Hernar 23 May 2024 - Singing Common Rosefinch

Yet another calm, sunny and very hot day.

I spent the morning on Hernar which was full of activity - unfortunately many small birds remained unidentified as they disappeared into bushes or simply flew off and there was little in the way of overhead migration.

Pretty much the first thing I heard on arrival was the song of Common Rosefinch rosenfink - "pleased to meet you" was a nice welcome to the island. The bird was very mobile, singing a few times before moving on to another song post. After a few hours it finally showed well enough for some decent photos.

Singing Rosefinch rosenfink 

Other sightings included my first Swift tårnseiler of the year and a number of new species for the island for 2024. Sedge Warbler sivsanger, Lesser Whitethroat møller and all the usual suspects put in an appeance

Heavily cropped and distant record shot of the Rosefinch

2cy Rosefinch rosenfink

Øygarden 21-23 May 2020 - Taking it easy

On 21 May we finally completed some painting tasks - though the process was painful on so many levels. Not least to have my back to the sea where flocks of pale-bellied Brent Geese ringgås were heading north.

Just before going up the ladder I took the time to make sure I saw at least some of them:

Brent Geese ringgås heading north past Nautnes

In the afternoon a fishing trip turned up some Common Crossbills grankorsnebb that may well be breeding. Not the most visited of birding localities. Freezer full again:)

UN7 is still around, though he has not been reported very much recently......

I took a few drive-bys on 22nd without seeing anything much of interest, although at least one of the Lapwing vipe pairs in the reserve at Tjeldstø has hatched young running about. A short walk at Hjelme produced the first Swift tårnseiler of the year and a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett sang briefly.

House Martin taksvale at Tjeldstø

I did even less on 23 May although I did connect with my first local House Martin taksvale of the year at Tjeldstø where there the long staying Golden Plover heilo flock were still present.

Nautnes 08 September 2019 - Home is best

In the morning I covered a few localities starting with a failed attempt for the Rosefinch rosenfink at Herdlevær. A Merlin dvergfalk, a few Chiff-chaffs gransanger and an obvious movement of Golden Plover heilo were the among the sightings here. Little of note at Breivik or Tjeldstø either.

First year Peregrine vandrefalk at Tjeldstø. Another was present at Nautnes later in the afternoon

So I returned home and sat on my terrace for a couple of hours to see what would pass. A Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove was a new for the house and passed together with a flock of Golden plover heilo - 116 of the latter headed south. A couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn, a Peregrine vandrefalk and a Kestrel tårnfalk were the raptors.

Possibly the most interesting sighting was a relatively late Swift tårnseiler which spent the whole time I was outside feeding over the woods with Swallows låvesvale. Most of the usual stuff also put in an appearance with several Gannets havsule, a Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke on the shore in front of the house and a couple of Red-throated Divers smålom.

A flock of 300 Starling stær fed in the area but contained no interesting ones.....

Skogsøy 10 August 2018 - Calm before the storm

Brisk northerly winds with a few drops of rain. More wind and a lot more rain later.

Took a pre-work seawatch and managed to get out of bed a little earlier than of late. However, barely the usual suspects were to be seen with Gannets havsule, a light passage of Oystercatcher tjeld, Greenshank gluttsnipe, Redshank rødstilk, a few Common Scoter svartand and not a lot else to be seen.

Green Sandpiper skogsnipe

Swift tårnseiler

Later in the day a few Swifts tårnseiler feeding over Husvatnet, Tjeldstø and the rain deposited a nice Green Sandpiper skogsnipe in the fields.

Hernar 02 July 2015 - Almost back in business

Very hot and sunny, thankfully with a breeze from around 10:00.

After pathetically little opportunity to get out and about for what feels like months I finally managed my second visit to Hernar this year.

The local breeders were very busy indeed with Lesser Redpoll brunisik, Twite bergirisk, Linnet tornirisk, Wheatear steinskvett and Whitethroat tornsanger among the species with newly fledged young.

Highlights were a couple of Swift tårnseiler early on, two House Martins taksvale and a dark phase Arctic Skua tyvjo just as I left the island.

Arctic Skua tyvjo

House Martin taksvale

Lesser Redpoll brunsisik

Linnet tornirisk

Twite bergirisk

Recently fledged Wheatear steinskvett

Nautnes 31 August 2014 - Day of the Wrynecks

Light southerly winds, warm and sunny.

I had pretty much written the day off after some late night work stuff. However, a walk at Tjeldstø produced a surprise Wryneck vendehals (despite having thought of exactly where I had today's bird whilst watching the bird at Herdlevær yesterday).

Back home a couple of hours on the terrace proved well worth it. First off another Wryneck vendehals sang close by - yet another new species for the house. After hearing about yesterday's raptor bonanza at Tjeldstø it was no surprise to see at least six Kestrel tårnfalk and five Sparrowhawk spurvehauk heading south. Several Swifts tårnseiler, a Sand Martin sandsvale, Greenshank gluttsnipe and a decent mix of other species meant that being stuck at home wasn't so bad after all......

Skogsøy 18 July 2014

Calm and sunny.

A short seawatch 06:30 - 08:30 was fairly quiet. Probably the best bird was a single Great Skua storjo - incredibly the first I've seen this year in Øygarden. Something rather wrong there somehow. Otherwise just small numbers of Gannets havsule, a Guillemot lomvi and the usual suspects. Some light southward passage of Oystercatcher tjeld and Common Gull fiskemåke.

Gannet havsule

Oystercatcher tjeld

Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke

Shag toppskarv

In a Skogsøy context a Swift tårnseiler was an unusual sighting. Plenty of Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke and a small flock of Twite bergirisk.

Hernar 26 June 2014 - Summer

Calm and sunny.

In between migration seasons there was not much chance of anything special today but a rare chance to make it out to Hernar had to be taken. The highlight were a couple of flocks of Swifts tårnseiler.

Otherwise plenty of the usual Hernar stuff about with Sedge Warblers sivsanger, loads of Twite bergirisk, and Wheatear steinskvett.

Back home at Nautnes a Collared Dove tykerdue was the first I've seen in Øygarden this year and another new for the house list.

Tjeldstø 16 May 2013 - Swifts and Merlin

Strong southerly winds and overcast early on, calming and sunny later.

Still frustratingly little time to be out and about. Highlight of a walk around the reserve were the first two Swifts tårnseiler of the year.

A Carrion Crow svartkråke fed out in the reserve but otherwise there was little change since last time.

In the afternoon a quick look out of the living room window produced my first Merlin dvergfalk in Øygarden this year along with a single House Martin taksvale.

Tjeldstø 03 August 2012

Another calm day.

Best birds were two Swift tårnseiler feeding with good numbers of Swallows låvesvale.