Øygarden 29.09-04.10 Some migrants at last!

After a couple of days at work in Aberdeen I was back home again. 

A  quick look at Sæle on 29.09 proved quite productive with the highlight being a 1cy Arctic Redpoll polarsisik - no photos as it disappeared too quickly but the white rump and unstreaked undertail coverts were seen. Other birds included my first local Garden Warblers hagesanger of the year and several Blackcap munk.

A Goshawk hønsehauk hunted past the home office window later in the day.

On 30th September I gave Skogsøy a go in, to put it mildly, challenging conditions. A strong onshore wind and showers didn't help and the birds were mostly flying either a long way out or with their backs to me or both. Several flocks of Red-throated Diver smålom and a flock of Barnacle Geese hvitkingås headed south as did a probable large shearwater, pale back and dark wings were the only features noted.

A flock of 30 Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt at Tjeldstø were the first of the autumn for me whilst a Woodcock rugde at Hjelme was probably one of the local breeders.

It was a different story on 1st October with (finally) some passerines on the move. As I took my morning coffee on the terrace I had my first local Grey Wagtail vintererle and Bramblings bjørkefink passing over. 

I spent the morning out and about doing my usual round at Herdlevær first - here at least two Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger, a Yellow Wagtail gulerle, Whinchat buskskvett, Blackcaps munk, Garden Warbler hagesanger, Wheatear steinskvett, Common Sandpiper strandsnipe, Chiff-chaff gransanger and Reed Bunting sivspurv were among the many migrants noted. Flocks of finches and Meadow Pipits heipiplerke passed overhead constantly.

Whinchat buskskvett

Next up was Breivik which was fairly quiet - but flocks of Chaffinch bokfink and Meadow Pipits heipiplerke continued to pass. The usual Snipe enkeltbekkassin and Skylark sanglerke were also present.

At Tjeldstø a young White-tailed Eagle havørn gave good views as did a Dunlin myrsnipe together with two Golden Plover heilo. The first Goldeneye kvinand of the autumn also turned up here.

Dunlin myrsnipe with Golden Plover heilo

Young White-tailed Eagle havørn at Tjeldstø

On Monday I took the day off work and made an all too infrequent trip to Hernar. The southerly winds were rather stronger than forecast but there were plenty of birds about at least during the morning. Things tailed off after lunch and birds became harder to find. One interesting warbler evaded ID as it flew up from the grass and disappeared into sitka spruce never to be seen again - quite possibly a Reed Warbler rørsanger.

Birds that I did manage to identify included the first Tree Sparrows pilfink (a flock of six) for the island this year along with a female House Sparrow gråspurv which hung around for a bit. Migrants included several small flocks of Brambling bjørkefink, a Merlin dvergfalk, several Blackcap munk, a Willow Warbler løvsanger, a  Chiff-chaff gransanger, a few flyover Skylark sanglerke and a feeding Ruff brushane. Small numbers of Twite bergirisk remained, five White-tailed Eagle havørn simultaneously, the long-staying Great spotted Woodpecker flaggspett and a passage of Common Gulls fiskemåke, Lesser Black-backed Gulls sildemåke and Red-throated Diver smålom were among the other sightings.

Female House Sparrow gråspurv - an island rarity - probably not even annual on Hernar

Just one Linnet tornirisk left on the island

Ruff brushane

Didn't really leave the house on Tuesday and concentrated on work.

A walk at Breivik on 04 October was quite productive with at least four Jack Snipe kvartbekkassin, 10 Common Snipe enkeltbekkassin, Goldfinch stillits and more.

On the way home Tjeldstø produced no less than three Pintail stjertand. Sæle held at least five Blackcap munk and a couple of Chiff-chaff gransanger.

Pintails stjertand on Husvatnet

Hernar 20 May 2022 - Late migrant bonanza:)

 Light SE winds, seafog in the night / early morning, clearing during the morning to a sunny day.

When I got up this morning and took my coffee on the terrace I was in two minds about heading to Hernar - which had been my plan. The low-level sea fog could prove disastrous or it might just have brought some stuff down. However, I made the decision to give it a go and met two other birders in the car park at Hellesøy who were obviously thinking along the same lines.

Late May is a good time for Icterine Warbler gulsanger and Rosefinch rosenfink both of which turned up today. The Icterine Warbler was hard work, making all the right sounds but singing very slowly and being ever so skulky. The Rosefinch dropped in to a bush right in front of me while I was sitting and eating a sandwich. I took a couple of record shots before I started fumbling for my phone to alert the others. During these few seconds it must have flown as it was nowhere to be seen when they arrived. A few hours of manic bush watching and the others finally refound it at the other end of the island.

A decent selection of other migrants included Garden Warbler hagesanger, Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper, a thumbergii Yellow Wagtail såerle and a female Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper. In addition to these many of the local breeders had arrived since my previous visit exactly a month ago - Common Whitethroat tornsanger, Sedge Warbler sivsanger and Common Sandpiper strandsnipe were among these.

Two species I missed were Arctic Skua tyvjo and House Martin taksvale, but the others missed several of the species I saw too:)

thumbergii Yellow wagtail såerle

Twite bergirisk

Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper - these are a migrant on Hernar and do not breed there

Song Thrush måltrost, on the other hand, do breed there

2cy male Rosefinch rosenfink

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke

Linnet tornirisk

Garden Warbler hagesanger  - these birds can "look like anything" so the first few seconds of seeing this thing hopping around in cut grass had me going....

Hernar 23 September 2019 - "Good" weather

Another cracking day weather wise and thus the island was relatively quiet - but far from dead.  Magic to be out and about - still rather summery with lots of butterflies about too.

Garden Warbler hagesanger

Twite bergirisk

Things were relatively quiet on the island though three species of sylvia warbler all gave nice views. Blackcap munk and Garden Warbler hagesanger were feeding in fruit trees and eating both fruit and insects. A Lesser Whitethroat møller stuck to insects. The only phylloscopus warbler was a lone Yellow-browed gulbrynsanger which called a few times during the morning but never showed itself. Other autumn migrants in the form of Brambling bjørkefink and Reed Bunting sivspurv put in an appearance.

Decent numbers of Song Thrush måltrost were hiding in the trees along with smaller numbers of the other common thrushes.

A Peregrine vandrefalk and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk hunted over the island.

My first Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt of the autumn showed up on the shoreline as we left the island. Other waders on islands on the way home were Oystercatcher tjeld, Curlew storspove and a few Golden plover heilo.

Hernar 29 August 2019 - Rain = migrants

I decided to take the risk of heavy rain and with southerly winds and light rain as I set off things looked promising....

Common Redstart rødstjert - looks like a first year male

Wryneck vendehals

The rain was not too bad, though I did hunker down for about an hour through the worst of it. Before the rain set in a Whinchat buskvett was one of the few grounded migrants I picked up. After the rain a nice Redstart rødstjert and a Wryneck vendehals were the pick of the sightings. A Garden Warbler hagesanger also showed briefly.

Predictably there were some waders passing with Golden Plover heilo the most numerous. Others included a flock of three migrating Greenshank gluttsnipe.

A Peregrine vandrefalk put in a couple of appearance, first going after Starlings stær and later seen chasing a Common Tern makrellterne. White-tailed Eagle havørn and most of the usual suspects meant there was always something to see.

Things turned sunny just before I left.....

A quick look at Tjeldstø later on produced the first Goldeneye kvinand of the autumn (very early), White-tailed Eagle havørn and a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk giving a good go at catching a Swallow låvesvale.

House Sparrow gråspurv in my garden - it seems to have been a good year for them with plenty of young birds present.

Still lots of Painted Ladies about - this one on a yellow budlia in my garden

Øygarden 05 September 2014 - More stuff on the move

Light southerly winds and sunny

Not out in any meaningful way but obviously a fair bit on the move with Garden Warbler hagesanger, Blackcap munk and a variety of other migrants seen at Tjeldstø,

Housework back home produced at least one Tree pipit trepiplerke and another new species for the house list - Jay nøtteskrike.

Herdlevær 28 May 2014 - Sylvias

Calm and sunny.

Out rather later than I should have been and took a short stroll around Herdlevær. Best birds were a couple of Garden Warblers hagesanger - at least one of which was singing. A Lesser Whitethroat møller put in an appearance and both Blackcap munk and Common Whitethroat tornsanger were singing.

A quick look at the sea showed that Red-throated Divers smålom are still passing with 10 or so seen in about 15 minutes.

Hernar 25 August 2011

Southerly winds and partly cloudy at first.

One of the first birds seen was a Common Rosefinch rosenfink - probably the same bird also seen later on together with another. Other migrants included a couple of Garden Warbler hagesanger, a Tree Pipit trepiplerke, a Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper and a Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper with a hint of a second wing bar.

Over 60 Twite bergirisk, plenty of waders flying over, a couple of flocks of Greylags grågås and most of the local breeders still present meant things were pretty busy for most of the morning.

 Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper with hint of second wing bar

 Loads of Twite bergirisk about

 Dead sheep in trawl net

 Whitethroat tornsanger

 White Wagtail linerle

Record shot of one of the Rosefinches rosenfink

A strange find was a dead sheep entangled in a trawl net floating in the sea....perhaps the animal became caught in it whilst grazing on seawed at low tide only to be drowned at high tide?

Hernar 16 August 2011

Light westerlies with showers early on.

A decent morning in the field. Highlights at Hernar were the first Garden Warblers hagesanger in Øygarden this year and a fly-by Pinkfoot kortnebbgås - also the first in Øygargen this year.

Other migrants included a couple of Whinchat buskskvett, Greenshank gluttsnipe, an early Brambling bjørkefink and plenty of Willow Warbler løvsanger. At least 40 Twite bergirisk and most of the Hernar regulars meant there was lots to see most of the time.

 Dunlin myrsnipe

Pinkfoot kortnebbgås (right) with Greylag grågås

Sanderling sandløper

On the islands waders included several small flocks of Knot polarsnipe, several Dunlin myrsnipe and a Sanderling sandløper. A Merlin dvergfalk obviously had its eye on the waders too....

Back at Tjeldstø a flock of eight Swifts tårnseiler was the biggest flock thus far in 2011.