Hernar 29 September 2021 - First YBW and Stock Dove

 SE winds, some cloud cover.

With promising conditions I thought an all day session on the island of all islands, Hernar, was the best choice. I was not disappointed:)

Highlights were the first Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger for the county this year and the first Stock Dove skogdue of the year for Øygarden. The latter was also a new species for me on Hernar. A decent selection of other migrants were among the well over 50 species seen.

Stock Dove skogdue - a much rarer species in Øygarden than YWB

Yellow-browed Warbler gulbrynsanger

At least one, probably two of these Siberian gems were present on the island today and were the first record for the county this year - a slow start by all accounts.

A Whinchat buskskvett, a Pied Flycatcher svarthvit fluesnapper, nine Blackcap munk, several Chiff-chaff gransanger, at least one Willow Warbler løvsanger, Kestrel tårnfalk, Merlin dvergfalk and at least two Sparrowhawk spurvehauk were among the other species of interest.

Large numbers of finches (mostly Brambling bjørkefink and Chaffinch bokfink) and several hundred Meadow Pipits passed over during the course of the day. 

Herdlevær 28 September 2021 - Rosefinch

Fresh southerly winds.

Plenty of migrant passerines - largely finches and thrushes as is usual for the time of year but also Chiff-chaff gransanger, Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper, Blackcap munk and Reed Bunting sivspurv. Best bird was Rosefinch rosefink which gave good views but was difficult to photograph with lots of things in the way and against the sun.

Common Rosefinch rosenfink

Chiff-chaff gransanger

White-tailed Eagles havørn

My usual stop for sandwiches and coffee showed that there was a decent movement of various gulls and a small selection of waders including a few Sanderling sandløper on the shore. Flocks of Meadow Pipits heipiplerke passed more or less constantly both over the sea and over land.

Black-headed Gull hettemåke

Common Gull fiskemåke

Herring Gull gråmåke

LBBG sildemåke

I then checked Breivik quickly, here a couple of Lapwing vipe were the first for a while. Also in the fields a few Snipe enkeltbekkassin and a couple of Skylark sanglerke.

On the way home I popped in at Tjeldstø where the Pintail stjertand was still present along with the other wildfowl. Jay nøtteskrike and Curlew storspove were the other sightings of interest here.

Jay nøtteskrike

Pintail stjertand

In the afternoon the terrace produced a couple more White-tailed Eagles havørn and a total of at least 60 Golden Plover heilo heading south.

Skogsøy 27 Septmeber 2021 - LBBG movement

 SSE wind with light high cloud cover.

I spent a couple of hours or so seawatching at Skogsøy, there was plenty of movement without anything spectacular to report. The main species were Red-throated Diver smålom and plenty of various gulls - most notably Lesser Black-backed Gulls sildemåke. Various duck and wader species added to the variety.

Well over 600 birds headed south between 0800 and 10:30:

Red throated Diver smålom S 127

Northern Gannet havsule S 69

Great Cormorant storskarv N 1

Great Cormorant storskarv S 67

Eurasian Shag toppskarv N 2

Eurasian Shag toppskarv S 3

Wigeon brunnakke N 10

Eider ærfugl N 10

Common Scoter svartand S 21

Velvet Scoter sjøorre S 4

Merganser siland S 9

Ringed Plover sandlo 3

Golden Plover heilo S 7

Dunlin myrsnipe S 17

Common Gull fiskemåke S 103

Lesser black backed Gull sildemåke S 43 (14 1cy)

Herring Gull gråmåke S 100

Great black backed Gull svartbak S 25

Gannets havsule

A rather pale bird giving a rather graellsi impression

A more normal LBBG sildemåke coming into winter plumage

This bird with its clean white head and all black back invites thoughts of fuscus

Ringed Plover sandlo

Twite bergirisk

Wigeon brunnakke

Other than seabirds a Kestrel tårnfalk put in an appearance as did White-tailed Eagle havørn, Wheatear steinskvett, Bramlings bjørkefink and five Common Crossbill grankorsnebb and a small flock of Twite bergirisk were among the other species seen

Herdlevær 26 September 2021 - Back in Black

I should probably not admit this but two weeks spent in the east of Norway had me thinking it was quite nice there - a productive week in Engerdal, a very nice day out with THE Oslo Birder and a couple of visits to an island in Oslofjord all seemed quite productive. In some places the sheer numbers and variety was in fact better than most days back home in the west.

My first day out back in Øygarden was a late and lazy start due to the UDI / Brexit. I was up half the night trying to figure out which countries I've been to in the last four years. Not easy at all, I can just about figure out this year.....

I did my usual round at Herdlevær picking up a few migrants such as Spotted Flycatcher gråfluesnapper, Bramblings bjørkefink, Wheatear steinskvett and Chiff-chaffs gransanger on my way to my usual breakfast / lunch / coffee break spot.

There was a fair bit of activity over the sea with various waders including Turnstones steinvender and Sanderling sandløper, a decent movement of gulls, a small flock of Velvet Scoter sjøorre and more besides. Suddenly a bird came into view head on in the scope and for a second I wondered what the hell kind of wader is this before realising it was a tern. A side view showed it to be a first year Black Tern svartterne - only the second record for Øygarden!! 

Knowing the importance of images to back up such claims I fired off some shots in the hope that they would provide adequate documentation and managed some reasonable record shots. After this I put the bird out on the local alert group and phoned a couple of people who I knew would be interested.

The second record of Black Tern svartterne for Øygarden

Lesser Black-backed Gull sildemåke

After this everything seemed rather tame so I packed up and left after a Great Skua storjo passed.

On my way home I popped in at Tjeldstø where there were good numbers of wildfowl (at least in a local context) which included a nice female Pintail stjertand. A hunting Merlin dvergfalk put in an appearance here too.

Female Pintail stjertand with Mallard stokkand and Teal krikkand - cropped from the image below.

A nice selection of dabbling ducks...

Engerdal 16-22 September 2021 - First Engerdal "twitch"

At odds with the rest of the birding community I chose to head east instead of west during the second half of September. My thoughts being if it is peak time in the west then it must also be peak season in the east:)

As usual Engerdal did not disappoint and punched well above its weight.

My first day out on 16 September produced plenty of birds and Beaver. Best bird in an Engerdal context was a Buzzard musvåk at Kvilten and another at Heggeriset.

My usual round of Galten - Drevsjø - Heggeriset produced good numbers of migrants at Galten and a nice female Goshawk hønsehauk looking for prey. The expected Black-throated Divers storlom were joined by a Slav Grebe horndykker and the usual wildfowl were present. Migrant passerines included Reed Buntings sivspurv, Dunnock jernspurv, Chiff-chaff gransanger and plenty more besides. A lone Herring Gull gråmåke rested on rocks out on the lake.

Merganser siland at Galtsjøen

This was followed by a walk at Lisæter and a walk around Hyllsjøen. Kestrel tårnfalk, flocks of Brambling bjørkefink, the usual thrushes, a couple of Rough-legged Buzzards fjellvåk and plenty more were seen.

On 17 September it was a late and lazy start but whilst waiting for my better half to get ready I clocked up a couple of Black Woodpecker svartspett, Dipper fossekall and more. This was followed by a new walk - Galtåsen, here a flock of 30 Parrot Crossbill furukorsnebb fed in the trees and a few Siberian Jay lavskrike fed on the forest floor. Treecreeper trekryper and Crested Tits toppmeis joined the usual suspects in the woods.

Dipper fossekall

Siberian Jay lavskrike

Just as it got dark I received a message about a strange bird - a mobile phone image of what was obviously a phalarope although the exact species was not evident, an interesting sighting whatever it turned out to be. Mostly because it was dark and partly because we were already at the only restaurant in the area I didn't actually leave immediately. Instead I left the house before first light the nest day to head up to Vurrusjøen (having already woken up twice at 0330 and 0430 in the hope that it might soon be light!). Here I had Grey Wagtail vinterle, a couple of Whoopers sangsvane and a reasonable selection of wildfowl. But no phalarope. 

I opted to check a few other localities before returning and could not believe my eyes - a GREY PHALAROPE polarsvømmesnipe - only the second record for Hedmark (previous was September 1969!!!). This is the first time I have ever gone for a bird in Engerdal, hopefully it won't be the last. My family is all too familiar with me leaving the house in the middle of making dinner back in Øygarden but this is the first time they had to experience this in the tranquil world that is / was Engerdal:)

Engerdal's first and Hedmark's second ever Grey Phalarope polarsvømmesnipe

After that everything seemed rather quiet but another Goshawk hønsehauk put in an appearance at Heggeriset.

On 19 September I did not actually go out birding but whilst digging potatoes a nice flock of 47 Pinkfeet kortnebbgås headed south over the house, first record for Engerdal this year.

Part of a flock of migrating Pinkfeet kortnebbgås - quite possibly coming from the same place as the phalarope.

The following day it was back to the grindstone. Galtsjøen produced four Slav Grebes horndykker, a late Yellow Wagtail gulerle, a Tree Pipit treiplerke, Kestrel tårnfalk and four Jays nøtteskrike among other things. An Osprey fiskeørn ate a mammoth catch (sik - no idea of the English name) at Galthåen whilst in the background an elg grazed at the water's edge. 

Back home a Mistle thrush duetrost was the best sighting.

Osprey fiskørn (late!) with a sik (whitefish?)

Grazing Elg

Robin rødstrupe in the garden - in contrast to my garden back west this bird will soon leave as the cold sets in.

Four Slav grebes horndykker

Dull weather early on 20 September prevented me going ahead with my planned walk so it was rather a case of the same as usual with the addition of a female Capercaille storfugl flying over the road. None the less a very pleasant and productive morning out and about. The clouds then lifted and it was up to Svarthammeren where Golden Eagle kongeørn, Kestrel tårnfalk, a few Ring Ousel ringtrost and a good movement of Siskin grønnsisik were the highlights.

Reed Bunting sivspurv have largely moved down to the valleys but some remain in the hills too.

One of three Ring Ousel ringtrost seen

Roe Deer rådyr living dangerously now that the hunting season has started...

At least 67 species noted, not bad at all:) Engerdal year list now at 107 - my best year yet despite not having been there during the summer!