Hernar 18 October 2018 - Better late than never

Hardly the best conditions for migrants with a strong westerly wind blowing. However, a trip to Hernar was on the cards as I have yet to make it out there this autumn so there really was no choice.

Female Blackcap munk

Chiff-chaff gransanger

Tree Sparrow pilfink - one of the new species for the year on Hernar today

One of only a few Twite bergirisk left on the island

Wren gjerdesmett

There were plenty of birds about without anything very special. In a Hernar context a couple of Tree Sparrow pilfink may have been the best birds and were the first to be recorded there this year. A fly over Great Northern Diver islom, several each of Chiff-chaff gransanger and Blackcap munk, a couple of Water Rail vannrikse and a few Twite bergirisk took the tally to around 40 species on the island today.

Good numbers of the usual four species of thrush, a few Brambling bjørkefink, plenty of both Robin rødstrupe and Wren gjerdesmett along with an obvious movement of tits - a flock of around 60 Blue tits blåmeis dropped in briefly and there were also both Great Tit kjøttmeis and Coal tit svartmeis on the island - in other words these birds were migrants.

House Sparrows gråspurv feeding on the harbour wall at Hellesøy

One of several White-tailed Eagles havørn seen today

Heading back from the boat to my car a White-tailed Eagle havørn gave good flight views, also had four more earlier in the day.

Nautnes 29 October 2016 - An idiotic new for the house list

North west wind, mostly clear,

I started the day off with a new species for Nautnes - a Water Rail vannrikse. This is nothing like as surprising as it might sound - it is a long-awaited species as there is eminently suitable habitat for this species. It is new in as I specifically looked for this species a few times a week or so ago, Water Rails typically appear after periods with strong SW winds and rain - so this one ticks all the boxes.

The Water Rail was less than 100m from the house but I didn't get it on the house list. A Tree Sparrow pilfink turned up in the garden and THIS was a new species - #126. Hard to believe as this is a relatively common species in Øygarden.

Blackcap munk in the garden

Common Scoter svartand taken from the terrace

Raven ravn

Robin rødstrupe

Other stuff in / from the garden included a Dipper fossekall, a Peregrine vandrefalk, Blackcap munk, Brambling bjørkefink, Common Scoter svartand and White-tailed Eagle havørn.

A quick check at a couple of other places produced Common Crossbills grankorsnebb and Waxwing sidensvans at Solberg and Guillemot lomvi and White-tailed Eagles havørn at Tjeldstø.

Strong winds made for some interesting shots.....

Redwings rødvingetrost are very obvious at the moment

LOADS of Blackbirds svarttrost and Redwing rødvingetrost about with many flocks feeding in fields all over the place.

Herdlevær 04 April 2014 - Another cracking day!

Light southerlies and sunny yet again.

A superb morning out. The intention was to get to Herdlevær and do a short seawatch in case there was any northward movement of stuff today. On the way there a couple of Redshank rødstilk at Tjeldstø were the first of the year in Øygarden and a Pinkfoot kortnebbgås at Breivik was the first I've seen here this year.

There was virtually no passage whatsoever at Herdlevær - getting there at 0900 was probably way too late in the day. However, all was far from lost with two Great Northern Diver islom together on the sea and a second year Yellow-billed Diver gulnebblom feeding nearby - this bird was at long range for photographs but gave excellent views in the scope. Second year birds like this are not a common sight in Øygarden.

Pinkfoot kortnebbgås (left hand bird) at Breivik

Tree Sparrow pilfink at Herdlevær

Second year White-billed Diver gulnebblom - this bird often had its beak open

Banana bill, pale neck with little contrast, eye prominent in the pale of the face

Here fending off a Great Black-backed Gull svartbak

One of several White-tailed Eagles havørn seen today

A single Shelduck gravand heading north, another year's first, was almost the only bird that passed. Other stuff included a Guillemot lomvi on the sea, a few Kittiwakes krykkje, Golden Plovers heilo and the usual seaduck.

A few more passerines had arrived since my last visit including a couple of Linnets tornirisk.

Herdlevær 23 October 2012 - Hawfinch

Calm with scattered cloud cover.

Very pleasant conditions again and yet again plenty of birds about. Highlight today was a Hawfinch kjernebiter. Other decent sightings included a flock of 35 Waxwing sidensvans and a late Oystercatcher tjeld.

 Chiff-chaff gransanger

 Goldcrest fuglekonge - still plenty of migrant Goldcrests passing through

The dangers of migration - all that remained of a Redwing rødvingetrost after being taken by a raptor

Plenty of the usual migrants - hundreds of thrushes feeding in the fields and on the heath, a scattering of Brambling bjørkefink, a few Chiff-chaff gransanger and a couple of Skylark sanglerke.

 Male Brambling bjørkefink - ridiculously high ISO values often lead to a watering down of colours

 Same bird as above taken using flash - better colours but not quite as sharp

Female Brambling bjørkefink with grub

Nigel Goodgame removing birds from the net

 Some better shots of the Rosefinch rosenfink were obtained today - quite good considering the lack of light

 One of a few Tree Sparrows pilfink to get a ring today

A small flock of Waxwing sidensvans dropped into the neighbours garden.

Back home the Rosefinch rosenfink turned up late in the afternoon in poor light and a dozen more Waxwing sidensvans put in an appearance.

Hernar 14 April - Tree Sparrow

Tree Sparrow pilfink - a new species for Hernar
A pair of Merganser siland at Tjeldstø

Herring Gulls gråmåke

Chiff-chaff gransanger

Calm and sunny so conditions were way too good to ground much in the way of migrants.

Generally much quieter than previous visit but still managed a new species for the island in the form of at least two Tree Sparrow pilfink. Other birds of interest included a Merlin dvergfalk, a flock of 10 Golden Plover heilo and several Wheatear steinskvett.

A few Chiff-chaff gransanger even sang briefly and the White Wagtails linerle were busy building nests.

A quick look at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø before leaving for Hernar produced a Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove - possibly the same bird seen flying over Kollsnes yesterday evening.