Øygarden 02-07 April 2026 - Happy Easter:)

A week back home which included a few days off around Easter was quite productive even though I took things pretty easy - normally I would have done more at Skogsøy but time just did not permit.

On 2nd April the female aythya that has been here and there in northern Øygarden since early February allowed for some better views and finally swung me over to Scaup bergand despite seeming to have rather a lot of black on the beak.

2cy female Scaup bergand

The usual round at Herdlevær gave White Wagtail linerle, Red-throated Diver smålom, White-tailed Eagles havørn, a Meadow Pipit heipiplerke and a variety of other migrants. Tjeldstø produced another Red-throated Diver smålom, some Gannets havsule feeding in the fjord and the usual. My first Chiff-chaff gransanger of the year fed at Sture.

In the afternoon a Pinkfoot kortnebbgås and an albifrons Whitefront tundragås were reported, I managed to hear the former among Greylags grågås and see the latter briefly in flight.

I started the 3rd April at Hjelme where a Chiff-chaff gransanger and a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett were the best sightings.

Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett

At Sæle a Red necked Grebe gråstrupedykker on the sea was probably the same bird that has been reported on and off at this locality previously. Small numbers of Long-tailed Duck havelle, a Common Scoter svartand, Black Guillemot teist and singles of both Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke and Meadow Pipit heipiplerke fed in the area.

Next stop was Tjeldstø where the Scaup bergand showed quite well again. A rarer sightig for northern Øygarden were two of last year's Mute Swans knoppsvane - almost certainly of urban origin as they swam straight over to me when I got out of the car. Several Teal krikkand, a couple of White Wagtails linerle and a Meadow Pipit heipiplerke were indications that migration is picking up.

Breivik proved quite productive with the first Jackdaw kaie of the year, a pair of Stonechat svartstrupe and the first two Linnets tornirisk of the year.

Common Gulls fiskemåke feeding at Breivik

The first Linnets tornirisk of 2026

Saturday 4th April was quite social as I bumped into a number of other birders out and about. Although it was a nice morning out and about nothing special was seen. The female Scaup bergand and the two young Mute Swans knoppsvane remained at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø.

Crested Tit toppmeis photographed at a feeding station

The 5th produced a flurry of new arrivals starting with a Dunnock jernspurv in my garden. Numbers of singing Song Thrush måltrost and Redwing rødvingetrost increased too.

At Husvatnet, Tjeldstø the first Redshank rødstilk of the year put in an appearance. Breivik was quite good with a nice Ring Ousel ringtrost and the albifrons Whitefront tundragås as the best observations. The Stonechat svartstrupe pair at Kollsnes showed well too:)

Redshank rødstilk at Husvatnet

Ring Ousel ringtrost at Breivik

Stonechats svartstrupe at Kollsnes

Albifrons Whitefront tundragås at Breivik

The two Mute Swans knoppsvane had moved to Dåvøy and it was here that I noticed they were colour ringed. Both birds were ringed last autumn further south in Øygarden at Stølsneset, Ågotnes - so these Easter tourists had not moved very far from their ringing site.

Mute Swans knoppsvane at Dåvøy

I actually left Øygarden on 7th April and did a guding trip at Herdla. There was plenty to be seen here including White-tailed Eagles havørn, a few Pinkfeet kortnebbgås, a Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås, a couple of Golden Plover heilo and a Pied Wagtail svartryggerle along with good numbers of Lapwing vipe, Ringed Plover sandlo, Meadow Pipits heipiplerke and the usual.

A Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin at Ådnevika was undoubtedly a new arrival as it has been a while since the overwintering birds have shown. On the way home the albifrons Whitefront tundragås showed well at Breivik.

Albifrons Whitefront tundragås

Curlews storspove also returned during this period and it was lovely to hear them displaying at several localities in northern Øygarden.

Tjeldstø and Dåvøy 04 May 2022 - Another "day off"

 Short drive-bys and breakfast at Tjeldstø were the birding activities today.

Tjeldstø was where I spent the most time (not saying much!) and thus produced the best birds. A Ring Ousel ringtrost fed out in the reserve with other thrushes. Lesser Whitethroat møller and Goldfinch stillits were among the other things seen here. It is really looking like Goldinch stillits are becoming a regular thing in the breeding season:) Another Goldfinch stillits at Nautnes too.

One of a few Redshank rødstilk at Dåvøy - I had actually gone there to check out a colour ringed Curlew storspove that was seen there. No sign of it unfortunately

Ring Ousel ringtrost with Fieldfare gråtrost at Tjeldstø

Golden Plover heilo here and there, some newly arrived Wheatear steinskvett and most of the usual species seen here and there.

A female Stonechat svartstrupe was seen briefly close to a suspected breeding locality:)

Hernar 30 September - All day sesh

 Light SE winds, overcast then sunny.

Ideal conditions and the island was heaving with birds - good on numbers and variety. No real rarities but plenty of interest and enough going on to feel that there was something good just about to pop out of a bush somewhere.

A minimum of 15 Chiff-chaff gransanger were present as well as a few Blackcap munk and a Willow Warbler løvsanger

Mistle Thrush duetrost

Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper

Heavily cropped image of Song Thrush måltrost and Ring Ousel ringtrost

Massively cropped Ring Ousel ringtrost

Normally when I'm on Hernar for eight hours I cover the vast majority of it - the island is not that big! Today I did not cover anything like what I would usually do.....there was just too much going on:)

Best bird from my point of view was a cracking White-billed Diver gulnebblom on the sea - they are a lot more uncommon in the autumn than in the spring here. An island first for me:)

At least two Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger, four Ring Ousel ringtrost, a Common Redstart rødstjert, a Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper, Water Rail vannriske, Peregrine vandrefalk, Merlin dvergfalk, a Mistle Thrush duetrost, Lesser Whitethroat møller, a few Grey Plover tundralo, two Tree Sparrow pilfink and more were seen.

Good numbers of Robin rødstrupe, Dunnock jernspurv, Reed Buntings sivspurv, 30+ Song Thrush måltrost, lots of Redwing rødvingetrost and Blackbird svarttrost along with the usual selection of finches including Twite bergirisk and Siskin grønnsisik.

Some more untraditional migrants were also obvious with several Nuthatch spettmeis, Great Tits kjøttmeis and Blue Tits blåmeis now present on the island.

A magic day out and the hours just flew by - it was time to go home before we knew it:) Almost 60 species noted.

Hernar 16 October 2019 - Another all-dayer!

South easterly winds and overcast conditions meant that things looked promising.

Although there were no real rarities I did manage a few new for the island's 2019 year list in the form of a Hen Harrier myrhauk, a fly-over Ring Ousel ringtrost (thank God for those flight calls!), a couple of Goldfinch stillits and a flock of Wigeon brunnakke.

The one that got away was a Tree/OB Pipit that called a few times as it seemingly came in to land. I checked out the area it looked like it went down but, as usual, failed to connect. One day I'll see one of these things properly!

The supporting cast included a couple of Lapland Bunting lappspurv, at least 1200 Redwing rødvingetrost passing over, Water Rails vannrikse, Great Northern Divers islom

One of many Brambling bjørkefink seen today

Blue Tit blåmeis do not breed on the island - so this is a migrant. 

On Hernar they often feed in the grass rather than in trees and bushes

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke - one of three pipit species on the island today

One of several Reed Bunting sivspurv present

Starling stær

Second year White-tailed Eagle havørn

A/the Carrion Crow svartkråke put in an appearance.

Around 47 species so once again close to the usual Hernar day tally.

Engerdal 26.09 - 01.10 Heading East instead of West

In the last week of September most birders of a sound mind head to rarity islands off the west coast of Norway. I decided to do the opposite and leave my rarity island off the west coast and head inland instead. Largely to avoid having to write the inevitable rarity descriptions up 😊.

The destination was somewhat predicatably Engerdal in Hedmark, eastern Norway

I managed a fair bit of time out and about and enjoyed quite a bit of quality birding in what were, for the most part, fantastic conditions. Vast numbers of thrushes and finches were seen pretty much everywhere - obviously on the move and preparing to go. Waxwings sidensvans, a variety of wildfowl and some of the eastern specialities such as Siberian Jay lavskrike, Three-toed Woodpecker tretåspett and Black Woodpecker svartspett were also noted.

This Black Redstart svartrødstjert was the second record for Engerdal and arguably the best bird I saw up there. It turned up immediately after a brief flurry of snow and was still present the next day. It was incredibly restless and the flight shots were taken as it seemed to want to join some of the many flocks of passing thrushes and finches.

Siberian Jays lavskrike were as cooperative as they usually are - once one has actually found them!

This one is in the process of swallowing a blueberry.

This Three-toed Woodpecker tretåspett flew over the road in front of me seemingly with a flock of thrushes. Always a nice sighting for a birder from the west of Norway....

Adult Black-throated Diver storlom

First year Black-throated Diver storlom

Several lakes in the area still held Black-throated Divers storlom. Largely this was a case of a lone adult together with a young one. Many were vocal.

Dunnock jernspurv

A rather distant Great Grey Shrike varsler

Jays nøtteskrike were very much in evidence as they frantically gathered their winter food supplies

Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis

Red-breasted Merganser siland

Pinkfeet kortnebbgås

Ring Ousels ringtrost were seen up towards the treeline

Crippling view of Snipe enkeltbekkasin (not even cropped!)

Willow Tit granmeis are very common in Engerdal