Tjeldstø 27 February 2007 - Iceland Gull

Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke, Tjeldstø

A chance look out of the sitting room window on an otherwise birding free day produced a new species for my house list (and Tjeldstø for that matter) in the form of an Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke. Almost certainly the same bird that has been around in Øygarden since December.


Another species of note was a Red-throated Diver smålom heading south down Hjeltefjord.

A quick trip down to Solberg produced a single Oystercatcher tjeld and an Atlantic Puffin lunde but was otherwise uncharacteristically quiet.

Øygarden 26 February 2007 - Spring arrives

Pied Wagtail svartryggerle with caterpillar, a through-window-covered-with-rain shot

Finally out birding again!

Despite virtually no visible migration the day was quite productive with a couple of Oystercatcher tjeld and a Red-throated Diver smålom heading north both the first of the year at Skogsøy. One of the best birds in an Øygarden context was a female Goosander laksand at Herdlevær.

Other birds of interest included a flock of at least 20 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, a Woodcock rugde, a Peregrine vandrefalk making repeated hunting sorties out over the sea, a couple of Little Auk alkekonge heading north, a Puffin lunde (a first for 2007) and at least one Black Guillemot teist on the sea.

Most of the resident species now singing - including Crested Tit toppmeis and Winter Wren gjerdesmett.

Back at Tjeldstø a surprise bird in the garden was a male Pied Wagtail svartryggerle - perhaps just as interesting was the fact that it managed to find a caterpillar despite there still being snow on the ground. Managed to squeeze off a few through the living room window record shots of this unusual occurrence. Pied Wagtail are an uncommon but regular early spring visitor to these parts.

Svellingen 25 February 2007 - Cleanup

Oil from the Server still very much in evidence at Svellingen

Bark used as an absorbent for the oil in the foreground, new oil in the centre of the picture

Not out birding yet again, just a quick look at Svellingen - it seems that despite obvious cleanup efforts some new oil is still being washed up.

Only birds of note here was a distant flock of approximately 40 Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt and a few White-tailed Eagle havørn.

Rather frustratingly I noticed that at least one of the 11 or more Tree Sparrows pilfink in my garden is ringed - unfortunately the light was going and I managed to read only the last digit of the number in addition to confirming that the ring is Norwegian.....better luck tomorrow?

Tjeldstø 24 February 2007

Still not getting out and about but from the house managed to pick up the first Teal krikkand of the year for Tjeldstø with a pair present on Husvatnet. Other signs of spring included three Northern Lapwing vipe.

The Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak have started their courtships so there is plenty of noise at times. Other birds included 11 Common Scoter svartand on the sea in front of the house and a juvenile White-tailed Eagle havørn.

A VERY brief look at Solberg / Alvheim produced nothing other than a few eagles, 60+ Long-tailed Duck havelle and an oiled Guillemot lomvi - another "Server" vivtim?

Tjeldstø 21 February 2007 - Blackbird eating Cuckoo Wrasse

Blackbird svarttrost feeding on Cuckoo Wrasse blåstål

Cuckoo Wrasse blåstål

Haven't managed to get out birding for what feels like an eternity but in reality "only" a little over a week. There have been some indications of migration with a few small flocks of Starling stær seen at Tjeldstø and other places in Øygarden.

Three Greylags grågås still present at Tjeldstø and a few Brambling bjørkefink dropped into the garden to join the ever growing flock of Chaffinch bokfink and the usual Tree Sparrows pilfink.

More unusually a Blackbird svarttrost fed on a freshly dead Cuckoo Wrasse blåstål I threw near one of my bird feeders.

Whooper Swans sangsvane feeding at night at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

Rong 14 February 2007

Raven ravn at Rong
This long dead sheep must have meant it was Raven heaven for a while....

Only bird of note was a distant Kestrel tårnfalk hunting over some islands. Spring in the air with a few pairs of Raven ravn displaying.

A minimum of four White-tailed Eagle havørn sitting around but other than that just good numbers of Red-breasted Merganser siland with around 50 present.

Øygarden 13 February 2007

Typical view of Woodcock rugde - despite this one getting up at my feet....

Just a quick check at a couple of localities. At Solberg there were two Eurasian Curlew storspove and a Woodcock rugde. A few White-tailed Eagle havørn, a Black Guillemot teist and the usual flocks of Long-tailed Duck havelle.

Skogsøy 12 February 2007

Cold and sunny but rather quiet birdwise. Best birds were a 3cy Glaucous Gull polarmåke heading south past the lookout. A 2cyIceland Gull grønlandsmåke at Herdlevær may have been the same bird that has been around since before the new year.

Other stuff included a Little Auk alkekonge, a Black Guillemot teist already in breeding plumage, a White-tailed Eagle havørn and most of the usual suspects.

Øygarden 09 February 2007

Whooper Swans sangsvane and Greylags grågås on Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

Blue tit blåmeis

Calm, sunny and very, very frozen.

A quick stroll at "Hjelme West" produced a Great Northern Diver islom heading south and a Woodcock rugde in the woods. A Black Guillemot teist and at least 160 Long-tailed Duck havelle proved that at least some seabirds have survived the oil spill.

Tjeldstø produced a couple of Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin, a few Greylags grågås with the Whoopers sangsvane and a few Redwing rødvingtrost.

Øygarden 21 January 2007

The coastgaurd moving an oil boom down Hjeltefjord
Lightly oiled Red-breated Merganser siland, Alvheim

Male Blackcap munk (another through sitting room window shot)

Oiled gulls such as this Herring Gull gråmåke are still very much in evidence

I was again unable to participate directly in the rescue of oiled birds but managed to get out and assess the situation locally. Things were much the same as the last few days, it does not seem as if more birds south of the area initially hit are being affected. However, a number of oiled birds seen.

Other birds of note inlcuded an Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke at Solberg, a Glaucous Gull polarmåke was reported from Tjeldstø where I also had the first Oystercatcher tjeld of the year - no doubt one of the few overwintering birds in Øygarden.

The male Blackcap munk was still in the garden, a few Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin, several Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, at least four White-tailed Eagles havørn and a small flock of Redwings rødvingtrost together with some Fieldfare gråtrost. The colder weather seems to have brought in some more Whooper Swans sangsvane with eight present on Husvatnet - still a low number.

Øygarden 19 January 2007

Another day spent counting and catching oiled birds, the majority of affected birds seen were still too healthy to catch (many of those that would have been catchable have been shot) but we managed to catch a few Eiders ærfugl and a Long-tailed Duck havelle and several more were on the edge of the net....

The man with the numbers

Again plenty of White-tailed Eagles havørn - seemingly feasting on the victims of the oil spill. Sparrowhawk spurvhauk, a few Curlew storspove, Ruddy Turnstone steinvender and Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt all seen as incidentals.

The male Blackcap munk turned up in my garden again and another was seen further north in Øygarden. A small flock of Redpoll brunsisik near Hjelme were the first I've seen this year.

Øygarden 18 January 2007

Spent the afternoon out in a small boat attemtping to catch oiled birds without success. Numbers of oiled seaduck seemed down on earlier in the week, although it was not possible to access the worst affected areas in Øygarden due to the weather.

Great Black-backed Gull svartbak with flounder

Under other circumastances this would have been a wonderful day out with close up views of many species including Little Auk alkekonge. White-tailed Eagles havørn were, as usual, everywhere with a minimum of six seen - a couple of which scared up a male Black Grouse orrfugl from one of the offshore islands.

A couple of Eurasian Curlew storspove seen along with most of the usual Øygarden species.

At the bird feeder a male Blackcap munk was something of a surprise and was the first January record for my garden. At least three Brambling bjørkefink still present along with an ever growing flock of Chaffinch bokfink.

Male Blackcap munk - picture taken through a far from clean sitting room window

Øygarden 17 January 2007

Red-breasted Mergansers siland

Didn't get out today, just a quick "drive by" during the usual household chores. Only a few of the 100 or so Red-breasted Merganser siland I saw were obviously oiled. Thankfully most of them keep to areas that are thus far unaffected by the recent oil spill.

Despite the snowfall many flocks were full of the joys of spring - the males cavorting around the females in full courtship displays.....

A treatment centre will open in Øygarden tomorrow to take care of oiled seabirds - I hope to be out catching them. Watch this space....

The carnage continues.....

One of many oiled Long-tailed Duck havelle in Øygarden

Predictably the carnage was even worse today. More birds have come in contact with the oil and those that were affected first are showing the effects of it. Everywhere I went today there were oiled duck on the sea and hauled up onto the rocks.

More pictures from today can be found here.

The species most affected is the Long-tailed Duck havelle with approximately 20 oiled individuals at Svelingen alone. Plenty of Eiders ærfugl are also stricken by the spill - over 25% of those I saw near Hjelme church were oiled to some degree. On the offshore islands birds are distant and hard to observe but judging by behaviour there are many more affected than the "few" I saw. Here is one female eider that will not be lining her nest with down plucked from her own chest this year:

Another oiled Black Guillemot teist was seen again today and other species covered with black oil included Red-breasted Mergansers siland and gulls.

Also at risk in the area are Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt - seen scurrying over the oiled shoreline at Svellingen today. Another species in the firing line is the local White-tailed Eagles havørn - one was seen eating what was presumed to be an oil spill victim on one of the offshore skerries and another was just as interested in catching an oiled Red-breasted Merganser siland as I was. It was the eagle that scared the bird into the sea rather than myself.

Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt at Svellingen today....

Adult White-tailed Eagle havørn on the lookout for oiled birds....

Once again not much evidence of the authorities in the places I visited today....they are no doubt prioritising areas that are stricken even more badly.

A single Northern Gannet havsule was the 15th species to be affected by this disaster.

The only other bird of note was a Kestrel tårnfalk near Svellingen.

The Server Tragedy, 13-15 January 2007

Today I performed a quick check of a few chosen localities in Øygarden in order to gauge the effects of the recent oil spillage from the "Server" which ran aground at Fedje during the early hours of Saturday morning.

Further details and more pictures can be found here.

Of around 200 gulls on Husvatnet, Tjeldstø at least 40 were oiled, the majority of which were Herring Gulls gråmåke, although there were also a few oiled Great Black-backed Gulls svartbak.

Oiled Herring Gull gråmåke at Solberg

At Solberg several of the 100+ Long-tailed Duck havelle and a few of the Eiders ærfugl present were obviously oiled and there were several more contaminated gulls here.

Alvheim was also affected with the first Black Guillemot teist of the year seen hauled up on the rocks desperately trying to preen oil off its plumage. This bird caught the eye of a patrolling White-tailed Eagle havørn which attempted to catch it, the auk evaded capture by jumping into the sea - not only did it escape but surfaced with a small fish in its beak!

Juvenile White-tailed Eagle havørn moving in for the kill

One can only wonder at the effect of eating oiled birds will have on the local raptors. Eagles and other birds of prey will have an easy time of catching the stricken seaduck and auks but will risk becoming oiled themselves - and will perhaps also ingest oil too.

The stench of oil was the first thing that struck me at Svellingen and nearly all the birds seen here were oiled. Contaminated birds here included 15 Long-tailed Duck havelle, at least one Common Scoter svartand, a few Eider ærfugl and a Guillemot lomvi in addition to the gulls.

Oiled female Long-tailed Duck havelle, Hellesøy

The misery continued at Hellesøy where there were two more oiled Long-tailed Ducks havelle. A female on the sea evaded capture and a male that was so far gone that I had no option but to end its suffering with a piece of driftwood I found lying nearby.

Badly oiled male Long-tailed Duck havelle

Other birds of interest today included Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt, Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin and a few small flocks of Fieldfare gråtrost.

Saturday 13 January 2007

Several oiled Herring Gulls gråmåke after the "Server" ran aground last night at Fedje seen at both Tjeldstø and Solberg.

At Solberg at least one, probably two Eurasian Curlew storspove were the first for several days, plenty of Long-tailed Duck havelle and Eiders ærfugl in the bay - forced in by heavy seas further out.

At Tjeldstø a small flock of Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt were the first of 2007 and a few Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin in the usual place. Four Whooper Swan sangsvane is the highest count thus far this winter - a very poor year for this species. A few Redwing rødvingtrost joined flocks of Fieldfare (40+) gråtrost in the area.

Øygarden 11 January 2007

Wigeon brunnakke at Kollsnes

A futile attempt to defy the elements at Skogsøy in gale force winds and hail showers produced little. Only a couple of Fieldfare gråtrost blown in off the sea, a singles of Little Auk alkekonge and Guillemot lomvi.

Three Wigeon brunnakke on a pool near Kollsnes were the best birds of the day and a flock of ca 30 Fieldfare gråtrost flew south over Tjeldstø

Øygarden 09 January 2007

Eurasian Shag toppskarv

Greylag Geese grågås at Kollsnes

Despite gale force winds a few new species for the year were found, all at "Hjelme West". These were a Razorbill alke (auks have been very thin on the ground recently), a female Black Grouse orrhøne and a Eurasian Woodcock rugde.

The Grey Heron gråhegre roost at Dåvøy numbered 48 today - this is one of a number of large heron roosts in Øygarden.

In the garden at least three Bramblings bjørkefink joined 12 Chaffinches bokfink, 10 Tree Sparrows pilfink and at least 40 Greenfinches grønnfink at the feeder.

Øygarden 08 January 2007

Whooper Swan sangsvane at Tjeldstø

Red-breasted Merganser siland

Not a bad day at all. Tjeldstø produced the best birds - a Waxwing sidensvans flying south over my garden and a Brambling bjørkefink in the garden. Four Northern Lapwing vipe also seen from the house and at least three Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin in the reserve.

At Solberg a Great Northern Diver islom fed in the bay and at least one of the Ruddy Turnstone steinvender was still present, along with a couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn and most of the usual suspects.

The Greylag grågås flock is still present at Kollsnes.

Solberg 07 January 2007

Two Turnstone steinvender

Took a stroll down to Solberg without the scope (silly I know) but with my new camera. Best birds were a couple of Turnstone steinvender - where were they during the New Year bird race ?! Most of the usual stuff also present but amazingly no eagles today...