Øygarden 09 November 2016 - Another new for the house list.

SE winds, sunny and cold.

I decided that I needed to go to the "big shops" today to stock up on various things - including sunflower seeds as I am going through around 1.5kg per day at the moment. I thought I would avoid rush traffic and therefore lost much of the rapidly shortening daylight. And got stuck in traffic anyway. Needless to say not much time left for birding.

Bullfinch dompap at Nautnes

Here grabbing something small in the grass - it seemed to be doing well despite the frost.

Chiff-chaff gransanger feeding in long grass

Scaup bergand on Blomvatnet. Another was on Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

Velvet Scoter sjøorre with crab at Svellingen

Migrating Whoopers sangsvane from the terrace. Species #126 from the house

Most of the interest today was from the house / in the garden. A flock of Whoopers sangsvane came in early on and were remarkably a new species for the house list - now #126. Other stuff included a Little Auk alkekonge on the sea, a couple of Bullfinch dompap (not a common species in Øygarden and the first half of November is absolutely the best time for them) and a Chiff-chaff gransanger frantically (and seemingly successfully) feeding in grass.

Single Scaup bergand were seen om Husvatnet, Tjeldstø and on Blomvatnet.

A late Meadow Pipit heipiplerke also at Husvatnet and a relatively large flock of duck on Steinsvatnet comprised of at least 21 Mallard stokkand and two Wigeon brunnakke.

Skogsøy 08 November 2016 - Winter!

SE winds and sunny but rather cold - a degree or two below freezing and a seemingly disproportionate amount of ice forming - even on the shores.

Part of a flock of Common Scoter svartand

Goldcrest fuglekonge

Redwings rødvingetrost

Today I actually went birding but the results were rather less than I hoped for. I started off at Skogsøy early on where there was not a lot passing. Small numbers of Common Scoter svartand, auks (though I only managed to identify a few of them due to the "heat haze" out to sea), a Whooper Swan sangsvane that came in from the sea - from the direction this could well have been a bird arriving from Iceland. White-.tailed Eagle havørn, Black Guillemot teist and Little Auk alkekonge were among the other species seen here. Redpolls gråsisik and Common Crossbill grankorsnebb still very much on the move.

I did a drive-by at Herdlevær where a flock of Redwing rødvingetrost foraged under leaves and were spooked by a Woodcock rugde that flew in.

At Solberg a late Oystercatcher tjeld and several Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt were the best sightings.

Tjeldstø was slightly better with a Red-throated Diver smålom on the sea, a Dipper fossekall on Husvatnet, Wigeon brunnakke, Teal krikkand and Goldfinch stillits among the species seen.

Øygarden 05-07 November - Mostly from the terrace...

Winter has arrived. Still calm with largely E or SE winds but the temperature has dropped the last day or two with a fair bit of ice about on 7th,

White-tailed Eagle havørn doing an evening flypast the terrace with what look like animal entrails in its claws. Images have been lightened considerably!

On 05 November a short walk at Hjelme Vest produced reasonable numbers of Common Scoter svartand (at least 40), about 20 Long-tailed Duck havelle, a couple of Tufted Duck toppand, a late Oystercatcher tjeld, a Great Northern Diver islom and several Red-throated Diver smålom heading south. Good numbers of Common Crossbill grankorsnebb in the woods too.

A trip to the shops on the same day gave five Scaup bergand together with three Tufted Duck toppand on Rotevatnet, Tjeldstø.

Mega of the day were some Mute Swans knoppsvane reported from further south in Øygarden. Great record!

On 6th November I managed about half an hour of seawatching at Skogsøy. Plenty on the move with at least 200 Common Scoter svartand being the most obvious movement. Smaller numbers of other duck were mingled in with these and included at least 10 Velvet Scoter sjøorre, several Long-tailed Duck havelle and some Eiders ærfugl,

Velvet Scoter sjøorre from the terrace at Nautnes on 07 November

Evening Whooper Swans sangsvane at Tjeldstø

The 7th was spent almost exclusively at home with just a Velvet Scoter sjøorre, a small flock of Waxwings sidensvans and the usual White-tailed Eagle havørn of any note. The trip to the shop in failing light gave the first Whoopers sangsvane of the autumn and a slight diversion on the way home produced a Razorbill alke, several Common Scoter svartand and a Long-tailed Duck havelle at Heggøy.

Tomorrow I WILL be birding!!

Sæle 04 November 2016 - Hume's?

Light SE, light rain at first, overcast all day.

I took what I thought would be a short walk at Sæle. Here I found an interesting warbler and stayed much longer than I should.


This bird does not look like a typical Yellow-browed and shows at least some features of Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler blekbrynsanger.

Pro Hume's:
Less contrast on dark bases to secondaries behind the wing bar
Broad whitish wing bar on greater coverts, no second wing bar
Creamy super fainter between eye and bill than towards back of head
More greyish plumage
Greyish tertials
Underparts not as gleaming white at YBW

Against Humes:
Legs perhaps not as dark as might be expected and more pale on the bill

Unfortunately this bird did not call.

Jay nøtteskrike

Long-tailed Tit stjertmeis

Short-eared Owl jordugle

Other stuff seen at Sæle included a Short-eared Owl jordugle, a nice flock of Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis, Blackcap munk and a couple of Meadow Pipit heipiplerke.

Elsewhere Woodcock rugde, Jay nøtteskrike, a few White-tailed Eagles havørn and the usual.

Hernar 03 November 2016 - A good but "normal" day on the island

Light SE, some cloud but mostly sunny.

Three Black Guillemot teist

Common Scoter svartand were the commonest bird today.

Interesting to see the bird lagging behind in the middle picture is entangled in some fishing line or similar

Great Northern Diver islom #1

Great Northern Diver islom #2

A couple of the many Goldfinch stillits on the island

Heron gråhegre

Little Auk alkekonge heading south over land

Sparrowhawk spurvehauk

Waxwings sidensvans

A decent morning on the island, no real rarities but plenty of "fillers" with a decent tally for the time of year - at least 45 species. Best birds included a Red-necked Grebe gråstrupedykker, a Lapland Bunting lappspurv (scarce this autumn), Waxwings sidensvans, Goldfinch stillits, a couple of Great Northern Diver islom and at least three Water Rail vannrikse.

Otherwise good numbers of Common Scoter svartand, a single Little Auk alkekonge over land, White-tailed Eagles havørn, Long-tailed Ducks havelle, Velvet Scoter sjøorre, a Chiff-chaff gransanger and most of the usual species.

A Woodcock rugde turned up at Nautnes in the afternoon.

Tuesday 01 November 2016 Nautnes - More terrace birding

NW wind, sunny with occasional short showers.

Otter and Long-tailed Duck havelle at Nautnes

Once again most birds seen in or from the garden. Today a Long-tailed Duck havelle turned up on the sea in front of the house. Other duck included Common Scoter svartand and Eider ærfugl.

Scaup bergand on Husvatnet, Tjeldstø

Continuing the wildfowl theme the best birds of the day were a party of four Scaup bergand on Husvatnet at Tjeldstø.

Nautnes 31 October 2016 - Birding from the terrace. Again.

Light SE, dull and wet.

Should really have been out and about a bit more today. Most stuff seen from the terrace today - hardly surprising as I was not really out other than a drive-by past a few places on the way to and from the shops.

This picture was taken with one hand whilst on the phone to work.....

A Little Auk alkekonge on the sea in front of the house was the first of the autumn for me. Other stuff from the garden included a couple of Blackcap munk and a Goldfinch stillits. The Tree Sparrow pilfink is still hanging around

An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke was at Husvatnet, Tjeldstø. Quite a late record. I am pretty certain I also heard a tristis Chiff-chaff gransanger here but never saw the bird itself.

Female Blackcap munk at Alvheim

One could argue that man-made environments reduce the quality of the natural state of things. But with most of the "natural" berries now cleaned out it is the introduced species that are providing food for migrants.....

Goldfinch stillits at Alvheim

Velvet Scoter sjøorre at Heggøy

A few Velvet Scoter sjøorre were on the sea at Heggøy and more Goldfinch stillits and Blackcap munk were present at Alvheim.

Thrush numbers seem to be dropping slightly but still plenty of Redwing rødvingetrost and Blackbird svarttrost feeding in the fields.