Hernar 06 October 2021 - Little Bunting FINALLY unblocked!

Calm conditions, light SE winds and overcast meant the conditions were ideal for another all day sesh on Hernar. A couple of other birders from town obviously thought the same thing and also spent the day on Hernar. All in all a very nice day out.

Once again plenty of birds about without anything to write home about until it was just about time to go home. More of that later.

Good numbers of thrushes and finches were seen - both on the island and flying over. A very minimum of 25 Song Thrush måltrost is quite a good number given that the peak for this species is normally somewhat earlier. Plenty of Blackbird svarttrost, Redwing rødvingetrost and Fieldfare gråtrost too.

Twite bergirisk

1cy Peregrine vandrefalk

Wheatear steinskvett

Flocks of Brambling bjørkefink passed over the whole day, as did Starling stær, Meadow Pipit heipiplerke and Siskin grønnsisik.

Other migrants on the island included at least eight Blackcap munk, a couple of Chiff-chaff gransanger, a Willow Warbler løvsanger (same bird as last time?), a Pied Fly svarthvit fluesanpper, a Redstart rødstjert, a Wheatear steinskvett and three House Sparrow gråspurv. Snow Bunting snøspurv were heard passing over on two occasions on opposite ends of the island.

A flock of 20 Greylags grågås rested on the sea along with a Mallard stokkand, small numbers of Red-throated Diver smålom headed south down the fjord during the course of the day too.

In the early afternoon I had an attack of toothache which caused considerable discomfort. Luckily Bergen's very own birding doctor was on hand with some paracetemol and the ever friendly residents contributed with ibuprofen:) Having taken my tablets I did a last round of the island - in part to retrieve my glasses which I had left under a bush on the east side of the island. A light drizzle set in as I headed back to pick up my scope and rucksack and do a last sweep of the west end of the island.

And there, on the edge of the path sat a Little Bunting dverspurv feeding together with a Meadow Pipit heipiplerke. I snapped a few shots and hoped they would be good enough and immediately alerted the others who had settled down to have a coffee prior to the boat home. A frantic search of the area proved fruitless - the bird had just disappeared.

Little Bunting dverspurv

Here I let photoshop decide the colours - not too bad a job

My Øygarden bogey bird has finally fallen. I must be the only birder in Øygarden to not have seen this species, an acute embarrassment by all accounts. On the way back I couldn't make up my mind what was best - that my toothache had stopped or that I had finally unblocked Little Bunting:)

Herdlevær 20 October 2018 - Breakfast trip

Pleasant conditions with a light northerly wind.

Adult Great Northern Diver islom

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk

First there were two White-tailed Eagle havørn

Then there were three (fourth bird here is a photo bombing Raven ravn)

Then there were four.

Many of the birds present yesterday had obviously moved on but I picked up a couple of Goldfinch stillits and a Grey Wagtail vinterle during my usual round. A flock of 12 Crossbill korsnebb flew over but I didn't manage to identify them specifically.

A 10 minute seawatch whilst I had a sandwich and a coffee produced a Great Northern Diver islom heading south but little else. Also four White-tailed Eagles havørn present.

Then it was time to rush back home to continue cutting up and splitting the sitka spruce I have felled. Correspondingly little seen although a flock of five White-tailed Eagles havørn performed in front of the house.

A Little Bunting dvergspurv was found at Herdlevær and the long staying Rose-coloured Starling rosenstær was seen at Sæle.

Herdlevær 24 September . Missing more than I see.....

Very strong SE winds, warm with a few light showers.

I took a quick walk at Herdlevær picking up a Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger and a selection of the usual stuff.

A couple of Yellow Wagtail gulerle fed by the car park at Skogsøy.

Generally a lot of birds about - largely thrushes and Starling stær.

There were quite a few other birders out and about in the area - including a NOF outing. The stuff I didn't see included a Little Bunting dvergspurv, a Hawk Owl haukugle, a Hawfinch kjernebiter and more Yellow-broweds. 

Hernar 15 September 2016 - First Sibes of the autumn

Light ESE breeze, hot and sunny.

There were a massive five birders to cover Hernar today - almost a record! Weather was too nice to ground a lot of stuff but the island produced a decent selection of autumn migrants. Highlight was a Richards Pipit tartarpiplerke that flew around a couple of times. A Lapland Bunting lappspurv was probably the next best thing. There were lots of the usual common birds on the island as well as migrants passing over.

Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper

Typical flight shot of Richard's Pipit tartarpiplerke

White-tailed Eagle havørn

A selection of the usual warblers, a Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper (actually the first I've seen in Øygarden this year), various finches including a flock of at least 40 Twite bergirisk and at least one Brambling bjørkefink were also present. Sand Martin sandsvale, Reed Bunting sivspurv both flew over. Among the birds resting and feeding there were a few Song Thrush måltrost, some small flocks of Redwing rødvingetrost, several Fieldfare gråtrost and plenty of Blackbird svarttrost.

Four species of raptor were recorded - but just the usual Øygarden suspects - White-tailed Eagle havørn, Peregrine vandrefalk, Sparrowhawk spurvehauk and Kestrel tårnfalk.

Waders included a small flock of Knot polarsnipe and a Redshank rødstilk.

All in something approaching 50 species. The only fly in the ointment was that at least one, if not two Hawk Owls haukugle were seen further south in Øygarden and a much needed Øygarden species for me went into the nets at Herdlevær - a Little Bunting dvergspurv.