Skogsøy 27 March 2022 - Typical early spring seawatch

Overcast with light NW winds

I was up well before dawn and headed out to Skogsøy. On the way there a brief stop gave two roding Woodcock rugde and A LOT of birdsong:)

The walk out to the lookout point showed that there has been an arrival of birds since I was last there with a lot of Redwing rødvingetrost song for the first time this year.

Almost three hours seawatching showed that it was rather quieter than yesterday but still enough going on to keep interest levels up:

Northern Gannet havsule N 6, S 2

Great Cormorant storskarv N 8, S 2

Eurasian Shag toppskarv N 16, S 5

Greylag Goose grågås N 2

Eider ærfugl N 3

Long tailed duck havelle N 2

Common Scoter svartand N 1

Merganser siland N 3

Oystercatcher tjeld N 94

Eurasian Curlew storspove N 19

Common Gull fiskemåke N 366

Lesser black backed Gull sildemåke N 2

Herring Gull gråmåke N 10

Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje N 3

Common Guillemot lomvi N 6

Razorbill alke N 1, S 1

Black Guillemot teist N 1

4cy White-tailed Eagle havørn

Gannet havsule

One of the Oystercatcher tjeld flocks heading north today

Part of a Curlew storspove flock

Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke

A few White-tailed Eagles havørn about but just one adult. Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke, Ravens ravn and the usual breeding species were also in attendance.

The only bird of note on the way home was the first Dunnock jernspurv of the year at  Hjelme.

A Stock Dove skogdue was reported from Breivik later in the day and whilst looking for it the first Wheatear steinskvett turned up - and was singing despite the light drizzle that had set in. The Stock Dove was typically flighty and came past having been spooked by someone feeding their sheep.

The first Wheatear steinskvett of the year - normally this bird would have got a bit more attention but I was looking for the next bird:)

Stock Dove skogdue - the second in Øygarden this year but the first one seen alive:)

Hernar 29 September 2021 - First YBW and Stock Dove

 SE winds, some cloud cover.

With promising conditions I thought an all day session on the island of all islands, Hernar, was the best choice. I was not disappointed:)

Highlights were the first Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger for the county this year and the first Stock Dove skogdue of the year for Øygarden. The latter was also a new species for me on Hernar. A decent selection of other migrants were among the well over 50 species seen.

Stock Dove skogdue - a much rarer species in Øygarden than YWB

Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger

At least one, probably two of these Siberian gems were present on the island today and were the first record for the county this year - a slow start by all accounts.

A Whinchat buskskvett, a Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper, nine Blackcap munk, several Chiff-chaff gransanger, at least one Willow Warbler løvsanger, Kestrel tårnfalk, Merlin dvergfalk and at least two Sparrowhawk spurvehauk were among the other species of interest.

Large numbers of finches (mostly Brambling bjørkefink and Chaffinch bokfink) and several hundred Meadow Pipits passed over during the course of the day. 

Herdlevær 04 November 2014 - Another excellent day in Øygarden

Light winds today, started off more or less SE with some light drizzle. Ended up NE and sunny - but not until after I got home.

Guillemot lomvi 

Started the day at Herdlevær where there was quite a bit to see. Not that much in the way of passerines on the ground but there was some movement overhead before it started to drizzle - largely thrushes and Starling stær but also a few Redpoll gråsisik.

Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis

The sea was rather quieter than yesterday but there was still a noticable passage of gulls. Best birds were a first year Glaucous Gull polarmåke, a Black-throated Diver storlom and a couple of Great Northern Divers islom. Auks were limited to a several Little Auk alkekonge flying past and a Guillemot lomvi on the sea.

A party of four Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis were the only passerine migrants of note.

The above four pictures are of the same bird

tristis / abietinus type Chiff-chaffs gransanger

A very short and limited look at Sæle produced at least three very not-green Chiff-chaffs gransanger. One might think they were good for tristis but three together sounds just daft.... Also a few Blackcap munk and another flock of Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis also present here.

Back home at Nautnes the best bird of the day flew over the house as I watched two Otters fishing. A Stock dove skogdue - number 99 for the house and a new species for Nautnes. 

Øygarden 26 April 2011 - Stock Dove

Stock Dove skogdue at Tjeldstø

The good birds keep on coming....

A fly-by Stock Dove skogdue at Tjeldstø was probably the same bird reported a couple of days ago. Surprising that it is still around as Stock Dove don't tend to be "stayers".

The first Sedge Warbler sivsanger of the year sang at the usual spot at Breivik.

Øygarden 21 March 2010

Almost a record shot of the extremely shy Stock Dove skogdue at Sture

Woodpigeons ringdue, Tjeldstø

Lapwings vipe on the ice at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

An excellent day out. Rather foggy to start with but no wind and no rain and an obvious arrival of migrants meant that expectations were kept high.

Plenty of new stuff in today with the highlight being a Stock Dove skogdue at Sture.

Tjeldstø produced at least six Woodpigeon ringdue, three Teal krikkand, 26 Lapwing vipe, a Snipe enkeltbekkasin and plenty more including a Goshawk hønsehauk.

Blackbird svarttrost were seen in large numbers both a Tjeldstø and Sture where there were also a couple of Song Thrush måltrost - another new for Øygarden this year.

150 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt at Hjelme Vest which was otherwise quiet and another 50 or so seen at Tjeldstø.

A heavily oiled Gannet havsule sat out on the rocks at Hjelme Vest - a sign that something has happened offshore?