Øygarden 22-26 September 2023 - Catching up

Typically whilst I was away a new species for Øygarden was found by Eirk A (he has a knack for this kind of thing) in the form of a Woodchat Shrike rødhodevarsler. I had no expectations of catching up with it and assumed it would be long gone before I returned. This time it stayed and I saw the bird in the same place it was found at Herdlevær on 23rd September. Nice one!

Woodchat Shrike rødhodevarsler at Herdlevær

On the way home from this I met the gang from town at Husvatnet where they had found a female Pintail stjertand - a nice bonus. Grey Plover tundralo and Peregrine vandrefalk from the terrace after I got home were not too shabby either.

The next day it was a couple of hours  seawatching at Skogsøy where highlights were 76 Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås heading south (and a flock of 7 flying north), a couple of Brent Geese ringgås (also heading north) and four Velvet Scoter sjøorre heading south. Mostly various species of gull on the move. Also worth mentioning were the first Snow Buntings snøspurv of the autumn with two close to the lookout point as I arrived.

Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås

Common Hawker starrlibelle at Skogsøy

Gannet havsule

Kittiwake krykkje

The Pintail stjertand remained at Tjeldstø. Back home several Red-throated Diver smålom and a Kestrel tårnfalk were the best birds from my terrace.

Pintail stjertand at Husvatnet

On 25th I was only out very briefly, a quick look over the fjord at Tjeldstø produced a flock of three Grey Plover tundralo and 25 Brent Geese ringgås flying south. A first year Black Guillemot teist was at Skjoldpollen on my way home - no doubt forced inshore by the stormy conditions.

First year Black Guillemot teist

A quick walk at Herdlevær on 26th was rather quiet with just a small selection of waders including a Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove. Peregrine vandrefalk and Red-throated Diver smålom from the terrace again.

Hernar 16 April 2019 - A productive day on the sea

Calm and sunny again.

Although the conditions were far from ideal for grounded migrants it was time to visit the island of Hernar again today. Although there was not much in the way of migrants, there were a number of new arrivals since my last visit in the form of Twite bergrisik, Linnet tornirisk, Lesser Redpoll brunsisik and Woodpigeon ringdue. A big increase in the number of Wheatear steinskvett and some of the other species. A single Lapland Bunting lappspurv and a Chiff-chaff gransanger or two were the only migrants.

Linnet tornirisk

Raven ravn

Rather odd looking Greylag grågås - much white and for a second I thought I had something more interesting...

Porpoises nise

A large pod of Porpoise nise fed close in to the island.

Long-tailed Ducks havelle

A couple of the several Black Guillemot teist seen today.

Great Northern Diver islom in almost full summer plumage  (massively cropped!)

Long-tailed Ducks havelle are one of the most photogenic species ever

Part of a flock of Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt

Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker 

The boat trip there and back produced the best birding of the day with a Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker, an adult Great Northern Diver islom, 30+ Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt and some nice flocks of Long-tailed Duck havelle. The latter are getting in the mood for spring, displaying and flying around - in the calm weather they can be heard a long way off.

The first shot I took at very long range as I attempted to approach a little closer.

The birds were then scared up by a passing car and flew towards me giving the opportunity for a few flight shots....

Male Ring Ouzel ringtrost

In the afternoon a few diversions on a trip to the shop produced the Pinkfoot kortnebbgås flock at Kollsness and three cracking Ring Ouzel ringtrost at Breivik in part of a larger flock of mixed thrushes. Reed Bunting sivspurv also put in an appearance here.

Hjelme 09 January 2019 - Calm before (and after) the storm

A beautiful day weather-wise so I was typically bogged down with work most of the day. I have barely been out birding the last several days, but today I tried to make up for it.

During a lengthy telephone call to the office I picked up a number of new for the year from the kitchen window in the form of Peregrine vandrefalk, Black Guillemot teist, Velvet Scoter sjøorre and Long-tailed Duck havelle. Other species included a couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn and Common Scoter svartand.

Inspired by this I took my lunch break at Hjelme Vest where I predictably managed to clock up a few more new for the year. Best birds were two Great Northern Diver islom and a Woodcock rugde. Equally predictable but less exciting were a few Crested Tit toppmeis. Other birds seen here included several Common Scoter svartand, around 40 Long-tailed Duck havelle, a Curlew storspove, a few White-tailed Eagle havørn and a Rock Pipit skjærepiplerke.

A drive-by at Sæle on the way home produced the first Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett of the year flying over the road.

Øygarden 14 February - I love SEAPOP

Indescribable weather! Calm and sunny - in other words perfect conditions for messing around in boats- which is just as well as today was the annual SEAPOP count - in other words counting seabirds from a small boat.

Most of this was done in Øygarden but with a brief foray into the neighbouring district of Fjell.

Black Guillemot teist

A common sight today - mixed flock of Cormorants storskarv and Shag toppskarv resting on the islands

Bachekor boys - an almost all male group of Eiders ærfugl. The lone female was getting rather a lot of attention....

Male Eider ærfugl

Male Long-tailed Duck havelle

....with a more typical shot - not easy trying to take pictures of moving birds from a moving boat

Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt - this flock was of around 70 birds

Shags toppskarv - adult on the left, presumed 2cy bird on the right

Conditions were great even if the numbers of most of the seaduck were not. NO Velvet Scoter sjøorre seen and only TWO Common Scoter svartand seen from the boat. Numbers of Long-tailed Duck havelle and Eider ærfugl also seemed down on usual. Although I don't have the data from previous years I am pretty sure gull numbers were also much reduced compared to normal and with very few immatures.

However, Black Guillemot teist, White-tailed Eagle havørn and Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt were around normal.

Dipper at dawn

Other stuff today included a Dipper fossekall near Alvheim and the first Black Guillemot teist I've seen from the terrace this year.

I also saw a distant flock of four grey geese (quite possibly Bean) flying north and apparently going down but I didn't see them on my way home.

Hjelme Vest 15 January 2017 - WInter wonderland

First snow of the year in Øygarden (the rest of Norway will be laughing at us), A few cm of snow fell yesterday afternoon and through the night, We awoke to calm and sunny conditions,

Given the sea state and the fact that I left the dog's lead in a hard to find place at Hjelme Vest this was the only choice for today's brief outing, Work has meant that too much the weekend has been spent in front of the computer...

Birding Hjelme Vest

View to the south

....and some of the islands

Even the dog was seawatching today!

Woodcock rugde tracks in the snow

It was quite a successful trip with the highlight being a Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker. Enough of the usual suspects showed to make it worthwhile with (predictably) Woodcock rugde featuring prominently with one bird seen and tracks of at least two others observed in the snow, At least five Black Guillemot teist were on the sea - another new for the county this year (the outer coast is being pretty much ignored so far - understandable give the number of Hawk Owls haukugle and other goodies inland). A Great Northern Diver islom, 25 Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt and around 40 Long-tailed Duck havelle were among the other birds noted.

Last (and least) I saw my first Crested Tit toppmeis of the year. Only one White-tailed Eagle havørn here today.

My "good Dad reward" in the evening was Eagle Owl hubro - driving children around can be a good thing!

Skogsøy 19 August 2016 - LSW "invasion"?

Light winds, overcast but bright.

A short (1.5 hour) seawatch produced a steady passage of birds including the first southbound Red-throated Divers smålom of the autumn - including two overhead that alerted me to their presence by calling.

Very much the usual suspects with some waders and Cormorants storskarv moving south and Shags toppskarv heading north for the winter.

Peregrine vandrefalk

Red-throated Diver smålom

A Peregrine vandrefalk put in an appearance - a typical sighting as these birds move to the coast to make the most of the autumn migration.

Numbers were:
Oystercatcher tjeld 146 S
Curlew storspove 1 S
Golden Plover heilo, Dunlin myrsnipe, Ringed Plover sandlo and Redshank rødstilk all heard repeatedly but not seen
Common Scoter svartand 7 S
Teal krikkand 3 N
Shag toppskarv 52 N
Cormorant storskarv 25 S
Gannet havsule - small numbers milling around offshore
Red-throated Diver smålom 3 S

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker dvergspett

Above: Black Guillemot teist - this year's bird and probably hatched locally

Nice views of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker dvergspett on the way home makes me wonder if there is  an ongoing movement of this species at the moment. A combination of lots of branches and crazy lighting made this bird difficult to photograph even though it allowed close approach. A Black Guillemot teist was feeling rather  more photogenic