Tjeldstø 24 May 2020 - Marsh Harrier blunder

Light rain and lighter winds provided better conditions for bringing "something" in.

And today that something was a cracking female Marsh Harrier sivhauk that came past at point blank range as I got back into my car at Tjeldstø. I turned for my camera only to find it was still in my rucksack. What a blunder! One day I will have to learn that the camera is no use in the rucksack. By the time I extracted the camera the bird had gained height and was heading south over the reserve. This is the 11th find of this species in Øygarden.

Female Marsh Harrier sivhauk mobbed by Hooded Crows kråke

Marsh Harrier occurrence by week number in Øygarden (from artsobs)

A Merlin dvergfalk also put in an appearance at Tjeldstø.

Common Whitethroat tornsanger at Tjeldstø

Golden Plover heilo

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke at Kollsnes

Lapwing vipe at Kollsnes

Other than that it was very much business as usual during a quick round of localities.

Herdlevær 28 August 2018 - Flightless Golden Plover dejavu

A quick walk around Herdlevær before work.

Today I think I solved a mystery. Some time ago I found a Golden Plover heilo at Herdlevær with a wing missing (see here). I had assumed that the missing wing was due to a raptor / predator. Today I found another Golden Plover heilo with a severely damaged wing in almost exactly the same place.

Golden Plover heilo with damaged wing

I now realise that low flying birds coming over at speed are likely to collide with narrow fence posts that look like rebar and are almost invisible from certain angles are much more likely to be the cause of these injuries. With two birds found in the same place with almost identical injuries this must be the case. These posts should either be removed (there has been no fence there for years) or made more visible.

Part of a migrating flock of Cormorants storskarv

Knot polarsnipe with a few Ringed Plover sandlo - Knot flying upside down

Wheatear steinskvett

A few flocks of Golden Plover heilo headed south as did a flock of 15 Knot polarsnipe along with some unidentified smaller waders.

Otherwise it was just the usual with 30 Gannets havsule feeding offshore and a selection of the usual migrants including Wheatear steinskvett and a few Brambling bjørkefink.

A Peregrine vandrefalk took a racing pigeon over the road at Nautnes where I also had White-tailed Eagle havørn and Sparrowhawk spurvehauk.

Herdlevær 13 September - New Øygarden tick!

Light southerly wind and rather warm.

Golden Plover heilo

Migrating Heron gråhegre

Raven ravn

Things had changed in a quite predictable way - waders were still moving but further out. A couple of flocks of Ruff brushane and several flocks of Golden Plover heilo were the most numerous but Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove, Curlew storspove, Turnstone steinvender, Dunlin myrsnipe and Ringed Plover sandlo were also moving.

Red-throated Diver smålom and Cormorant storskarv were rather more obvious - with the largest flocks of both species topping 20. Raptors were a Peregrine vandrefalk and a Merlin dvergfalk,

A pale-bellied Brent Goose ringgås was the first I've seen in Øygarden this year.

Other odds and ends included a Black Guillemot teist and a few Arctic Terns rødnebbterne.

Marsh Warbler myrsanger, Svensson and the most photographed hand in Øygarden

As I returned to the car the phone went and off I drove to Sørgårdsvatnet to see my fist Marsh Warbler myrsanger for Øygarden. This is only the second record for the district if memory serves me correctly.

Tjeldstø 29 August 2016 - Half an hour in the sun

Cracking weather, unfortunately the day was spent as so often in front of the computer,

Part of a Golden Plover heilo flock

Golden Plover heilo

Mixed flock of Golden Plover heilo and Ruff brushane

Migrating Wood Sandpiper grønnstilk with a Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin

I went to the shop in the evening and took half an hour in the reserve at Tjeldstø. This proved quite productive - a flock of over 50 Golden Plover heilo and at least 15 Ruff brushane were present but very restless -constantly flying up and landing again. A sure sign that an interesting raptor must have been present. All I saw though was an adult White-tailed Eagle havørn.

Other good birds included a mixed flock of Turnstone steinvender and Ringed Plover sandlo flying over, the first Goldeneye kvinand of the autumn and the first Wood Sandpiper grønnstilk I've seen locally this year.

During the occasional coffee break on my terrace at Nautnes I head Merlin dvergfalk, Greenshank gluttsnipe and the usual.

Øygarden 11 October 2014 - Another productive day

Southerly winds with showers.

Nautnes produced most of the usual plus a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls sildemåke, a Skylark sanglerke (species #97 for the house) and a couple of Blackcap munk.

Golden Plovers heilo at Hjelme Vest

Later on a walk out at Hjelme Vest proved worthwhile with a couple of Grey Plover tundralo as the best birds. Also seen here were a Curlew storspove, a nice flock of Golden Plover heilo and several Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt. Some passage noted with Common Scoter svartand and Common Gull fiskemåke making up the bulk of the migrants. Several Red-throated Diver smålom and a few Wigeon brunnakke also passed. Nothing much of note in the woods though a Willow Tit granmeis joined the usual tits.

Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger

A quick walk at Sæle gave fleeting views of Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger and Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett. Other than just several Blackcap munk, a Nuthatch spettmeis and the usual.

Great Grey Shrike varsler clearly visible in the top of the pine tree . THIS is what we call a record shot!

Massively cropped from above picture - clearly identifiable!

A telephone call as the light was going meant that we had to head out to Tjeldstø in a hurry in order to catch up with a Great Grey Shrike varsler.

Herdlevær 30 August 2014 - Just what the doctor ordered.

Light easterlies after rain in the night couldn't really go wrong....

Quite a productive couple of hours early on at Herdlevær today. Finally got out and about and there was plenty of interest. Stuff obviously on the move with things passing overhead in addition to resting birds.

Little Stint dvergsnipe

Highlight was a cracking Little Stint dvergsnipe which gave the best views I've had of this species in Øygarden - they are often just fly-bys or seen on offshore islands. Today's bird feed on the shore and was also very vocal.

Dunnock jernspurv

Golden Plover heilo

 

Above and below first year Ringed Plover sandlo

Adult Ringed Plover sandlo

Plenty of other waders including a Knot polarsnipe, several flocks of Golden Plover heilo, Ringed Plovers sandlo, Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a Greenshank gluttsnipe.

A Peregrine vandrefalk put in an appearance a few times as did a Kestrel tårnfalk.

Plenty of passerines too with the best being a Wryneck vendehals.

Back at Nautnes another Kestrel tårnfalk and more waders flying over.

Herdlevær 22 August 2013 - Whisky strikes again

Sunny with light northerly wind.

A Green Sandpiper skogsnipe was the best sighting, otherwise just small numbers of the usual waders, some Twite bergirisk and the usual suspects.

1cy Black-headed Gull hettemåke at Breivik

Golden plover heilo at Herdlevær

Whisky gets another mink

Whisky caught and killed yet another Mink - too little too late for this breeding season but better than nothing...

A few vocal White-tailed Eagles havørn over the house at Tjeldstø.

Tjeldstø 26 May 2013 - Big Barnacle day

Wind more or less from the north again. Sunny.

Golden Plovers heilo 

A short walk in the reserve produced largely the usual suspects including a couple of Golden Plover heilo.

During the course of the day some large flocks of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås were seen heading north in the distance.

Herdlevær 10 May 2013 - Yellow Wagtail

Southerly breeze, overcast.

Golden Plover heilo at Breivik

Golden Plover heilo at Herdlevær

Best bird was a brief Yellow Wagtail gulerle. Other than that rather quiet with a flock of Golden Plover heilo as the only other migrants.

Another flock Golden Plover heilo, totalling 30 birds, was present at Breivik.

In the evening a Hawfinch kjernebiter turned up in the garden - for only the second time.

Tjeldstø 31 March 2013 - More arrivals

Sunny at first, clouding over later. Southerly winds.

Golden Plover heilo

Starling stær

Whoopers sangsvane

A stroll around the reserve produced the first Golden Plover heilo in Hordaland this year. Small numbers of Teal krikkand were the first I have seen this year but have been in the area for more than a week. Another new bird in was a Curlew storspove which displayed over Husvatnet.

Several Whoopers sangsvane on Husvatnet and most of the usual suspects also seen.

In the afternoon family errands resulted in the first Yellowhammer gulspurv of the year near Sture