Øygarden 22-25.04.2024 - Frustration builds...

Back to the grindstone on Monday.  Didn't get out birding in any meaningful way but did find a new Stonechat svartstrupe locality for the year. This one won't be reported as the photo brigade have been pushing the known pair too far. Thankfully other stuff has turned up which should distract their attention.

Also saw the first Greylag grågås chicks of the year on 22.04, quite an early date, with others turning up over the next few days. I strongly suspect Greylags do well because they get going before the vast majority of people bother spending time outside and thus avoid all the disturbance.

Lapwing vipe at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

Willow Warblers løvsanger and Chiff-chaff gransanger continue to arrive and are being heard in new places on a daily basis:)

Goldfinch stillits are also becoming more visible with some in the garden and more turning up "everywhere". Looks like the colonisation of Øygarden is picking up pace - when I moved here they were rarely seen in the breeding season:)

Goldinch stillits at my feeder on 23.04

UK9 is back:)

I saw this bird in the same place last year. It was ringed in 2019 and observed in Denmark in September of 2020 and 2021, in Roglaland, Norway in July 2022. Since then only two observations - both mine from Skold in May 2023 and now April 2024.

Tuesday and Wednesday were more of the same, again not really out with work commitments preventing much activity. 

On Thursday 25.04 I did a half day on Hernar without much to show for it. A Greenshank gluttsnipe called several times and Lesser Redpolls brunsisik had arrived on the island. Fewer Wheatear steinskvett this time around and generally fewer birds than the previous visit. Visiting after two days of brisk northerly winds this was perhaps to be expected:)

A very smart male Wheatear steinskvett

After this it was back to work but in the evening I logged off and took a trip to the shops, with Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove on my mind. Sure enough I quickly found two birds but they were quite flighty. The reason was quicky apparent - the Golden Eagle kongeørn that has been in the area for the last couple of weeks was a bit close for comfort. Ravens ravn were giving it a hard time but it had a go at the geese anyway - scattering everything. Not often Golden Eagle kongeørn shows this well in Øygarden. Should perhaps have had something better than my point and pray:)

The local Raven ravn gave the Golden Eagle kongeørn a hard time

It gave fantastic views after it had enough of the Ravens and decided to move / scare up some wildfowl

I think this is a 3K bird but not certain about this

Herdlevær 18 May 2023 - Finally home again!

 A late and lazy stroll. Good to be home again:=

A couple of flocks of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås headed north in the twenty minutes I stopped for a coffee. 

Song Thrush måltrost at Herdlevær

Common Sandpiper strandsnipe now "everywhere" as are Goldfinch stillits - one of the few species that have "moved in" on Øygarden and are actually increasing in number in stark contrast to many / most other species.

Goldfinches stillits in the garden)

A male Wigeon brunnakke on Husvatnet was the first I have seen locally this year (!), other new species included Lesser Whitethroat møller (various places). 

A pair of Tufted Duck toppand now present at Tjeldstø - can't be long before they actually breed there.

Tjeldstø and Herdlevær 03-04 May - Back to reality

 Light winds, dry and sunny.

After the unprecedented social and birding activity over the weekend it was back to reality. Being early May all I wanted to do was hang out at Skogsøy but this was not possible.

However, some good birds to be seen. On 03 May breakfast at Tjeldstø produced a nice Tundra Beam Goose tundrasædgås. It has been a while since I saw this species in Øygarden and was not on the radar at all in early May - this species is normally a winter visitor here. It was seen alongside the long-staying Pinkfoot kortnebbgås which gave good comparison views albeit at long range.

I moved to my usual breakfast stop location and the goose came right past giving better photo opportunites.

Goldfinches stillits turned also up at Tjeldstø and a few migrating Golden Plover heilo joined the five of the usual breeding species of wader there.

Teal krikkand at Tjeldstø

Intial view of the Tundra Bean Goose tundrasædgås

It then joined the long-staying Pinkfoot kortnebbgås

And later on did a nice fly-by causing coffee and sandwiches to be thrown to one side....

Once home it was back to the computer but a few short random scans from the terrace gave a total of 950 Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås heading north and a couple of flocks of Red-throated Diver smålom totalling 17. It looked like it would have been another good day at Skogsøy....

On 04 May I took breakfast at Herdlevær before work. Here a half hour seawatch gave an adult White-billed Diver gulnebblom and 45 Red-throated Diver smålom. Another good Skogsøy day I will never have again....

One of a couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn at Herdlevær

House Sparrow gråspurv also at Herdlevær. Not exactly a species I take many photographs of despite their obvious charm.

Skylark sanglerke at Breivik

On the way home a Wryneck vendehals sang enthusiastically but I couldn't really stop to enjoy the experience very long. 

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.

Herdlevær & Tjeldstø 28-29 October 2019 - Northward migration

On 28 October the usual round at Herdlevær showed that the rather strange phenomenon of northward migration was underway with thrushes, finches and Waxwing sidensvans moving north. This happens most autumns during periods of calm, sunny and settled weather.

Goldfinch stillits, Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett and Snow Bunting snøspurv and at least three Great Northern Divers islom were among the other species seen.

On my way home I drove past Sture where I had four Two-barred Crossbill båndkorsnebb and a flock of at least 100 Brambling bjørkefink feeding on spruce cones.

A very small part of a flock of migrating Fieldfare gråtrost at Tjeldstø

On 29 October I spent an hour at Tjeldstø and counted migrating Fieldfare - 1200 in one hour! I had hundreds more  at other localities during the morning. Several thousand must have passed during the course of the day - but heading north rather than the more seasonally acceptable south. Other stuff during this hour included 100's of finches  - largely Brambling bjørkefink, Redpoll gråsisik and Siskin grønnsisik. A few small flocks of Goldfich stillits, three Sparrowhawk spurvehauk also headed north. Flyover White-tailed Eagles havørn, Curlew storspove and Snipe enkeltbekkasin were among the other species seen here.

Back at Nautnes a Tree Sparrow pilfink and a Blackcap munk joined the more usual suspects in the garden. More birds heading north here too including Fieldfare gråstrost, Brambling bjørkefink and another flock of 15 Waxwing sidensvans.

Herdlevær 27 October 2018 - Migraton

A late and lazy stroll at Herdlevær showed that things were on the move with Long-tailed Ducks havelle, Common Scoter svartand, Velvet Scoter sjøorre, Red-throated Diver smålom, a couple of Great Northern Divers islom and some auks passing.

Common Scoter svartand and Long-tailed Ducks havelle heading south

Razorbills alke heading north

A Peregrine vandrefalk joined the usual White-tailed Eagles havørn there.

A small flock of Goldfinch stillits showed up at Breivik on the way there and whilst taking a few shots of these a flock of 15 Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb dropped in.

Goldfinches stillits at Breivik

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke

Øygarden 14 October 2018 - A day out at last!

Pretty much a full day in the field today. It would have been hard to pick a worse day for it with a southerly gale and rain for most of the day.

Despite the conditions it was magic to be out and about without having to watch the clock for once.

Dunlin myrsnipe struggling against gale force winds

First year Kittiwake krykkje.

Seems like I'm not the only one to be restricted to this species.....there are obviously some "Sabine's shadows" along the Norwegian coast

Willow Tit granmeis at Skogsøy, a relatively scarce bird in Øygarden

With the forecast telling me the winds would drop during the morning and there would be little or no rain I opted for Skogsøy. The forecast was wrong on both counts. The wind did not drop and after half an hour of seawatching the rain set in. Given the strength of the wind (I was nearly blown over a few times!) it is amazing that anything passed at all. A couple of first year Kittiwakes krykkje, a few Common Scoter svartand, a Razorbill alke and two Dunlin myrsnipe heading south were pretty much all I had to show for my efforts. A Red-throated Diver smålom fished very close in and a couple of Gannet havsule headed north. A Willow Tit granmeis was the only out of the ordinary passerine.

Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke at Herdlevær

This species is all over the place at the moment - not just in its usual shoreline habitat

Song Thrush måltrost at Herdlevær

Plenty of this species on the move at the moment too

A drive-by at Herdlevær proved that things were on the move with flocks of the usual thrushes, Meadow Pipits heipiplerke, Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke, Bramblings bjørkefink and the usual.

Next up was Breivik where there were a few hundred thrushes, more Brambling bjørkefink, 40 Common Gulls fiskemåke feeding in the fields, a few Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a White-tailed Eagle havørn.

The best bird at Harkestad was a Goldfinch stillits, other stuff included yet more Brambling bjørkefink, 130 Redwing rødvingetrost, several Song Thrush måltrost, Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke etc

Tjeldstø produced more of the same but with a Hawfinch kjernebiter as the highlight, a White-tailed Eagle havørn, seven Teal krikkand and seven Tufted Duck toppand were among the other sightings.

I then tried for the Rose-coloured Starling rosenstær at Sæle but just as I got onto the Starling stær flock a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk buzzed them and they, along with a 100 or so Redwing rødvingetrost fled south. A Grey Wagtail vintererle provided superb views but was impossible to photograph as it kept being scared up by an endless stream of cars and people so I just gave up. Otherwise just a couple each of Chiff-chaff gransanger and Blackcap munk during what was a very brief check.

Øygarden 16 January 2017 - A new for the house list and lots of Snipe

Cold with SE winds. Snow on the ground and pretty much frozen over.

Today's walk with the dog was at Herdlevær - which was pretty quiet with not much of interest. A Black Guillemot teist and a Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke might have raised some eyebrows elsewhere in Norway but that was about as good as it got here. Lots of Woodcock rugde and Snipe enkeltbekkasin tracks but no birds. Of almost no interest at all a couple of House Sparrow gråspurv were an addition to my Øygarden 2017 species list.

Two Snipe enkeltbekkasin at Breivik (same as video below)

Snipe #1 at Sture

Snipe #2 at Sture

Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin feeding at Breivik

Note that all the Snipe pictures and video were taken without leaving my car. Not disturbing the birds is very important - especially under these conditions.

The drive home was a lot better with two Snipe enkeltbekkasin feeding at Breivik and two more at Sture where a couple of Goldfinch stillits flew over and a Nuthatch spettmeis visited a bird feeder (a real contender for the bird of the day as this is not the commonest of species in Øygarden). A Sparrowhawk spurvehauk at Sture was another local first of the year.

Late afternoon Slav grebe horndykker - picture taken from the terrace - species #128 from the house

Back home a break from the computer produced a new species for the house list (#128 and no sign of slowing down!) in the form of a nice Slavonian Grebe horndykker on the sea off the terrace. Undoubtedly the bird of the day!

Today may have been the first day this year in Øygarden where I did not see White-tailed Eagle havørn.

Nautnes 31 October 2016 - Birding from the terrace. Again.

Light SE, dull and wet.

Should really have been out and about a bit more today. Most stuff seen from the terrace today - hardly surprising as I was not really out other than a drive-by past a few places on the way to and from the shops.

This picture was taken with one hand whilst on the phone to work.....

A Little Auk alkekonge on the sea in front of the house was the first of the autumn for me. Other stuff from the garden included a couple of Blackcap munk and a Goldfinch stillits. The Tree Sparrow pilfink is still hanging around

An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke was at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø. Quite a late record. I am pretty certain I also heard a tristis Chiff-chaff gransanger here but never saw the bird itself.

Female Blackcap munk at Alvheim

One could argue that man-made environments reduce the quality of the natural state of things. But with most of the "natural" berries now cleaned out it is the introduced species that are providing food for migrants.....

Goldfinch stillits at Alvheim

Velvet Scoter sjøorre at Heggøy

A few Velvet Scoter sjøorre were on the sea at Heggøy and more Goldfinch stillits and Blackcap munk were present at Alvheim.

Thrush numbers seem to be dropping slightly but still plenty of Redwing rødvingetrost and Blackbird svarttrost feeding in the fields.