Øygarden 06-08.01.2025 - Winter starting to bite

I thought I would try harder to keep reporting and this blog updated more regularly this year but am already struggling despite barely being out at all.

With wintery conditions persisting some sensitive species are being pushed into areas where they don't normally show. On 6th January I drove to the shops and stopped for a few seconds a couple of times resulting in Water Rail vannriske, Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin and not much else.

The garden / terrace continues to produce some new species for the year in the form of Goldfinch stillits (a flock of 12) and a few Tree Sparrow pilfink. Blackbird svarttrost numbers in the garden continue to increase as heavy snow cover and freezing temperatures take their toll. A male Brambling bjørkefink also turned up on my feeders and a second year Kittiwake krykkje did a nice fly past - I had to go back inside to get my camera and change the battery so only managed a couple of shots as it flew away.

Goldfinch stillits in the garden

Kittiwake krykkje from the terrace

Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin wishing it had migrated instead of attempting to overwinter

Water Rail vannriske

On 7th January I left for a work trip to Haugesund in the morning but picked up a couple of Velvet Scoter sjøorre at Harkestad along the way. Goldfinch stillits in the garden again before I left along with some Siskin grønnsisik that did not come into the garden but fed on pine cones nearby.

I returned on 8th January just before the light went, picking up a different Water Rail vannrikse and came home to find a Starling stær among the hordes of birds in my garden.

Hernar 13 November 2021 - Red-necked Grebe and more

Fantastic conditions with a light easterly breeze with the sun showing at times.

There were a number of reasons for choosing Hernar today (VERY unusual for me to head out there on a weekend): 

1) The Hernar year list is rather poorer than it has been in recent years

2) The weather conditions, including the rain during the night looked promising

3) There has been some "vis mig" at various locations the last day or two.

So Hernar it was and no regrets despite the fact there was very little in the way of visible migration  - something of a surprise given recent conditions. A few small flocks of Siskin grønnsisik and a light passage of Red-throated Diver smålom were pretty much the whole migration thing today.

Nevertheless a very nice day out in optimal late autumn conditions, mild and calm. 

Highlight was Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker on the sea during my first cup of coffee. The first in Øygarden this year (though one was seen later in the day from Sæle). Two Great Northern Diver islom and a Woodcock rugde were also additions to the Hernar 2021 list. At least one Water Rail vannriske was present  - the first I have seen locally this year.

Other sightings of interest included a few Meadow Pipits heipiplerke, a late Oystercatcher tjeld, a few Black Guillemots teist, a selection of the usual seaduck and a late(ish) Song Thrush måltrost.

Just short of 40 species so around the average on the island.

The moon was massive whilst waiting for the boat home

This pile of apples was very popular with Blackbirds svarttrost, Fieldfare gråstrost and Chaffinches bokfink

Great Northern Diver islom - one of two seen today - this one came in from the north and went in for landing close to the first one

One of the good things about island birding is that even common stuff can be of interest. On Hernar Great Tit kjøttmeis is a common late autumn migrant and winter visitor in small numbers

Another photo from the quayside whilst waiting for the boat home - Grey Heron gråhegre.

Hernar 04 April - A very birdy welcome home

Finally back home - to AMAZING weather and lots of migrants.

I spent the morning on Hernar where the best sighting was the first spring record for the island of Water Rail vannrikse - running over a path rather than in the usual boggy area.

Brambling bjørkefink

Pied Wagtail svartryggerle

There were plenty of new for the year for Øygarden - a couple of singing Chiff-chaff gransanger, a Wheatear steinskvett, Brambling bjørkefink, Siskin grønnsisik, Ringed Plover sandlo, Reed Bunting sivspurv and Dunnock jernspurv.

A couple of Snipe enkeltbakkasin may have been overwintering birds but Redwing rødvingetrost, Goldcrest fuglekonge and others were migrants. Loads of Meadow Pipits heipiplerke busy setting up territories, a few White-tailed Eagles havørn and plenty more. Both White Wagtail linerle and Pied Wagtail svartryggerle were also local firsts for the year for me here.

Five of the six Pinkfeet kortnebbgås

Two Rook kornkråke

After working for a few hours I headed out again, this time to Kollsnes/Breivik where the highlight was a Lapland Bunting lappsurv - first for the county this year. Other good sightings were six Pinkfeet kortnebbgås and a couple of Rook kornkråke. A few more Wheatear steinskvett here too - these ones singing!

Øygarden 08 January 2018 - Self-cropping Eagles

I didn't get home until after 1400 so there was very little left in the way of light.

Slavonian Grebe horndykker - massively cropped by myself

White-tailed Eagle havørn cropped by itself.

White-tailed Eagle havørn far enough away to fit in the frame

I popped in at Dåvøy where the White-tailed Eagles havørn autocropped their own images by coming too close to fit in the frame. However, I only took a few seconds out to photograph them as some kind of Pavlovian response. I was a lot more interested in the sea where the regular overwintering Slavonian Grebe horndykker was together with a few Red-breasted Mergansers. At least four Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin were also present here.

Other than the grebe the best birds were a Water Rail vannrikse (Tjeldstø) and a large Peregrine vandrefalk (Solberg) which has something of a Gyr-vibe and may be the same bird I saw a few times late last year.

Elsewhere a couple of small flocks of Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb, a few Willow Tit granmeis and lots of both Redwing rødvingetrost and Fieldfare gråtrost about.

Hernar 19 October 2016 - The Ace of Spades!

Light SE, some clouds at first, hot and sunny later.

WHAT A DAY!!!!!!!

As usual when I do a full day on Hernar at this time of year knowing that ringing is going on a few km away I had Motorhead's classic "Ace of Spades" in my head - especially the line about "gamblings for losers". Even the text message I sent Nigel as I boarded the boat at Hellesøy - "who has the joker this time?" fitted well with this.

Too dark to bird on arrival....

The point of no return, All bets are off from here on in......

It turns out that Nigel had the joker, he didn't even need to say what he had caught when he called: "I've got it" were his first words. "It" was of course SIBERIAN ACCENTOR sibiirjernspurv. Being on Hernar there was no chance I was going to make this. An hour or two later, having "only" found an Arctic Redpoll polarsisik I got another call - this time about a GLOSSY IBIS bronseibis at Skjold. How could have I got things so wrong?!! 

Glossy Ibis bronseibis obviously finding enough food on a pool that , with the exception of the occasional Green Sandpiper, is largely ignored by birds.

Last time I did this it was me who had the best hand but today I started regretting being stuck on the island....However, it was a magic day with loads of photo opportunities and some decent birds. And I managed to connect with the ibis once back on the mainland - albeit in fading light.

The best bird(s) on Hernar was at least one exilipes Arctic Redpoll polarsisik. There could well have been more of them in a Redpoll gråsisik flock feeding on the island but I could only claim one for sure. At least four, probably five Water Rail vannrikse, a couple of Peregrine vandrefalk, a Waxwing sidensvans and a selection of the usual later autumn migrants made this a good day out.

Arctic Redpoll polarsisik

Arctic above, common below. Just to put any over exposure ideas to bed.....

On the deck this  bird shone

The bird on the right is the one I'm claiming - the unstreaked flanks and blindingly white rump being the main features. The bird on the left has a very white and unstreaked rumpt too but seemed to be in a different class to the one on the right. 

Small bill, loose looking plumage and unstreaked undertail coverts here

 

Flowering ivy and the hordes of insects it attracted proved the best spot to see most of the day's Blackcaps munk

Chiff-chaff gransanger. A "normal" one given the call.

Two juvenile Peregrines vandrefalk came over together as I headed for the boat home...

There was a life and death Raven ravn fight today. This fight club was eagerly cheered on by at least 15 Hooded Crow kråke

Early morning toad. It was still too dark to bird at this point....

One of the days several Water Rail vannriske running around in the open. And not in a swamp. Only on Hernar.....

A decent variety of interesting geese were also reported from Øygarden during the course of the day - hardly surprising given the number of birders heading out to see the all the goodies on show......

Harkestad-Alvheim 10 January 2016 - Flu (almost) stops play day 2

Slightly warmer with some snow today.

Spent the majority of the day on the sofa in a vegetative state apart from a brief drive to the petrol station to buy some Coca Cola - a drink I normally despise but with both me and my youngest suffering from dehydration it was the necessary medicine.

Tundra Bean Goose sædgås

Albifrons Whitefronts tundragås

Not always easy to see - here hiding in long grass

Of course a drive to the shop is not often just a drive to the shop. On the way there I stopped at Harkestad where I was rewarded with four albifrons White-fronted Geese tundragås and a Tundra (rossicus) Bean Goose sædgås - always good birds to see and especially welcome today. It was so dark that I used ISO values I didn't know I had - something approaching about 100000 I think.

Dipper fossekall - not normally an easy species in Øygarden

The way home was just about as good with Water Rail vannrikse and Dipper fossekall at Alvheim.