Halne 06-07 June 2024 - Hardangervidda light

Unfortunately this visit was just a stop along the way elsewhere.

Still quite a bit of snow and the lakes only about half open but still plenty to see.

During a half-hour evening stroll on 06 June the best birds were three very unexpected Great Snipe dobbeltbekkasin feeding close to the road. Several pairs of Fieldfare gråtrost were incubating. Otherwise little in the way of wildfowl (just a pair of Long-tailed Duck havelle on a roadside lake) and small numbers of the commoner waders.

The following morning I took a slightly longer walk before hitting the road again. Bluethroat blåstrupe, Rough-legged Buzzard fjellvåk,  another Great Snipe dobbeltbekkasin and Willow Grouse lirype  were among the sightings. 

Bluethroat blåstrupe

White Wagtal linerle

Willow Grouse lirype

Willow Warbler løvsanger with nesting material

The rest of the day was spent driving ever further east, only birds of note were a Black Woodpecker svartspett flying over the road and a flock of around 20 Cranes trane in a roadside field.

A stop at Akersvika, Hamar produced singing Wood Warbler bøksanger, good numbers of Canada Geese kanadagås, a Whooper Swan sangsvane, Garden Warbler hagesanger, a few Wigeon brunnakke and most of the usual suspects here

Hernar 20 April 2022 - More sun and more migrants

A nice couple of hours on Hernar in very summery and calm conditions.

The first Willow Warbler løvsanger of the fed with several Chiff-chaff gransanger and even sang briefly.

Chiff-chaff gransanger

Part of a flock of Curlews storspove heading south

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke

Snipe enkeltbekkasin sharing a songpost with a Starling stær

Twite bergirisk

The first Willow Warbler løvsanger of the year

A bunch of other migrants have also returned to the island so there was plenty to see.  A Peregrine vandrefalk was the best of the raptors. 

The boat ride out produced Great Northern Diver islom on the sea, typically diving and disappearing at very long range, some flocks of Long-tailed Ducks havelle, several Black Guillemots teist and the usual. 

Long-tailed Ducks havelle

Back home a Pied Wagtal svartryggerle gave nice views as I checked my postbox:) I am fairly sure this is the same bird I saw here a week or two ago but it seems to have become a little blacker. Maybe a 2cy male still moulting into summer plumage??

Pied Wagtail svartryggerle

Hernar 19 April 2019 - Game on!

Another cracking day weather wise and therefore expectations were not too high for grounded migrants. However, the island was full of birds including some good ones which made for a magic morning out with a real feel of spring / summer.

Just about the first bird seen - a male Blackcap munk - all three Blackcaps seen today were males

Probably the best bird of the day - a Hawfinch kjernebiter

Plenty of very restless Lesser Redpolls brunsisik about - this one sat still for a few seconds

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke

The first Willow Warbler løvsanger of the year for me

There was an obvious arrival of a number of species on the island with the best bird being a Hawfinch kjernebiter. A few Willow Warbler løvsanger were also present and even sang - lying back in the grass in the sunshine and listening to the first Willow Warbler song made the trip worthwhile in itself. At least three male Blackcap munk, several Swallows låvesvale, a singing Skylark sanglerke, a migrating Woodcock rugde, at least 8 Chiff-chaffs gransanger and several Goldcrests fuglekonge were among the other migrants seen.

Good numbers of migrating Curlew storspove were seen throughout the morning with a flock of 27 over my house before I left, a flock of 55 over Hernar and more flocks passing and resting on the islands.

Curlew storspove and Teal krikkand

Four Shoveler skjeand (right hand birds) and five Teal krikkand

The Shoveler were no doubt the same birds also reported at Herdlevær

One of several flocks of Teal krikkand seen

Wigeon brunnakke

The journey to and from the island was also productive - largely in the form of dabbling ducks. These included four Shoveler skjeand, several Wigeon brunnakke and around 25 Teal krikkand.

Hernar 25 April 2012 - more new migrants

Very calm and quiet both weather and birdwise. Light easterly winds with outbreaks of sun.

 Wheatear steinskvett

Willow Warbler løvsanger

The first lap of the island produced the first Willow warbler løvsanger and Blackcap munk of the year. Several singing Wheatear steinskvett but just one female.

Otherwise it was mostly the usual suspects including several Twite bergirisk.