Unfortunately it was not possible to get out as much as I would have liked (or even much for that matter).
Grey Wagtails vintererle continued to show "all over" and it was the same for the Parrot Crossbills furukorsnebb that are currently probably the commonest crossbill in the area. At home Bramblings bjørkefink were ever present in the garden along with the usual suspects and the male Long-tailed Duck havelle remained on the unusual fresh water location at Tjeldstø.
Long-tailed Duck havelle, Husvatnet, Tjeldstø
On 15 October I spent a couple of hectic hours seawatching at Skogsøy. Other than a couple of Great Northern Diver islom, a flock of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås and a fly over Snow Bunting snøspurv there was nothing terribly special but the passage was constant and there was a good gull migrations - with hundreds passing south - mostly Common Gull fskemåke and Herring Gull gråmåke but also 50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls sildemåke and several Black-headed Gulls hettemåke. A decent passage of auks, Red-throated Diver smålom, Common Scoter svartand and Long-tailed Duck havelle. A few flocks of waders passed too far off to identify but one flock of pale coloured waders with prominent wing bars got the pulse racing...
Black-headed Gulls hettemåke with LBBG sildemåke
Hundreds of Common Gull fiskemåke headed south
Several flocks of Common Scoter svartand passed
Good numbers of LBBG sildemåke heading south, mostly adults
Almost 50 Red-throated Diver smålom passed in the couple of hours I spent seawatching
A quick dash around a number of localities on 16 October produced a lovely Short-eared Owl jordugle at Breivik where a couple of Golden Plover heilo and a Dunlin myrsnipe also turned up. Decent flocks of Meadow Pipit heipiplerke still around too - 40+ were seen here. Flocks of Redwing rødvingetrost finally showing up all over the place after a slow start for this species this autumn.
Red-throated Diver smålom flying over Herdlevær
Short-eared Owl jordugle at Breivik
I managed my usual round at Herdlevær on 17 October where migration over the sea was obviously in full swing - very much the same as at Skogsøy a couple of days previously. Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, a few flocks of Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås, Peregrine vandrefalk, Merlin dvergfalk and Golden Plover heilo were among the species seen here.
Barncacle Geese hvitkinngås on their way back from Svalbard
Brambling bjørkefink in my garde
Plenty of birds about with Blackcaps munk turning up alongside thrushes and other species.
A fleeting visit to Solberg on 18 October produced barely even the usual suspects but a Merlin dvergfalk and a Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås flew over and a lone Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt fed out on one of the skerries. Sæle gave several Blackcap munk, a Chiff-chaff gransanger and the usual.
