Øygarden 03-05 July 2020 - Time to get a hunting license.....

Spending most of my time trying to get caught up with house stuff, sawing and splitting logs etc, but still out and about to a certain degree most days.

The Rosy Starling rosenstær has predictably proved popular with twitchers from town and has been seen daily since I found it - although disappears for long periods of time.

I finally made the effort to catch up with a Wryneck vendehals pair that are breeding in a nestbox having ousted the previous occupants.

During wet weather on 05 July I checked out a few localities. The Common Tern makrellterne colony at Dåvøy remains abandoned - although I am not certain it would be easy to point the finger at mink being the reason behind this. However, a small Arctic Tern rødnebbterne colony surprisingly remains active at Tjeldstø with adults coming in with food regularly. At least one pair of Common Tern were among these.

Arctic Terns rødnebbterne with young

The Common Tern pair at Nautnes have a well grown chick but it is not yet on the wing. There have been only a couple of pairs at this locality - so it is puzzling that these have got so far whilst a larger colony has failed......

Some Lapwings vipe have fully fledged young - it seems the birds at Kollsnes may have managed to raise some young and moved over to better feeding at Breivik where another pair probably has very small young. At Breivik a Woodcock rugde flew over despite it being the middle of the day.

This adult was actively warning some young hidden in the grass at Breivik

One of the Lapwing chicks at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø - only a few tens of metres from a hunting mink

At Tjeldstø there was at least one Lapwing chick - seems to be growing fast and hopefully it will be fast enough. Just after I photographed this agitated Common Gulls fiskemåke drew my attention to a mink obviously looking for eggs or chicks in the reserve. Without my dog I am now evaluating going through the process of obtaining a hunting license so I can shoot these things....

Wish it was something other than a camera I shot this with......

Nautnes 05 April 2014 - Mink

Overcast with light drizzle at times

Didn't get out for any meaningful birding today. Thankfully others did and the first Ring Ousel ringtrost was reported as well as a Mistle Thrush duetrost.

Yesterday's afternoon high tide brought the corpse of a Greylag grågås floating past the house - I "had to" find out more and dragged the body ashore - with no head and a hole in it's guts I thought that a raptor had killed this bird and that the tide had floated the goose off wherever it was being eaten.

Today a Mink found the corpse - providing entertainment for the girls. For once I didn't set the dog on it. Mink are unfortunately still very common on Øygarden - despite the fact that my dog kills them regularly. I might wait until it gets even tamer before letting the dog do his worst but only after dragging the corpse further away from the sea so that the dog's chances are increased....

Nautnes 12 December 2013 - From the terrace

Gale force winds and rain.

Weather absolutely terrible for seeing stuff during the morning but cleared up nicely once I didn't have any time left.

Nothing out of the ordinary - just an adult White-tailed Eagle havørn from the terrace among all the other usual stuff.

Both Otter and Mink turned up right outside the sitting room window too...

Mink

Otter with fish

 

Herdlevær 04 August 2012

A couple of Golden Plover heilo and a Common Sandpiper strandsnipe were the only indications of autumn migration.

These Greylags grågås will soon be leaving...

Mink - too near the water for the dog to catch

Lots of Willow Warbler løvsanger about

At least two mink were seen, one of which only just escaped the dog. Better luck next time!

Hernar 26 October 2011 - Black Redstart

Strong Easterly and sunny.

A decent enough half day on the island - though quiet compared to Monday.

Highlight was a Black Redstart svartrødstjert that gave brief views just before the boat back to the mainland. A couple of Tree Sparrow pilfink were the first I've had on Hernar this year.

Other stuff included a Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin and a late Wheatear steinskvett.

 Lots of Blackbird svarttrost on the move recently

One of two Tree Sparrow pilfink on the island today

 Common Redpoll gråsisik

 Mink

Song Thrush måltrost

A brief stop at Sæle on the way home produced 10 Blackcap munk and a Chiff-chaff gransanger. 

Skogsøy 27 August 2011 - One less mink

Almost no wind. Very overcast and more or less constant rain.

Not the best of seawatching weather and nothing like the level of activity as at Herdlevær yesterday.

One less Mink to worry about

Some birds on the move with the best one being a Manx Shearwater havlire heading south shortly before I gave up and went home. An obvious passage of Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak again today as well as smaller numbers of waders including Ruff brushane, a couple of Little Stint dvergsnipe, a few Whimbrel småspove, a Spotted Redshank sotsnipe along with most of the usual passage waders.

On the way home the dog and I managed to catch and kill a Mink - a good team effort. Not far from where the dog nailed his previous one...