Øygarden 14 May 2020 - A day off / the young ones

I took a break from seawatching today and had a look around at various localities.

Several singing Lesser Whitethroat møller at various localities, Cuckoo gjøk, Skylarks sanglerke seemingly breeding at three different places.

Siskin grønnsisik singing at Herdlevær

Whimbrel småspove at Tjeldstø

White Wagtail linerle

Otherwise it was a days of nests and young ones. A Blackbird svarttrost nest at Alvheim held almost fully fledged young whilst a Song Thrush måltrost was still adding some nest lining only a few metres away. A Ringed Plover sandlo watched over at least one newly hatched chick at the usual place.

At Tjeldstø a few Whimbrel småspove took a breather in one of the fields.

From the house a couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn, two pairs of Oystercatcher tjeld and one of Curlew storspove breeding close by, Common Sandpipers strandsnipe displaying and a pair of Twite bergirisk establishling themselves. Meanwhile the Starling stær parents are in shuttle traffic feeding their young in the nestbox I put up last year.

Skogsøy 12 May 2020 - Winter bites back but Poms on the move

Northerly gale with hail and snow showers. A very cold and wintery feel to conditions today!

Even with my thermal suit on I only managed to sit out there for a little over three hours. The day was surprisingly productive with best birds a couple of distant Pomarine Skuas polarjo and two White-billed Diver gulnebblom. A single Bonxie storjo and six Velvet Scoter sjøorre were among the other species noted.

The mainstay of the birding were flocks of Long-tailed Ducks havelle heading north. Mid-May is the peak time for this species to be on the move. More here.

Flocks of migrating Long-tailed Ducks havelle

Obligatory White-billed Diver gulnebblom shots

Red throated Diver N	65
White Billed Diver N	2
Northern Gannet N	41
Northern Gannet S	4
Great Cormorant N	1
Eurasian Shag N	5
Eurasian Shag S	8
Long tailed duck N	230
Common Scoter N	18
Velvet Scoter N	6
Pomarine Skua N	2
Great Skua N	1
Black-legged Kittiwake N	18
Common Guillemot N	12
Razorbill N	6
Auk N	8

On my way out to the seawatching point I heard my first singing Lesser Whitethroat møller of the year - and subsequently heard them other places on the way home

Skogsøy 27 April 2018 - Svalbard here we come!

Light southerly winds, mixed cloud cover with sunny spells.

As is now the last week of April it was somewhat predictable that I got up at silly o clock and went off to Skogsøy for a few hours before work.....

This flock looks like it is heading the wrong way to Svalbard but was the first flock I saw passing behind the lookput.

Some flocks were picked up a long was off over land....

Other flocks came rather closer.....

One of today's Gannets havsule

Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke with nest material

One of two Twite bergirisk I saw during a drive-by at Herdlevær

I spent a little of three hours there and had a decent passage of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås heading north on their way to Svalbard. I am pretty certain that a number of flocks passed more or less undetected behind the lookout - I saw some flocks behind me but heard others that I just didn't see.....Although far from any kind of record the final tally was just under 800 birds. These were the first I have seen locally this year, although the first flock was observed here on 21.04.

Other than the geese there was very little passing and remarkably no divers at all. Small numbers of the usual seaduck (largely Common Scoter svartand and Long-tailed Duck havelle) passed including the first two Velvet Scoter sjøorre of the year - it has been the worst winter ever for this species in Øygarden. A light movement of Oystercatcher tjeld was also noted along with the usual Gannets havsule, Shags toppskarv and a single Guillemot lomvi.

A Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke gathered nesting material close to where I was sitting - it is not always obvious if the Rock Pipits we see are local breeders or birds passing through.

Another new for the year were a couple of Lesser Whitethroat møller - one feeding and picked up on call, whilst the other bird was in full song.

Hernar 05 October 2017 - Making the most of the weather :)

Not exactly textbook rarity conditions with strong westerly winds and although it was dry more than it wasn't there was a succession of showers, some of them very heavy. But I'm home and not working and there was no way I was giving up on a chance to be out and about....

Lesser Whitethroat møller

Yellow-browed Warblers gulbrynsanger

All in all a typical early October day with at least two Yellow-browed Warblers gulbrynsanger, a male Common Redstart rødstjert, Lapland Bunting lappspurv, a Lesser Whitethroat møller and Water Rail vannriske as the best birds.

Also Blackcap munk, Chiff-chaff gransanger, over 50 Twite bergirisk, Brambling bjørkefink and most of the usual.

After Hernar I checked Tjeldstø for the gull but found only a female Shoveler skjeand of note.

Back home at Nautnes I got in on the current Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb influx with four birds seen from my terrace.

Tjeldstø 02 May 2017 - Drive-bys

The sunny weather continues. Still no time to get out but optimistic that this will change any day now.

The day started with the first Lesser Whitethroat møller of the year close to the house.

Family and house related errands meant I had to drive a bit today so the birding was a drive by past Kollsnes where there were around 30 Golden Plover heilo, Skylark sanglerke singing and the usual Lapwing vipe, Curlew storspove and plenty of Wheatear steinskvett along with several Black-headed Gulls hettemåke.

Continuing past Breivik I added a nice male Redstart rødstjert to my local year list.

Two Pinkfeet kortnebbgås on Husvatnet

A brief stop at Husvatnet provided two more new species - a couple of Pinkfeet kortnebbgås among all the Greylags grågås and a Common Whitethroat tornsanger feeding in some juniper bushes. 

Hernar 30 October 2013 - dawn to dusk birding

Light northerly winds, mostly sunny

Given the conditions it was never going to be a day for grounded migrants. However, it was a day of good late autumn birding.

Predictably there was a lot of passage early on, largely Mealy Redpolls gråsisik, Common Crossbill grankorsnebb and other finches.

Part of one of the Mealy Redpoll gråsisik flocks - unfortunately they almost never stop to allow checking for more interesting things...

Colour ringed Herring Gull gråmåke

A few of the Waxwings sidensvans seen today

Twite bergirisk

1cy Woodpigeon ringdue

Twite bergirisk

Wren gjerdesmett - numbers still increasing

Female Black Grouse orrfugl showing off camoflauge

Female Black Grouse orrfugl - very regular on Hernar this year

Highlights were a flock of 15 Waxwing sidensvans, a flock of six Two-barred Crossbill båndkorsnebb (though many more were heard) and a late Lesser Whitethroat møller. Other notable sightings were a total of 13 Goldfinch stillits, a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett, two  Water Rail vannrikse, a Peregrine vandrefalk and a Yellowhammer gulspurv (the latter being a new species for the island).

In all a total of 56 species seen.

Herdlevær 07 May 2012 - Seawatching still rules...

Light southerly winds and sunny.

Yet another short trip out, grabbed an hour's seawatching which once again proved quite productive:

All heading north:
Gadwall snadderand: 2 (with Barnacle Geese)
Red-throated Diver smålom: 66 (passage must have been well into triple figures today)
White-billed Diver gulnebblom: 1
GN /WB Diver kjempelom: 1
Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås: 440
Tufted Duck toppand: 9
Velvet Scoter sjøorre: 11
Common Scoter svartand: 9
Whimbrel småspove: 9
Oystercatcher tjeld: 28

A Lesser Whitethroat møller was seen in one of the gardens - first in Øygarden this year.

Tjeldstø 21 August 2011

Waders included a couple of Dunlin myrsnipe and several Ringed Plover sandlo. Highlight was the first Lesser Whitethroat møller at this locality for some time.

After dark a bat flaggermus flew around the house for a while - a rare sight indeed. Might also be a migrant...?

Tjeldstø 30 April 2010 - Lesser Whitethroat

Green-winged Teal amerikrikkand
Male Green-winged Teal amerikrikkand

Female Eurasian Teal krikkand
Male Eurasian Teal krikkand

Stuck inside most of the day but had singing Lesser Whitethroat møller (first in the county this year) in the garden, Willow Warblers løvsanger and Common Sandpiper strandsnipe all seen or heard from the garden too.....

A very brief trip out around 12:30 gave better views of the Green-winged Teal amerikakrikkand but it (and the other Teal krikkand it was accompanying remained shy and flighty).