close to my house.

A Woodcok rugde fed just outside my house and gave good views from the car. Elsewhere a couple of Snipe enkeltbekkasin also gave an excellent roadside showing.

Best sighting of the day - two albifrons Whitefronts tundragås

The drive-bys continued with a pair of adult albifrons Whitefronts tundragås at Sture.

Trying by now to limit the birding I swung by Blomvatnet as I neared the grocery shop - where I picked up a Dipper fossekall.

Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett

An unseasonal Meadow Pipit heipiplerke

On my way home I drove through Hatten where a Meadow Pipit heipiplerke put in a very unseasonal appearance, my first Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett of the year showed up and a Goshawk hønsehauk flew over.

Not bad at all.
   

Øygarden 28 October 2017 - The X factor

Strong northerly winds with occasional short showers.

Male Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb showing wingbar

Female Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb

Male Two-barred Crossbill båndkorsnebb

It is not often I see all three crossbill species in one day but Øygarden is heaving with crossbills at the moment. Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb were the dominant species today with a number of flocks seen - at least two of them numbering 20. Some mixed flocks too - the first flock I got onto today was seven Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb with one Two-barred Crossbill bånkorsnebb - a cracking male. It did not give the typical trumpet call of the species but when the flock flew it went in the opposite direction and right over where I was standing - the flight call was typical of the species and obviously different from the other crossblls heard today. Other flocks contained a mixed bag of Common Crossibll grankorsnebb and Parrots.

Yellow-legged Gull gubeinmåke at Tjeldstø

The Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke, which some have doubted the ID of,  turned up at Tjeldstø again. I only managed a few distant shots but it is obvious that P9 and P10 have almost grown back in again. A very easy bird to pick out from the crowd for a number of reasons.

Lots of Redwings rødvingetrost feeding in the fields now

The only other migrants were Redwings rødvingetrost with flocks feeding on the ground at a few places - most berries have already been cleaned out. A flock of eight Meadow Pipits heipiperke at Breivik proved that there is still some migration going on.

Other stuff included a several White-tailed Eagles havørn, all juveniles, Willow Tits granmeis and many of the usual suspects.