Oygarden 09 November 2025 - Feeling good

Overcast with some spells of very light rain. Things just felt "right" so I was a little surprised to not find much of interest during my usual circuit at Herdlevær, although I did hear a tristis Chiff-chaff sibirgransanger calling repeatedly I did not get to see it very well.

Following this Breivik also failed to produce anything other than the usual Snipe enkeltbekkasin and Meadow Pipits heipiplerke - although it is starting to be a bit late in the year for the latter.

At Hjelme I didn't even bother getting out of the car - too much activity in the best areas to even try.

At Sæle it was a different story and I covered the area quite well resulting in two Firecrests rødstoppfuglekonge as the best of the sightings. Initially picked up at long range I eventually saw them at less than 2 metres - but very active and difficult to photograph resulting in superb documentation of late autumn foliage and not much else most of the time:)

Also present were two probable tristis Chiff-chaff sibirgransanger that kept together but were completely a silent. A normal Chiff-chaff gransanger both looked and sounded right. Two Blackcap munk, 40 Redwing rødvingetrost and 10+ Fieldfare gråtrost were also in the area.

Male Blackcap munk

The two probable tristis often fed on the ground

Above - tristis suspects

This one looks a little greener and may be the bird I heard calling and saw well in the field - a normal Chiff-chaff gransanger

Typical standard of photo if the bird is even in the image at all. Included here to show they were finding plenty of food in the mild weather.

These were as good as I got of the Firecrest rødtoppfuglekonge

This is a more typical view:) Colours show better here though.

Dogger Bank 09-13 May 2025 - Spring migration on a windfarm

I spent about a week on the Dogger Bank C development and once again there were quite a few birds to see. Maybe it had something to do with the size of the vessel (MUCH larger than the usual ones I work on) but the "island effect" was obvious with a disproportionate number of "good" birds compared to the commoner species.

A female Marsh Harrier sivhauk turned up on the evening of the 10th May and was present again the following morning.

Good numbers of insects and moths seen - the birds took advantage of these and seemed to catch quite a lot.

Gannet havsule - small numbers most days

Kittiwake krykkje - small numbers most days

Fulmar havhest - small numbers a few times

Marsh Harrier sivhauk  - female seen 09-10.05

Kestrel tårnfalk - a female present on 10.05

Peregrine vandrefalk - one hunting around the vessel on 12.05. Not the first time I've seen these on Dogger Bank - it could be that these birds regularly hunt far offshore?

Wheatear steinskvett (one male on the helideck 09.05)

Robin rødstrupe - one turned up on 13.05

Common Redstart rødstjert - a male onboard 12-13.05

Black Redstart svartrødstjert - a cracking male was seen on 13.05

Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper - a female turned up on 12.05 and stayed until the next day

Tree Pipit trepiplerke - one onboard 12-13.05

Swallow låvsvale - one on 11.05

Willow Warbler løvsanger - one onboard 12.05

Chiff-chaff gransanger (including singing birds and a potential tristis) 2+ present daily

Common Whitethroat tornsanger  11-12-05

Reed Warbler rørsanger 11-12.05

Male Black Redstart svartrødstjert

Chiff-chaff gransanger with tick

Female Marsh Harrier sivhauk

Female Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper

Some Racing Pigeons brevdue turned up as they so often do

Male Common Redstart rødstjert

Reed Warbler rørsanger with a freshly caught moth - I saw it catch several during it's stay onboard

Tree Pipit trepiplerke

Tristis Chiff-chaff sibirgransanger candidate. Looked good in every way but I didn't hear it call

A rare spring sighting! Normally these are an autumn thing....

A couple of the moth species seen onboard

Answers on a postcard please:)

Angle Shades (thanks Alf Tore!)

Øygarden 01.10-06.10 - tristis time

 On 01 October a quick pre-work sortie to Herdlevær produced a reasonable selection of migrants without anything very special. A Grey Wagtail vintererle, several Chiff-chaff gransanger, a couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn and the usual selection of finches were present. 

The drive to Herdlevær produced the best sighting of the day in the form of a Grey Plover tundralo at Tjeldstø - not often they turn up at fresh water localities out here.

Grey Plover tundralo at Tjeldstø

The next day all I managed was a quick look at Sæle where the usual Blackcaps munk, Chiff-chaff gransanger turned up along with Goldfinches stillits which have become a regular feature and reasonable numbers of migrant thrushes and finches.

A morning spent on Hernar on 03 October was quite productive with two tristis Chiff-chaffs sibirsanger, a couple of Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger, Water Rails vannrikse, a migrant Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett, flyover Lapland Bunting lappsurv, a couple of Grey Wagtails vintererle and a good selection of other migrants. Winter visitors are starting to arrive with Common Scoter svartand, Velvet Scoter sjøorre and Long-tailed Duck havelle showing up.

Two of Bergen's finest full of early morning optimism

A massive seven birders covered the island today

One of two tristis Chiff-chaff sibirsanger on Hernar

Documentation video of the call taken with my mobile phone. The bird shows briefly towards the end:)

The following day I was not out in any meaningful way but a couple of drive-bys to and from the shops produced a calling Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett at Tjeldstø, a small flock of Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb at Hatten. From the terrace a migrating White Wagtail linerle, Nuthatch spettmeis and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flaggspett were among the sightings.

A strongly marked Herring Gull gråmåke at Dåvøy made me look twice

Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb at Hatten

A couple of hours seawatching at Skogsøy on 06 October proved quite productive with a male Scaup bergand heading south and a Little Stint dvergsnipe feeding with three Sanderling sandløper as the highlights. Passage wise there were plenty of Gannets havsule, Red-throated Divers smålom, small numbers of Common Scoter svartand, Velvet Scoter sjøorre and a light passage of gulls including several Lesser Black-backed Gulls sildemåke.

Common Scoter svartand

A way too common sight - Gannet havsule with fishing line attached

Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke

Red-throated Divers smålom