Øygarden 23 February 2011

Record shot of a Merlin dvergfalk at Hjelme West

With a bitingly cold wind it was hard going today with generally little about.

Best sightings were both from Hjelme Vest in the form of two Goosander laksand (first in Øygarden this year) flying past and a cracking Merlin dvergfalk.

With so few auks about Razorbills alke on the sea at Alvheim and Hjelme Vest were both worth mentioning. Otherwise just White-tailed Eagles havørn, a few Gannet havsule etc.

Alvheim 22 February 2011

Jay nøtteskrike at Alvheim

A drive-by past Alvheim produced the first two Jays nøtteskrike I've seen this year.

Skogsøy 20 February 2011

Fanastic weather and some indications of movement over the sea with gulls and Gannets havsule moving offshore. A brief seawatch produced a Little Auk alkekonge and a Razorbill alke both heading north.

Ljøsneset 18 February 2011

Record shot of Dipper fossekall

Almost birdless but a Dipper fossekall was an unexpected bonus - the first in Øygarden this year.

Tjeldstø 17 February 2011

Stuck inside all day but not quite birdless despite this - a Goshawk hønsehauk spent some time sitting in a tree visible from the sitting room.

Other stuff included four Starling stær and the usual 15 Tree Sparrow pilfink in the garden.

Øygarden 16 February 2011

Calm conditions enabled better viewing conditions over the sea.

A Great-northern Diver islom on the sea at Alvheim and two more at Hjelme Vest were the best sightings. At Hjelme Vest a Curlew storspove and an overwintering Oystercatcher tjeld were also new for the year. Quite a few Gannets havsule seen offshore.

Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt, White-tailed Eagles havørn and most of the usual species seen at a number of locations. Generally few seaduck about.

A small flock of Siskin grønnsisik at Hjelme Vest were the best of the passerines today.

Dåvøy 15 February 2011

Above and below Cormorant storskarv at Dåvøy

Snowing again.
After a long wait a Slavonian Grebe horndykker finally put in an appearance - probably the same bird seen earlier in the winter. Other stuff included a few Velvet Scoter sjøorre, a few Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt and a Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke.

Hjelme West 14 February 2011

A bitterly cold wind didn't help things but it was rather quiet on the sea. A Gannet havsule, a Velvet Scoter sjøorre, four Common Scoter svartand and several Black Guillemot teist were the best of the meagre pickings today.

Skogsøy 13 February 2011

The first Lapwing vipe of the year at Skogsøy

Best bird was seen by the car park - an "early" Lapwing vipe. Other stuff included a couple of Starling stær and a Fieldfare gråtrost.

Almost nothing passing but a male Peregrine vandrefalk came in off the sea from a hunting sortie. Otherwise just small numbers of the usual including a Black Guillemot teist. Some movement of large gulls so it was tempting to wait and see if anything more interesting would turn up but time did not permit.

Solberg 12 February 2011

Finally back. A quiet start to the local birding year with the best bird being a Peregrine vandrefalk. A couple of Greylags grågås headed north but otherwise very quiet indeed with just 20 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt to be seen.

Fifteen Tree Sparrow pilfink in the garden along with the usual suspects

Dåvøy and Alvheim 25 December 2010

Dåvøy was if anything even quieter than most places of late but one of the few birds on the sea there was a splendid Slavonian (Horned these days I suppose) Grebe horndykker - in exactly the same place as the previous winter. A couple of Black guillemot teist, a White-tailed Eagle havørn and several Fieldfare gråtrost were among the other sightings.

Alvheim produced a flock of 15 Mealy Redpoll gråsisik, a Sparrowhawk spurvehauk, three Common Crossbill grankorsnebb and best of all - a Woodpigeon ringdue flying over - a rare winter sighting for Øygarden.

Tjeldstø 24 December 2010 - more snow

We certainly got a white Christmas - snowed most of the day.

The garden was once again the most productive place with 8 Mealy Redpoll gråsisik, 25-30 Chaffinch bokfink, four Starling stær and the usual.

The woods were very quiet but all the usual Goldcrest fuglekonge, Coal Tit svartmeis and Crested Tit toppmeis were seen along with the bird of the day - a Treecreeper trekryper. A single Wren gjerdesmett still held out there too.

Hjelme West 23 December 2010

Quiet again. A distant Great Northern Diver islom, a flock of 30 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt and a Curlew storspove were the highlights.

A porpoise nise gave prolonged views as it basked on the surface - first I've seen for a while.

Solberg 22 December 2010 - Otters

Otter enjoying a fish

Starling stær in the garden

First winter Great Northern Diver islom

Still very quiet both bird and weatherwise. Almost no duck today but a first year Great Northern Diver islom made up for that. A single Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke and about 20 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt also seen here.

A party of four otters played in the snow on one of the islands and another showed very well closer in.

A Brambling bjørkefink, a few Mealy Redpoll gråsisik, 19 Tree Sparrow pilfink, 15+ Chaffinch bokfink, four Starling stær, nine Blackbird svarttrost and the usual in the garden.

Tjeldstø 21 December 2010

White-tailed Eagle havørn out in the reserve

Still covered in snow and totally frozen. Remarkably at least one Woodcock rugde survives in the area with fresh tracks in todays new snow beside a tiny trickle of unfrozen water. Other than that a few Starling stær in the garden among all the usual garden visitors.

Hjelme West 20 December 2010

Goldeneye kvinand
Female Merganser siland

Mergansers siland

Merganser siland with small flatfish

Very cold, calm and quiet again. Most of the usual wintering birds present including a Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker, a Curlew storspove, 20 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, a Velvet Scoter sjøorre, a Black Guillemot teist and five White-tailed Eagle havørn.

A Goshawk hønsehauk flew over the road at Sæle.

The Heron gråhegre roost at Dåvøy held 31 birds and there were the usual Goldeneye kvinand and Mergansers siland present.

Skogsøy 19 December 2010

Rather quiet. On a positive note 10 Whoopers sangsvane included six first year birds. Rather few seaduck and just a few Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt and a White-tailed Eagle havørn of any note.

At Tjeldstø a Goshawk hønsehauk was seen from the house.

Solberg 18 December 2010 - Merlin

Goldfinch stillits
Female Scaup bergand and male Merganser siland

Only had time for a very short visit to Solberg where there were few birds to be seen. However, among these were some good winter sightings including a Merlin dvergfalk, a female Scaup bergand, a Goldfinch stillits and a Curlew storspove.

Øygarden 14 December 2010

Red-throated Diver smålom at Solberg

Solberg was pretty quiet with a Red-throated Diver smålom the best bird otherwise just small numbers of the usual duck and a couple of White-tailed Eagles havørn.

A big flock of Greenfinch grønnfink in the garden with 105 the best estimate, also several each of Mealy Redpoll gråsisik and Chaffinch bokfink along with 16 Tree Sparrow pilfink and the usual visitors to the feeder - currently using 2.5 kg of sunflower seed per day....

A couple of Redwing rødvingetrost, a small flock of Fieldfare gråtrost, five Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis and two Waxwing sidensvans also seen at Tjeldstø.

Tjeldstø 23 November 2010

Barel out today but this paid off with a Lapland Bunting lappspurv in / over the garden. Over 60 Greenfinch grønnfink and at least 15 Tree Sparrow pilfink at the feeders - almost 2 kg of sunflower seed being consumed daily....

Otherwise little to report other than the Heron hegre roost at Dåvøy numbered 55 birds today.