Øygarden 18-21.03.2025 - Back in the game

 Work continues to be as relentless as ever, gone it seems are the days of a few hours out midweek:(

Nevertheless this is Øygarden and my home office can produce as does a trip to the shops. I was out each morning briefly before work (thank goodness the days are significantly lighter now!).

I returned home on the afternoon of 18.03 and a grocery run gave several Lapwing vipe at Breivik.

Lapwing vipe at Breivik

On 19.03 a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett, a nice flock of Teal krikkand and just being outside listening to displaying Lapwing vipe and Oystercatcher tjeld meant that half an hour at Tjeldstø were absolutely worth it. After work I managed a couple of drive-bys and caught up with two Rook kornkråke and two Jackdaw kaie at Breivik. 

The last two winters have been used to remove the sitka plantation in the middle of the reserve at Tjeldstø. This will undoubtedly benefit waders and wildfowl in the area.

More trees have disappeared at Husvatnet too - as has the bird hide bus stop which vanished during some work on the footpath. This is a shame as this bus stop / hide was better than the one beside Rotevatnet

Teal krikkand at Tjeldstø

Rook kornkråke with two Jackdaw kaie at Breivik

Robin rødstrupe at Dåvey

Lapwing vipe at Kollnes

Jackdaws kaie at Breivik

Up to three Otters and three White-tailed Eagles havørn provided entertainment even when I was stuck at home:)

On 20.03 I checked Hjelme briefly before work, turning up a nice White-tailed Eagle havørn, a pair of Bullfinch dompap, singing Chaffinches bokfink, a couple of Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett, Common Crossbills grankorsnebb and more.

Bullfinches dompap 

Although I do like my point and pray it is somewhat slower than the DSLR at getting going. This could have been a good picture if the camera was quicker at starting up.

From the terrace a few Teal krikkand, a couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn, two Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke, a couple of Gannet havsule and plenty more besides kept interest levels up.

After work I did a quick walk at Breivk which produced a Rook kornkråke, 120 Starling stær, a few Snipe enkeltbakkasin and several Lapwing vipe among other things.

A pre-work check at Tjeldstø on 21.03 gave more views of the Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett. A Little Grebe dvergdykker at Dåveøy and a male Stonechat svartstrupe at Kollsnes were among the other sightings.

Little Grebe dvergdykker

Male Stonechat svartstrupe

Øygarden 09.04-12.04.2024 - Spring

Home but not out birding at all.

A trip to the shops to fill up my empty fridge after I returned on 09 April produced a Jackdaw kaie / Rook kornkråke combo at Dåvøy as the best sighting.

Jackdaw kaie

Rook kornkråke

White Wagtail linerle, Dunnock jernspurv and the usual White-tailed Eagles havørn were seen from the terrace.

On Wednesday 10.04 more White Wags linerle here and there and a Guillemot lomvi on the sea in front of my house were all that I managed.

Twenty minutes sitting in the sun at Hatten the following day was very nice with a pair of Siskin grønnsisik, several Brambling bjørefink, a couple of Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett and the usual suspects.

Brambling bjørkefink

Female Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett

Siskin grønnsisik

Mergansers siland on the sea in front of my house

On Friday I heard my first singing Chiff-chaff gransanger of the year from my terrace, Gannet havsule and a bridled Guillemot ringvi were also seen here.

Female Pied Wagtail svartryggerle

Gannet havsule from the terrace

Bridled Guillemot ringvi from the terrace

Redshank rødstilk at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

Male Wheatear steinskvett at Breivik

Other stuff included the first Redshank rødstilk of the year at Husvatnet, a smart male Wheatear steinskvett at Breivik, a female Pied Wagtail svartryggerle at Tjeldstø and a (the?) Carrion Crow svartkråke at Oen.

Øygarden 18.03-23.03.2024 - Arrivals

I returned to Øygarden as the light went on 18 March to find the fields were FULL of migrants - big flocks of Redwing rødvingetrost, Fieldfare gråtrost, Blackbird svarttrost and Starling stær were EVERYWHERE. A new species for the year were a couple of Golden Plover heilo with them.

Golden Plover heilo with Fieldfare gråtrost at Breivik

The following day I had a guiding trip and given the forecast of fresh southerly winds and rain I actually left Øygarden and did Herdla along and a quick look at my old haunts near Gullfjell. Just under 50 species noted during the course of the day. At Herdla a cracking 2cy White-billed Diver gulnebblom vied for top spot with a lovely male Lapland Bunting lappspurv. Four albifrons White-fronted Geese tundragås, a maleShelduck gravand, a flocks of Dunlin myrsnipe, Ringed Plover sandlo, Golden Plover heilo, Curlew storspove, all the usual seaduck, huge numbers of Skylark sanglerke, Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke and more meant this locality was a great success. Elsewhere Dipper fossekall, small numbers of Whoopers sangsvane, Goosander laksand and even a couple of "inland" Long-tailed Ducks havelle meant there was always something to see.

A business trip saw me leave Øygarden again on Wednesday morning but I did pick up the first local Black-headed Gull hettemåke of the year and a flock of around 20 Lapwing vipe on my way. Before I left a couple of Tree Sparrow pilfink turned up in my garden and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk flew over.

It was long after dark on Thursday before I returned and Friday was spent largely confined to the home office where a couple of Goldfinch stillits and a Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke turned up in the garden. A trip to the shops produced the Stonechat svartstrupe pair at Kollsnes among other things.

Curlew storspove now back on their breeding grounds (up to now just coastal overwintering birds have been seen)

Goldfinces stillits on my feeder

On Saturday 23 March I took the morning off and did my usual round at Herdlevær and visited both Breivik and Tjeldstø. 

Other than a Rook kornkråke Herdlevær did not produce any surprises. Breivik produced two Rook kornkråke and two Jackdaw kaie. Nearby at Kollsnes a flock of 23 Skylark sanglerke was a good number for these parts. Tjeldstø held couple of pairs of Teal krikkand, singing Song Thrush måltrost, displaying Curlew storspove and more.

Rook kornkråke #1

Rook kornkråke #2

Herdlevær 27 March 2023 - Rooks beat WBD

I did my usual round at Herdlevær before work in sunny but cold conditions. Overnight snow was melting fast but the fresh northerly breeze made it feel pretty cool.

Highlight was a flock of three Rooks kornkråke - a massive number for these parts:) - actually a better sighting round here than the White-billed Diver gulnebblom seen half an hour later. Other migrants on land were thin on the ground but included a Woodpigeon ringdue and an increase in the number of Blackbirds svarttrost.

Only shot with all three Rooks kornkråke in the same frame

Rooks kornkråke

Looked more like spring that it felt today...

A short look at the sea whilst I ate my sandwiches showed migration was continuing with a steady movement of Common Gull fskemåke, small numbers of auks (including Black Guillemot teist) and the usual suspects. Pretty much the first bird that flew past was a nice White-billed Diver gunebblom.

Common Gull fiskemåke

Although generally very happy with the point and pray I still need to figure out how to stop in overexposing and how to keep the shutter speed I want - I think that this and the following pictures would actually have been quite sharp had it not been for the slow shutter speeds...

2cy Cormorant storskarv

Massively cropped pictures of the White-billed Diver gulnebblom.

I think my trusty old DSLR would have managed slightly better but these are certainly fit for purpose:)

Øygarden 24-25 March 2023 - Back west again

A trip to the shops after arriving home in the afternoon produced the first Teal krikkand of the year on Husvatnet, Tjeldstø and a couple of Jackdaw kaie at Breivik where there was a flock of 85 Starling stær. At Kollsnes two White Wagtails linerle had joined the two Pied Wagtails svartryggerle that turned up just before I left.

Jackdaw kaie at Breivik

White Wagtail linerle, the other bird was noticably paler

On 25 March it was predictably back to seawatching at Skogsøy again. Another day of decent movement although passage did drop off as the northerly wind increased. Best sightings today were the first two Lesser Black-backed Gulls sildemåke of the year heading north and the first Song Thrush måltrost of the year singing on the way out to the lookout point.

In four hours the following passed:

Red throated Diver smålom N 7, S 1

Northern Gannet havsule N 38, S 9

Great Cormorant storskarv N 2, S 6

Eurasian Shag toppskarv N 8, S 148

Shelduck gravand N 1

Eider ærfugl S 15

Common Scoter svartand N 2, S 2

Merganser siland N 2, S 20

Oystercatcher tjeld N 368

Eurasian Curlew storspove N 1

Common Gull fiskemåke N 71, S 7

Lesser black backed Gull sildemåke N 2

Herring Gull gråmåke N 9

Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje N 14

Common Guillemot lomvi N 3

Razorbill alke N 11

Auk N 5, S 1

At least three White-tailed Eagle havørn and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk were also present at Skogsøy.

A Rook kornkråke was present at Breivik on the way home. A Hawfinch kjernebiter turned up at feeder at Hatten and another Song Thrush måltrost fed at Nautnes. 

Rook kornkråke at Breivik

Song Thrush måltrost at Nautnes

Skogsøy 12 February 2023 - Purple Sandpiper uncropped

 Very similar weather to yesterday with a light SW wind and some occasional light drizzle.

I opted for Skogsøy in the hope that the movement from yesterday would continue. It didn't and the sea itself was rather quiet with just a couple of Razorbill alke, a few Gannets havsule and a Kittiwake krykkje passing.

Ir was nice to have some company and I was joined by a Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt who flew up to land beside me when it heard my thermos fall over. Although reasonably alert for 15 minutes or so it quickly lost interest in the passage and went to sleep. I should probably have done the same:)

I was joined by a Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt today:)

Other birds at Skogøy included a couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn and a Great Northern Diver islom feeding inshore.

The long-staying Rook kornkråke at Oen showed itself on the way home as did a Fieldfare gråtrost - a species that has been very thin on the ground the last couple of weeks.

Fieldfare gråtrost

The Greylag grågås flock at Tjeldstø increased to five (the two from yesterday joined by the birds from Breivik?). Back home a flock of three flew over the house where I also had a few more Gannets havsule, a Peregrine vandrefalk and a couple of Long-tailed Duck havelle.