Skogsøy 31 December 2006

Peregrine vandrefalk, picture taken without telephoto lens

Generally rather quiet with few duck and even fewer auks. Best birds were two Northern Fulmar havhest heading south - a surprisingly rare bird in winter. Several Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje also knocking about.

Suberb views of a Peregrine vandrefalk hovering overhead; later seen with prey and being chased by a remarkably agile White-tailed Eagle havørn which looked as if it managed to force the falcon down....

Thirteen Greylags grågås at Kollsnes were a little unseasonal. Snipe enkeltbekkasin, Eurasian Sparrowhawk spurvhauk and three more White-tailed Eagle havørn from the house.

Øygarden 30 December 2006

Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke

Difficult to see on this picture but the bird on the right has yellow legs....

Just a couple of hours out trying to do my bit for the New Years weekend bird race; things started very well as a Peregrine vandrefalk flew over the garden as I left. Solberg was first stop and it was here the best bird turned up - a 2K Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke. Two Eurasian Curlew storspove and at least three, probably five White-tailed Eagle havørn also seen here.

A brief stop at Alvheim produced "only" a Kestrel tårnfalk as best bird and the only other bird of note was at least one Woodcock rugde at Hjelme.

A potentially interesting gull "got away" - a Herring Gull gråmåke with yellow legs seen in terribly poor photgraphs taken of the Iceland Gull. Lucky to get as much as that - the camera only powers up on one of three attempts, makes a series of grinding and clicking noises as it does so and the autofocus has stopped working altogether.....

Solberg 29 December

A total of six White-tailed Eagle havørn together was a good total. Twenty Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt fed on the rocks and a Gannet havsule headed south. A flock of 35 Long-tailed Duck havelle were about the only birds not scared off by the eagles.

Tjeldstø 28 December 2006

Fantastic weather. Best bird today was a Northern Goshawk hønsehauk, probably the same one that turned up in late November. Other birds included two White-tailed Eagle havørn, a small flock of Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, two Redwing rødvingtrost and a Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin.

Tjeldstø 29 November

The best bird during an hour out with the dog was a superb Goshawk hønsehauk which had taken a Hooded Crow kråke.

Other birds of interest included a couple of Red-throated Diver smålom, three White-tailed Eagle havørn together, several Little Auk alkekonge, a couple each of Razorbill alke and Guillemot lomvi.

A Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke showed a few features common to Water Pipit vannpiplerke, including very white wing bars and a yellow base to the beak but views were inconclusive.

Tjeldstø 28 November 2006

The incessant wind and cloudy / rainy weather didn't keep me in the house, work did. However, during phone calls etc several Little Auks alkekonge were noted heading south down Hjeltefjord, a Teal krikkand on Husvatnet and a late Blackcap munk in the garden.

Tjeldstø 26 November 2006

An hour out with thew dog produced a number of good birds with highlights being a Goshawk hønsehauk and a Great Northern Diver islom. Other species of note included 18 Little Auk alkekonge, a Red-throated Diver smålom, a White-tailed Eagle havørn, a Wigeon brunakke, a Teal krikkand, a Greylag grågås and a couple of Snipe enkeltbekkasin.

Oh yes, and the so easily forgotten rarity - Carrion Crow svartkråke.

Bad news was that my trusty Coolpix finally gave up the ghost - so I'm currently without a camera.

Øygarden 23 November 2006

Skogsøy was quite productive with highlights including two Peregrines vandrefalk, a Great Northern Diver islom heading north, six Red-throated Diver smålom flying south and a good supporting cast including around 30 Little Auk alkekonge, a couple of Snow Bunting snøspurv, at least one White-tailed Eagle havørn and several Velvet Scoter sjøorre. A few Black Guillemot teist, two Northern Gannet havsule and 15+ Kittiwake krykkje also seen.

Other good birds from Øygarden today included a Kestrel tårnfalk near Kollsnes and a Water Rail vannrikse at Toftøy.

Øygarden 22 November 2006

Some interesting Woodpeckers at Hjelme......

A brief look at Hjelme was quite productive with good Øygarden species such a Bullfinch dompap and Yellowhammer gulspurv noted. Late migrants still around in the form of a female Blackcap munk and a Chiff-chaff gransanger. Otherwise just a couple of Woodcock rugde, a Little Auk alkekonge, two White-tailed Eagle havørn and two Sparrowhawk spurvhauk

Best birds here were two probable Pine Grosbeak konglebit, although having not heard them calling for some time I couldn't be 100% sure......

A large flock of Redpoll, probably Mealy Redpoll gråsisik totalling at least 80 dropped into some trees at Tjeldstø - not exactly an everyday occurrence.

Tjeldstø 21 November 2006

Not out birding at all today but half an hour with the 'scope from the sitting room showed that there was quite a bit of activity over Hjeltefjord. Highlights were a Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker (new species for the house and only the second record for Tjeldstø). Other birds included 22 Little Auk alkekonge, a Red-throated Diver smålom and a Velvet Scoter sjøorre. All birds heading south.

A late Greylag Goose grågås in the fields may be the same bird seen earlier in the month.

Øygarden 20 November 2006 - WT Eagles

White-tailed Eagle havørn - no telephoto lens!
Passing squall at Tjeldstø

Once again, just an hour or so out and about but White-tailed Eagle havørn everywhere today with two at Solberg, three at Alvheim and another at Tjeldstø. All but one were juvenile birds - and there may have been some overlap between localities. Best bird was a large falcon at Alvheim, possibly a Gyrfalcon jaktfalk as it looked broader winged than the commoner Peregrine vandrefalk - but views were rather distant.

At Tjeldstø the strong overnight winds had deposited 6 unseasonal Northern Lapwing vipe. Two late Teal krikkand also present here.

Skogsøy 18 November 2006

During a break the squalls....
This is about as good as the weather got.

Braving the strong SW gale, and hail showers at Skogsøy was, as usual, well worth it. A couple of hours seawatching produced an adult Glaucous Gull polarmåke heading south along with hundreds of Herring Gull gråmåke. Not much else of note, just 5 Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje and 6 Little Auk alkekonge.

The walk out to the lookout was also productive with a male Black Grouse orrfugl being a new species for me at this locality. No doubt it took off somewhere further south and got blown there. Also around 36 Redpoll, at least some of which appeared to be Mealy Redpoll gråsisik, a few Fieldfare gråtrost and a couple of Woodcock rugde. One large diver, probably Great Northern islom headed north overland

Solberg 17 November 2006

Female Velvet Scoter sjøorre

Yet again time only allowed a brief visit to Solberg. Picked up most of the usual species including a White-tailed Eagle havørn, 6 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, a Black Guillemot teist, a Litte Auk alkekonge and a Velvet Scoter sjøorre. A distant large diver flying north was probably a Great Northern Diver islom.

Solberg 16 November 2006

Another flying visit produced a Great Northern Diver islom on the sea and a single Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt. Still only small numbers of seaduck for some reason.

Solberg 15 November 2006

A very short visit to Solberg produced a White-tailed Eagle havørn, possibly the same bird of a few days ago. The only other bird of note was a single Velvet Scoter sjøorre.

White-tailed Eagle havørn seen from the sitting room window was a commoner sight than a Black-headed Gull hettemåke that also passed the house.

Skogsøy 13 November 2006

Great Cormorant storskarv
European Shag toppskarv

Strolled out for a quick check over the sea - little moving other than plenty of Herring Gull gråmåke. A couple of Little Auk alkekonge and three Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje headed south and a Great Northern Diver islom sat on the sea - seeming not to mind the huge surf.

A Woodcock rugde flushed on the way out and a Curlew storspove flew over.

Tjeldstø 12 November 2006

Carrion Crow svartkråke, probably the same bird that turned up in October

Wet and windy and only a quick trip out. Birds of interest were a few Rock Pipit skjærpiplerke, a Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a Carrion Crow svartkråke.

Øygarden 10 November - Eagle Owl

A singing Eagle Owl hubro at a new locality was easily bird of the day. It seems it is not unusual for this species to start advertising territories during November.

The only other bird of interest was a Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt which flew in and landed during another fishing trip at Tjeldstø....

Colour ringed White-tailed Eagle havørn, Solberg
Northern Gannet havsule, Solberg

A colour ringed White-tailed Eagle havørn at Solberg was perhpas the most interesting find today. Other species here included a couple of Gannet havsule, 20 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt and a Little Auk alkekonge.

Another White-tailed Eagle havørn at Alvheim and a Curlew storspove were the only birds of interest at Alvheim. Generally few duck on the west side of Øygarden at present.

At Tjeldstø an unseasonal Woodpigeon ringdue and an early morning rush of Fieldfare gråtrost heading south.

Øygarden 08 November 2006

Not really birding but a couple of Blackcap munk at Hellesøy, a White-tailed Eagle havørn and most of the usual species, although the sea seemed rather quiet.

At Tjeldstø five Waxwing sidensvans were a commoner species than the first Yellowhammer gulspurv of the autumn.