Tjeldstø 18 April 2013 - Yet more new arrivals

Strong southerly winds and rain.

Started the day with a walk at Breivik. Some grounded migrants and new arrivals here including a few White Wagtail linerle, a small flock of Skylark sanglerke and at least six Snipe enkeltbekkasin.

Redwing rødvingetrost at Harkestad

At Harkestad one field was full of migrants including a flock of 40 Chaffinch bokfink, several Brambling bjørkefink, a Pied Wagtail svartryggerle, a White Wagtail linerle, Meadow Pipit heipiplerke and a mix of thrushes.

Goldfinch stillits on the feeder

Siskin grønnsisik

Once again though it was the garden that provided the bulk of the interest. Finch numbers exploded with around 20 Chaffinch bokfink, 30 Brambling bjørkefink, a couple of Common Redpoll gråsisik and 30 Siskin grønnsisik along with the usual Greenfinches grønnfink and Tree Sparrows pilfink. Highlight here was a Goldfinch stillits - first in Øygarden this year.

Tjeldstø 17 April 2013 - More arrivals

Southerly winds and overcast.

A stroll around the reserve produced a Carrion Crow svartkråke - quite possibly the same bird seen at Skogsøy a couple of days back. Good numbers of Fieldfare gråtrost were seen with at least 200 in the area.

 Above and below: Common Redpoll gråsisik

Four species of finch in this picture

Brambling bjørkefink with Siskins grønnsisik

Above and below: Male Siskin grønnsisik

Female Siskin grønnsisik

The garden was the best place though with the first Common Redpoll gråsisik of the year, about 20 Siskin grønnsisik, a Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett and a couple of Brambling bjørkefink on top of the usual garden visitors

Herdlevær 15 April 2013 - Corvid bonanza

Strong southerlies, overcast but largely dry.

Carrion Crow svartkråke - sure to get the twitchers out to Øygarden....

Rook kornkråke - first for Øygarden this year (and another species most of the twitchers don't yet have this year)

Jackdaws kaie

Yesterday's weather obviously produced some results. Highlights were all corvids around the parking area at Skogsøy. First and best was a Carrion Crow svartkråke. Whilst taking some record shots of this bird a Rook kornkråke and nine Jackdaw kaie turned up.

Black-headed Gull hettemåke

Common Gull fiskemåke

Gannet havsule

Teal krikkand

Herdlevær itself didn't produce much of interest but some grounded migrants were seen - a couple of Song Thrush måltrost, several Redwing rødvingetrost and a number of Blackbird svarttrost.

Tjeldstø 14 April 2013 - Storm

Gale force southerly winds and rain.

Difficult conditions. After making sure the trampoline didn't fly off in the wind a walk around the reserve with the dog showed quite a difference from a week ago. Redshank rødstilk now arrived (about a week ago), over 100 Common Gulls fiskemåke, several Lesser Black-backed Gulls sildemåke, Meadow Pipits heipiplerke.

Eight adult Whoopers sangsvane seen yesterday had moved on.Labels

Øygarden 02 April 2013 - More movement

Cloudless and sunny again but with a fresh north-easterly wind making it feel pretty cold.

A quick look at Solberg showed that it was a good day to be sat at Skogsøy - stuff was pouring past but most birds were too far off to identify. In the fifteen minutes or so I sat there the highlights were a Shelduck gravand, a couple of Red-throated divers smålom and a Puffin lunde.

Good numbers of Common Gull fiskemåke and Oystercatcher tjeld headed north.

A walk around Herdlevær later on produced relatively little on the ground but more of the same over the sea.  The only new bird today was a single Meadow Pipit heipiplerke although a Snipe enkeltbakkasin was also probably a new arrival and a Curlew storspove had taken up territory.

Skogsøy and Sture 01 April 2013 - New species for Øygarden!

Calm and sunny with a northerly breeze picking up later. Very heavy frost overnight.

Kicked the day off with a few hours seawatching at Skogsøy. Plenty of migration today with getting on for 1000 Oystercatcher tjeld as the mainstay of the passage. Other stuff included the first Wigeon brunnakke of the year, a fly over Snow Bunting snøspurv (my first of the year), a Dunlin myrsnipe,  four Red-throated Diver smålom, a Little Auk alkekonge, a Puffin lunde, a Velvet Scoter sjøorre, a few Black-headed Gulls hettemåke and a light but steady movement of Curlew storspove and Common Gulls fiskemåke.

A Great Northern Diver islom headed south and a Peregrine vandrefalk caught a passerine nearby.

Nutcracker nøttekråke - first new species for Øygarden this year.

A tip off about a local mega resulted in decent views of the first Nutcracker nøttekråke for Øygarden - a long-awaited first. The bird was seen between Skjold and Sture.

Another tip-off saw me standing on my terrace for an hour or so - without any luck this time - but picked up several White-tailed Eagles havørn, a Jackdaw kaie, a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk, my first Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke of the year and a further movement of Common Gulls fiskemåke.

Tjeldstø 31 March 2013 - More arrivals

Sunny at first, clouding over later. Southerly winds.

Golden Plover heilo

Starling stær

Whoopers sangsvane

A stroll around the reserve produced the first Golden Plover heilo in Hordaland this year. Small numbers of Teal krikkand were the first I have seen this year but have been in the area for more than a week. Another new bird in was a Curlew storspove which displayed over Husvatnet.

Several Whoopers sangsvane on Husvatnet and most of the usual suspects also seen.

In the afternoon family errands resulted in the first Yellowhammer gulspurv of the year near Sture

Tjeldstø 30 March 2013 - Jackdaw

The calm and sunny weather continues.

Recird shot of Jackdaw kaie (taken through sitting room window)

Barely out at all today and the only noteworthy sighting was a Jackdaw kaie seen from the sitting room window. This was the first I've seen in Øygarden this year - the first were seen at Nautnes about a week ago.

Skogsøy 29 March 2013 - Spring Migration

Calm and sunny yet again.

Considering the lengthy period of suitable migration weather today was pretty good - highlights were a Lapland Bunting lappspurv flying in off the sea, a few Shelduck gravand and the first migrating Puffins lunde of the year.

Cormorant storskarv

Common Scoter svartand and Eider ærfugl

Curlew storspove

Eider ærfugl

Oystercatcher tjeld

Shelduck gravand

Over 370 Oystercatcher tjeld headed north and the usual selection of early spring stuff were seen in smaller numbers.

Herdlevær 28 March 2013

Sunny with light northerly wind.

It was after lunch before I managed to get out and with lots of people out and about there was little to see.

Greylag grågås pair claiming their territory

Small numbers of most of the usual suspects including several Lapwings vipe were all that was to be seen. Greylags grågås already settling in nicely.

Hernar 27 March 2013 - First trip to Hernar

Almost predictably calm and sunny and with a very heavy overnight frost.

Blackbirds svarttrost in various pluamges

The first trip to Hernar of year. Not much in the way of migrants though a Song Thrush måltrost was the first I've had this year and there were quite a lot of Blackbirds svarttrost about - seeming to find food despite the hard frost.

Other half-decent sightings were a couple of Black Grouse orrfugl and a Woodcock rugde.

Some Greylag grågås and Cormorant storskarv passage overhead.

Breivik 25 March 2013 - Mistle Thrush again

Yet another gloriously sunny and calm day.

Still not getting out much but a quick stroll at Breivik produced a Mistle Thrush duetrost along with the usual Woodpigeons ringdue etc.

White-tailed Eagle havørn

Whoopers sangsvane with Greylags grågås

Plenty of eagles soaring about various places and a family of Whoopers sangsvane joined the geese on the part of Husvatnet that has thawed.

Tjeldstø 24 March 2013

Cold and sunny

Small numbers of the usual early spring arrivals but migration obviously later than usual. Greylag grågås numbers up to 60 and White-tailed Eagles havørn typically very obvious.

A Woodcock rugde was seen roding in the evening.

Tjeldstø 18 March 2013

Strong easterly and feeling very cold.

Just time for the quickest of walks at Tjeldstø.

Best bird was a hunting Peregrine vandrefalk which caused some mayhem among the gulls.

Peregrine vandrefalk

 Starlings stær

Otherwise just more of the same and a further increase in numbers of Starling stær and Blackbird svarttrost.

Skogsøy and Tjeldstø 17 March 2013 - More spring

South easterly winds, decent weather.

The thaw continues as does the arrival of more migrants.

Made the classic mistake of sleeping in and thereby ruined what may have been a half-decent day at Skogsøy. Sat for a couple of hours 09:00-11:00 and caught the tail end of the day's migration.

Cormorant storskarv

Shag toppskarv

Highlights were a Red-throated Diver smålom heading north and the a first Black-headed Gulls hettemåke of the year. A couple of Woodcock rugde were almost certainly new in and small numbers of Oystercatcher tjeld were on the move.

Heavily cropped record shot of Mistle Thrush duetrost

At Tjeldstø the Mistle Thrush duetrost showed again, 10 Woodpigeon ringdue were newly arrived and a Siskin grønnsisik turned up in the garden

Some larger flocks of Starling stær were seen various places inlcuded 60 at Breivik and 40 at Tjeldstø.

Another good sighting was a Golden Eagle kongeørn seen flying over Knappen, Toftøy.

Breivik and Tjeldstø 16 March 2013 - Spring!

Relatively mild after overnight snow.

Part of the Lapwing vipe flock at Breivik

Some real signs of spring today with 22 Lapwing vipe at Breivik, along with 25 Greylags grågås and small flocks of Starling stær.

 Typically very flighty this Mistle Thrush duetrost did its best to avoid being photographed

A tip-off about a Mistle Thrush duetrost at Skjold proved fruitless but I found either it or another bird at Tjeldstø - it flew over just as I had given up and was about to head home. Other stuff seen during the search included several more Lapwing vipe, a Woodcock rugde (new in?), a few flocks of Starling stær, Fieldfares gråtrost and a fly over Siskin grønnsisik.

Things are on the move at last.....

White-tailed Eagles havørn on the ice at Tjeldstø

Whoopers sangsvane at Kollsnes

Herdlevær 15 March 2013

South-easterly winds and cool with it. Everything still pretty much frozen.

Part of a flock of more than 20 Greylags grågås at Breivik

More Greylags grågås at Breivik, Tjeldstø, Herdlevær etc obviously starting to arrive in some numbers.

At Herdlevær just a few Oystercatcher tjeld and very little else indeed.