Øygarden 28.01-01.02.2026 - Oriental Turtle Dove, Orcas and other winter goodies

After a couple of days working in Bergen I was out for a couple hours on 28th in calm and sunny weather. Night time temperatures are still well below freezing and almost all fresh water is now frozen.

At Hellesøy most of the birds were at long range but a Merlin dvergfalk flew overhead to hunt over the islands to the north. A lone Red-throated Diver smålom was on the sea and, as it was so calm, it was easy to spot the Black Guillemot teist - at least eight were present. Also around 20 Long-tailed Ducks havelle and of course a couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn.

After this I found the first Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin of the year - an anticipated species given the conditions. The last few winters I've seen less of this species than previously - this could be for a number of reasons, some sites which didn't freeze over have been drained and built on, some have become more inaccessible (fences etc) and some are just too time consuming to visit. A couple of other regular sites have just failed to produce.

Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin

I had to head into Bergen again on 29th January but did a few drive-bys on the way just as the sun was coming up. This resulted in a few Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a Water Rail vannriske.

An Oriental Turtle Dove mongolturteldue was reported half an hour south of where I live on 29th January, so right on the limits for what I am prepared to drive to see a bird. With a few hours to spare I gave it a go - and amazingly heard it singing together with another birder. At first we thought it was some reckless twitchers using playback but this was not the case. Despite spending some time in the area I never actually saw it - but it was seen flying out of where we heard it. Woodpigeon ringdue, Willow Tit granmeis and a variety of other species were seen in this area too. I didn't bother trying for the Rook kornkråke that was close by, more will surely turn up later in the year:).

On the way home I popped in at Dåvøy where a Little Grebe dvergdykker was still present along with Woodcock rugde, Great Northern Diver islom, a roost of 25 Grey Heron gråhegre and a Tree Sparrow pilfink which was the first I've seen locally this year - some of the usual feeders they turn up on are just not in use this year for some reason. Other localities gave a few Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a Water Rail vannrikse.

On Saturday 31st January I spent most of the day out and about. Hellesøy was rather quiet but did produce my first Starling stær of the year, a Woodcock rugde and good numbers of Blackbirds svarttrost.

A flock of five Redwing rødvingetrost at Hjelme fed in the frozen fields together with several Blackbirds svarttrost. Goodness knows what they are finding to eat under these hard frozen conditions. There seem to be plenty of ripe juniper berries but I almost never see any birds feeding on them.

Otherwise several Woodcock rugde, a couple each of Water Rail vannrikse and Snipe enkeltbekkasin seen here and there well off the beaten track at various places.

The first Greylags grågås of the year turned up at Tjeldstø where a (the?) second year Black-headed Gull hettemåke was also present.

Black-headed Gull hettemåke at Tjeldstø

Greylag grågås at Tjeldstø

Robin rødstrupe - although many have moved into gardens with feeders there are still some "out there" and seemingly coping with the far from ideal conditions

Sunday 2nd February was a fantastic day. It started with superb views of a Water Rail vannriskse I have been feeding and moved on from there. Snipe enkeltbekkasin and Woodcock rugde featured once again. A walk at Solberg proved very quiet with almost nothing to see other than a White-tailed Eagle havørn, though there was one of the first signs of spring - numbers of Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak had started to increase.

...just the most amazing feet:)

Water Rail vannrikse

Snipe enkeltbekkasin

Woodcock rugde

At Tjeldstø a Turnstone steinvender joined a couple of Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt on one of the offshore islands but the highlight was a pod of Orcas feeding on what I presume must have been Herring sild. 

Orcas at Tjeldstø

On the way home a couple of Tufted Duck toppand turned up on Skjoldepollen. The male was straightforward but the female made me wonder for a bit as it showed some pro-Scaup bergand features - most notably the hint of pale in the cheek and a rather rounded head. The bill pattern and contrast between the back and sides swing it to Tufty for me.

Tufted Ducks toppand on Skjoldepollen

Øygarden 20-24 January 2026 - A trickle of new species

The weather turned colder, basically calm and sunny but freezing temperatures at least at night.

On 20th January I spent a few hours out in a boat with a couple of friends, there was still too much swell for productive birding in the best places so a few inshore locations were visited. Duck numbers are just a shadow of what they were when I first moved out to Øygarden. Oslofjord gets a lot of attention in the media as it is "dead" (a serious overhype n my opinion) but here in the west things too have also deteriorated alarmingly with no mention of the serious decline in birds and other species. Ling-tailed Duck havelle numbers used to be in the low 100's. These days we are lucky to see over 20 or 30. 

A flock of around 40 Long-tailed Ducks havelle were thus a welcome sight. A lone Velvet Scoter sjøorre, a couple of Common Scoter svartand, a single Curlew storspove and a Black Guillemot teist were in the Tvisloket area along with several White-tailed Eagle havørn.

Heading south past Nautnes and through Langsund was rather quiet bird wise with just a single Common Gull fiskemåke of minor interest. An Oystercatcher tjeld at Alvheim was new for the year and at Solberg a Lapwing vipe flew over - the first for 2026:)

Curlew storspove at Tvisloket - smaller numbers than usual appear to be overwintering here

Heron gråhegre in Alveheimsundet

Flyover Lapwing vipe at Solberg

Long-tailed Ducks havelle, at least at photogenic as Long-tailed tit stjertmeis

An Otter eating a Butterfish (tangsprell). Picture taken from my terrace once I was safely back at work...

One of many White-tailed Eagles havørn seen.

With life returning to normal I only managed a short trip out on 21st January. 

I found a well hidden Woodcock rugde and manged to take a few pictures from a distance without flushing it.  At Tjeldstø I saw my first Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke of the year as well as another Woodcock rugde, a White-tailed Eagle havørn and a flock of Fieldfare gråtrost.

A walk at dusk produced several Woodcock rugde, a Water Rail vannriskse and both Wren gjerdesmett and Robin rødstrupe feeding well past bedtime. The latter was using streetlights to extend its foraging time.

The cold conditions are taking a toll, here a dead Grey Heron gråhegre at a freshwater locality - I'm not sure why this happens as it seems like there is plenty of food in the sea that should be available to the Herons.

Woodcock rugde showing its extremely good camouflage. These pictures were taken at a safe distance without flushing the bird and are heavily cropped. Look for the eye! 

White-tailed Eagle havørn at Tjeldstø

The following day I was barely out of the house. A nice flock of Parrot Crossblls furukorsnebb gave great views after they had quenched their thirst at one of the few available areas of unfrozen water. They did not hang around and I only managed an almost record shot.....

Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb at Tjeldstø

A Willow Tit granmeis at Hovden was another new species for the year, small numbers of this species have been observed in Øygarden recently.

An extended trip to Skogsøy on 24th was something of an anticlimax with just a Great Northern Diver islom feeding in the bay, a Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke and barely the usual suspects. The drive home produced a couple of Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a Water Rail vannrikse.

Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin

Øygarden 09.01-11.01.2025 - Finches on the move / WB Diver

On 9th January I managed about an hour looking for stuff in the very north of Øygarden. Flocks of Siskin grønnsisik, a few Snipe enkeltbekkasin here and there, a Great Northern Diver islom and of course some White-tailed Eagles havørn were all that I managed to find of any note.

The terrace produced Oystercatcher tjeld, a Great Northern Diver islom in the bay and two more offshore, a distant Peregrine vandrefalk, the Starling stær again and the first House Sparrow gråspurv in the garden for 2025.

Mergansers siland photographed from my terrace

Starling stær visiting my feeders - it has concentrated on my peanut feeder.

The following day 20 minutes at Sæle gave decent telescope views of the first White-billed Diver gulnebblom of the year, a couple of Great Northern Diver islom, two small flocks of Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, a few Black Guillemot teist and the usual.

The terrace did quite well again with a couple each of Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, Oystercatcher tjeld, a Great Northern Diver islom heading north, a hunting Sparrowawk spurvehauk and all the usual garden visitors.

Oystercatcher tjeld on the shore in front of my house - this has been one of the better winters for overwintering birds.

On 11th January it was time to leave again but I popped in at Dåvøy and Tjeldstø before I left. Actually getting out of the car at Dåvøy produced Redpoll gråsisik, Siskin grønnsisik, Chaffinch bokfink, a Common Crossbill grankorsnebb and all the usual tits including a couple of Crested Tit toppmeis. A look at the sea here also produced a nice Slavonian Grebe horndykker.

Tjeldstø was relatively quiet but Redpoll gråsisik here too, four White-tailed Eagle havørn, Sparrowhawk spurvehauk and the usual.

More Redpoll gråsisik from the terrace along with more Siskins grønnsisik definitely gives the impression that finches are moving down the coast.

There have been two Little Grebe dvergdykker at Dåvøy the last few days

First photo of the day - with settings still on sunny conditions from yesterday. Could have been a decent shot but I didn't hang around

One of last year's youngsters at Tjeldstø where there were two adults and two 2cy birds present