Tjeldstø 19 February 2015 - It's spring!

Southerly winds, overcast and mild.

The first Lapwings vipe of the year

Not out in any meaningful way at all but a trip to the shops produced a few bits and bobs including one of the first official signs of sping - a flock of 10 Lapwing vipe.

There were other indications of spring movement with small flocks of Starling stær at Tjeldstø, Harkestad and Nautnes. At the latter location an Oystercatcher tjeld may also have been a new arrival - the timing is spot on for the first migrants but it could conceivably have been an overwintering bird.

Another sign of spring was that the crocuses in my garden have started to flower.

Nautnes 09 Febraury 2014 - First spring migrants?

Relatively mild, winds more or less from the south.

 

Four Oystercatcher tjeld (picture taken from my terrace)

New for the new house list this morning were a party of four Oystercatcher tjeld. This is a large flock by winter standards and there have been only a couple of observations during the winter months. Its a little on the early side but these were probably newly arrived birds - most likely from the UK if rings found in local Eagle Owl hubro nests are indicative of the rest of the population.

Otherwise just a couple of Jackdaw kaie and 20 Starling stær at Skogsøy and a couple of Velvet Scoter sjøorre at Herdlevær.

 

Skogsøy and Tjeldstø 17 March 2013 - More spring

South easterly winds, decent weather.

The thaw continues as does the arrival of more migrants.

Made the classic mistake of sleeping in and thereby ruined what may have been a half-decent day at Skogsøy. Sat for a couple of hours 09:00-11:00 and caught the tail end of the day's migration.

Cormorant storskarv

Shag toppskarv

Highlights were a Red-throated Diver smålom heading north and the a first Black-headed Gulls hettemåke of the year. A couple of Woodcock rugde were almost certainly new in and small numbers of Oystercatcher tjeld were on the move.

Heavily cropped record shot of Mistle Thrush duetrost

At Tjeldstø the Mistle Thrush duetrost showed again, 10 Woodpigeon ringdue were newly arrived and a Siskin grønnsisik turned up in the garden

Some larger flocks of Starling stær were seen various places inlcuded 60 at Breivik and 40 at Tjeldstø.

Another good sighting was a Golden Eagle kongeørn seen flying over Knappen, Toftøy.

Hernar 25 April 2012 - more new migrants

Very calm and quiet both weather and birdwise. Light easterly winds with outbreaks of sun.

 Wheatear steinskvett

Willow Warbler løvsanger

The first lap of the island produced the first Willow warbler løvsanger and Blackcap munk of the year. Several singing Wheatear steinskvett but just one female.

Otherwise it was mostly the usual suspects including several Twite bergirisk.

Tjeldstø 18 March 2012

Light southerlies and sunny.

Not quite as warm as on my recent trip to Lanzarote but still very springlike.

During a quick stroll around the reserve I caught up with a number of spring migrants that arrived whilst I was away including a flock of five Skylark sanglerke, several Lapwing vipe, quite a few Woodpigeon ringdue and a lone Golden Plover heilo.

Below are a few random holiday shots depicting species we will probably have to wait a long time before we see them in Øygarden...

Cattle Egret kuhegre

 Houbara Bustard kragetrappe

Stone Curlew triel

Tjeldstø 27 February 2012 - More signs of spring

Very dull with light southerly winds.

Whooper Swans sangsvane

Early Toad - a 400mm telephoto lens isn't really the best choice for this kind of shot...

A stroll around Tjeldstø proved reasonably productive with the highlight being a Glaucous Gull polarmåke which gave distant views. A second Greylag grågås joined the bird that arrived yesterday afternoon beside Husvatnet - surely the first migrant geese after a long period of no geese at all in Øygarden.

A few Starling stær, the first Oystercatcher tjeld  and a Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt were new birds and several Fieldfare gråtrost also seen. Mallard stokkand numbers increased again to 22 and a total of six Whoopers sangsvane were present (the same birds that have been here "all winter" - a family party with two young and a pair of adults).

Another first for the spring was a very slow Toad padde which was obviously just coming out of hibernation.