Skogsøy 09 May 2010

Wheatear steinskvett at Breivik
White-billed Divers gulnebblom

Deer at dawn

Yet another good day at Skogsøy - with five White-billed Diver gulnebblom passing at close range and three Arctic Skua tyvjo as highlights. Four Arctic Tern rødnebbterne were the first of the year and over 120 Long-tailed Duck havelle moved north. "Only" a little over 60 Red-throated Diver smålom today.

Another new bird was a singing Sedge Warbler sivsanger at Breivik

Tjeldstø 08 May 2010 - Black-tailed Godwits

Black-tailed Godwits svarthalespove from yesterday evening (didn't leave the house for the birds that turned up today)

Part of a flock of 25+ Golden Plover heilo out in the reserve today

White-tailed Eagle havørn bugging the geese

Northerly winds and sunny weather meant that Skogsøy should have been the first choice today.

Stayed at home and was rewarded with the Pinkfoot kortnebbgås that turned up yesterday.

In the late afternoon a flock of four Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove flew in and landed beside Husvatnet - no doubt different birds to the three seen late yesterday evening and not seen again.

The first Lapwing vipe and Greylag grågås chicks were seen today - a couple of days after the first Mallard stokkand chicks were seen. Strange to think that some birds have young whilst others have yet to even arrive...

Hernar 07 May 2010

Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt in summer plumage - one of 24 seen today
Two Whimbrel småspove taking a break on their migration north

Red-throated Diver smålom

Long-tailed Duck havelle - at least 50 seen today

Above and below a female Blackcap munk feeding on the ground

Glorious calm, sunny and warm weather meant the day was going to turn out well.

Hernar was full of stuff - though probably a lot less today than yesterday. An absolute minimum of 10 Chiff-chaff gransanger and four Blackcap munk were the most numerous migrants. A Sand Martin sandsvale was the first in Øygarden this year and amazingly yet another Crane trane flew over - another new to the ever increasing Hernar list! Remarkably no Wrens gjerdesmett or Willow Warbler løvsanger were seen on the island.

The Tree Sparrow pilfink from the previous visit were still about. Wheatears steinskvett and Twite bergirisk everywhere meant there was always something to see.

A look around the islands by boat produced small numbers of Red-throated Diver smålom heading north, several Black Guillemot teist, four Whimbrel småspove and 24 Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt. A total of around 50 Long-tailed Ducks havelle scattered about on the sea were now largely in their rather strange breeding plumage.

Skogsøy 06 May 2010 - Another good day

Despite light rain and a south-easterly wind the morning was spent seawatching. Not the standard choice of birding under such conditions. Don't ask.

Things started fairly quietly but improved dramatically after a while. Highlight was undoubtedly the Sandwich Tern splitterne that headed south.

A good passage of Whimbrel småspove was noted with at least 75 passing. Also two White-billed Diver gulnebblom, three Great Northern Diver islom and over 60 Red-throated Diver smålom.

Other stuff inlcuded the first migrating Tufted Duck toppand of the year and small numbers of Velvet Scoter sjøorre.

A quick check of Herdlevær produced a singing Lesser Whitethroat møller.

Tjeldstø 04 May 2010 - Crane again!

Common Crane trane at Tjeldstø



Below are some pictures to prove that some common species are also seen occasionally at Tjeldstø....

Golden Plover heilo

Pair of Herring Gull gråmåke

Magpie skjære

Stuck inside the last couple of days. Frustrating to work for a living in early May!

Nipped out for a quick stroll and the first bird I saw a Common Crane trane in the reserve. The fourth record for Øygarden hot on the heels of the third at the weekend. This was the first bird I've seen on the ground rather than flying over. Wicked!

Images are just a random selection rather than the best of the lot.

Even managed to get it onto the house list thanks to a telescope in the living room and an understanding wife.

Skogsøy 02 May 2010 - Seawatching as it should be!

One happy seawatcher!
Yellow-billed Loons gulnebblom came by two at a time

The first White-billed Diver gulnebblom of the day

Flock of Red-throated Diver smålom

Red-throated Diver smålom flock loses height

Cormorants storskarv "stalling"

Black-throated Diver storlom (on right) with Red-throated Diver smålom

Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås

With sunny weather and clear skies and light northerly winds following on from yesterday's strong blow it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that today would be a big day - and it was!

Highlights today (all heading north) were:
Common Crane trane 1 (first at Skogsøy and third in Øygarden)
White-billed Diver gulnebblom 16 (all cracking adults and most at close range)
Pomarine Skua polarjo 1 (first of the year)
Arctic Skua tyvjo 1 (first of the year)
Red-throated Diver smålom 276
Whimbrel småspove 2 (first of the yar)
Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås 384
Great Northern Diver islom (1 2cy S, 1 N and two birds together on the sea)
Black-throated Diver storlom 1

A truly memorable day! Perhaps the most amazing thing that myself and Harald had the place completely to ourselves on a day that traditionally produces good birds and normally triggers a mass visit from the "Bergen gang"

Skogsøy 01 May 2010

Great Black-backed Gull svartbak feasting on a long-dead lamb

Small flock of Barnacles hvitkinngjess heading north
Early morning Deer at Breivik

A 30 knot northerly kept migration to a minimum but didn't stop it completely. Highlight was a flock of five Red Knot polarsnipe heading north -the first of the county this year. Several Red-throated Diver smålom and a small flock of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås joined the usual Long-tailed Ducks havelle and Common Scoter svartand on the move.

A few tens (decent numbers in these reduced seabird times) of Kittiwake krykkje and a few each of Puffin lunde and Fulmar havhest also passed.

A few searches were made for the Green-winged Teal amerikakrikkand but at the time of writing nobody had connected with it today.

Tjeldstø 30 April 2010 - Lesser Whitethroat

Green-winged Teal amerikrikkand
Male Green-winged Teal amerikrikkand

Female Eurasian Teal krikkand
Male Eurasian Teal krikkand

Stuck inside most of the day but had singing Lesser Whitethroat møller (first in the county this year) in the garden, Willow Warblers løvsanger and Common Sandpiper strandsnipe all seen or heard from the garden too.....

A very brief trip out around 12:30 gave better views of the Green-winged Teal amerikakrikkand but it (and the other Teal krikkand it was accompanying remained shy and flighty).

Tjeldstø 29 April 2010 - GREEN-WINGED TEAL!

Male Green-winged Teal amerikakrikkand


Male Green-winged Teal amerikakrikkand (left hand bird) with an Eurasian Teal krikkand

A dull, wet and windy day weatherwise - anything but dull birdwise!

At this time of year I try to check the Teal krikkand for more interesting species - and today it paid off big time with a Green-winged Teal amerikakrikkand which kept together with several Eurasian Teal krikkand. Views were rather distant and the birds seemed restless. I kept my distance in order to not scare it off but it went into hiding.....

This will be the 10th county record and the first for Øygarden if accepted.

Other stuff included at least 15 Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin, three Tufted Duck toppand and most of the usual stuff.

Off back out now to see if it still there - this time with the scope.

19:00 update: I tried unsuccessfully to relocate the bird (but found a Tree Pipit trepiplerke instead!). However, others were more lucky and the bird has just been reported again.

Skogsøy 22 April 2010 - Barnacle Geese

Barnacle geese hvitkinngås heading north
Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås

Great Black-backed Gull svartbak going after a Gannet havsule

Raven ravn

The day threatened for a long time to be a dismal failure with just a single Great Northern Diver islom of note heading south just after dawn. However, after 0900 things picked up - over 160 Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås flew north - the first of the year in Hordaland.

This is a relatively early date in recent times and not surprisingly the migration didn't develop the way it sometimes does with many thousand passing. Any day soon though....

Otherwise just several Red-throated Diver smålom and small numbers of the usual suspects.

Tjeldstø 21 April 2010

Chiff-chaff gransanger in the garden

Manic day and didn't get out at all.

Best I could do was snap a few pictures of a Chiff-chaff gransanger in the garden with one hand whilst talking on the phone....

Herdlevær 20 April 2010 - More lap buntings

Highlights were a couple of Lapland Longspur lappspurv that dropped in - something I've always suspected should happen as the vegetation out in the heaths to the north of the island resemble the Hardangervidda quite a bit.

All the other sightings of any note came as we were leaving - a Kestrel tårnfalk hunting over Skogsøy, a Shelduck gravand landing on the sea near Breivik and a Swallow låvesvale flying over.

Back at Tjeldstø a pair of Wigeon brunnakke were new in

Tjeldstø 19 April 2010 - Lapland Longspur

Lapland Longspur lappspurv

Rather springlike after some shock snowfall early in the morning.

Best bird was a Lapland Longspur lappspurv well on the way to acquiring breeding plumage.

Otherwise very much business as usual with geese congregating after eagle flyovers, Reed Bunting sivpsurv, Linnets tornirisk etc.