Typically whilst I was away a new species for Øygarden was found by Eirk A (he has a knack for this kind of thing) in the form of a Woodchat Shrike rødhodevarsler. I had no expectations of catching up with it and assumed it would be long gone before I returned. This time it stayed and I saw the bird in the same place it was found at Herdlevær on 23rd September. Nice one!
Woodchat Shrike rødhodevarsler at Herdlevær
On the way home from this I met the gang from town at Husvatnet where they had found a female Pintail stjertand - a nice bonus. Grey Plover tundralo and Peregrine vandrefalk from the terrace after I got home were not too shabby either.
The next day it was a couple of hours seawatching at Skogsøy where highlights were 76 Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås heading south (and a flock of 7 flying north), a couple of Brent Geese ringgås (also heading north) and four Velvet Scoter sjøorre heading south. Mostly various species of gull on the move. Also worth mentioning were the first Snow Buntings snøspurv of the autumn with two close to the lookout point as I arrived.
Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås
Common Hawker starrlibelle at Skogsøy
Gannet havsule
Kittiwake krykkje
The Pintail stjertand remained at Tjeldstø. Back home several Red-throated Diver smålom and a Kestrel tårnfalk were the best birds from my terrace.
Pintail stjertand at Husvatnet
On 25th I was only out very briefly, a quick look over the fjord at Tjeldstø produced a flock of three Grey Plover tundralo and 25 Brent Geese ringgås flying south. A first year Black Guillemot teist was at Skjoldpollen on my way home - no doubt forced inshore by the stormy conditions.
First year Black Guillemot teist
A quick walk at Herdlevær on 26th was rather quiet with just a small selection of waders including a Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove. Peregrine vandrefalk and Red-throated Diver smålom from the terrace again.
It is just so ridiculously easy to see loads of birds in North Northumberland!
However, I remember as a young teenager in my formative years of birding I always wanted more: to travel to other places or go off chasing rarities. I never did either of these things. Whenever I am back on the home turf I see that I had no idea about how lucky I was growing up surrounded by birds. The area has its disadvantages but lack of birds is not really one of them.
Arriving in Seahouses in the late afternoon on 14th September we walked along the beach from Seahouses to Beadnell in glorious weather. It was high tide so there were some wader roosts and plenty to see along the shore. Two things marred this walk - the number of dead Guillemots lomvi on the high tideline and the sheer number of people disturbing the waders that were still trying to feed. How they can survive I have no idea.
In the few hundred metres between Seahouses harbour and Annstead point there were
Grey Plover tundralo 11
Turnstone steinvender 45
Dunlin myrsnipe 10
Oystercatcher tjeld 88
Bar-tailed Godwit lappspove 19
Curlew storspove 19
Redshank rødstilk 36
Sanderling sandløper 10
Roosting waders at Seahouses
Ringed Plover sandlo, Dunlin myrsnipe and a Rock Pipit skjærepiplerke
Dunlin myrsnipe
Goosander laksand
Curlew storspove and Grey Plover tundralo
Ringed Plover sandlo and Dunlin myrsnipe
The next day we went inland to Wooler and took a stroll at Hedgley Ponds. Nothing remarkable in a North Northumberland context but a Little Egret silkehegre, an unseasonal Whooper Swan sangsvane, 10+ Little Grebes dvergdykker and good numbers of wildfowl including at least 20 Gadwall snadderand were among the sightings here.
A lone Whooper Swan sangsvane at Hedgley Ponds
No birding on 16th September which was damp and blustery - but 10 minutes from the living room showed that there was plenty passing over the sea including a few Manx Shearwater havlire feeding just off the harbour wall.
Also stopped at Monksouse Pools for a couple of minutes - 200 Lapwing vipe and a nice selection of wildfowl. Birding is just too easy here!
A few Common Snipe enkeltbekkassin at Monkshouse
Teal krikkand
On 17th September I seawatched at Annstead (Seahouses) for a hour without a scope.
Gannet havsule N 275
Common Scoter svartand N 38
Teal krikkand N 9
Shelduck gravand N 1
Kittiwake krykkje N 32
Golden Plover heilo S 12
Fulmar havhest N 3
Sandwich Tern splitterne S 1
Little Gull dvergmåke N 4 (3ad, 1 1cy)
Wigeon brunnakke N 1
Manx Shearwater havlire N 1
Arctic Skua tyvjo S 1
Red-throated Diver smålom S 7
Plenty of Guillemot lomvi, Razorbill alke, a good selection of the usual waders etc
In the afternoon we moved onto Holy Island for a night seeing Little Egret silkehegre and Merlin dvergfalk from the causeway as we drove on.
We did the "usual" round, down the straight lonnin, along the north shore, a stop at Emmanuel Head, another stop at the Lough and back down the crooked lonnin. Plenty to see without anything remarkable. Emmanuel Head was perhaps the best with birds passing constantly 100's of auks, 35+ Common Tern makrellterne heading south, several Red-throated Diver smålom, a couple of Brent Geese ringgås and more.
Common Terns makrellterne
Gannets havsule
Lots of feeding Grey Seals havert
Kestrel tårnfalk
Most of the auks passing were Razorbills alke
Amazingly three Ruddy Duck rustand flew over whilst we sat in the beer garden of one of the island's pubs:) I learnt from other birders I met that Caspian Tern rovterne, Honey Buzzard vespevåk and American Golden Plover kanadalo were among the best sightings earlier in the day!
The following day I took a walk but never made it past the straight lonnin where a Red-breasted Flycatcher dvergfluesnappr was the highlight. Also Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper, Whimbrel småspove and more here.
Red-breasted Flycatcher dvergfluesnapper
Unfortunately it was all too soon time to leave but we popped in at Budle Bay on the way south. 1000s of gulls, 1000s of wildfowl and 1000s of waders! 10 Little Egret silkehegre, a Mediterranean Gull svartehavmåke , 10+ Shoveler skjeand, 15 Brent Geese ringgås and so much more. Should have had more time and a scope:)
Another period with little time in the field. However, my new tripod head arrived and meant that I could actually attach my scope to the tripod so seawatching was in fact possible.
I spent a couple of hours at Skogsøy on 1st September but it was rather quiet, just a lone Manx Shearwater havlire heading north at nice range and a smattering of the the usual wader species.
A similar session the following day gave the same kind of result. Sanderling sandløper and several of the usual waders were passing in small numbers a Peregrine vandrefalk gave a superb photo opportunity that I completely missed with my point and pray, perhaps I should replace my proper camera with another proper camera instead.....
This falcon flew over as I left and was probably not the same bird I saw whilst seawatching.
Looks rather bulky....
At least 20 Goldfinch stillits at Tjeldstø on the way home, a Greenshank gluttsnipe from my terrace and what I presume was the same Black-throated Diver storlom at Skjoldpollen were the best of the rest.
On 03 September I managed my usual round at Herdlevær. Not a lot going on here either, a few Sanderling sandløper and a few other species of wader.
I was not out the next few days but picked up a male Stonechat svartstrupe beside Husvatnet on my way to the shops. Otter put in appearances regularly outside my house.
Dunnock jernspurv in the garden, after characteristically "absent" for a few months they are suddenly more obvious.
Otter photographed from my terrace
Massively cropped image of a male Stonechat svartstrupe at Husvatnet
On 07 September I tried a half day at Hernar. Again it was rather quiet with little in the way of migrants, though I did my first local Yellow Wagtails gulerle of the year(!) along with Reed Bunting sivspurv and Sparrowhawk spurvehauk. The Twite bergirisk flock was "back" (didn't see any during my last visit - at least 40 were present much to my relief.
A lone Common Crossbill grankorsnebb
Meadow Pipit heipiplerke
Reed Bunting sivspurv
Sparrowhawk spurvehauk
Back home an Arctic Tern rødnebbterne fed in the bay outside my house and a Green Sandpiper skogsnipe put in a surprise appearance at Husvatnet.
The next day was yet another day not out and about but produced the best bird of the period - a 2cy Golden Eagle kongeørn that turned up with two White-tailed Eagles havørn and then headed south over the house. This is a relatively rare species in Øygarden and although not even a new species for the garden it has been a few years since I saw one here.
Also from the terrace: a Peregrine vandrefalk, four Sparrowhawk spurvhauk, my first local House Martin taksvale of the year (!!) and at least 150 Starling stær.
On 21 August I did an all day visit to Hernar - a place I have being paying scant attention to this year. There were almost no migrants as such although I did notch up a few Hernar year ticks in the form of Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett, Nuthatch spettmeis, Greenshank gluttsnipe, Ruff brushane, Common Crossbill grankorsnebb and more. Didn't even reach the 40 species mark although two unidentified warblers shortly before the boat home would have helped the tally along nicely.
Not birding as such the next day but a stop beside Husvatnet on the way home produced a few Swifts tårnseiler and a flock of seven Goldfinch stillits also at Tjeldstø.
A walk at Herdlevær on 23 August produced little other than small numbers of the usual waders on the move and a Green Sandpiper skogsnipe.
Dino
Not quite Whisky but close enough💗
First year Redshank rødstilk, photographed from the same place as where I stood to take the dog picture
Taking both the dog and my mum out for some fresh air at Tjeldstø the following day showed that there were quite a few waders hidden in the reserve with 10 each of Ruff brushane and Golden Plover heilo, nine Curlew storspove, a few Lapwing vipe, Greenshank gluttsnipe and Ringed Plover sandlo present. A flock of around 500 Starling stær at Oen and a several early duck movers were at Kollsnes in the form of Wigeon brunnakke and Teal krikkand.
Since "the dog needed to go out" I covered Tjeldstø again on 25 August and clocked up a similar selection of waders with an extra Spotted Redshank sotsnipe flying up out of the reserve. An afternoon stroll with the dog at Nautnes (the usual walk with him) produced a surprise first year Black-throated Diver storlom - thank you Dino:) The third new species for Nautnes thus far this year:) This is the rarest diver locally and most often seen migrating rather than up close and personal.
First year Black-throated Diver storlom - and the first record of this species at Nautnes
Didn't quite make it onto the house list though😥
I kept things simple on 26 August too, doing another repeat of Tjeldstø - being the closest walk with any chance of success. Spotted Red again and Golden Plover heilo numbers up to 40 along with several Snipe enkeltbekkasin , a few Wigeon brunnakke and a Kestrel tårnfalk.
On the last day of dog-sitting I predictably did the same again - but almost all the waders had cleared out.
After the dog left I didn't get out of the house, something I hope at least work might be happy about.
Great-spotted Woodpeckers flaggspett continued to turn up where they have not been present, so there is definitely something going on there.
My tripod head broke meaning that I couldn't really use my scope for over a week until the new one arrived, not that this made a difference as the problem was almost purely hypothetical.
