Tjeldstø 29 August 2007

Adult Arctic Tern rødnebbterne
Juvenile Arctic Tern rødnebbterne

A small flock of terns, largely Arctics rødnebbterne but with a few Common tern makrellterne with them taking advantage of the plentiful small fry in the area today.

Waderwise business as usual with a Greenshank gluttesnipe, a couple of Ruff brusfugl and a Turnstone steinvender as the best of the bunch. The other wader species were Curlew storspove, Golden Plover heilo, Ringed Plover sandlo and Common Snipe enkeltbekkasin.

Skogsøy 28 August 2007

Part of a flock of Ruff brusfugl at Breivik

Queit at Skogsøy today with the only birds of note three Great Skua storjo heading north and a Peregrine vandrefalk knocking around.

A flock of 11 Ruff brusfugl at Breivik on the way home...

Tjeldstø 27 August 2007

Greenshank gluttesnipe

A sinensis Cormorant mellomskarv on Husvatnet was yet more evidence that this sub-species is, or has been, grossly under recorded in Hordaland. The first two Wigeon brunakke of the autumn also turned up.

Small numbers of waders included a few Ruff brusfugl and a Greenshank gluttenipe,

Passerines flocking with some big flocks of Linnet tornirisk, Redpoll brunsisik and Meadow Pipit heipiplerke feeding in the area. A couple of Reed Bunting sivspurv were the first for a while.

Skogsøy 25 August 2007

Peregrine vandrefalk

A quiet yet productive day at Skogsøy - a couple of Sooty Shearwater grålire being the highlights. Other stuff included three Great Skua storjo and several Turnstone steinvender. Small numbers of Gannet havsule and only one Kittiwake krykkje....

Repeated views of at least one Peregrine vandrefalk, a White-tailed Eagle havørn. Passerine migration was represented by a couple of Wheatear steinskvett and the first Twite bergirisk flock (ca 20) of the autumn.

Tjeldstø 23 August 2007

Some of the Ruff brusfugl at Tjeldstø today

Back in the country again after a trip to Mallorca.

Calm and sunny conditions meant it was a pleasant walk around the reserve. Waders were the highlight with 13 Ruff brusfugl, four Golden Plover heilo, a Spotted Redshank sotsnipe, a Green Sandpiper skogsnipe, 14 Snipe enkeltbekkasin, a Lapwing vipe and a Common Sandpiper strandsnipe in the area.

Other species worth a mention were two Whinchat buskskvett, a Tree Pipit trepiplerke, two adult White-tailed Eagle havørn, a Great spotted Woodpecker flaggspett and a very early Goldeneye kvinand. And a Carrion Crow svartkråke

Tjeldstø 14 August 2007

Two ruff brusfugl and a Greenshank gluttesnipe

Waders included at least four Greenshank gluttesnipe and two Ruff brusfugl.

Other migrants worth noting were the first Great Spotted Woodpecker flaggspett for some time, a Whicnchat buskskvett and a Swift tårnseiler.

Tjeldstø 12 August 2007

The only birds of note on an early morning walk with the dog were two Whinchat buskskvett.

Tjeldstø 12 August 2007

Some wader movement with at least three Greenshank gluttesnipe in the reserve, along with a Whimbrel småspove and six other species of wader. Big flocks of Meadow Pipit heipiplerke, Redpoll brunsisik and Barn Swallows låvsvale also in the area.

A record flock of 20 Black-headed Gull hettemåke was the best sighting of the day, normally this speices is seen only in small numbers.

At Nautnes a Great spotted Woodpecker flaggspett may be an indication that it will be another woodpecker autumn out here at the coast....

Skogsøy 11 August 2007

Whitethroat tornsanger

An eternity since I last got out and about. A quick trip to Skogsøy was all there was time for, but it paid off with an adult Spotted Redshank sotsnipe heading south. The vast majority of stuff passing were waders with 140 Oystercatcher tjeld, a Greenshank gluttesnipe and several other species all on the move.


Back in the garden a Whitethroat tornsanger and a fly over Tree pipit trepiplerke were the only things of note.

Skogsøy 19 July 2007 - Shearwaters

Great Black-backed Gull svartbak

At last! Finally some time spent actually out birding. Paid off nicely in the form of a single Manx Shearwater havlire. July is the peak time to see this rare visitor to these parts - see here for more details. Another good record was a Sooty Shearwater grålire - my earliest ever at Skogsøy. This species has been reported very early at other locations in Europe this year.

Other birds of interest included three Ruddy Turnstone steinvender and a Red-throated Diver smålom. Only a few Northern Fulmar havhest, 66 Gannet havsule and 14 Black-legged Kittiwake krykkje.

One interesting thing today were Gannets havsule REALLY struggling to swallow Garfish horngjel of up to 0.7m in length! The fish were only fractionally shorter than the length of a gannet's wing. These fish were the source of some amazing battles between Gannets and Great Black.backed Gulls svartbak. The Gannets won - but only just!

Willow Warbler løvsanger - absolutely everywhere at the moment

Skogsøy 15 July 2007

Despite strong onshore winds a short seawatch around lunchtime produced little of interest. A Great Skua storjo headed north and nine southbound summer plumaged Dunlin myrsnipe were the only birds of note.

Tjeldstø 14 July 2007

An early morning walk through the reserve produced some birds with the best being a male Merlin dvergfalk being chased by over 20 Barn Swallows låvsvale, a Ringed Plover sandlo and an Arctic Skua tyvjo riding on a piece of driftwood out in the fjord.

Tjeldstø 02 July 2007

Not birding at all. Again. However, as is often the case such days can produce interesting stuff. A male Ruff brushane, complete with "collar" beside Husvatnet was the best bird and a Merlin dvergfalk flew over during a trip to the shops.

Tjeldstø 30 June 2007

Arctic Tern rødnebbterne

Nothing special about, just a White-tailed Eagle havørn and most of the usual species.

Tjeldstø 13 June 2007

Oystercatcher tjeld
Redshank rødstilk

Common Tern makrellterne

Not out birding as such, and then only in the heat of the day. Correspondingly little to be seen, just the usual local breeders. Common Tern makrellterne has recently been added to the Red Data List for Norway due to concerns over declining populations. Thankfully it seems there are still some around in Øygarden.

The local White-tailed Eagle havørn have, as usual at this time of year, become unpredictable. However, an adult flew over causing panic and concern among the gulls.

Yesterday a sinensis Great Cormorant mellomskarv rested beside Husvatnet, Tjeldstø. This scarce visitor to Hordaland seems to be becoming more regular. A guide to identification of this race can be found here.

Øygarden 09 June 2007

Kick started the day at 03:00 with singing Spotted Crake myrrikse at Tjeldstø again.

Seawatching at Skogsøy, typically for the time of year, produced quality rather than quantity - with highlights including one each of Arctic tyvjo, Great storjo and Pomarine Skuas polarjo. In an Øygarden contex a flock of five Pinkfeet kortnebbgås were the best birds. Especially good in that I was guiding and trying to show off the area! Otherwise small numbers of Red-throated Diver smålom, Velvet Scoter sjøorre, Northern Fulmar havhest (VERY close in despite next to no wind) and the usual suspects

Greylags grågås continue to move south in small flocks 0f 15-20 birds - autmun migration already!

Two Collared Dove tyrkedue at Herdlevær were a typical late spring / early summer observation.

After Øygarden it was off to the Hardangervidda......WOW!

Tjeldstø 08 June 2007 - Spotted Crake

Having been housebound working on a report all week which I finally sent it off at 01:00; taking a cold beer out on my terrace the sound of the can opening coincided with the calling of a Spotted Crake myrikse! This too was a new species for Øygarden, the second this week. However, the nature reserve at Tjeldstø is a perfect place for the species so it wasn't totally unexpected.

It sang for at least an hour, easily audible from the cycle path by the main road (or my house!). Typically it threw its voice all over the place, sometimes sounding as if it was at my feet, at other times distant. I even began to wonder if there were two...

Other sightings during this time included roding Woodcock rugde and a few deer.

Tjeldstø 05 June 2007 - Hobby!

Hobby lerkefalk over Tjeldstø nature reserve

Having been stuck in the house with work the last few days I finally took a quick stroll through the reserve and was rewarded with a first for Øygarden - a Hobby lerkefalk! Wicked! Unfortunately the only pictures I managed were a few record shots.

Other birds of note have been few and far between but a Collared Dove tyrkedue flew over my garden yesterday and an Arctic Skua tyvjo did the same on Saturday afternoon.

Skogsøy 01 June 2007 - Brents on the move

A short spell at Skogsøy gave good results, despite almost windless conditions. Well over 300 Brent Geese ringgås headed north, with the first seen over land not long after 05:00. Most of these were in a single flock of at least 250 a little after 10:00.

Other birds on their way north included well over 30 Red-throated Diver smålom, four Arctic Skua tyvjo and 10 Velvet Scoter sjøorre. Around 130 Common Scoter svartand headed south.

At Tjeldstø at least one of the Curlew storspove pairs hatched three young....

Solberg 31 May 2007

Weasel on the prowl...

Not birding at all but White-tailed Eagle havørn, two Common Sandpiper strandsnipe and most of the usual seen. Highlight was a Weasel giving good views as it hunted through a pile of stones.

At Tjeldstø a Swift tårnseiler was the first of the year.