Herdlevær 03 May 2015 - The ultimate sacrifice?

Light winds, sunny.

Obviously a good day to be at Skogsøy - but I made the ultimate sacrifice by going ringing with my youngest instead of seeing the record breaking 40 White-billed Divers gulnebblom that passed today.She wanted to go ringing and I wanted to seawatch - but anything to encourage the next generation so it ended up being Herdlevær.

The ringing area at Herdlevær

Some of the nets....

My youngest with a Meadow Pipit heipiplerke. If she turns to ringing then missing the White-billeds was worth it and then some....

Lesser Redpoll brunsisik

Ringing at Herdlevær

Willow Warbler løvsanger in what must be the most photographed hand in Øygarden.

This was the first day of ringing at Herdlevær - and all of Øygarden's three resident birders were present for this momentous occasion. It will be very interesting to see what this area produces in the future. Today the species caught and ringed were Willow Warbler løvsanger, Chiff-chaff gransanger, the first Common Whitethroat tornsanger of the year, Lesser Redpoll brunsisik, Meadow Pipit heipiplerke and Blue Tit blåmeis.

Plenty of Wheatear steinskvett, a few Twite bergirisk and the usual suspects knocking about.

Tragically the only new species for me in Øygarden today were the long-staying Feral Pigeons bydue.

Skogsøy 19 October 2012

Overcast with showers early on. Squally westerlies early but calming later.

Migrating Long-tailed Ducks havelle

Nothing special during a 2.5 hours seawatch. Just the usual autumn suspects with a Great Northern Diver islom and 13 Little Auk alkekonge as the best birds. Seaduck were obviously on the move with 70 Long-tailed Duck havelle, 89 Common Scoter svartand and 95 Eider ærfugl heading south.

A Lapland Bunting lappspurv also flew over.

A drive-by at Herdlevær produced a couple of Chiff-chaff gransanger in the bushes.

Brambling bjørkefink

Ringing in the garden proved quite productive with a couple of Brambling bjørkefink being the best birds caught. A Waxwing sidensvans flew over and a female Blackcap munk fed in the garden but evaded caputure.