Skogsøy 25 May 2013 - Manx at last

Northerly winds and more or less overcast.

Another good day at Skogsøy. Seawatched from 06:15-11:30 and had the following:

If you look very hard there are two Manx Shearwater havlire in this picture - honest!

Manx shearwater havlire 2N - the third day of occurrence this spring - well above average
Long-tailed Skua fjelljo 2N
Arctic Skua tyvjo 2N
Great Skua storjo 1N
White-billed Diver gulnebblom 1N
Great Northern Diver islom 1S
Red-throated Diver smålom 53N
Velvet Scoter sjøorre 2N
Common Scoter svartand 18N,35S
Long-tailed Duck havelle 11N
Puffin lunde 4N
Razorbill alke 4N
Guillemot lomvi 6N
Arctic Tern rødnebbterne 30+N (probably at least double this number)
Kittiwake krykkje 15N
Gannet havsule 42N

White-billed Diver gulnebblom with diagnostic bill visible

Great Northerns rarely, if ever, throw their heads like this

Beer-belly and no-billed diver look

Two pale phase Arctic Skua tyvjo

Above and below: Red-throated Divers smålom. Quite a number not in breeding plumage now

Part of a flock of Arctic Terns rødnebbterne

The first of the autumn mingrants? A southbound Lapwing vipe

Øygarden 24 May 2013 - Sea fog

Light northerly breeze, sunny and generally glorious weather down the east side of Øygarden. Sea fret down the west...

In the short time available today I took a quick stroll to Herdlevær in the hope that the fog would clear. It didn't.

Back home the first Grey-headed Woodpecker gråspett I've seen this year sang a couple of times - not a common sound at all.

Skogsøy 23 May 2013 - Skuas forever!

Strong northerly winds and largely overcast.

A late start today didn't appear to matter as most of the interest started late in the morning. Unfortunately I had to leave just as things were picking up nicely....the last thing I saw was a flock of 17 Long-tailed Skua fjelljo heading north.

Highlights between 07:30 and 12:30 were:

Dark phase Arctic Skua tyvjo

 

Above three: Long-tailed Skuas fjelljo

Pomarine Skuas polarjo

Long-tailed Skua fjelljo  26 N (largest flock 17)
Pomarine Skua polarjo 4 N
Arctic Skua tyvjo 6 N
Great Skua storjo 3N, 1S
Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås ca 350N
Red-throated Diver smålom  16 N
Whimbrel småspove 3N

Above four pictures: flocks of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås

Gannet havsule

Red-throated Diver smålom

Other odds and ends included:
Arctic Tern rødnebbterne ca 80N (all those identified were this species)
Puffin lunde 1N
Guillemot lomvi 2N
Razorbill alke 2N
Common Scoter svartand 3N
Kittiwake krykkje 5 N
Gannet havsule ca 60N

Similar numbers of most things also passed Herdlevær but at that location there were 76 Long-tails reported,  a couple of White-billed Diver gulnebblom, a Black-throated Diver storlom as well as 3 Manx Shearwater havlire. Think I'll give my lenses a clean before I go out next time....

Heavily cropped record shot of the White-front tundragås

An albifrons Whitefront tundragås turned up beside Husvatnet, Tjeldstø in the evening.

Solberg 22 May 2013 - Long-tailed Skua galore!

Fresh NW breeze and sunny.

The frustration started with the weather forecast yesterday evening. Today was always going to be good. Work and family commitments conspired against any meaningful seawatching but an hour at Solberg (far from the best place for this kind of thing) between 09:00 and 10:00 produced 10 Long-tailed Skua fjelljo (in two flocks), a pale phase Arctic Skua tyvjo, a Great Skua storjo and a Great Northern Diver islom.

Excellent numbers of terns (presumed Arctic), Kittiwakes krykkje, about 20 Red-throated Diver smålom, a Fulmar havhest and plenty of distant unidentified birds streamed north.

Herdlevær produced excellent numbers of skuas.

This was a day that should have been spent at Skogøy. Tomorrow may be too late already.....

Øygarden 21 May 2013

Southerly and misty to start with, southerly with rain later.

No time to be out much today. A very quick look at Breivik produced 10 Golden Plover heilo as the only migrants.

The only other sighting of any note was the first Nuthatch spettmeis I've seen in Øygarden this year. They've been around most of the year but just not in the places I generally go.

Skogsøy 20 May 2013 - first Brents

Light northerly breeze, warm and sunny.

A few hours seawatching around dawn proved reasonably productive with highlights being a White-billed Diver gulnebblom, the first three Brent Geese ringgås of the year and a southbound Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås.

Early Brent Geese ringgås heading north

Male (right) and female (left) Gannets havsule :)

Other stuff heading north between 05:50 and 09:30 included:
Red-throated Diver smålom 52
Arctic Tern rødnebbterne 25
Long-tailed Duck havelle 25
Guillemot lomvi 5
Razorbill alke 2
Puffin lunde 1
Gannet havsule 34
Kittiwake krykkje 11

Over 50 Common Scoter svartand headed south

Porpoises nise were very obvious today

Porpoises nise were very obviousl today - even their breathing was easily heard in the calm conditions.

Tjeldstø 19 May 2013 - taking it easy

Calm, hot and sunny.

Singing Redstarts rødstjert are few and far between in Øygarden

One of two female Ruffs brusfugl

Not just people are feeling the heat....

Took things easy today with just a walk through the reserve. Two rather unseasonal Ruff brusfugl and a singing male Redstart rødstjert were the highlights.

The long-staying Rook kornkråke was seen again and at least one singing Lesser Whitethroat møller. Also small numbers of Common Crossbill grankorsnebb.

Other good birds reported from Øygarden today included a singing Bluethroat blåstrupe (only second record for Øygarden?), singing Icterine Warbler gulsanger and a Water Rail vannriske (unusual time of year for this species to show up here!).

Hernar and Lyngøy 18 May 2013 - Øygarden strikes back

Calm, sunny and HOT.

SHORT-TOED LARK DVERGLERKE

After yesterday's sightings on Fedje, just north of Øygarden it was high time we scored with a rarity - and we did! We found the first SHORT-TOED LARK DVERGLERKE for Øygarden on Lyngøy. This represents approximately the 10th county record.

Also on Lyngøy were a Pied Wagtail svartryggerle, a Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper and a Whinchat buskskvett.

Arctic Skua tyvjo

Male Whinchat buskskvett

Hernar was quite productive despite getting the late in the day. Noteworthy sightings here included a Redstart rødstjert, a Whinchat buskskvett, two Pied Flycatchers svarthvit fluesnapper, a Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper and a Garden Warbler hagesanger. LOTS of Wheatear steinskvett and decent numbers of Twite bergirisk also on the island.

Above and below: Arctic Tern rødnebbterne with almost all black beak

The all dark beak made this bird worth a second look!

An aberrant Arctic Tern rødnebbterne got the pulse racing - the all dark bill made me think of something quite different for a while.

A Kestrel tårnfalk, Whimbrels småspove, House Martins taksvale and plenty of other migrants were also seen during the course of the day.

Skogsøy 17 May 2013 - Seawatching at last!

Overcast with light northerly wind, turning more easterly during the morning.

At long last some seawatching. Unfortunately it was rather quiet but Skogsøy rarely fails to deliver and today the highlight was a pair of Shoveler skjeand heading south. The best of the rest were five Arctic Skua tyvjo heading north, one Arctic Skua flying south and a southbound Great Northern Diver islom.

Other stuff included:
Red-throated Diver smålom 25 N
Great Skua storjo 1 S
Wigeon brunnakke 2 S
Common Scoter svartand ca 150 S, smaller numbers N
Arctic Tern rødnebbterne 4N
Kittiwake krykkje 2N
Puffin lunde 1N
Razorbill alke 6N
Guillemot lomvi 2N
Oystarcatcher tjeld 21N
Tufted Duck toppand 2N
Merganser siland 21N

Heavily cropped record shot of Arctic Skua tyvjo

Above and below: flocks of Common Scoter svartand

A Tree Pipit trepiplerke at the lookout point was the first I've had this year.

Elsewhere a Sedge Warbler sivsanger sang at Breivik, a Lesser Whitethroat møller sang at Herdlevær and a Swift tårnseiler flew over my garden at Tjeldstø.

Tjeldstø 16 May 2013 - Swifts and Merlin

Strong southerly winds and overcast early on, calming and sunny later.

Still frustratingly little time to be out and about. Highlight of a walk around the reserve were the first two Swifts tårnseiler of the year.

A Carrion Crow svartkråke fed out in the reserve but otherwise there was little change since last time.

In the afternoon a quick look out of the living room window produced my first Merlin dvergfalk in Øygarden this year along with a single House Martin taksvale.

Solberg 15 May 2013

South easterly and sunny to start with, clouding over later.

Arctic Tern rødnebbterne

Sand Martin sandsvale - new species for Solberg

A short spell at Solberg produced two new species for this locality in the form of House Martin taksvale and Sand Martin sandsvale with at least two of each present.

Several Arctic Tern rødnebbterne and a couple of Whimbrel småspove were also the first I've seen in Øygarden this year.

Some movement over the sea in the form of Oystercatcher tjeld, Common Scoter svartand and Gannets havsule.

This Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke was colour ringed - and appeared much paler in the field than in photographs.

At Kollsnes a Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke was seen to be colour ringed but swam and then flew before I could get it in the scope...

Herdlevær 14 May 2013 - small fall

Strong southerly winds and sunny.

flava Yellow Wagtail gulerle

Obviously some grounded migrants about including a "flava" Yellow Wagtail gulerle (possibly same bird as on previous visit), a Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper, a Blackcap munk, a Skylark sanglerke and several Willow Warblers løvsanger.

Lapwing vipe (Tjeldstø)

Male Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper

There were plenty of Wheatear steinskvett about, one or two showing some indication of "Greenland" type birds.

The long staying Carrion Crow svartkråke was still present beside the car park at Skogsøy along with four Jackdaw kaie.

Tjeldstø 11-13 May 2013 - More new arrivals

Little time spent out and about.

Hawfinch kjernebiter in the garden

On 11 May the Hawfinch kjernebiter was still present in the garden and I saw it or another at the other end of Tjeldstø later in the day. Singing Reed Bunting sivspurv and Lesser Whitethroat møller were both first of the year at Tjeldstø.

More and more Greylags grågås now have young

The long-staying Rook kornkråke

Swallow låvesvale

Three new for the year were seen in / from the garden the following day: a pair of Twite bergirisk, a Common Tern makrellterne and a singing Whitethroat tornsanger.

A short and wet walk on 13 May produced a Red-throated Diver smålom flying south over the reserve and another sighting of the Rook kornkråke that has been hanging around for several days at least.

Greylags grågås have started hatching with more goslings seen each day.

Herdlevær 10 May 2013 - Yellow Wagtail

Southerly breeze, overcast.

Golden Plover heilo at Breivik

Golden Plover heilo at Herdlevær

Best bird was a brief Yellow Wagtail gulerle. Other than that rather quiet with a flock of Golden Plover heilo as the only other migrants.

Another flock Golden Plover heilo, totalling 30 birds, was present at Breivik.

In the evening a Hawfinch kjernebiter turned up in the garden - for only the second time.

Tjeldstø 09 May 2013 - Short-eared Owl

Overcast with drizzle.

Top to bottom Short-eared Owl jordugle, Curlew storpove and Hooded Crow kråke. The Curlew was actually chasing the crow....

 Above and below: heavily cropped record shots of the Short-eared Owl jordugle

For better pictures of Short-eared Owl see this page.

A walk around the reserve gave some half-decent results today with the highlight being a Short-eared Owl jordugle. Some other sightings of note were a male Tufted Duck toppand (the first at Tjeldstø this year!), a pair of Wigeon brunnakke (again the first of the year at Tjeldstø) and the first Cuckoo gjøk of the year in Øygarden.

The long staying Rook kornkråke was also still present.

A noticeable increase in the numbers of singing Willow Warblers løvsanger and Chiff-chaff gransanger since late last week.

Øygarden 02 May 2013

Brisk westerly winds with occasional hail showers in the morning. Pretty pleasant in the evening.

Only had time for a 50 minute seawatch at Herdlevær - something that proved quite productive with a White-billed Diver gulnebblom as the best sighting. The best of the rest were a pale phase Arctic Skua tyvjo and the first Fulmar havhest I've had in Øygarden this year.

Some 13 Red-throated Diver smålom, 17 Kittiwake krykkje, nine Gannets havsule and several Common Scoter svartand also headed north. Just one auk seen - a lone Guillemot lomvi.

The Carrion Crow svartkråke remained with the Hooded Crows kråke at Skogsøy.

Barnacle Goose hvitkingås together with Greylag grågås

Goldfinch stillits photographed through the sitting room window

Incidental birds at Tjeldstø inlcuded at least one of the two Goldfinch stillits seen yesterday, the first Common Sandpiper strandsnipe of the year, a Rook kornkråke and a singing Willow Warbler løvsanger. Best bird here was a single Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås together with Greylags grågås - not surprisng that grounded birds turned up today after the big movement in foul weather yesterday.