Herdlevær and Skogsøy 04.10-05.10.2026 - Its raining Jack Snipe!

For my week off from the grind I had hoped for some classic fall condition with light easterly winds and some showers. This was not the case, gale force winds and some heavy downpours dominated. 

But this is October and it is Øygardeb and any weather is good for something. The freedom to just go birding was pretty much enough in itself....

Sunday 4th October started well as I stopped at Tjeldstø on my way to Herdlevær. A female Shoveler skjeand gave great roadside views during a drive-by at this site.

Shoveler skjeand at Tjeldstø

This bird attracted some attention from local listers later in the day

Herdlevær was relatively dissapointng with just a few of the usual waders and a decent passage of Gannets havsule while I ate my breakfast.

Ringed Plover sandlo at Herdlevær

On 5th October I had to kill some time whilst waiting for the visibilty to clear so I spent some time covering various localities before heading out to Skogsøy.

At Tjeldstø there was no sign of the Shoveler skjeand but a Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke showed well in a flooded field and my point and pray outperformed my camera by a good margin.

Rock Pipit sjærpiplerke at Tjeldstø

Breivk gave at least six Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin on the first cursory pass - numbers were more than the Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin I saw there. I even almost stepped on a few I hadn't seen whilst getting into position for some record shots of those that I did see. The light was awful so it was challenging to change from dark and gloomy shots on the ground to a flock of 22 Pinkfeet kortnebbgås against the sky.

Jack Snipes kvartbekkasin

Part of a flock of 22 Pinkfeet kortnebbgås - not a common species here in the west of Norway, the majority tend to pass through rather further east...

Two hours of seawatching at Skogsøy gave some good birds including an adult Pomarine Skua polarjo and four Manx Shearwater havlire along with a good movement of Gannet havsule (70+), a few Black-headed Gulls hettemåke and a young Peregrine vandrefalk.

Gannet havsule

Young Peregrine vandrefalk

After this a walk at Herdlevær gave some Brambling bjørkefink and the usual suspects. A second round  at Breivik gave more of the same as earlier in the day and a skulky Garden Warbler hagesanger.

Brambling bjørkefink are typically passing through in good numbers

A Goshawk hønsehauk over the road at Skjold was a nice bonus sighting...

Skogsøy 01 May 2026 - Playing the joker

Southerly gales are not noted for good migration of the species we target at this time of year, but they can throw up some jokers. And that is exactly what happened today. I took things easy and didn't get out there before 0730.

Pretty much the first things that passed were two Gadwall snadderand together with two Shoveler skjeand - heading south and possibly turning to head inland. Worth the hike for that alone. Later on a flock of three male and one female Shoveler skjeand rested on the sea and another pair of Gadwall snadderand headed north in the company of two Mallard stokkand.

Red throated Diver smålom N 4

Northern Gannet havsule N 25, S 21

Great Cormorant storskarv N 7, S 1

Eurasian Shag toppskarv N 48

Gadwall snadderand N 2,S 2

Shoveler skjeand S 2

Mallard stokkand N 2

Tufted Duck toppand N 1

Eider ærfugl N 2

Long tailed duck havelle N 22

Common Scoter svartand N 2

Merganser siland N 1, S 1

Oystercatcher tjeld N 147

Golden Plover heilo S 1

Whimbrel småspove N 4

Eurasian Curlew storspove S 3

Common Gull fiskemåke N 46

Common Guillemot lomvi S 1

Razorbill alke N 2

Auk N 15

Eider ærfugl

Gadwall snadderand with Mallard stokkand

Great Black-backed Gull svartbak after an unsuccessful attempt to catch a Ballan Wrasse 

Oystercatcher tjeld were one of the few species on the move today

Shags toppskarv

Nothing special seen on the way home, although a couple of Sand Martins sandsvale turned up at Husvatnet where a White-tailed Eagle havørn also gave good views.

Greylag grågås with young

White-tailed Eagle havørn

Skogsøy 26-27.04.2024 - Loonatic Season is upon us

I have now started a week off work:)

Both 26.04 and 27.04 were spent at Skogsøy, getting up ridiculously early to spend several hours staring out to sea. Not for everyone:)

Glorious weather both days, though lack of wind may have impacted the results a bit. Calm conditions and full on sunshine meant conditions were good for the birds at least. Well over 1000 birds passing on both days with plenty of interest although the number of "bananabills" remained low.

On Friday I forgot my sandwiches so had to sit there hungry for a number of hours. Rookie mistake. I did, however, have my coffee and other essentials.

Two Great Northern Diver islom on the sea were starting to moult and looked pretty good. Best birds were a male Goosander laksand - a rare species to see on migration in Øygarden and the first Great Skua storjo of the year - amazingly although all the big gulls fled a lone Common Gull fiskemåke had a go at it!

The first Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås of the year also put in an appearance. Generally speaking both the number and variety of species increased as is usual at this time of year.

Red throated Diver smålom N 433

Great Northern Diver islom N 1 2K

White Billed Diver gulnebblom N 2 adult

Northern Gannet havsule N 29, S 8

Great Cormorant storskarv N 31, S 10

Eurasian Shag toppskarv N 71. S 60

Greylag Goose grågås N 3, S 1

Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås N 38

Shelduck gravand N 1

Wigeon brunnakke N 4

Eider ærfugl N 4

Common Scoter svartand N 127, S 11

Velvet Scoter sjøorre N 9

Merganser siland N 33, S 4

Goosander laksand 1

Oystercatcher tjeld N 92

Eurasian Curlew storspove N 1

Great Skua storjo N 1

Black headed Gull hettemåke N 1

Common Gull fiskemåke N 130

Lesser black backed Gull sildemåke N 1

Common Guillemot lomvi N 3

Razorbill alke N 6

Atlantic Puffin lunde N 1

Auk N 23, S 2

The first Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås of the spring on their way north

Cormoran storskarv and Shag toppskarv comparison

The first Great Skua storjo of the year at Skogsøy. Amazingly after all the big gulls had left a Common Gull fiskemåke had a go at the bully

A few Greylags grågås still on the move, either non breeders o bird heading much further north. Some of the locals have chicks already

Still Oystercatchers tjeld heading north, well past the peak passage period

Shags toppskarv

A late Shelduck gravand heading north

Velvet Scoter sjøorre are staring to move now

The following morning I did exactly the same thing except that this time I remembered to take my sandwiches out of the fridge:). Rather fewer Red-throated Diver smålom but more of other stuff.  A couple of male Shoveler skjeand were the best sightings, one on its own early on then another with Mergansers siland later on. A couple of Whimbrel småspove, several Tufted Duck toppand  and two nice adult White-billed Divers gulnebblom were among the other highlights.

Teal krikkand N 2 ( a few more flying around)

Northern Shoveler skjeand N 2

Tufted Duck toppand N 10

Eider ærfugl N 8, S 2

Long tailed duck havelle N 8

Common Scoter svartand N 52, S 30

Velvet Scoter sjøorre N 1, S 2

Goldeneye kvinand N 2

Merganser siland N 34, S 4

Oystercatcher tjeld N 354

Whimbrel småspove N 2

Black headed Gull hettemåke N 1

Common Gull fiskemåke N 210

Lesser black backed Gull sildemåke N 2, S 2

Herring Gull gråmåke N 10

Common Guillemot lomvi N 1, S 1

Razorbill alke N 2

Black Guillemot teist N 1

Auk N 4

Common Sandpiper strandsnipe was another first for the year on the way home and a Goshawk hønsehauk put in an appearance too:)

Common Scoter svartand

Now into the overlap zone when both Curlew storspove and Whimbrel småspove are on the move. These two are Curlew stospove

Some of the Gannets havsule passed by close in as usual

2cy Great Northern Diver islom. Almost the easiest ID feature is the way it holds its head / bill

Guillemot lomvi

Good numbers of Oystercatcher tjeld on the move for this late in the season, although the local birds arrived ages ago Norway has a long coastline and it is still wintery further north.

Cormorant storskarv / Shag toppskarv comparison

White-billed Diver gulnebblom. This is what late April / early May is all about!

Goshawk hønsehauk on the way home

Nautnes / Tjeldstø 29 April - 01 May 2019 - Back to work

And back to earth with a bang. Very frustrating to sit glued to phone/computer during the best week of the spring....

Checked Tjeldstø to a varying degree each day and glimpsed a few bits and bobs from the terrace at home.

Barnacles hvitkinngås passing Nautnes on 30 April (whilst I was hanging up nestboxes...)

Shoveler skjeand pair on Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

Song Thrush måltrost

Random White-tailed Eagle havørn shot from the terrace

Highlight were the two male Gargany knekkand which stayed until the afternoon of 30 April. A pair of Shoveler skjeand also turned up on Husvatnet as did a few Wigeon brunnakke.

On 29 & 30 April some flocks of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås headed north - interestingly some large numbers of Pinkfeet and Greylag were reported on artsobs at exactly the same time as the main Barnacle movement happened. Credible obs? Highly unlikely. That thousands of geese of three different species passed over the same area at the same time is just too much of a coincidence.....

Lapwings vipe on eggs, several Greylag grågås families now with chicks, Golden Plover heilo stopping up for a break in their migration were other signs of spring.

01 May is traditionally a day for seawatching at Skogsøy. I did not have the chance to do this but made the "mistake" of doing 15 minutes at Solberg just to get an idea about what might be going on. In the short time I sat there I was rewarded with a White-billed Diver gulnebblom and 15 Red-throated Diver smålom. Doh!!

Massively cropped image of an Eagle Owl hubro being mobbed by a Hooded Crow kråke

Also managed another Eagle Owl hubro sighting....:)

Hernar 19 April 2019 - Game on!

Another cracking day weather wise and therefore expectations were not too high for grounded migrants. However, the island was full of birds including some good ones which made for a magic morning out with a real feel of spring / summer.

Just about the first bird seen - a male Blackcap munk - all three Blackcaps seen today were males

Probably the best bird of the day - a Hawfinch kjernebiter

Plenty of very restless Lesser Redpolls brunsisik about - this one sat still for a few seconds

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke

The first Willow Warbler løvsanger of the year for me

There was an obvious arrival of a number of species on the island with the best bird being a Hawfinch kjernebiter. A few Willow Warbler løvsanger were also present and even sang - lying back in the grass in the sunshine and listening to the first Willow Warbler song made the trip worthwhile in itself. At least three male Blackcap munk, several Swallows låvesvale, a singing Skylark sanglerke, a migrating Woodcock rugde, at least 8 Chiff-chaffs gransanger and several Goldcrests fuglekonge were among the other migrants seen.

Good numbers of migrating Curlew storspove were seen throughout the morning with a flock of 27 over my house before I left, a flock of 55 over Hernar and more flocks passing and resting on the islands.

Curlew storspove and Teal krikkand

Four Shoveler skjeand (right hand birds) and five Teal krikkand

The Shoveler were no doubt the same birds also reported at Herdlevær

One of several flocks of Teal krikkand seen

Wigeon brunnakke

The journey to and from the island was also productive - largely in the form of dabbling ducks. These included four Shoveler skjeand, several Wigeon brunnakke and around 25 Teal krikkand.