Øygarden 28.01-01.02.2026 - Oriental Turtle Dove, Orcas and other winter goodies

After a couple of days working in Bergen I was out for a couple hours on 28th in calm and sunny weather. Night time temperatures are still well below freezing and almost all fresh water is now frozen.

At Hellesøy most of the birds were at long range but a Merlin dvergfalk flew overhead to hunt over the islands to the north. A lone Red-throated Diver smålom was on the sea and, as it was so calm, it was easy to spot the Black Guillemot teist - at least eight were present. Also around 20 Long-tailed Ducks havelle and of course a couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn.

After this I found the first Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin of the year - an anticipated species given the conditions. The last few winters I've seen less of this species than previously - this could be for a number of reasons, some sites which didn't freeze over have been drained and built on, some have become more inaccessible (fences etc) and some are just too time consuming to visit. A couple of other regular sites have just failed to produce.

Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin

I had to head into Bergen again on 29th January but did a few drive-bys on the way just as the sun was coming up. This resulted in a few Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a Water Rail vannriske.

An Oriental Turtle Dove mongolturteldue was reported half an hour south of where I live on 29th January, so right on the limits for what I am prepared to drive to see a bird. With a few hours to spare I gave it a go - and amazingly heard it singing together with another birder. At first we thought it was some reckless twitchers using playback but this was not the case. Despite spending some time in the area I never actually saw it - but it was seen flying out of where we heard it. Woodpigeon ringdue, Willow Tit granmeis and a variety of other species were seen in this area too. I didn't bother trying for the Rook kornkråke that was close by, more will surely turn up later in the year:).

On the way home I popped in at Dåvøy where a Little Grebe dvergdykker was still present along with Woodcock rugde, Great Northern Diver islom, a roost of 25 Grey Heron gråhegre and a Tree Sparrow pilfink which was the first I've seen locally this year - some of the usual feeders they turn up on are just not in use this year for some reason. Other localities gave a few Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a Water Rail vannrikse.

On Saturday 31st January I spent most of the day out and about. Hellesøy was rather quiet but did produce my first Starling stær of the year, a Woodcock rugde and good numbers of Blackbirds svarttrost.

A flock of five Redwing rødvingetrost at Hjelme fed in the frozen fields together with several Blackbirds svarttrost. Goodness knows what they are finding to eat under these hard frozen conditions. There seem to be plenty of ripe juniper berries but I almost never see any birds feeding on them.

Otherwise several Woodcock rugde, a couple each of Water Rail vannrikse and Snipe enkeltbekkasin seen here and there well off the beaten track at various places.

The first Greylags grågås of the year turned up at Tjeldstø where a (the?) second year Black-headed Gull hettemåke was also present.

Black-headed Gull hettemåke at Tjeldstø

Greylag grågås at Tjeldstø

Robin rødstrupe - although many have moved into gardens with feeders there are still some "out there" and seemingly coping with the far from ideal conditions

Sunday 2nd February was a fantastic day. It started with superb views of a Water Rail vannriskse I have been feeding and moved on from there. Snipe enkeltbekkasin and Woodcock rugde featured once again. A walk at Solberg proved very quiet with almost nothing to see other than a White-tailed Eagle havørn, though there was one of the first signs of spring - numbers of Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak had started to increase.

...just the most amazing feet:)

Water Rail vannrikse

Snipe enkeltbekkasin

Woodcock rugde

At Tjeldstø a Turnstone steinvender joined a couple of Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt on one of the offshore islands but the highlight was a pod of Orcas feeding on what I presume must have been Herring sild. 

Orcas at Tjeldstø

On the way home a couple of Tufted Duck toppand turned up on Skjoldepollen. The male was straightforward but the female made me wonder for a bit as it showed some pro-Scaup bergand features - most notably the hint of pale in the cheek and a rather rounded head. The bill pattern and contrast between the back and sides swing it to Tufty for me.

Tufted Ducks toppand on Skjoldepollen

Øygarden 05-06 February 2020 - Taking it easy

Not much birding the last couple of days.

A stroll at Hjelme on 05 February gave some reasonable finch numbers with 35 Brambling bjørkefink, 15 Chaffinch bokfink and 40 Siskin grønnsisik. Also here was an adult White-tailed Eagle havørn that seemed to have been taking advantage of some fish offal. But the best sighting was back home - a Curlew storspove flew over the house - this is a regular wintering species in small numbers but there have been rather fewer about than normal, possibly due to the mild winter.


On 06 February I had a quick look at Hellesøy but there was not much doing, just four White-tailed Eagles havørn, 20 Long-tailed Duck havelle and a Turnstone steinvender with a small flock of Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt. A small pod of Porpoises nise put in an appearance here too - the first I have seen this year.

At Sæle on the way home a Goldfinch stillits was with a mixed flock of finches there.

Øygarden 11-18 January 2020 - Back to work

Much less time out and about this week as work required some attention.

The first Dipper fossekall of the year turned up at Husvatnet on 14 January.

Other than that there was not much of note before 17 January when I birded an area I rarely cover. I had a couple of species in mind, neither of which showed and neither would have required a telescope.

Record shot of four Turnstone steinvender together with a Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt

However, a feeding flock of gulls definitely required a scope and will need to be checked at the first opportunity. Among the Herring Gull gråmåke dominated flock a single Black-headed Gull hettemåke and a few Common Gulls fiskemåke were both new for me in Øygarden this year. The best sighting was a flock of four Turnstone steinvender resting on a nearby rock along with around 15 Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt.

On my way back to the car the first local Woodpigeon ringdue of the year flew over.

Mistle Thrush duetrost

White-tailed Eagle havørn over the house - I actually took this picture only because I was carrying my camera from the car into the house when it flew over.

On 18 January I quickly refound the Mistle Thrush duetrost that was reported there yesterday - the first ever January record for the area despite there being a couple of historical December sightings.

Another Mute Swan knoppsvane turned up on 18 January to join the two long staying birds on Husvatnet.

Still plenty of finch flocks about - Brambling bjørkefink have been the most numerous to date but on 18 January a flock of 30 Chaffinch bokfink showed up - a very good midwinter flock around here.

Øygarden 30.11 - 07.12 - Back to reality

After a few weeks in Indonesia (more of that later) it was back home and back to reality. As per normal there has been a backlog of stuff to deal with.

The amount of s**t to deal with this time was even more than usual with two exceptionally crap things to deal with:

1) Planning application for an industrial fish farm RIGHT outside my house now on the cards and threatening to destroy the very reason for living out here in the middle of nowhere. Thanks a f***ing bunch for that one Øygarden Seafoods. You total t**ts.

2) Loss of job.
Thankfully somewhat easier to deal with than the destruction of the local habitat is the fact the company I work for is closing down. Plenty of jobs about it seems and the only real difficulty is deciding on where to go next😃

Needless to say little time in the field but obviously plenty about including some unseasonally large flocks of Brambling bjørkefink with 150 at Tjeldstø and 200+ at Sture. Also small numbers of Waxwing sidensvans about.

One of two Dipper fossekall at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø on 05.12

Birding Hjelme Vest on 01.12

Two Dipper fossekall on Husvatnet, Tjeldstø on 06.12 were astonishingly the first I have seen in Øygarden this year.

Otters have been a daily sight this week as usual

The seawatching hide at Skogsøy produced a Great Northern Diver islom on 05.12

Turnstone steinvender at Tjeldstø (seen on a couple of occasions this week)

Otherwise business more or less as usual with a few White-tailed Eagle havørn daily from the terrace (and plenty of other places too!),  Purple Sandpipers fjærplytt at Hjelme Vest and Tjeldstø, Red-throated Diver smålom, Great Northern Diver islom, a late Oystercatcher tjeld, Turnstone steinvender (uncommon winter visitor out here), Curlews storspove, Peregrine vandrefalk, Goshawks hønsehauk and plenty more besides. Otters various places too.

A (the?) usual wintering Slav grebe (or Horned Grebe as they are supposed to be called these days) horndykker was present at Dåvøy along with a massive count of 65 roosting Grey Herons gråhegre.

One of four Spurdog pigghår caught (and released!) during an "evening" fishing trip.

This is the first time I have caught this species in December!

A fishing trip (hoping for Cod or better) proved exceptionally interesting with four spurdog pigghår caught along with some of the more usual species...

Bleikenøvlingen etc 26 August 2017 - Messing around in boats

A couple of hours spent checking out the islands to the north and west of Øygarden - Bleikenøvlingen, Høgaskjeret, Høgenøvlingen etc in the evening was quite productive.

There was the usual selection of autumn waders of at least nine species including Knot polarsnipe, Sanderling sandløper, Dunline myrsnipe, Turnstones steinvender and the first Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt of the autumn.

One of two first year Black Guillemots teist seen. Presumably local breeders.

Almost impossible to photograph as they bobbed up and down behind the waves whilst we did the same

Resting migrant Common Gulls fiskemåke

Highly camouflaged Dunlin myrsnipe paid us no attention as they fed....

A curious Grey Seal havert...

Almost dream shot of Knot polarsnipe with breaking wave

Knot polarsnipe. Mostly first year birds seen today but some adults present too.

Ringed Plover sandlo

Colour ringed Shag toppskarv, Green ring with white lettering on right leg, normal metal ring on left leg

Could it be possible that this bird comes from a Spanish colour ringing scheme?!

 Cormorant storskarv in centre and another Shag on the right.

Shelduck gravand

Turnstone steinvender with Dunlin myrsnipe (and a Ringed Plover sandlo in the background)

Turnstones steinvender

One of the many Shags toppskarv seen was colour ringed - it was possible to read off the ring from photographs. Amazingly the only colour ringing project I have been able to find that fits the ring colour and coding is from Spain. I have not been able to find any details about Norwegian Shags having been found in Spain before but birds from the UK have so anything is possible. Watch this space.....

The only other birds of note were two young Shelduck gravand - presumably resting migrants.

Another bird of note for me was my first local Jay nøtteskrike of the year. This in no way reflects the status of this species in Øygarden - it is more a reflection of how little time I spend in woodland.