Øygarden 17-23 June 2024 - Giving up again

Almost no birding as almost usual. Random glances from the terrace and a few short drive-bys on the way to and from the shops were pretty much all that I managed apart from a few hours out on  22 June and a day of guiding on 23 June.

On 17 June I was away on a work trip from 0500-2100 but had a White-tailed Eagle havørn, singing Lesser Whitethroat møller etc from the terrace whilst drinking my morning coffee.

The next day a very young Common Sandpiper strandsnipe running by the roadside at Alvheim made me slow down, the youngster quickly disappeared into the undergrowth but one of the accompanying adults stayed close allowing some photos from the car.

Anxious Common Sandpiper strandsnipe

On 21 June a drive to the shops gave the first Peregrine vandrefalk I've seen for a while along with the usual suspects.

Lapwing vipe at Kollsnes

The next day was Saturday so no work but having to catch up on everything else. I managed my usual round at Herdlevær picking up most of the usual species plus a Whimbrel småspove, Crested Tits toppmeis and more. Unfortunately having lost my notebook a couple of weeks later I no longer have the full species list.....

Similarly to a few days ago a pair of roadside Common Sandpiper strandsnipe were very anxious and obviousy had young nearby. I spent a little over 30 seconds taking some pictures before driving on. The point and pray did remarkably well:)

Common Sandpiper strandsnipe at Breivik - very similar to a couple of days ago.

These images were taken with my point and pray rather than my "proper" camera which I used on the Common Sand at Alvheim a few days previously.

On the way home I picked up a second year Great Northern Diver islom on the sea at Alvheim where a White-tailed Eagle havørn also flew over.

A day of guiding on 23 June saw me visit Herdla again along with some localities closer to Bergen. In a local context the best birds were a male Ruff brushane, a Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove and a good selection of other waders at Herdla. Quail vaktel, White-tailed Eagle havørn and many, many other species were seen here.

Adult Skylark sanglerke

Recently fledged Skylark sanglerke

Further inland highlights included White-tailed Eagle havørn, a family of Whinchat buskskvett, Sedge Warbler sivsanger and more.

Herdlevær 11 May 2020 - Twite helping the garden

A walk around Herdlevær in the evening gave plenty of birds without anything very exciting.

Common Tern makrellterne

Skylarks sangelerke

The only colourful part of a Twite bergirisk is the rump!

Twite munching on dandelion seeds

A flock of Twite bergirisk were feeding on dandelion seeds - as they so often do in the spring. This must help gardeners a lot as they consume the seeds. Pity I just did a lot of weeding back home:)

A couple of Skyark sanglerke fed in the fields there, Common Tern makrellterne were the first of the year for me, Common Sandpipers strandsnipe, Curlew storspove and Snipe enkeltbekkasin were all displaying.

Øygarden 10-12 February 2020 - First Skylark

On 10 February I ate my lunch at Herdlevær but things were rather quiet with just 10 Gannets havsule and several Kittiwake krykkje heading north.

On the way home three Greylags grågås were at Tjeldstø - these may be new arrivals but equally could be from birds overwintering on the other side of the fjord as later on I saw them heading across the fjord in the direction of Herdla.

A Woodcock rugde was a welcome sight at Sture - these birds must be enjoying the best winter ever with plenty of moist earth to probe for food.

Back home five White-tailed Eagles havørn were hanging in the wind.

Work took care of 11 February but a male Sparrowhawk spurvehauk perched next to the feeder as I left the house.

Skylark sanglerke at Skjold

On 12 February I briefly covered a few localities seeing a nice flock of 60 Brambling bjørkefink and a Jay nøtteskrike among the usual stuff. A tip off led me to seeing the first Skylark sanglerke of the year at Skjold🙂

Øygarden 30-31 May 2019 - Hanging in there for Manx

Birding activity at a virtual standstill but still trying to squeeze in some time here and there.

On 30th May drive-bys at the usual places on the way to and from work provided encouraging signs for the local Common Terns makrellterne and Arctic Terns rødnebbterne 

One of several Arctic Tern rødnebbterne pairs in among the Common Terns

Common Tern makrellterne (though I did look twice given the all dark bill!)

Lapwing vipe chicks at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

Young Lesser Redpoll brunsisik

Skylark sanglerke - not often I take pictures of this species despite small numbers breeding in the area

Adult White-tailed Eagle havørn

The various breeding waders are starting to hatch with Ringed Plover sandlo, Lapwing vipe and Curlew storspove all with young. The Redshanks rødstilk must be imminent if they don't already have young.

On 31st May I spent a few hours seawatching at Skogsøy. This paid off well with the first Manx Shearwater havlire of the year. Plenty of other stuff passing too, so well worth the effort! In addition to the birds listed below a pair of Arctic Skua tyvjo, one pale phase, the other dark flew overhead as I walked out to the lookout point.

Red throated Diver smålom N 19

Northern Fulmar havhest N 3

Northern Gannet havsule N 170

Northern Gannet havsule S 8

Great Cormorant storskarv N 3

Common Scoter svartand N 27

Turnstone steinvender N 8 (first of the year for me)

Great Skua storjo N 1

Common Gull fiskemåke N 21

Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje N 79

Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje S 13

Arctic Tern rødnebbterne N 3

Common Guillemot lomvi N 43

Razorbill alke N 18

Atlantic Puffin lunde N 2

Guillibill alke/lomvi N 17

Common Scoter svartand

As usual at this time of year non-adult birds start to dominate

Migrating Red-throated Diver smålom

Some Red-throated Diver smålom are not in breeding plumage - younger birds heading north to check out what to do next year?

Øygarden 11.02 - 14.02 Signs of spring

Largely mild with southerly winds and a very spring-like feel.

Crocuses have started flowering and Snowdrops have been out for a couple of weeks at least, leaves are starting to show on my elderberry bushes so spring is in the air.

The only new bird for the year was a Skylark sanglerke migrating north over the house as I buried my newly installed fibre cable on 13.02 - a very early date for a migrating bird. A small influx of Starlings stær during the week (flocks of up to 10 birds seen) were almost certainly new arrivals. Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak numbers are increasing with many birds starting to find their favourite breeding spots out on the islands.

Yellow legs, red orbital eye ring, powerful bill with pronounced gonydal angle BUT looks like too much white in the primary tips (at least on these closed wing shots)....

As it is late winter / early spring it is time for those infruriating and time consuming "yellow-legged gulls". Or Omissus Herring Gulls gråmåke or whatever they are. I saw one such bird at Dåvøy on 12.02 and with legs, bill and orbital ring looking good my hopes were raised. However, no open wing shots to confirm either way but it looks like there may have been too much white on the outer primaries.....I noted also that the "Gulls" book mentions that omissus often also have red orbital ring....

Common Crossbill grankorsnebb at Hjelme Vest (part of a group of 16 birds that were also singing)

Random White-tailed Eagle havørn from the terrace

Øygarden 07 April 2018 - Spring boost

Light southerly winds, overcast at first but sunny later.

A quick look at a few localities to see what was going on today. Short walks at Herdlevær, Breivik and Tjeldstø produced several new for the year.

A couple of White Wagtail linerle and a Snipe enkeltbekkasin

Part of a flock of Starling stær at Breivik

I opened at Herdlevær which was relatively quiet. Breivik proved to be rather better with a Pied Wagtail svartryggerle along with a few White Wagtail linerle, several Meadow Pipit heipiplerke, a Snipe enkeltbekkasin, a flock of at least 170 Starling stær and an assortment of the usual thrushes.

Skylarks sanglerke at Tjeldstø

Tjeldstø was rather better with highlights being a flyover Grey Wagtail vintererle, a Mistle Thrush duetrost, a Snow Bunting snøspurv, four Whetear steinskvett, a Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke, a few Teal krikkand, a flock of three Tufted Duck toppand, a White Wagtail linerle, a Brambling bjørkefink, five Skylark sanglerke and at least seven Meadow Pipit heipiplerke. White-tailed Eagle havørn and most of the usual suspects also noted here alongside several each of displaying Curlew storspove and Lapwing vipe.

Curlew storspove - many more have arrived whilst I have been away. This one was at Dåvøy - the others were displaying at various localities

A pair of Ringed Plover sandlo are back on one of their regular breeding sites whilst at Nautnes a Goldcrest fuglekonge was the first of the year in the garden as was a Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke along with the more usual White-tailed Eagle havørn.

Øygarden 07 March 2017 - So-called smart phone game changer

Light easterly winds, sunny but cold during the night.

My intention was to go to Skogsøy early on for a couple of hours seawatching. This did not happen as my so-called smart phone updated itself during the night and forgot the alarm clock I had set....

I spent a massive three hours out today door-to-door and it proved quite productive - especially from a photographic point of view, The alarm clock screw-up meant that I had to change my plans and just did a quick walk and an hour of seawatching at Herdlevær.

Dipper fossekall

Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin looking like they have made it through the winter

A short video of the Snipe feeding - they were not concerned about me sitting in the car and watching from a safe distance.

En route to Herdlevær I picked up a couple of Snipe enkeltbekkasin that gave cracking views from the car, a Dipper fossekall and a Water Rail vannrikse among other things including Redwing rødvingetrost (probably an overwintering bird rather than a migrant) and more newly arrived Woodpigeon ringdue. It looks like the massive gamble the Snipe have taken on overwintering here has paid off - with every passing day life should get easier for these birds. No thanks to the local planners/developers though - several suitable areas for overwintering birds like Snipe have been destroyed during 2016/2017 drastically reducing their chances of survival considerably....give it a few more years and there will be nothing left for them to survive periods of cold weather.

White-tailed Eagle havørn with focus on an Otter - perhaps it did not see me....

This bird is probably in its third year...

Too close to fit in the viewfinder...

This illustrates typical WT Eagle behaviour -. stealing from Otters. I didn't have time to stick around to see what happened but in this picure it is possible to see the eagle waiting for its chance (left in image) to rob the Otter (right of image with red fish). Click for larger image.

Herdlevær produced a reasonable passage of Oystercatcher tjeld heading north, the first Guillemots lomvi of the year (!!), a Great Northern Diver islom on the sea and at least two White-tailed Eagles havørn.

Lapwing vipe with a very cold-looking sheep - they must be missing their wool despite the sun

Skylark sanglerke - not a bird that presents photo opportunities every day....

I did a drive-by at Tjeldstø on the way home - a few Lapwing vipe, my first local Skylark sanglerke of the year, an increase in the number of Greylags grågås and at least two more White-tailed Eagles havørn.