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:)

Skogsøy 08 May 2022 - A very different seawatch

Another day predictably spent seawatching at Skogsøy, much lighter winds and altogether more pleasant to sit there.

Quite a bit passed further out and the make up of the species was rather different - more variety and rarely a dull moment - over 1220 birds were logged. A Manx Shearwater havlire was the best bird and the first for the county this year. The Whimbrel småspove passage was close to record breaking with 192 birds seen on the move.

The totals for an 8 hour seawatching marathon which flew by in great company were:

Red throated Diver smålom N 349

Great Northern Diver islom S 1 2cy

White Billed Diver gulnebblom N 7 (all adult as usual)

Manx Shearwater havlire N 1

Northern Gannet havsule N 75, S 12 (more today despite less wind!)

Great Cormorant storskarv N 20, S 5

Eurasian Shag toppskarv N 23, S 70

Greylag Goose grågås N 1

Teal krikkand N 1

Tufted Duck toppand N 12

Eider ærfugl N 3, S 14

Long tailed duck havelle N 28

Common Scoter svartand N 99, S 21

Velvet Scoter sjøorre N 14

RB Merganser siland N 9, S 4

Oystercatcher tjeld N 128, S 6

Whimbrel småspove N 192 (just shy of the record 218!)

Turnstone steinvender N 1

Arctic Skua tyvjo N 1 pale phase

Black headed Gull hettemåke S 2

Common Gull fiskemåke N 78

Great black backed Gull svartbak N 6

Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje S 9

Arctic Tern rødnebbterne N 3

Razorbill alke N 17

Atlantic Puffin lunde N 3 

A few LBBG sildemåke feeding in the area

Oystercatcher tjeld catching the first rays of the morning sun

Oystercatcher tjeld

Red-throated Diver smålom passed in good numbers again, although further out on average today

The rare two-headed form of Tufted Duck toppand was also noted

Obviously intent on obtaining better views of some migrating Velvet Sctoer sjøorre

A mega day for Whimbrel småspove migration!

On the way home a surprise find was an Osprey fiskeørn heading north over Tjeldstø. Result!!

Osprey fiskørn heading north over Tjeldstø

Breivik & Herdlevær 10 September 2018 - Blue Monday turns pink(ish)

Strong SW winds, mostly sunny with some heavy showers.

Not the best start to the day - spent at the office. After I got home I dashed out for a quick evening trip to Herdlevær thinking I would spend half an hour seawatching. However, I didn't even make it to Herdlevær before a rarity turned up and I spent most of my time on this.

First year Rosy Starling rosenstær

The Sparrowhawk spurvehauk that kept things nervous

Having missed all the previous local Rosy Starlings rosenstær this year I managed to find a new one. After the adults in May and a few days ago this was "just" a first year bird. Nevertheless I was happy with this find. Starlings stær are pretty active at the best of times and a hunting Sparrowhawk spurvehauk didn't make them less flighty.

Dunlin myrsnipe

Ringed Plover sandlo

With even less time left to do Herdlevær I dashed round, thoroughly enjoying the strong winds and a heavy shower. Just the usual suspects though with several species of wader noted.

In the last few days I did a day of guiding on Herdla on Saturday which resulted in Curlew Sandpipers tundrasnipe, Grey Plover tundralo and most of the usual waders as well as a couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn and a lone Velvet Scoter sjøorre.

Yesterday I managed a massive hour or so out and managed to catch a southbound Osprey fiskeørn heading south over Tjeldstø - presumably the same bird reported from Herdlevær shortly afterwards.

Tjeldstø 15 May 2016 - No hopes = good day!

Strong northerly winds and sunny yet again.

Osprey fiskeørn

Still feeling on the cool side - at least in the wind. I took a very late and lazy stroll at Tjeldstø with no expectations whatsoever. It was therefore a very pleasant surprise to see an overflying Osprey fiskeørn - not the commonest of birds out here.

Work also (almost) stopped play again as it has the last few days but as we worked Mrs Naturalbornbirder looked up from her computer to see a flock of geese passing. This was just the first of several flocks seen during the late afternoon / evening. In all around 600 Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås passed during the evening. One flock of a few hundred birds also rested on one of the offshore islands.

Tjeldstø 12 September 2008 - Osprey

Record shot of Osprey fiskeørn
Common Crossbill grankorsnebb
Golden Plover heilo and a Dunlin myrsnipe
Hooded Crow kråke chasing Kestrel tårnfalk

Plenty about gain today with the best bird being a fly over Osprey fiskeørn. Other birds of prey were at least one each of Sparrowhawk spurvehauk and Kestrel tårnfalk.

Eight species of waders in the reserve including a Grey Plover tundralo.

The only passerine of note was a Great Spotted Woodpecker flaggspett.