Skogsøy 07 June

Linnet tornirisk
Last of the divers....?

Tired looking Raven ravn parent

Very quiet both weatherwise and birdwise. Diver migration was limited to just over 20 Red-throated Diver smålom and the only other birds of interest were a few Arctic Skua tyvjo.

The Ravens ravn have fledged at least a couple of young - something that they made a lot of noise about.

A Peregrine vandrefalk hunted over Tjeldstø later in the day.

Hjelme 06 June 2008

Spent some time trying to get to grips with a rather elusive Garden Warbler hagesanger which gave only the most fleeting of views; however, it did sing and is probably breeding in the area. At least one singing Blackcap munk there too.

Øygarden 05 June 2008

Curlew storspove
Ringed Plover sandlo at Herdlevær
Ringed Plover sandlo
Lapwing vipe

Fairly quiet with best birds being the Reed Warbler rørsanger still singing at Breivik where three Collared Dover tyrkedue also flew over.

Oystercatcher tjeld and newly hatched chick

Otherwise business as usual including a nice pair of Ringed Plover sandlo at Herdlevær. Lots of birds now with young - watched an Oystercatcher tjeld chick battle its way out of its egg yesterday...

Arctic tern rødnebbterne

Breivik 02 June 2008 - Reed Warbler

The only glimse I got of this elusive bird....
Reed Warbler rørsanger (foto: Bjørnar Skjold)

Only managed a quick trip to Breivik to check out the Reed Warbler rørsanger that may have been present for up to three weeks(!). After an initial brief sighting I stood for over half an hour with the bird singing only a few metres away from me - without seeing it at all in this time.

At least two Sedge Warbler sivsanger singing in the same area and another holding territory a few hundred metres away.

Skogsøy 01 June 2008

Above and below: Arctic Skua tyvjo

Eight Brent Geese ringgås and one Barnacle Goose hvitkingås (left hand bird)
Velvet Scoters sjøorre

Very calm conditions today. Highlight was a single Manx Shearwater havlire heading south. Next best were small numbers of Brent Geese ringgås and a lone Barnacle Goose hvitkingås. Some migration still going on with just under 40 Red-throated Diver smålom heading north along with a few Arctic Skua tyvjo, Common Scoter svartand, Velvet Scoter sjøorre and a couple of Whimbrel småspove.

A Reed Warbler rørsanger sang at Breivik along with at least two Sedge Warlbers sivsanger.

Breivik 30 May 2008 - Red-footed Falcon

Following a stressful evening yesterday I found my luck had held - after around an hour of searching I found the Red-footed Falcon aftenfalk that was found at Breivik on the evening of 29th May. With my youngest daughter tagging along getting close enough to photograph the seventh record for Hordaland and the first for Øygarden was not exactly easy....

Other birds in the area included singing Blackcap munk, Sedge Warblers sivsanger, Skylark sanglerke and a Whinchat buskskvett.

Øygarden 13 May 2008

"Northern" Golden Plover heilo
Heron hegre with eel
Sand Martin sandsvale
Heron hegre
Record shot of Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove

Started the day off with nice views of some "northern" Golden Plover heilo feeding by the roadside at Kollsnes. One of these birds seemed to have rather a lot of black on its underparts extending onto (although not covering) the undertail coverts.

At Tjeldstø the best bird was an islandica Black-tailed Godwit svarthalespove, a regular visitor in small numbers at this time of year. A rarer bird at Tjeldstø, though not as exciting were three Jackdaw kaie flying over.

Other stuff inlcuded a couple of Sand Martin sandsvale, a Heron hegre catching an eel and a flock of 40 Common Scoter svartand heading north up the fjord. Two Whimbrel småspove rested beside Husvatnet in the afternoon - this is a species that is very common on migration up the west coast of Øygarden but rarely strays onto the east side for some reason.

Skogsøy 12 May 2008 - Divers!

White-billed Diver gulnebblom
Black-throated Diver storlom
Grey Heron hegre

A good day of diver migration was enjoyed by several birders today. Highlights were 214 Red-throated Diver smålom, two Great Northern Diver islom, two White-billed Diver gulnebblom and at least one Black-throated Diver storlom.

Other birds of note included three Arctic Skua tyvjo, a couple of Peregrines vandrefalk and a Carrion Crow svartkråke.

Small numbers of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås also passed.

Tjeldstø 11 May 2008

Common Tern makrellterne
White Wagtail linerle

The day started off foggy but cleared up mid-morning. A few good birds today including a second year Iceland Gull grønlandsmåke heading north up the fjord and a flock of 40 Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås also heading north. A Dunlin myrsnipe flew over together with a couple of Ringed Plover sandlo.

Otherwise 30+ "commic" terns out over the fjord. Small numbers of Arctic Tern rødnebbterne and a few Common Tern makrellterne also around.

Skogsøy 10 May 2008 Little Auks

Common Gull fiskemåke in the fog
Gannet havsule entangled in rope
Redpoll brunsisik - one of the commonest species in the woods at Skogsøy

There were high hopes today - but a combination of sea fog and southerly winds meant it was quieter than hoped for. However, it was not a total failure with a White-billed Diver gulnebblom, a Black-throated Diver storlom and (for the time of year) an exceptional 22 Little Auk alkekonge heading north.

Six Arctic Tern rødnebbterne and a single dark phase Arctic Skua tyvjo were both firsts for the year at Skogsøy. A very late date for the first skua....

Other stuff inlcued small numbers of the other auks, several Fulmar havhest, a few Kittiwake krykkje and over 20 Whimbrel småspove.

A paur of Twite bergirisk gathering nesting material and a hunting Peregrine vandrefalk were other highlights.

Skogsøy 09 May 2008

White-billed Diver gulnebblom
White-tailed Eagle havørn with Garfish hornhjel
Migrating Tufted Ducks toppand
Oystercatchers tjeld

Did a short and late seawatch - highlights were three White-billed Diver gulnebblom heading north, 79 Red-throated Diver smålom and a flock of 19 Whimbrel småspove.

A shoal of garfish hornhjel attracted a flock of gulls and an immature White-tailed Eagle havørn which managed to snatch one.

The only other birds of interest were a pair of Twite bergirisk - a species rapidly vanishing from the coast.

Tjeldstø 08 May - Arctic Terns arrived

Dotterel boltit in Gullfjell, unfortunately not in Øygarden - but just about visible from it...

Spent most of the day out of Øygarden but two Arctic Tern rødnebbterne over the house in the evening were the first of the year.

Took a hike on my old patch Gullfjell where highlight was a flock of four Dotterel boltit in addition to the usual Rough-legged Buzzards fjellvåk, Ring Ousel ringtrost etc.

Tjeldstø 07 May 2008 - Peregrines

Peregrines vandrefalk hunting Common Gulls fiskemåke

Not birding much today, took advantage of heavy fog to get some domestic stuff out of the way. However, it cleared up nicely and the noise of terrified gulls over the garden had me rushing outside with the camera as it generally means only one thing - raptors. This time it was two Peregrine vandrefalk on the prowl. An adult and a juvenile by the looks of things....

Other highlights included the first singing Cuckoo gjøk of the year at Tjeldstø (the first for Øygarden was seen several days ago), the first Common Whitethroat tornsanger (the first for Øygarden was reported from Hellesøy on 4th May) and a singing Lesser Whitethroat møller back at its "usual" spot.

The first of the Lapwing vipe chicks hatched today.

Skogsøy 06 May 2008

Redwing rødvingtrost coughing up a pellet
Willow Warbler løvsanger
Male Stonechat svartstrupe
Porpoise nise
Two White-billed Diver gulnebblom


Female Linnet tornirisk

Virtually no wind and clear skies meant that it got to hot for the first time this year.....

Typically for the conditions there was not a lot passing, although there was some stuff of interest including two White-billed Divers gulnebblom together, 75 Red-throated Diver smålom, 45 Whimbrel småspove and, perhaps most unusually a small party of Little Auk alkekonge which flew in and landed on the sea.

LOADS of porpoises about today - easy to spot them with the mirror-like seas.

Finally got around to going to see the much photographed Stonechat svartsrupe pair....

Tjeldstø 05 May 2008

Heavily cropped record shots of a Spotted Redshank sotsnipe

Meadow Pipit heipiplerke

Barely even out of the house, just the briefest of strolls to Husvatnet. A fine summer plumaged Spotted Redshank sotsnipe was the star bird - a very unusual spring observation for these parts. Loads of Common Redshank rødstilk being very vocal.

Tjeldstø 04 May 2008

Turnstone steinvender beside Husvatnet
Lapwing vipe

A surprise find were three Ruddy Turnstone steinvender beside Husvatnet - a rare freshwater occurrence for this species in Øygarden.

Wheatear steinskvett everywhere now, a couple of Twite bergirisk, the first Oystercatcher tjeld egg and a Great Blacked Backed Gull svartbak nest with two eggs and all the usual species obviously well on the way to nesting - Redshanks rødstilk and Common Snipes enkeltbekkasin went up from nest sites both in and out of the reserve - including in an area earmarked for development....