On 08 January there were at least 10 Blackbirds svarttrost and 3 Robins rødstrupe in my garden - a sure sign that times are tough in the surrounding woods. An Oystercatcher tjeld fed on the shore and a female Bullfinch dompap turned up too.
A quick look at Tjeldstø produced a flock of six Greylags grågås and a Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke as new for the year. Woodcock rugde still hanging on there and a Collared Dove tyrkerdue even sang!
Greylags grågås at Tjeldstø
A Nuthatch spettmeis at Sæle was another new for the year.
I was away with work related stuff most of the week and the only other sighting of note were two male Bullfinch dompap in the garden on 12 Janauery.
Calm and mild - a day that obviously should have been spent out in the field.
One of many goose droppings at Breivik
I popped in at a couple of places during the shop run and found evidence that geese have been in the fields at Breivik very recently. Unfortunately I cannot yet identify individual goose species from their droppings....might just have been early Greylags grågås which are expected very soon or perhaps something more interesting....which would be the norm in winter.
Female Bullfinch dompap near Alvheim
Brambling bjørkefink
Tufted Ducks toppand on Blomvatnet
This species is not a common bird during the winter months and most are seen during migration periods
At Breivik a small flock of Tufted Duck toppand were the first to be seen locally (i.e. the "old" Øygarden - this year three district councils were amalgamated and also given the name Øygarden). On the way home another new for the year locally was a Bullfinch dompap that seemed to be with a mixed flock of 50 Brambling bjørkefink and 15 Chaffinch bokfink. Bullfinch are not even annual in winter out here although late autumn and winter is the time to see them. Although there are no records in the national reporting system this year I did see that some were noted at Alvheim during the recent annual garden bird count which uses a different reporting system....
Bullfinch occurrence in Øygarden (number of sightings rather than number of birds). From artsobs.
I wonder if the flocks of Brambling out here are part of the tens of thousands currently roosting in Bergen or if they have their own roosts somewhere closer.....
Part of the view from my terrace
....zoomed in a bit
....and zoomed in a LOT
Same birds using scope and mobile phone
Video of three of the eagles using my superzoom
Back home I took a mug of coffee out on my terrace before a job interview on Skype. This was not very sensible as I saw four White-tailed Eagles havørn feeding on what seemed to be an angler fish. The coffee went cold but I did the interview, maybe I seemed interested enough and maybe mentioning the eagles was not a mistake.....
A Curlew storspove also fed on the shore near the eagles.
I decided that I needed to go to the "big shops" today to stock up on various things - including sunflower seeds as I am going through around 1.5kg per day at the moment. I thought I would avoid rush traffic and therefore lost much of the rapidly shortening daylight. And got stuck in traffic anyway. Needless to say not much time left for birding.
Bullfinch dompap at Nautnes
Here grabbing something small in the grass - it seemed to be doing well despite the frost.
Chiff-chaff gransanger feeding in long grass
Scaup bergand on Blomvatnet. Another was on Husvatnet, Tjeldstø
Velvet Scoter sjøorre with crab at Svellingen
Migrating Whoopers sangsvane from the terrace. Species #126 from the house
Most of the interest today was from the house / in the garden. A flock of Whoopers sangsvane came in early on and were remarkably a new species for the house list - now #126. Other stuff included a Little Auk alkekonge on the sea, a couple of Bullfinch dompap (not a common species in Øygarden and the first half of November is absolutely the best time for them) and a Chiff-chaff gransanger frantically (and seemingly successfully) feeding in grass.
Single Scaup bergand were seen om Husvatnet, Tjeldstø and on Blomvatnet.
A late Meadow Pipit heipiplerke also at Husvatnet and a relatively large flock of duck on Steinsvatnet comprised of at least 21 Mallard stokkand and two Wigeon brunnakke.
