Øygarden 10-12 February 2020 - First Skylark

On 10 February I ate my lunch at Herdlevær but things were rather quiet with just 10 Gannets havsule and several Kittiwake krykkje heading north.

On the way home three Greylags grågås were at Tjeldstø - these may be new arrivals but equally could be from birds overwintering on the other side of the fjord as later on I saw them heading across the fjord in the direction of Herdla.

A Woodcock rugde was a welcome sight at Sture - these birds must be enjoying the best winter ever with plenty of moist earth to probe for food.

Back home five White-tailed Eagles havørn were hanging in the wind.

Work took care of 11 February but a male Sparrowhawk spurvehauk perched next to the feeder as I left the house.

Skylark sanglerke at Skjold

On 12 February I briefly covered a few localities seeing a nice flock of 60 Brambling bjørkefink and a Jay nøtteskrike among the usual stuff. A tip off led me to seeing the first Skylark sanglerke of the year at Skjold🙂

Øygarden 30-31 May 2019 - Hanging in there for Manx

Birding activity at a virtual standstill but still trying to squeeze in some time here and there.

On 30th May drive-bys at the usual places on the way to and from work provided encouraging signs for the local Common Terns makrellterne and Arctic Terns rødnebbterne 

One of several Arctic Tern rødnebbterne pairs in among the Common Terns

Common Tern makrellterne (though I did look twice given the all dark bill!)

Lapwing vipe chicks at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

Young Lesser Redpoll brunsisik

Skylark sanglerke - not often I take pictures of this species despite small numbers breeding in the area

Adult White-tailed Eagle havørn

The various breeding waders are starting to hatch with Ringed Plover sandlo, Lapwing vipe and Curlew storspove all with young. The Redshanks rødstilk must be imminent if they don't already have young.

On 31st May I spent a few hours seawatching at Skogsøy. This paid off well with the first Manx Shearwater havlire of the year. Plenty of other stuff passing too, so well worth the effort! In addition to the birds listed below a pair of Arctic Skua tyvjo, one pale phase, the other dark flew overhead as I walked out to the lookout point.

Red throated Diver smålom N 19

Northern Fulmar havhest N 3

Northern Gannet havsule N 170

Northern Gannet havsule S 8

Great Cormorant storskarv N 3

Common Scoter svartand N 27

Turnstone steinvender N 8 (first of the year for me)

Great Skua storjo N 1

Common Gull fiskemåke N 21

Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje N 79

Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje S 13

Arctic Tern rødnebbterne N 3

Common Guillemot lomvi N 43

Razorbill alke N 18

Atlantic Puffin lunde N 2

Guillibill alke/lomvi N 17

Common Scoter svartand

As usual at this time of year non-adult birds start to dominate

Migrating Red-throated Diver smålom

Some Red-throated Diver smålom are not in breeding plumage - younger birds heading north to check out what to do next year?

Øygarden 11.02 - 14.02 Signs of spring

Largely mild with southerly winds and a very spring-like feel.

Crocuses have started flowering and Snowdrops have been out for a couple of weeks at least, leaves are starting to show on my elderberry bushes so spring is in the air.

The only new bird for the year was a Skylark sanglerke migrating north over the house as I buried my newly installed fibre cable on 13.02 - a very early date for a migrating bird. A small influx of Starlings stær during the week (flocks of up to 10 birds seen) were almost certainly new arrivals. Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak numbers are increasing with many birds starting to find their favourite breeding spots out on the islands.

Yellow legs, red orbital eye ring, powerful bill with pronounced gonydal angle BUT looks like too much white in the primary tips (at least on these closed wing shots)....

As it is late winter / early spring it is time for those infruriating and time consuming "yellow-legged gulls". Or Omissus Herring Gulls gråmåke or whatever they are. I saw one such bird at Dåvøy on 12.02 and with legs, bill and orbital ring looking good my hopes were raised. However, no open wing shots to confirm either way but it looks like there may have been too much white on the outer primaries.....I noted also that the "Gulls" book mentions that omissus often also have red orbital ring....

Common Crossbill grankorsnebb at Hjelme Vest (part of a group of 16 birds that were also singing)

Random White-tailed Eagle havørn from the terrace

Øygarden 07 April 2018 - Spring boost

Light southerly winds, overcast at first but sunny later.

A quick look at a few localities to see what was going on today. Short walks at Herdlevær, Breivik and Tjeldstø produced several new for the year.

A couple of White Wagtail linerle and a Snipe enkeltbekkasin

Part of a flock of Starling stær at Breivik

I opened at Herdlevær which was relatively quiet. Breivik proved to be rather better with a Pied Wagtail svartryggerle along with a few White Wagtail linerle, several Meadow Pipit heipiplerke, a Snipe enkeltbekkasin, a flock of at least 170 Starling stær and an assortment of the usual thrushes.

Skylarks sanglerke at Tjeldstø

Tjeldstø was rather better with highlights being a flyover Grey Wagtail vintererle, a Mistle Thrush duetrost, a Snow Bunting snøspurv, four Whetear steinskvett, a Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke, a few Teal krikkand, a flock of three Tufted Duck toppand, a White Wagtail linerle, a Brambling bjørkefink, five Skylark sanglerke and at least seven Meadow Pipit heipiplerke. White-tailed Eagle havørn and most of the usual suspects also noted here alongside several each of displaying Curlew storspove and Lapwing vipe.

Curlew storspove - many more have arrived whilst I have been away. This one was at Dåvøy - the others were displaying at various localities

A pair of Ringed Plover sandlo are back on one of their regular breeding sites whilst at Nautnes a Goldcrest fuglekonge was the first of the year in the garden as was a Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke along with the more usual White-tailed Eagle havørn.

Øygarden 07 March 2017 - So-called smart phone game changer

Light easterly winds, sunny but cold during the night.

My intention was to go to Skogsøy early on for a couple of hours seawatching. This did not happen as my so-called smart phone updated itself during the night and forgot the alarm clock I had set....

I spent a massive three hours out today door-to-door and it proved quite productive - especially from a photographic point of view, The alarm clock screw-up meant that I had to change my plans and just did a quick walk and an hour of seawatching at Herdlevær.

Dipper fossekall

Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin looking like they have made it through the winter

A short video of the Snipe feeding - they were not concerned about me sitting in the car and watching from a safe distance.

En route to Herdlevær I picked up a couple of Snipe enkeltbekkasin that gave cracking views from the car, a Dipper fossekall and a Water Rail vannrikse among other things including Redwing rødvingetrost (probably an overwintering bird rather than a migrant) and more newly arrived Woodpigeon ringdue. It looks like the massive gamble the Snipe have taken on overwintering here has paid off - with every passing day life should get easier for these birds. No thanks to the local planners/developers though - several suitable areas for overwintering birds like Snipe have been destroyed during 2016/2017 drastically reducing their chances of survival considerably....give it a few more years and there will be nothing left for them to survive periods of cold weather.

White-tailed Eagle havørn with focus on an Otter - perhaps it did not see me....

This bird is probably in its third year...

Too close to fit in the viewfinder...

This illustrates typical WT Eagle behaviour -. stealing from Otters. I didn't have time to stick around to see what happened but in this picure it is possible to see the eagle waiting for its chance (left in image) to rob the Otter (right of image with red fish). Click for larger image.

Herdlevær produced a reasonable passage of Oystercatcher tjeld heading north, the first Guillemots lomvi of the year (!!), a Great Northern Diver islom on the sea and at least two White-tailed Eagles havørn.

Lapwing vipe with a very cold-looking sheep - they must be missing their wool despite the sun

Skylark sanglerke - not a bird that presents photo opportunities every day....

I did a drive-by at Tjeldstø on the way home - a few Lapwing vipe, my first local Skylark sanglerke of the year, an increase in the number of Greylags grågås and at least two more White-tailed Eagles havørn.

Herdlevær 08 March 2015 - Also on the right side of the country

Light westerlies becoming progressively sunnier throughout the day.

'

Record shot of the Moorehen - cropped from the already cropped version below where the bird just about be seen in the left-hand side of the picture.

First stop was Blomvatnet where the long-staying Moorehen sivhøne gave itself up. This bird may well have chosen to move to Øygarden from Oslo (or somewhere else in the east of the country). Fascinating stuff that a colour ringed bird in Bergen has been seen in Oslo in the breeding season. More info on this here.

At Herdlevær the only new birds seen on the usual walk were a small flock of Meadow Pipits heipiplerke flying over.

A brief look at Tjeldstø showed increases in the number of Lapwing vipe and Greylags grågås in as well as a small flock of Oystercatcher tjeld and a fly-over Skylark sanglerke. Other stuff here inlcuded a flock of around 40 Fieldfare gråtrost.

At least 70 Starling stær at Breivik and a Woodpigeon ringdue at Oen was further evidence that stuff is arriving.

Tjeldstø 18 April 2013 - Yet more new arrivals

Strong southerly winds and rain.

Started the day with a walk at Breivik. Some grounded migrants and new arrivals here including a few White Wagtail linerle, a small flock of Skylark sanglerke and at least six Snipe enkeltbekkasin.

Redwing rødvingetrost at Harkestad

At Harkestad one field was full of migrants including a flock of 40 Chaffinch bokfink, several Brambling bjørkefink, a Pied Wagtail svartryggerle, a White Wagtail linerle, Meadow Pipit heipiplerke and a mix of thrushes.

Goldfinch stillits on the feeder

Siskin grønnsisik

Once again though it was the garden that provided the bulk of the interest. Finch numbers exploded with around 20 Chaffinch bokfink, 30 Brambling bjørkefink, a couple of Common Redpoll gråsisik and 30 Siskin grønnsisik along with the usual Greenfinches grønnfink and Tree Sparrows pilfink. Highlight here was a Goldfinch stillits - first in Øygarden this year.