Øygarden 10.08-13.08.2024 - Seawatching picks up

On Saturday 10th August the wind was firmly in the SW and blowing a gale with associated showers so there was no other option than to head to Skogsøy for a couple of hours of seawatching before heading into "civilization" to buy a freezer and a new dishwasher. Not bad and great to be out there after so long.

Sooty Shearwater grålire 3S

Manx Shearwater havlire 3N, 2S

Fulmar havhest 3S, 2N

Gannet havsule 29S, 11N

On 10.08 the only real option was to use the hide, despite the narrow windows

Gannet havsule

Sooty Shearwater grålire

A White-tailed Eagle havørn flew over my house when I got back home.

The next day the weather was quite similar but things were rather quieter on another attempt at Skogsøy. Just a couple of Fulmar havhest, a Peregrine vandrefalk and a light passage of Common Gulls fiskemåke. Best bird was probably a Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove at Breivik on the way out to Skogsøy.

The way home produced a couple of Jay nøtteskrike at Sture and the early Goldeneye kvinand on Husvatnet.

No birding on 12.08 but an unseasonal Whooper sangsvane turned up on Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

On Tuesday 13.08 it was back to guiding again and with limited time available it was Herdla again, Temminck's Stint temminkssnipe, Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove, Curlew Sandpiper tundrasnipe and plenty of other species of wader were noted. A noticable passage of Greylags grågås heading south and most of the usual suspects resulted in around 45 species seen.

In the afternoon I went fishing in Fusa where just the usual gulls and a couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn were the only birds seen. But two lifers (at least as rod -caught) were Thornback Ray piggskate and Black-mouthed Catshark håhjel. - both of which went back alive and swam off strongly. Other fish ended up filleted and in the freezer I purchased earlier in the week:)

Thornback Ray piggskate

Black-mouthed Catshark  hågjel

Black-mouthed Catshark  hågjel

Thornback Ray piggskate

Offshore 27.03 - 09.04.2024 - Five species in two weeks

 My first offshore trip of the year was a spectacular failure birdwise - probably because I almost didn't get outside. A measly five species in early April means this was quite possibly the worst ever offshore trip I've ever had.

The only identified passerine was a Meadow Pipit heipiplerke just outside the Norwegian 12 nautical mile limit although there was another bird onboard which was probably a Goldcrest fuglekonge.

The time was spent at Gullfaks and Oseberg where all I managed was small numbers of Fulmar havhest (seems to be becoming scarcer and scarcer), Gannets havsule, a Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke and a Great Black-backed Gull svartbak. 

Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke

Fulmar havhest

Gannet havsule

Oseberg

Better luck next time I hope.

Øygarden 06-11 November 2022 - November:)

November is one of my favourite months as although the main migration may be over there is always something to see and it often a time for things that may be common elsewhere to turn up.

I arrived home as the light was going on 06 November and just had to pop across to Sæle, just in case "something" might have lingered on. This was not the case but a couple of Bullfinch dompap (never common here but a typical early November migrant), some Blackcaps munk, a few Chiff-chaff gransanger and a Rook kornkråke along with the usual thrushes, Robins rødstrupe etc meant that it wasn't waste of time.

Chiff-chaff gransanger - this one was calling like a normal one

Rook kornkråke, a scarce but annual visitor in early spring and late autumn

The following day I was back there again for an hour or so - hoping to turn one of the Chiff-chaff into a tristis. This was also not the case but a Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis and a Willow Tit granmeis put in an appearance amongst the Blackcaps munk, Chiff-chaffs gransanger, Goldcrests fuglekonge and other migrants present. Plenty going on so it was most enjoyable.

Chiff-chaffs gransanger at Sæle

Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis

A very short visit to Herdlevær on 08 November produced a very vocal tristis Chiff-chaff sibirgransanger, a Woodcock rugde, a Willow Tit granmeis, a flock of six Waxwing sidensvans, a Goldfinch stillits and plenty of commoner migrants.

On the way home I picked up a couple of lateish Meadow Pipits heipiplerke at Breivik and a Lapwing vipe at Tjeldstø.

Crested Tit toppmeis at Herdlevær

Lapwing vipe at Tjeldstø

Three of six Waxwing sidensvans at Herdlevær

A morning visit to Hellesøy on 09 November gave a Waxwing sidensvans and a Merlin dvergfalk as highlights.

On the way home a couple each of Goldfinch stillits and Goldcrest fuglekonge were the only things of interest but plenty of Redwing rødvingetrost and Blackbird svarttrost about. Sæle gave up the same as the previous visits with Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis, Blackcaps munk and Chiff-chaffs gransanger still around. 

It was here disaster struck - my trusty DSLR gave up the ghost. I thought it was my lens that was on the way out but the camera itself refused to take pictures. Yet another one bites the dust and puts me in a predicament....

Next up was a female Scaup bergand at Husvatnet, without a camera there were no pictures...

Back home a Redpoll gråsisik and a couple of Tree Sparrow pilfink joined the more usual selection of species in the garden

There was no time to get out of the house on 10 November, though a trip to the shops in the late afternoon produced an unusual sighting in the form of a Fulmar havhest swimming amongst the boats at Rong and the Lapwing vipe a Tjeldstø was still present along with the Scaup bergand.

Fulmar havhest, either sick or exhausted at Rong.

Unusual place and time of year, this bird swam in among the small boats tied up along the quayside

On 11 November I did no birding at all, but drove into Bergen for a lovely couple of hours with my youngest and a quick visit to a camera shop. More about the latter later....

Norwegian Sector 06-j7 July 2017 - Offshore Opportunties

For the last few weeks it has been extremely difficult to find time to do much in the way of birding. One of the reasons is an offshore trip that offered even less time on deck than usual. A trip that covered a large portion of the Norwegian sector of the North Sea provided a total of about one hour out on deck looking for birds and as is often the case I ended up wondering what could have been seen.

Arctic Skuas tyvjo at Heidrun 09-10 July. Above picture is of a second year bird.

Cormorant storskarv - a species that may be eyeing up Heidrun as a potential breeding site

Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak

The Heidrun platform, July 2017

Kittiwakes krykkje were breeding on every available ledge. The platform sounded like the Farne Islands where I grew up.

The first few days were spent near the Heidrun platform in the northern part of the Norwegian sector. In recent years Kittiwakes krykkje have bred on this platform and this was obviously the case this year too. There were hundreds of Kittiwakes krykkje present with nests on virtually all of the potential places. These in turn attracted Arctic Skua tyvjo which preyed on them. Other species may have an eye on the Heidrun platform as a potential breeding place as there were a number of adult Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak present and even a Cormorant storskarv. During the summer months it is largely younger gulls that are present but here there were also a number of adults.

After Heidrun and Åsgard we went to Veslefrikk where a passing trawler attracted a couple of hundred Fulmar havhest along with Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak and Gannets havsule. Most of the gulls seen here were non breeders.

Fulmars feeding on discarded Ling neear Veslefrikk

Fulmars havhest behind fishing vessel

Fulmar havhest feeding on Ling lange discarded by fishing vessel

Veslefrikk

At Veslefrikk a passing trawler provided most of the action with hudreds of Fulmar along with smaller numbers of Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak anda few Gannets havsule.

Grane platform

Kvitebjørn

Valemon with West Elara in attendance

The next stops were Kvitebjørn, Valemon and Grane. Just small numbers of the usual suspects were seen at these locations.