Øygarden 01 June - A MOST interesting day

Calm and sunny. There was always a good "feel" about today from the moment I got out of bed.

View from Kollsnes towards Breivik

View looking east from my terrace at 0245

....and view to the west

Today I was up at not just silly o'clock but totally ridiculous o'clock. Hoping that I might not be too late to find some exciting nocturnal birds I visited a few place in the early hours of the morning. This was a magical experience and gave a number of interesting sightings - although not quite the birds I was hoping for / expecting.

Cuckoos gjøk have been very obvious of late but at night they were even more active with many birds all over the place. It is not very often I see bats in the northern part of Øygarden but there was one flying around at Tjeldstø. I also managed to record an interesting call which I hope to find the time to identify....

Pinkfoot kortnebbgås with Greylags grågås

I caught up with a Pinkfoot kortnebbgås that has been seen hanging around with the local Greylags grågås. Although a strange time of year for this species it is not unusual for one or two to turn up like this.

Juvenile Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb - not normally something I expect to see in the summer months in Øygarden

Male Two-barred Crossbill båndkorsnebb. Another unseasonal occurrence

A seemingly agitated male Two-barred Crossbill båndkorsnebb was very vocal and an unusual find for early June (though I do suspect there have been more about since the winter) and even more unusually it was joined by a few juvenile Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb. 

The next unusual sighting was of a rather more mundane species in the form of six Collared Dove tyrkerdue migrating north quite high and fast over Sæle.

Golden Plover heilo on Lyngøy

After spending the early morning this was it was time to have a look around some of the islands. Lyngøy proved rather quiet bird-wise with just a few Redshank rødstilk and Golden Plover heilo as migrants. 

This female (or young) Grey Seal havert did not seem to get too excited to be sharing a rock with a new species for the area!

Third year Med Gull svartehavsmåke with Common Gull fiskemåke

The outer islands further south proved rather more exciting with the first Mediterranean Gull svartehavsmåke for Øygarden landing briefly on one of the islands. A third year bird that was a real looker! Probably one of the most anticipated new species for the area - it has been a long time coming.

This is a species that is on the increase and expanding its range. Now a common bird on my home turf - better pics of this species here.

Northumberland 13-19 December - Back on the home patch

A pre-Christmas family visit back in Northumberland gave me the chance to visit Holy Island causeway for an hour, a couple of short strolls on the beach at Newbiggin and half an hour in the hide at Cresswell ponds.

Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove

Curlew storspove

On 15 December we joined the WeBS count on Holy Island causeway. This was a magical experience as always with hundreds of waders and wildfowl including 450 Shelduck gravand, 72 Pale-bellied Brents ringgås and plenty of Grey Plover tundralo, Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove etc etc etc. Best bird in a Holy Island context was a Little Grebe dvergdykker - an unusual bird to see along the causeway.

An amazing picture with a normal mobile phone - easy to pick up the Med gulls even here....

The prom at Newbiggin produced plenty of birds with the highlight being good numbers (20+) of Mediterranean Gulls svartehavsmåke. A good selection of the usual waders also fed along the shore there whilst Pinkfeet kortnebbgås flew overhead.

A random visit to Cresswell ponds at Druridge on 18 December (with half an hour of daylight to play with) really produced the goods with a Long-billed Dowitcher langnebbekkasinsnipe, several Ruff brushane, 100s of Lapwing vipe and a good selection of other waders and wildfowl. Nice!! 

Northumberland 05-12 October 2018 - Still not birding....

The autumn half term was spent in the UK visiting family.

Although I didn't actually go birding as such coastal Northumberland is such that it is almost impossible not to see plenty of birds.  I only took my point and pray camera as I knew the chances of birding were slim at best.

From  over1000 Pinkfeet kortnebbgås flying over a beer garden in Bamburgh to Stonechats svartstrupe in the dunes at Druridge Bay there was something to see as long as we got outside.

One of several Med Gulls svartehavsmåke on the beach at Newbiggin

The "hide" at Church Point now has this  very fitting plaque.

I spent many happy hours seawatching in this cramped brick construction with Jimmy. I couldn't think of a better way to be remembered. 

A walk along the promenade at Newbiggin produced the inevitable Mediterranean Gulls svartehavsmåke. We paused for a couple of minutes at Church point - seeing plenty of auks, Gannets havsule, terns, Common Scoter svartand and Red-throated Diver smålom. Could easily have spent a few more minutes (or even hours) there....

Polish ringed Black-headed Gull hettemåke at Stag Rocks, Bamburgh

Stag Rocks at Bamburgh produced one of the most interesting sightings in the form of a colour ringed Black-headed Gull hettemåke all the way from Poland! I've submitted the sighting and will hopefully hear more about this bird soon. Waders here on this short stretch of shore were 45 Oystercatcher tjeld, 40 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, 25 Turnstone steinvender, a Dunlin myrsnipe, a Sanderling sandløper, a Curlew storspove and 6 Redshank rødstilk.

Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove at Monkshouse

A couple of the Black-tailed Godwits svarthaespove at Monkshouse

Three Spotted Reds sotsnipe at Monkshouse.

A 10 minute stop at Monkshouse Pool on our way home produced 10 Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove, three Spotted Redshank sotsnipe and plenty of the usual suspects.

Throughout the week flocks of Redwing rødvingetrost, Brambling bjørkefink and other migrants were seen flying in off the sea - brilliant to see what may well be Norwegian birds having made a successful crossing of the North Sea to their wintering grounds.

01-07 December - Not birding in the UK

Spent a week catching up with family. Not really out much but the family are strategically placed so there were still some decent sightings.

Mediterranean Gull svartehavsmåke

Hopefully one of the next new species in Øygarden.

 Ringed Plover sandlo

Turnstone steinvender

Colour ringed Sanderling sandløper

A few half hour strolls outside the house at Newbiggin - the Med Gull svartehavsmåke capital of the NE - paid dividends: loads of Med Gulls, a few of which were ringed, including a colour ringed bird that without scope and time didn't get read...Other birds here inlcuded a colour ringed Sanderling sandløper among the decent numbers of waders on the shore, Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke, Merlin dvergfalk, Waxwing sidensvans and plenty more besides.

Grey Plover tundralo at Seahouses

Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove at Seahouses

Mistle Thrush duetrost at Bamburgh

Part of a decent flock of Linnet tornirisk at Stag Rocks, Bamburgh

Further north in the Bamburgh / Seahouses area there were plenty of birds to see too - including roadside Barn Owls tårnugle, Stonechat svartstrupe and good numbers of waders and wildfowl.

Birding Northumberland makes it all too easy...