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+ 30 April 2024 - More goodies

Skogsøy was quiet and on the verge of disappointing. SE winds are not normally good for migration in spring but can produce some surprises. So it was today with a pair of Gadwall snadderand passing first south before turning and heading north. Not a species I see every year in Øygarden. A Greenshank gluttsnipe and, more predictably two dark phase Arctic Skua tyvjo were among the other sightings, Virtually no divers and only small numbers of duck passing today. The dominant species today were Gannets havsule with over 90 heading south. Common Gull fiskemåke passage started to pick up shortly before I gave up and headed in.

Several White-tailed Eagles havørn seen including a young bird that had a very good go at grabbing a goslong at Husvatnet but the parents are adept and protecting their young and the attack was unsuccessful. A Greenshank gluttsnipe remained here and the first Lesser Whitethroat møller of the year sanger here but not much else of note.

Tufred Duck toppand fleeing from a White-tailed Eagle havørn - this species has also started passing over the sea.

Exhausted White-tailed Eagle havørn after an unsuccessful attempt at Greylag chicks.

An adult at Skogsøy headed out to sea to harass Gannets havsule.

On the way home I stopped at Hatten where a pair of Hawfinch kjernebiter performed nicely along with Brambling bjørkefink, Bullfinch dompap, Blackcap munk etc.

Male Brambling bjørkefink

Male Bullfinch dompap

The normal kind of Hawfinch kjernebiter view

Female Hawfinch kjernebiter

Male Hawfinch kjernebiter

Skogsøy 30 April 2022 - Skogsøy WBD record smashed!

 Light northerly winds and light cloud cover.

Late April and early May is traditionally the best time of year for migrating divers in Øygarden. It was with high hopes that I set off for Skogsøy very early in the morning.

I seawatched from 05:30 to 14:10 and by and large it was mega! Most expectations were fulfilled and then some! A truly massive 45 White-billed Diver gulnebblom - all cracking adults at superb scope range represented a Skogsøy best. Another fed on the sea. The supporting cast included 815 Red-throated Diver smålom, a Gadwall snadderand (a local scarcity), an adult Great Northern Diver islom, a decent passage of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås and a hunting Merlin dvergfalk. It was hard to leave as things were still going strong.

Two other seawatchers situated at Herdlevær sat for another 1.5 hours or so and clearly notched up another couple of WBD setting a new county record of 47!

A reasonable passage of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås today - at very varying ranges, some were dots on the horizon whilst others passed overhead.

Adult Great Northern Diver islom

Red-throated Divers smålom - the biggest single flock was 41 birds!

Cormorant storskarv with Shag toppskarv - sometimes it is crazy to see how these two can be confused!

A good movement of Tufted Duck toppand today

White-billed Divers gulnebblom - what late April is (almost) all about here in Øygarden.

Now for the numbers:

Red throated Diver smålom N 815

Great Northern Diver islom N 1 adult

White Billed Diver gulnebblom N 45 adult

Northern Gannet havsule N 21, S 2

Great Cormorant storskarv N 9, S 5

Eurasian Shag toppskarv N 40, S 90

Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås N 776

Wigeon brunnake N 3

Gadwall snadderand N 1 (with a male Tufty)

Tufted Duck toppand N 16

Eider ærfugl N 3, S 4

Long tailed duck havelle N 25

Common Scoter svartand N 85, S 7

Velvet Scoter sjøorre N 5

Merganser siland N 23

Oystercatcher tjeld N 35, S 3

Black headed Gull hettemåke N 4

Common Gull fiskemåke N 170

Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje N 3

Common Guillemot lomvi N 7

Black Guillemot teist S 1

On my way home I checked up on the long-staying Coot sothøne which has been present for a week now - arriving on the day I left. A good local rarity:)

Coot sothøne - arguably a better bird than the WBDs and certainly many times rarer!

Nautnes 08 October - It's official, I've given up

Light SE and sunny. Again!

Short-eared Owl jordugle at Nautnes

One of my ancient beat up DSLRs has come out of retirement.....

And today I didn't even try to get out. Life is really, really getting in the way of birding. I took a very short walk close to my house at Nautnes. Highlight was a Short-eared Owl jordugle seen at some distance from the house (new species for the house list) but came right overhead later on.

Other stuff included a couple of Grey Wagtail vinterle, a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett, Twite bergirisk and the now usual Common Crossbill grankorsnebb, Brambling bjørkefink and so on.

Gadwall snadderand at Tjeldstø

A trip to the shops later in the afternoon produced a nice Gadwall snadderand on Husvatnet at Tjeldstø.

Today I used my chainsaw at lot more than my binoculars or camera. Hopefully the improved view will give some payback in more birds seen from the house.....

Øygarden 11 May 2016 - Another bogey bites the dust

Hot and sunny again.

Work has almost stopped play again.

2cy Bluethroat blåstrupe

Female Black Redstart svartrødstjert

Instantly recognisable Tree Pipit trepiplerke

Today another of my Øygarden bogey-birds bit the dust - not quite in the way I like but anything goes. Mr Goodgame caught a Bluethroat blåstrupe at Herdlevær - a new species for us both in Øygarden. Nice. Although little more than a drive by a Tree Pipit trepiplerke dropped in - perhaps the same bird that was caught later and the female Black Redstart svartrødstjert was still around - impossible to get close to but I tricked it by pretending to leave and then snapping a couple of shots from the car.

Male Gadwall snadderand

Lesser Redpoll brunsisik

Female Pintail stjertand

I managed a short walk at Tjeldstø which turned up the long-staying male Gadwall snadderand, the female Pintail stjertand that turned up yesterday and perhaps even better - singing Sedge Warbler(s). Sedge Warbler sivsanger were a regular breeder at Tjeldstø when I first moved out here but it has been a few years since I last heard one singing at this locality. Hope it / they stick around. It was very hot and the heat haze didn't exactly help with the record shots.....

Just before midnight last night a Greenshank gluttsnipe dropped into the bay in front of my house.

Skogsøy 29 April 2016 - LOONatic Asylum

With weather far from what is traditionally considered good diver conditions - very light south easterlies I was not that optimistic for today. But it is the end of April and had the chance to go - and what a day it was!! Together with a couple of Skogsøy regulars (the few who can still be bothered to walk out there!) and a couple of Polish birders we experienced some of the very best diver migration I have seen.

Part of a Red-throated Diver smålom flock

Record shot of two Shoveler skjeand together with Red-throated Divers

One White-billed Diver gulnebblom

Three White-billed Diver gulnebblom

Common Scoter svartand flock

A total of 1242 Red-throated Diver smålom is the most I have ever seen in a day at Skogsøy with the best hour logged 499 birds - huge swarms of of divers poured north between 09:00 and 12:00. This may well be a day record for the county. Although not record breaking a massive 31 White-billed Divers / Yellow-billed loons was very impressive - 30 of these went through between 08:50 and 11:00 - in flocks of up to three at a time.

Local rarities were a nice Gadwall snadderand and a pair of Shoveler skjeand and Whimrel småspove were the first of the year for me. Good numbers of Common Scoter svartand and a steady trickle of other species meant that things were pretty hectic at times.

Red throated Diver smålom 1242 N

Great Northern Diver N islom 1 N

White Billed Diver Gulnebblom 31 N
Northern Gannet  havsule 17 N
Eurasian Shag toppskarv 40 N, 27 S
Grey Heron Gråhegre 1 S
Gadwall Snadderand 1 N
Teal Krikkand 6 N
Northern Shoveler Skjeand 2 N
Tufted Duck Toppand 2 N
Long tailed duck Havelle 5 N
Common Scoter Svartand 492 N
Velvet Scoter Sjøorre 3 N
Merganser Siland 15 N
Oystercatcher Tjeld  20 N
Whimbrel Småspove 9 N
Eurasian Curlew Storspove 2 N
Black headed Gull Hettemåke 3 N
Common Gull Fiskemåke 143 N
Razorbill Alke  3 N
Atlantic Puffin Lunde 1 N (several other auks were probably this species)

Wow!!!!

Unfortunately this incredible experience was dampened by the news of a helicopter going down near Turøy - we could see the smoke and rescue efforts from Skogsøy.