Herdlevær 02 May 2026 - Twite right

An easy day.

Husvatnet held a couple each of Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås and Sand Martin sandsvale and there was a Golden Plover heilo out in the reserve where a Cuckoo gjøk was also heard.

I did my usual Herdlevær round picking up a few patch ticks at this locality including Common Sandpiper strandsnipe and Redshank rødstilk. The only new species for the year was a Common Whitethroat tornsanger which had me going for a while as the first burst of song was not the usual version....

On the way home a flock of Twite bergirisk gave some nice views at Breivik.

Woodcock rugde roding again from the terrace in the evening:)

Øygarden 13-19.04.2024 - Raptor lunch break

On Saturday 13 April I did a quick round at Herdlevær before heading home to change over to summer tyres and get the garden ready for the season.

Herdlevær was fairly quiet but migrants included a Brambling bjørkefink, a pair of Teal krikkand and a few White Wagtails linerle. Encouragingly both Curlew storspove and Snipe enkeltbekkasin were displaying.

Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke at Herdlevær

White Wagtail linerle at Herdlevær

On the way home two Goldfinch stillits at Kollsnes and a Chiff-chaff gransanger singing at Sture.

The next day I did a few hours at Skogsøy. It was a relatively quite day migration wise with few of the usual movers. Decent numbers of Shags toppskarv heading south (ca 300), a small movement of Kittiwakes krykkje, a Black Guillemot teist, a lone Great Northern Diver islom, small numbers of Red-throated Divers smålom, an unidentified pale phase skua heading north and a dark phase Arctic Skua tyvjo attacking Kittiwakes were seen.

I spent a lot of time looking at other stuff and therefore probably missed a bit of the passage. Two all dark corvids headed out to sea before turning and coming back. Distant views in the scope showed one of these to be a Rook kornkråke and the other may have been a Carrion Crow svartkråke although I could not be certain. Chiff-chaff gransanger and Wheatear steinskvett also now present here too:)

Female Stonechat svartstrupe

On the way home I picked up the now resident Stonechats svartstrupe. My first Lesser Redpoll brunsisik of the year at Tjeldstø and during the tyre change back home Twite bergirisk, a couple of Siskin grønnsisik and more flew over. In the evening another Guillemot lomvi turned up on the sea at Nautnes.

Guillemot lomvi at Nautnes

On Monday 15.04 a Goshawk hønsehauk flew over during a session with my chainsaw and a pair of Goldfinch stillits visited my garden again. The next day was spent entirely in front of the computer.

Goldfinch stillits have been regular in the garden recently - a species rapidly colonising Øygarden.

The weather on 17.04 was just lovely and I spent my lunch break at Tjeldstø. Initially I was happy just to be away from the computer and to see some Teal krikkand, watch a pair of Wheatear steinskvett and see my first Swallow låvesvale of the year. However, scanning with my scope picked up first one, then two Goshawk hønsehauk and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk. These were quickly followed by an Osprey fiskeørn which I followed for some time before losing it. Frantically searching the skies to re-find it I picked up a Golden Eagle kongeørn drifting south - always a good bird out here at the coast. Finally and more mundanely the far commoner White-tailed Eagles havørn showed up. On my way home I heard the first Willow Warber løvsanger of the year:)

Curlew storspove at Dåvøy

Herom gråhegre at Dåvøy

Twite bergirisk at Tjeldstø

On Thursday 18.04 I took the morning off work and headed to Hernar for the second time this year. Although nothing remarkable was seen it was a very nice morning out with plenty of activity and over 40 species recorded. Small numbers of Twite bergisik and Linnet tornirisk had returned. Singles of Goldfinch stillits and Brambling bjørkefink, a couple of Siskin grønnsisik, a few Chiff-chaff gransanger, Skylark sanglerke and good numbers of Wheatear steinskvett.

I had three Otters in front of my house and a couple more whilst waiting for the boat to Hernar:)

Linnet tornirisk

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke

Raven ravn

Twite bergirisk - showing the importance of "weeds" early in the season

Otter too close to photograph:)

Typical eating of smaller prey

This made me regret not having my "real" camera with me. Could have been a pretty good image:)

Hernar 30 October 2023 - New species for the island!

Another calm and sunny day with light easterlies.

The weather is just too good to down any migrants. Generally fewer birds on the ground but more species than the previous visit. Good weather and good company meant this was a great day out.

Once again no rarities but two Whooper Swans sangsvane migrating south were the first seen from Hernar:) Bullfinches dompap with the "trumpet" call associated with eastern birds were seen, two migrating Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin and another flushed from a boggy area, Woodcock rugde, Blackcaps munk, Goldfinch stillits, a Goshawk hønsehauk, lots of White-tailed Eagle havørn, a flyover Black-throated Diver storlom, a late Kestrel tårnfalk and plenty more besides.

Male Blackcap munk

Grey Heron gråhegre

Twite bergirisk

Two birds still present behaved very differently and crept around in dense vegetation. Raised the pulse for a while:)

Two of about 10 White-tailed Eagles havørn seen today.

Two happy birders headed back to Hellesøy as the light went:)

Cormorant storskarv in the sunset. Picture taken from the boat back to the "mainland"

Hernar 06 June 2019 - Corncrake catch up

I spent a couple of hours on my favourite island before work, so a price had to be paid later in the day.

The island was full of birds but without anything particularly surprising. A Yellow Wagtail gulerle was perhaps the most unexpected find. However, best birds were two "singing" Corncrakes åkerrikse.

Several newly fledged Fieldfare gråtrost were being fed by their parents

Gannet havsule

A Redpoll brunsisik in the garden when I got home had a lot of white in the streaks on its back - something I normally associate with Mealy (Common) Redpoll, but still plenty of buff in the wing-bar.

Overflying Red-throated Diver smålom

Snipe enkeltbekkasin keeping watch

Obligatory Hernar Twite bergirisk shots......

Velvet Scoter sjøorre

Wheatears steinskvett also have plenty of young to feed

A Peregrine vandrefalk, the usual Twite bergirisk, Cuckoo gjøk, a few Sedge Warbler sivsanger and a flock of five Red-throated Diver smålom flying overhead were among the other sightings.

A pair of Velvet Scoter sjøorre on the sea together with a couple of Common Scoter svartand were the only ducks seen.

Øygarden 30 July - 02 August - No time for tringas

Late July / Early August is the best time for Green Sandpiper skogsnipe in Øygarden but I didn't find time to get out and look for them. However, roadside birds enabled me to pick them up as drive-bys on the way to and from work. I had up to four on 02 August.

Curlew storspove at Tjeldstø

Green Sandpiper skogsnipe, Hatten

Grey Heron gråhegre

Twite bergirisk

Others had more luck with Wood Sandpiper grønnstilk but I only picked up one - on the same pools as the Green Sands showed up on.

Other stuff included the long-staying Pinkfoot kortnebbgås at Tjeldstø, small flocks of Twite bergirisk here and there along with most of the usual suspects.

Breakfast at Herdlevær on 30th July produced a selection of the usual waders including 17 Knot polarsnipe, a Greenshank gluttsnipe, several Golden Plover heilo and eight Common Sandpiper strandsnipe. Small numbers of Velvet Scoter sjøorre and Common Scoter svartand passed during the 15 minutes I spent eating.

A couple of early Brambling bjørkefink put in an appearance by my postbox at Nautnes on 02 August. Maybe they are breeding closer than I thought they were....

Øygarden 08-09 August 2017 - Skogsøy, Herdlevær and the usual.

Fantastic to be back out in the field! 

On 08 August several hours seawatching was a great experience if only for the company and the weather (we were drenched by a few short but heavy showers). Birdwise there was something going on most of the time with Oystercatcher tjeld and Common Gulls fiskemåke typically dominating.

There were plenty of other species including an adult Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove, a family of Shelduck gravand (two adults with seven young), a couple of Red-throated Diver smålom, small numbers of Common Scoter svartand and a selection of the usual waders.

At Tjeldstø an EXTREMELY early Brambling bjørkefink turned up with other finches and a Whinchat buskskvett put in an appearance.

One of the Greylag grågås flocks - not the typical V-shaped skein....

A selection of Twite bergirisk shots

The 9th August saw me doing the usual round at Herdlevær in fantastic calm and sunny conditions. A lot more Greylag grågås headed south with at least 145 passing (another flock of 60 flew over the house after I got home). A couple of flocks of Twite bergirisk gave cracking views as they fed on ripening seeds. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flaggspett also put in an appearance - a sign that this year may be another invasion year.

Otters were seen both days, Sparrowhawks spurvehauk, several White-tailed Eagles havørn and an Eagle Owl hubro were among the other species seen.