Solberg 21 December 2012

Calm sunny and very, very frozen

 Heron gråhegre at Dåvøy

Raven ravn at Solberg

A quck check at Solberg produced very little - the usual Otter, approximately 20 Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt and what was presumably the same flock of 11 Common Crossbill grankorsnebb as last visit.

Skogsøy 20 December 2012

Calm, sunny and cold.

A return to freezing conditions again after a welcome break.

 Whooper Swan sangsvane family at Skogsøy

Eider ærfugl

Typically for the time of year there was little passage over the sea - highlights were:

Red-throated Diver smålom 1 south
Little Auk alkekonge 3 south
Velvet Sctoer sjøorre 5 north
Gannet havsule 2 north

Other birds seen on the way out inlcuded seven Whoopers sangsvane and a couple of Waxwing sidensvans.

A Fieldfare gråtrost at Oen on the way home was the first I've seen since the snow came.

Coal Tit svartmeis

Goldcrest fuglekonge

Back in the garden a Goldcrest fuglekonge was an unusual December visitor - normally they come into the garden during migration periods. 

Ljøsneset 19 December 2012 - Black Grouse

Another calm and mild day.

Nothing much of interest other than a male Black Grouse orrfugl - the first I've seen for some time.

Back at Tjeldstø the party of five Whoopers sangsvane that checked the area out a couple of days ago returned and stayed to feed close to Rotevatnet, Tjeldstø - still not thawed yet!

Hjelme West 18 December 2012 - Calm conditions pay off at last

Calm and mild again though most fresh water still very frozen.

The conditions were pretty much ideal for picking up stuff on the sea and, unlike yesterday, there was plenty about.

Highlights were three Great Northern Diver islom (all visible in same field of view at one point), a male Scaup bergand and two Red-throated Diver smålom.

Numbers of seaduck also up slightly with over 40 Long-tailed Duck havelle and more than 30 Common Scoter svartand. Several Black Guillemot teist and small numbers of Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt also present.

A bonus bird on the way back to the car was a Jay nøtteskrike.

Popped in very briefly at both Sæle and Hjelme without seeing anything much of interest.

Øygarden 17 December 2012 - Otters

Calm and mild - the thaw continues - even insects hatching today.

 The four pictures above were of an Otter than surfaced close to where I was sitting at Dåvøy.

 In this heavily cropped image one can see an Otter between tow White-tailed Eagles havørn

Three eagles squabbling over whatever they managed to grab from the Otter.

With excellent conditions there should have been more to see today. As it was the day was dominated by Otters - with two at Dåvøy and at least three at Solberg.

The local White-tailed Eagles havørn showed one of their tricks today - stealing food from Otters. Amazingly one of the Otters sat on the rocks between two eagles - neither of which made a move on it at all.

Tjeldstø 16 December 2012 - F*****g Cats!

The main aim of this blog is to provide the latest bird news from Øygarden. Today I feel obliged to put the cat among the pigeons so to speak...

 Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin taken by a cat at Tjeldstø

A couple of days ago a cat in a nearby housing estate caught and killed a Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin - a species already struggling to survive in the freezing conditions and forced to concentrate on any unfrozen areas that remain. I was already painfully aware that the local cats were patrolling such areas but had yet to see concrete evidence of their success.

This is surely one of the best arguments against yet another proposed "development" on the edge of the local nature reserve - right among and next to some areas that remain unfrozen even during protracted periods of cold weather. Not only do the local planners want to destroy prime habitat directly but this project will also bring even more cats into the reserve. Any wonder bird populations are struggling with such incessant habitat loss and degradation compounded by artificially high number of predators?

Meanwhile the cat owners shrug their shoulders and say its just "nature's way". Imagine the hue and cry if I used the same argument to let my dog loose - a dog who is already an accomplished Mink killer and would like nothing better than to be allowed to add cats to his list of prey...."so sorry but it's just the way of nature".

The situation is bitterly unfair and the losers, as always, are the birds.

On a vaguely positive note at least this bird will end up as a valuable addition to the collection in the Natural History Museum in Bergen.

Herdlevær 16 December 2012 - thawing fast

Southerly winds with light rain showers.

A rapid thaw has set in with almost all snow gone but freshwater still very much iced over.

A fairly uneventful walk around Herdlevær produced two Woodcock rugde as the best birds.

Otherwise just the usual including at least four White-tailed Eagle havørn (no adults), Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke etc.

A female Wigeon brunnakke turned up on the shore out my house later in the afternoon - obviously a continued movement out to the coast.

Finally some info about ringed birds:

The ringed Blue tit blåmeis that turned up in my garden (see this post) was indeed ringed at Lista 56 days earlier some 293km to the SSE proving that these birds moved north up the coast.

The colour ringed Sanderling sandløper mentioned in this post had been ringed in Iceland towards the end of May 2010 and had spent the following winters on the coast of south Northumberland between Newgibbin and Whitley Bay.

Tjeldstø 15 December 2012 - Jack Snipe

Near gale force easterly wind, milder without feeling it.

Roadside  Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin at Hatten

Some thawing taking place today but still very frozen and snowy. By far the best bird today was a Jack Snipe kvartbekkasin spotted from the car whilst running errands.

 Ravens ravn putting on a synchronised flying display

Adult Whooper Swan sangsvane

A walk through the woods at Tjeldstlø produced little other than yet more fresh Woodcock rugde tracks and an optimistic party of five Whoopers sangsvane circled looking for a place to land.

Øygarden 14 December 2012 - Water Rail

Southerly winds, still cold.

A couple of short walks with the dogs and the usual household errands produced some quality birds in a short space of time in the failing light of the afternoon.

 Above and below Water Rail vannriske - always great to see this species

 Above and below: Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb at Alvheim

Best bird was probably a Water Rail vannrikse at Alvheim where there were also around 15 Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb.

Wigeon brunnakke landing at Solberg

At Solberg three Wigeon brunnakke were a surprise find - must be being forced out to the coast in the freezing weather. A Woodcock rugde was seen briefly here too.

Tjeldstø produced more very fresh Woodcock rugde tracks, a Goshawk hønsehauk mobbing a White-tailed Eagle havørn. Blackbird svarttrost numbers in the garden continue to increase with seven now present - all but one of which appear to be adult males.

Hjelme Vest 13 December 2012

Light south-east and "mild".

 Woodcock rugde are facing an ever harder time of it - hoping for a thaw SOON

With some almost-sun shining on it Lyngøy looked like the place to be today

Temperatures hovering around freezing but not thawing fast enough for the likes of the Woodcock rugde I found by following its tracks through the undergrowth. Tracks of what was probably another bird also found.

Best bird was a rather distant Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker but otherwise just the usual suspects on the sea. Raptors today were three White-tailed Eagle havørn, a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk and a Goshawk hønsehauk. A flock of 12 Crossbills korsnebb in the woods were probably Common Crossbill.

Back home a Waxwing sidensvans dropped into the garden briefly before I set off.

Skogsøy 12 December 2012 - Whoopers

Light southerly winds with some light snowfall

 Some of the Whoopers sangsvane feeding in the saltwater lagoons at Skogsøy

Here the entire flock is pictured

White-tailed Eagle havørn

Took a walk at Skogsøy despite not having the time to seawatch. As expected with all suitable freshwater frozen there was a small flock of Whoopers sangsvane on the "lagoons".

Other decent birds included a Woodcock rugde and very fresh tracks of at least two more, a Goshawk hønsehauk and a Black Guillemot teist. A rather interesting, out of place, passerine that evaded ID had a Black Redstart svartrødstjert kind of feel to it..... 

Tjeldstø 11 December 2012 - Still winter

Calm with light snowfall much of the morning.

Slightly milder than of late but still very frozen so many species still having a hard time of things.

 Woodcock rugde - has to be cold to see these feeding out in the open....

 Snipe enkeltbekkasin hiding away in a narrow unfrozen channel

 Hooded Crow kråke

Still plenty of Chaffinch bokfink in the garden

A stroll around the reserve produced a Woodcock rugde and a Snipe enkeltbekkasin that are (just) hanging in there on the few patches of unfrozen wet ground.

Other birds included a couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn and a Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett.

A brief stop at Dåvøy gave views of a Red-throated Diver smålom and another Snipe enkeltbekkasin.

Tjeldstø 09 December 2012

Southerly winds and snow - clearing up nicely after I came home.

Goshawk hønsehauk

 Struggling with gloves meant this photo is nothing like as good as it should have been...

 Both Snipe enkeltbekkasin chose to creep away rather than fly today

Starling stær

Strolled around the reserve and had a decent enough day given the conditions. Highlights were a Goshawk hønsehauk, a couple of Snipe enkeltbekkasin, two Redwing rødvingetrost and a Starling stær.

08 December 2012 - Herdlevær

South easterly winds, everything very frozen.

Back to reality. The cold weather has obviously resulted in a fair bit of stuff moving on.

 Peregrine vandrefalk at Herdlevær

It wasn't completely dead though - had four species of raptor today including Goshawk hønsehauk and Peregrine vandrefalk. A Curlew storspove out on the rocks, lots of Snipe enkeltbekkasin and Woodcock rugde tracks in the snow - both species obviously having a hard time of things at present.

Just about record shot of one of the Snipe enkeltbekkasin at Tjeldstø

 At Tjeldstø the only birds of note were a couple of Snipe enkeltbekkasin.

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...