Øygarden 31.12.21 - 02.01.22 - New Year Bird Race

The annual county New Year Bird Race was held 31.12 - 02.01 and I tried to do my bit as usual whenever I am around at this time of year.

Basically it was a case of trying to find species that would not be found elsewhere in the county rather than going for as many species as possible.

Predictably the first day was spent at Skogsøy to try and get some of the seabirds in - I sat for an hour and the sea was rather dead. However, Peregrine vandrefalk, Gannet havsule and Kittiwake krykkje were all seen - the latter being the only sighting. 

I also went for the Pinkfoot kortnebbgås correctly assuming that it and the Greylags grågås would be scared off by fireworks during the night. Sure enough these birds were not seen subsequently despite having been in the area for weeks beforehand.

A Snipe enkeltbekkasin on the way home was the only other sighting of note.

On 01 January I somewhat predictably kicked off the year at Hjelme Vest which produced most of the hoped for species and at least one bonus species in the form of a Merlin dvergfalk - actually chasing a Little Auk alkekonge at one point. Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker, Great Northern Diver islom, several Black Guillemot teist, a couple of Curlew storspove, 22 Long-tailed Duck havelle, a handful of Common Scoter svartand and several White-tailed Eagles havørn were among the species seen here.

After this I check Dåvøy again - this time connecting with the long-staying Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke. Solberg was relatively quiet but an Oystercatcher tjeld dropped in and was a welcome addition to the bird race.

Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke at Dåvøy

A cursory look at Tjeldstø gave a couple of Goldfinch stillits as the best birds. Plenty about though with Fieldfare gråtrost, Redwings rødvingetrost and Brambling bjørkefink all present in good numbers.

For some reason Common Gulls fiskemåke are anything but common during the winter so this 2cy bird at Tjeldstø was a welcome sight.

The rest of the daylight was spent looking for and eventually finding a Woodcock rugde.

By 02 January the majority of the expected species were in the bag - but with one glaring omission I felt I could do something about - Slavonian Grebe horndykker. This was therefore the target for my first stop of the day and after a little waiting it flew right past and landed on the sea a long way off. Great Northern Diver islom showed well too at the same place.

The Fieldfare gråtrost flock at Breivik had increased to 180 and also held a Starling stær and  a couple of Redwings rødvingetrost.

The rest of the day was spent failing to see a few target species. This in no way meant there was not much to see. Tjeldstø produced a cracking Peregrne vandrefalk and a very unseasonal Meadow Pipit heipiplerke as well as Sparrowhawk spurvehauk and more.

Alvheim held both Oystercatcher tjeld and Curlew storspove.

Oystercatcher tjeld and Curlew storspove at Alvheim. Both species significantly less common than White-tailed Eagle havørn

Common Crossbill grankorsnebb are very obvious at the moment

In the course of these three days I had 56 species, several of which were (at least at the time of writing) the only ones recorded during the bird race. All in all not too shabby:)

Øygarden 21-22 December 2021 - Getting Christmas done

 Home after an offshore trip that was rather longer than expected.

I probably set some kind of record for the shortest time used to sort out Christmas in the less than two days I was at home. Needless to say there was very little in the way of actually going out birding.

On 21 December I did a few drive-bys whilst posting cards etc. Highlight was the long-staying Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke at Dåvøy. The Heron gråhegre roost there was up to 32 birds.

Roadside Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke at Dåvøy

Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke

Otherwise it was just about the usual suspects with seven Whoopers sangsvane at Tjeldstø, a couple of Long-tailed Duck havelle at Toft, a Common Scoter svartand at Oen and of course White-tailed Eagles havørn everywhere.

Whoopers sangsvane

As I was leaving Øygarden on 22 December I picked up a Pinkfoot kortnebbgås together with two Greylags grågås at Breivik where there was also a small flock of Fieldfare gråtrost and nine Starling stær.

Pinkfoot kortnebbgås with Greylags grågås at Breivik

Back home the Otter showed well from the terrace both days.

Nautnes 23-24 January 2021 - Birding from home

 Brisk SW winds on 23 January which dropped in the afternoon. Calm with snow/rain/sleet showers on 24th.

For reasons nothing to do with work I spent more of the weekend at home than I would normally have done. On 23 January the birds seen from my terrace included a Peregrine vandrefalk, a Red-throated Diver smålom, three Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, several Long-tailed Duck havelle and at least three White-tailed Eagle havørn.

A second plumaged (3cy) White-tailed Eagle havørn photographed from my terrace. At least two older birds were also present

I did make a short visit to Solberg where things were fairly quiet - just a Curlew storspove, a Velvet Scoter sjøorre, Kittiwake krykkje and Gannet havsule among the sightings. I spent a bit of time trying to sort out a rather dark 2cy Herring Gull gråmåke which didn't fly and didn't come any closer.

Rather dark 2cy Herring Gull, it looked rather better in the scope.....

On 24 January I made the briefest of stops at Tjeldstø where the Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke was with Herring Gulls gråmåke. A Sparrowhawk spurvehauk flew past whilst I was waiting for wing-shot photographs.

Part of the 20-strong Greylag grågås flock at Breivik

The long-staying and regular Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke at Tjeldstø

Soon this birds white head will no longer be an easy feature to pick it up by as the Herring Gulls are starting to lose their winter head streaking

Cormorant storskarv fishing in front of my terrace.

At home a couple of Curlew storspove fed on the shore.

Herdlevær 01 October 2020 - SURF SCOTER!

 A morning walk at Herdlevær really produced the goods today. Light SE winds, overcast with  hint of rain turning sunny later.

As we neared the place where I normally stop for coffee and breakfast a scoter came flying past at close range. For some reason I thought I should lift my binoculars and check it out - and was immediately struck by the massive orange bill, white forehead and a large white neck patch - male SURF SCOTER brilleand!!. It then promptly vanished behind some rocks and was lost to view....the fifth county record and the third in Øygarden (previous two were migrating birds in May). Interestingly the only autumn record for the county turned up on 01 October - back in 1996 which is the only time I have seen this species in Hordaland / Vestlandet.

During our breakfast break a Great Northern Diver islom headed south along with several Red-throated Diver smålom. 

A total of five Yellow-browed Warblers gulbrynsanger, Grey Plover tundralo, Grey Wagtail vintererle and a good selection of other migrants were also noted.

On the way home a diver came in to land on a lake at Breivik. I called it as Black-throated Diver storlom at the time but when I looked at the pictures later it looked a bit more interesting than that....

No white flank patch despite a variety of poses and a hint of a chin strap made me think again when I downloaded the images in the evening.....

Also on the way home the Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke was back to looking more like a Yellow-legged gull with strikingly different moult to the surrounding Herring Gulls gråmåke.

Herring Gulls gråmåke with very streaky heads

Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke looking much more the part.

This bird is a regular pain and has not been identified with certainty - although many come down on the YLG side of the debate. I swing from omissus to YLG on this one. The clear white head clearly sets it apart from the local Herring Gulls so right now I am back on the YLG side of things:)

After a brief pause at home which produced a Guillemot lomvi on the sea in front of the house, a calling Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett and a few Swallow låvesvale I headed out again.

At Tjeldstø a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker dvergspett called several times, a couple of Grey Wagtail vintererle headed south as did a few Kestrel tårnfalk and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk. Three Lapwing vipe besde Husvatnet were a little unseasonal but this species has been recorded in every month of the year here.

One of a few Kestrels tårnfalk migrating today

Lapwing vipe

Dåvøy and Hjelme 13 March 2020 - Just checking

Decent weather, if rather chilly, for most of the day. Didn't really go out but quickly did a few drive-bys here and there.

Some massively cropped images of the female Stonechat svartstrupe

The Stonechat svartstrupe was still present and proved popular with birders from town and must thus classify as the first twitch of the year out here. It proved just as frustrating to follow and document as it has the last few days. Some birders are working from home due to the corona virus and could thus make the trip to see this bird - a silver lining in these chaotic times.

This got me thinking that if a mega is found what will people do then? A massive crowd of twitchers would be rather unethical in the current situation......I hope I get the chance to see what happens!

Some more shots of the difficult to identify gull with yellow legs 

I checked Dåvøy quickly and the infuriating gull-with-yellow-legs showed very well. Although I have seen it quite a few times this year today gave the best photo opportunities. I have swung from YLG to HG and back again a few times, and although I have definitely been in the YLG camp at times I am now in doubt again. Sometimes I wish it would just go away so I don't have to read all the YLG ID literature again and again and again.

In sheer desparation I started a thread on the WP gulls FB group here - and the helpful gull experts have been weighing in. Thanks to all who have helped so far😵

Mistle Thrush duetrost - a very shy species on this side of the North Sea!

A Mistle Thrush duetrost was reported at Hjelme so I dutifully headed out to see it. The timing for this record is a rather more normal record than the previous bird back in January.....

Øygarden 20-22 January - YLG

On 20 January I was not really out but found the "yellow-legged" gull at Dåvøy again. Having discussed this bird recently with other birders I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that it is a real Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke.

The beak looks massive, bulky and with a prominent gonys. The red spot bleeds over to the upper mandible.

Rather round headed, red orbital ring and eye seems to be a shade darker than the Herring Gulls

All white tip on P10 can be a feature of birds from parts of the Med. Obvious black band on P5

The small size is obvious here in comparison to the local HGs.

A quick look through this blog shows that this bird is most likely a bird that has been seen repeatedly over several years:

Some examples

2014

2015 (Jan)

2016 (Jan)

2017 (Jan)

2017 (June)

2018

2019

2019 (Feb)

The fact that P10 can be white on YLG is shown here on gull research. I think I need to dig up some of my YLG shots from the Mediterranean🙂

On 21 Janaury a flock of 19 Common Scoter svartand on the east side of Blomøy was one of the largest flocks reported in the county thus far this year. When exactly did things get this bad?? Seaduck numbers seem to heading just one way - and it is the wrong way.

A short seawatch at Skogsøy on 22 January produced a Gannet havsule, several Kittiwake krykkje and finally some auks - though they were too far off to be specifically identified they were guillebills alke/lomvi. On the sea small numbers of Eider ærfugl and singles of Black Guillemot teist and Long-tailed Duck havelle. Best bird here was a fly over Snow Bunting snøspurv (first for Hordaland this year). Good numbers of Siskin grønnsisik too about with a single flock of 120 flying over.

Øygarden 28 October 2017 - The X factor

Strong northerly winds with occasional short showers.

Male Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb showing wingbar

Female Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb

Male Two-barred Crossbill båndkorsnebb

It is not often I see all three crossbill species in one day but Øygarden is heaving with crossbills at the moment. Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb were the dominant species today with a number of flocks seen - at least two of them numbering 20. Some mixed flocks too - the first flock I got onto today was seven Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb with one Two-barred Crossbill bånkorsnebb - a cracking male. It did not give the typical trumpet call of the species but when the flock flew it went in the opposite direction and right over where I was standing - the flight call was typical of the species and obviously different from the other crossblls heard today. Other flocks contained a mixed bag of Common Crossibll grankorsnebb and Parrots.

Yellow-legged Gull gubeinmåke at Tjeldstø

The Yellow-legged Gull gulbeinmåke, which some have doubted the ID of,  turned up at Tjeldstø again. I only managed a few distant shots but it is obvious that P9 and P10 have almost grown back in again. A very easy bird to pick out from the crowd for a number of reasons.

Lots of Redwings rødvingetrost feeding in the fields now

The only other migrants were Redwings rødvingetrost with flocks feeding on the ground at a few places - most berries have already been cleaned out. A flock of eight Meadow Pipits heipiperke at Breivik proved that there is still some migration going on.

Other stuff included a several White-tailed Eagles havørn, all juveniles, Willow Tits granmeis and many of the usual suspects.