Tjeldstø 12 October 2012 - In the Buff on TV!

FANTASTIC weather conditions. Sunny with light easterlies.

Thousands of thrushes, mainly Redwing rødvingetrost flew south at dawn. The sky was full of flocks and the sounds of thrushes and Bramblings bjørkefink on the move. Small numbers of Woodpigeon ringdue also migrating and later in the day a flock of 80 Greylags grågås flew south.

Spent the morning trying to get some better pictures of the Buff-bellied Pipit myrpiplerke and showing a TV crew the bird. Anybody interested can see NRK this evening at 18:40. The program will also be shown on net tv (no link yet).

Unfortunately the bird stayed in the shadows feeding in long grass for the vast majority of the time. With patience it came very close indeed but was difficult to actually photograph. However, managed to obtain some good documentation shots - a selection shown below:

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Hernar 11 October 2012 - Long-tailed Tits

Light easterlies and sunny - ideal conditions!

Quite a lot of movement today but little in the way of rarities. A fly over Richard's Pipit tartarpiplerke being the best bird. Frustratingly another fly over pipit may have been Tree Pipit trepiplerke but given the time of year Olive-backed pipit sibirpiplerke is almost as likely.

 Male Blackcap munk

 Part of a flock of Common Scoter svartand

 Garden Warbler hagesanger with an earwig

 Above and below - Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis - a new species for Hernar

New for the island were a couple of small parties of Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis - and the first of the year in Øygarden. Loads of Blue tit blåmeis on the move again.

Other birds included a Merlin dvergfalk, a Garden Warbler hagesanger, several Blackcap munk, a few Chiff-chaff gransanger - one of which sounded (and looked!) like a tristis.

Good numbers of Brambling bjørkefink, thrushes etc and still 30 Twite bergirisk present.

Back at Tjeldstø the Buff-bellied Pipit myrpiplerke performed well for several birders who tried for it and a Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin was the first of the autumn.

Tjeldstø 10 October 2012 - Buff-bellied confirmed!

Overcast with light rain.

Yesterday's BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT MYRPIPLERKE was still present. This is only the second record of the American race for Norway.

It was heard calling again a few times today - enough to clinch the ID for my part. It was much more flighty today in the company of a couple of White Wagtails linerle.

At the time of writing only two other birders have connected with it but there are a few more looking for it.

Plenty of other birds about today including a Little Grebe dvergdykker, a Goshawk hønsehauk and a flock of at least 15 Twite bergirisk.

A Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger was also reported from Tjeldstø (heard only).

Tjeldstø 09 October 2012 - Frustrating pipit

Calm with sunny intervals.

Only got out for a short stroll around the reserve. Decent sightings included a Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett, a Goshawk hønsehauk and a couple of late White wagtails linerle.

Eight Wigeon brunnakke, a couple of Sparrowhawk spurvehauk and around 15 Tree Sparrow pilfink also about.

A rather frustrating pipit with a odd "jizz" warranted further inspection. It was relatively tame and bobbed its tail a lot giving a rather wagtail like feel to it. Plumage wise it was a mess with characters pointing all over the place...Initially I thought it could just be a freaky Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke but I'm glad I didn't give up on it.

Buff-bellied Pipit myrpiplerke

After consulting some books and after feedback from others this bird has been identified as an American Buff-bellied Pipit myrpiplerke. Not only the first for Øygarden, but also for Hordaland "county".

Øygarden 08 October 2012

Westerly with showers

Kept things rather low key today visiting a few localities very briefly. Obviously quite a lot of thrushes on the move but nothing remarkable seen.

Possibly the best bird was a late White Wagtail linerle at Tjeldstø where there were also at least 200 Starlings stær.

Herdlevær 03 October - RIchard's Pipit again

Strong southerlies, some light rain

A quick check of a couple of localities produced a Richard's Pipit tartarpiplerke at Herdlevær as the best bird. This time I actually got to see the bird as it flew over the road in front of me.

Nothing else of note but obvious that numbers of thrushes, pipits and Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin had been grounded.

Skogsøy 30 September 2012 - Red-necked Grebe

Southerly winds and mostly overcast.

Relatively quiet but a decent variety of stuff passing including the first Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker of the year. Other sightings of note were 11 Red-throated Diver smålom and five Brent Geese ringgås.

Plenty of Gannets havsule and large gulls heading south including three latish Lesser Black-backs sildemåke. Common Scoter svartand, Wigeon brunnakke and Eiders ærfugl also headed south in small numbers.

Brent geese ringgås

 Common Scoter svartand and Razorbill alke

Eiders ærfugl

 Above and below Red-throated Divers smålom

Wigeon brunnakke

Some passerines also on the move with Meadow Pipits heipiplerke, Rock Pipits skjærpiplerke and a Snow Bunting snøspurv passing over.

Øygarden 28 September - Sibes at last

Fresh southerlies with light rain, setting in heavier in the afternoon.

A quick check at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø produced some good birds in the form of a female Shoveler skjeand, a  late Ruff brushane and a Merlin dvergfalk.

Moving on to Herdlevær a flyover Richard's Pipit tartarpiplerke was the highlight. Not much in the way of grounded migrants other than a single Snow Bunting snøspurv. Waders included two Oystercatcher tjeld and a Common Sandpiper strandsnipe.

Further south in Øygarden a Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger was ringed near Toft.

Tjeldstø 27 September 2012 - More new for the year

Calm and overcast, some light rain.

Once again restricted to Tjeldstø but still managed to get a few more new for the year: a flock of four Grey Plover tundralo which flew over the garden as I left the house, a rather vocal Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett out in the reserve and a couple of fly-over Goldfinch stillits.

Otherwise rather quiet in the reserve, just a few each of Snipe enkeltbekkasin, Golden Plover heilo and a Lapwing vipe.

An otter fished in Rotevatnet.

Hernar 26 September 2012 - new species for the island

Calm and very pleasant conditions.

I was obviously not alone in thinking Hernar might produce the goods today with two other birders travelling from town to catch the early morning boat out to the island.

 New for the island - Collared Dove tykerdue

 Colour ringed Great Black-backed Gull svartbak

 Adult colour-ringed Herring Gull gråmåke (only noticed later when looking at the photo - I was understandably a bit more interested in the right hand bird...)

Whinchat buskskvett

However, things were rather quieter than anticipated. Highlight, if it can be called that, was a new species for the island in the form of a Collared Dove tykerdue - incredibly also the first I've seen in Øygarden this year.
Other migrants included a Common Redstart rødstjert, a few Chiff-chaff gransanger, several Lapland Buntings lappspurv, a Whinchat buskskvett and a couple of Wheatear steinskvett.

A colour ringed Great Black-backed Gull svartbak with number JP954 had been ringed by this gull fanatic.

Plenty of thrushes, Goldcrests fuglekonge and finches about too - including approximately 70 Twite bergirisk.

Tjeldstø 25 September 2012 - Grey Wag

Fresh easterlies with rain.

Movements still restricted so it was the reserve yet again today - resulting in another new for the year in Øygarden in the form of a Grey Wagtail vintererle flying over.

Golden Plover heilo out in the reserve

Several small flocks of Golden Plover heilo present today and a mixed flock of waders scared up by a White-tailed Eagle havørn that I did not manage to relocate. Small numbers of Swallows låvesvale, Brambling bjørkefink and other migrants on the move.

Rather promisingly quite a lot of Goldcrest fuglekonge about the last few days.....

Tjeldstø 24 September 2012 - Peregrine

Yet another day of calm and sunny weather. Birds seemed thin on the ground and yet there were a few decent sightings in a local context.

Peregrine vandrefalk

A Nuthatch spettmeis was an unusual sighting as was a rather early (and freshwater) record of Little Grebe dvergdykker.

A Peregrine vandrefalk hunted in the reserve where there were only a few waders - several Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin, a Lapwing vipe, a Golden Plover heilo and Ringed Plover sandlo heard passing over.

A couple of small flocks of Brambling bjørkefink were amazingly the first I've seen in Øygarden this year.

Herdlvevær 23 September 2012

Another day of fantastic weather and few birds.

Migrating Kestrel tårnfalk

Not much going on with just Kestrel tårnfalk and Sparrowhawk spurvehauk seen migrating. Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett, a Reed Bunting sivspurv and a few thrushes were the only other migratnts seen.

Ringing report

In a post on 8th August I mentioned a ring found in an Eagle Owl's nest. I heard back from the BTO and this too was an Oystercatcher tjeld ringed in the UK.

Here is an extract from the report I received from the BTO:

Ringing Scheme: London         Ring Number: FV04446         Species of bird: Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

This bird was ringed by Wash Wader RG as age 2nd year , sex unknown on 12-Aug-1975 at Friskney New Marsh, Lincolnshire OS Map reference TF4954, co-ordinates 53deg 4min N 0deg 13min E As the nest was "new" to me I have no idea how long the ring had been there - but this bird could certainly have been pretty old when it was taken. An amazing parellel with the previous ring I found in an Eagle Owl's nest! For details of the previous find see this post

Tjeldstø 22 September 2012 - Unblocking LSW

Fantastic clear and sunny weather - much more to my liking than off western Australia from where I have just returned.

A lazy stroll around the reserve produced very little - the ideal migration weather meaning most birds will have cleared off or passed right over. However, after several years of waiting I FINALLY unblocked my Øygarden bogey-bird - Lesser-spotted woodpecker dvergspett. The only previous record for Tjeldstø was nine years ago almost to the day - 21 September 2003. Other records for this species are concentrated in this period with two other records from 20 September.

Tjeldstø 14 August 2012 - another garden tick

Sunny with light eastlerly winds.

Belated news from yesterday were two Rough-legged Buzzard fjellvåk seen at Knappen - an excellent find for Øygarden especially given that it is so early.

A flock of 12 Knot polarsnipe flying past my house were new for the house list - now at 163 and also a new species for Tjeldstø (amazingly not recorded here before despite being a common autumn migrant in Øygarden).

Today's stroll around the reserve produced the first Sparrowhawk spurvehauk I've seen this autumn and a Peregrine vandrefalk hunting Golden Plover heilo out in the reserve. A Tree pipit trepiplerke flying over the garden was the first I've had in Øygarden this year.

Skogsøy 13 August 2012 - Little Gull!

Calm and sunny, just the whiff of an easterly breeze.

Spent three hours seawatching from 06:00. Most routine fare (i.e. waders) but a first year Little Gull dvergmåke feeding offshore was far from expected. Unfortunately it kept out of photo range as it fed largely alone but sometimes in the company of Arctic Terns rødnebbterne.

A few mixed flocks of unidentified waders passed and other wader flocks passed without being seen (just heard). Small numbers of waders landed on the shore - these included a a couple of Sanderling sandløper, two Knot polarsnipe and several Turnstone steinvender.

At least 241 Oystercatcher tjeld headed south as did several Whimbrel småspove. Other stuff included eight Great Skua storjo, a flock of over 40 Greylags grågås, a flock of Grey Heron gråhegre and a Black Guillemot teist.

Once again a light northerly passage of Shags toppskarv.

Onshore the best of the sightings was a flock of 15 Twite bergirisk.

Tjeldstø 12 August 2012

Overcast, light southerly breeze.

A stroll around the reserve produced the first Sand Martin sandsvale of the year for Øygarden. Other migrants included at least one Greenshank gluttsnipe, a few flocks of Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a small flock of Crossbills grankorsnebb - the first for ages.

A Whimbrel småspove flying over was another new species for year in the reserve.

Tjeldstø 11 August 2012 - New species!

VERY calm indeed in the morning.

Little about in the reserve but a small flock of waders proved to be four Ringed Plover sandlo and a Sanderling sandløper - amazingly the first record of the latter species for the reserve! This brings the total number of species seen at Tjeldstø up to 202 (and the 100th species I've seen here this year).

Herdlevær 10 August 2012 - One less mink

Obviously lots of mink activity again today. This time one of them didn't get away despite making it into the sea - normally this means a clean getaway but today the dog leapt in after it and amazingly still managed to catch it.

The one that didn't get away....

Generally lots of birds about with highlight being a Whimbrel småspove flying south. Otherwise the usual Great Skua storjo, White-tailed Eagle havørn.

Onshore a flock of Redpolls brunsisik showed some amazing variation.....

Gannet havsule

This very pale bird had no streaks on the undertail coverts.....

This Redpoll  was about as red as they come....

Another Redpoll showing very little streaking

Young Wheatear steinskvett

Hernar 09 August 2012

Light westerlies, mostly cloudy.

Very little in the way of migrants today - single Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper being the only one. And the first I've seen in Øygarden this year.

Plenty of birds about though with an absolute minimum of 60 Twite bergirisk present along with plenty of Meadow Pipit heipiplerke, a few Wheatear steinskvett and the usual Willow Warblers løvsanger and Whitethroats tornsanger.

Øygarden 08 August 2012 - new nest, new ring

Today I found a "new" Eagle Owl hubro nest site - though unfortunately it didn't look like it had been used this breeding season. This nest too contained an BTO (British) metal ring from a wader or duck!

Details of the ring have been sent to the BTO so hopefully I'll know more in a couple of months or so. The chances of it being quite as interesting as the previous ring I found in an Eagle Owl nest are slim but one can alway hope...

Skogsøy 07 August 2012

Strong northerly winds meant no insects today. Unfortunately not much on the move either...

 Above three pictures: Gannets havsule

 Great Skua storjo

Shags toppskarv

What passed today generally came past a lot closer than a couple of days ago. Plenty of Gannet havsule, a couple of Great Skua storjo, White-tailed Eagle havørn and most of the usual.

Best sighting was a flock of around 25 Knot polarsnipe heading north - first I've seen in Øygarden this year.

Tjeldstø 06 August 2012

Calm and sunny again with a light northerly.

Not the best of conditions for grounded waders but good for migration. A flock of approximately 150 Greylags grågås flew south.

In the reserve a couple of Greenshank gluttsnipe and several Golden Plover heilo present.

Skogsøy 05 August 2012

VERY calm indeed and therefore plenty of biting insects. Nice.

Crested tit toppmeis

Shags toppskarv - already heading north

White-tailed Eagle havørn

Some typical early autumn passage today. In 2.5 hours the following were seen on the move:

Shelduck gravand south 4
Oystercatcher tjeld 80 south
Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove 1 south
Unidentified waders 5+ south
Red-throated Diver smålom 3 south
Common Gull fiskemåke 150 south
Arctic Skua tyvjo 1 north
Great Skua storjo south 9
Great Skua storjo north 1
Common Scoter svartand 9 south
Shag toppskarv 55 north
Black Guillemot teist 1 north
Greylag grågås 37 south

Best sighting was a pod of around 20 Pilot Whales feeding in the distance. Quite a few salmon jumping too - easy to pick up in the calm conditions.

White-tailed Eagle havørn and most of the usual suspects also noted.

A total of six Storm Petrels havsvale were caught and ringed at Herdlevær during the night. For a superb portrait of a bird caught last week see this link.

Herdlevær 04 August 2012

A couple of Golden Plover heilo and a Common Sandpiper strandsnipe were the only indications of autumn migration.

These Greylags grågås will soon be leaving...

Mink - too near the water for the dog to catch

Lots of Willow Warbler løvsanger about

At least two mink were seen, one of which only just escaped the dog. Better luck next time!

Tjeldstø 03 August 2012

Another calm day.

Best birds were two Swift tårnseiler feeding with good numbers of Swallows låvesvale.

Tjeldstø 02 August 2012

Calm and with light rain during the morning.

A stroll around the reserve produced some typical birds for the time of year - highlights being a couple of Green Sandpiper skogsnipe and at least two Greenshank gluttsnipe.

Good numbers of recently fledged Tree Sparrows pilfink and House Sparrows gråspurv around the farms.

Skogsøy 16 July 2012

Finally got out for a couple of hours.

Not the most promising of weather conditions for seawatching so I was surprised to see so much on the move. Typically for July not very many species involved:

Gannet havsule 330 north
Great Skua storjo 12 north
Whimbrel småspove 1 north
Puffin lunde 2 south
Guillemot lomvi 1 north
Razorbill alke 2 north
Common Gull fiskemåke 14 south (autumn migration...)