On 02 March I managed my usual round at Herdlevær. Some signs of spring with Oystarcatcher tjeld, Starling stær now back. A flock of 20 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt , White-tailed Eagles havørn and the usual also seen.
Best bird was a female Stonechat svartstrupe at Kollsnes - a bird that turned up whilst I was away.
A quick look at Hjelme in the afternoon produced the first local Jay nøtteskrike of the year along with a flocks of Fieldfare gråtrost, Brambling bjørkefink, Chaffinch bokfink and Starling stær.
Spring is well on the way, Crocuses at Herdlevær
Siskin grønnsisik have been common "all winter" but have suddenly started visiting my feeder.
With temperatures down to less than -23C it wasn't exactly warm, but the sun shone a lost of the time.
We arrived in the afternoon of 14.02 and in the evening heard a singing Tengmalm's Owl perleugle from the garden.
On 15.02 I did my usual round, some drumming woodpeckers but only Great-spotted Woodpecker flaggspett was the only species positively identified. Good numbers of Mallard stokkand on some open water on Engersjøen, a few flocks of Redpoll gråsisik, several Dipper fossekall and most of the usual suspects without anything special.
Dippers fossekall at Heggeriset
Redpoll gråsisik at the feeder in the garden
Whoopers sangsvane at Heggeriset
A long walk higher up on 16.02 produced none of the target species with just a Golden Eagle kongeørn of any interest. Some gamebird tracks but not as many as I usually see and no birds actually seen.
This Redpoll gråsisik looked rather pale and "snowball" like but was just a Common rather than the hoped-for Arctic
There was no meaningful time outside for the next couple of days but a Goshawk hønsehauk hunted over the garden on 17th February and I encountered a lovely flock of Long-tailed Tits stjertmeis during a trip to the shops.
Part of the Mallard stokkand flock hanging around on open water near the power station.
On 19th February I was out bright and early for my first skiing of the year - just brilliant with nobody else seen for kilometre after kilometre. Unfortunately it was almost the same birdwise although tracks in the snow showed that something could turn up at any time. A few Common Crossbill grankorsnebb, a single Willow Grouse lirype and the usual woodland suspects were seen.
A Sparrowhawk spurvehauk caught a Redpoll gråsisik in the garden in the afternoon.
Just wonderful to be out skiing in Engerdal:)
In the evening a singing Tengmalm's Owl perleugle was a highlight.
Tengmalm's Owl perleugle singing from the neighbour's garden:)
Monday 10th February was spent doing the SEAPOP count, something that has not been done for a couple of years. The standard route is in the southern part of the "old" Øygarden. Although the weather was fantastic the day left me feeling rather depressed - I've never seen so few seabirds on the count - very small numbers of Eider ærfugl and Long-tailed Duck havelle and just one Common Scoter svartand gave very dismal results. A few Black Guillemot teist and a surprise Puffin lunde were also seen.
Puffin lunde
The next day I wasn't really out but picked up a Red-throated Diver smålom and the two long-staying Little Grebe dvergdykker were still present. Some Greylags grågås and six Whoopers sangsvane were on Husvatnet.
Heron gråhegre
Little Grebes dvergdykker
Red-throated Diver smålom
The following day I left Øygarden again without getting out at all.
On 2nd February I did my usual round at Herdlevær, not much to report at all, although five White-tailed Eagle havørn feeding there and several Gannet havsule heading north during a brief coffee break. The albifrons Whitefront tundragås remained at Breivik. On the way home again a short stop at Tjeldstø produced my first local Goshawk hønsehauk of the year and later on I picked up three Snipe enkeltbekkasin at Hjelme.
The next day I was snowed under with work and only managed the briefest of drive-bys. A Common Seal steinkobbe at Dåvøy and a small flock of Goldfinch stillits in the garden along with the usual White-tailed Eagles havørn were all that I managed to see.
Common Seal steinkobbe at Dåvøy
The 4th February was only slightly better with an hour or so out of the house. A couple of Velvet Scoter sjøorre near Tjeldstø and the long-staying albifrons at Breivik were the only sightings of note.
albifrons Whitefront tundragås at Breivik
I spent 20 minutes at Hellesøy on 5th February without anything unusual being seen. Several each of Black Guillemot teist and Long-tailed Duck havelle and a few White-tailed Eagle havørn were among the birds seen here.
A tip-off regarding a Golden Eagle kongeørn later in the day had me leaving the house at short notice. Although there were signs of it's presence (flocks of gulls and crows flying around in disarray) it initially proved difficult to locate. I connected with it over Dåvøy where it headed back to Staumsundet. A small flock of Starling stær at Tjeldstø and a single at Skjold may well have been returning birds. Shortly after this I had to leave for a work trip.
Little Grebe dverdykker at Dåvøy
I returned late on Friday 7th February and did some birding the the next day. I started at Herdlevær which was fairly quiet, though I did pick up a Little Auk alkekonge there along with a single COmmon Scoter svartand (very scarce this winter) and a couple of Eiders ærfugl. Four Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, a small flock of Siskin grønnsisik and several very vocal Crested Tits toppmeis were among the other species seen here. A flock of 16 Starling stær near the car park were almost definitely new arrivals.
Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt at Herdlevær
On Sunday 9th February I headed to Hjelme West under ideal conditions. Before I left the house round 150 Siskin grønnsisik headed south over my terrace in flocks of between 20 and 40. The woods at Hjelme were full of Siskin grønnsisik with smaller numbers of Redpoll gråsisik, Common Crossbill grankorsnebb and the usual suspects. The sea and islands were quite good in a recent perspective with a few Great Northern Diver islom, reasonable numbers of Black Guillemot teist (8+), a Red-throated Diver smålom, a Curlew storspove, a few Oystercatcher tjeld, 30+ Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt and a Turnstone steinvender among the sightings. Long-tailed Duck havelle numbers were horribly low (17) with just an Eider ærfugl or two as the only other ducks.
A Goshawk hønsehauk hunting past my terrace was the first I've seen from my house this year. At Tjeldstø there was a noticeable arrival of Greylags grågås - probably returning birds.
Having spent some time in Oslo it was great to be back in Øygarden from a birding point of view - Oslo has some birds but in my day to day life there it is hard to find the time to get out to where they are. One of the main advantages of where I live is that "incidental" birding is just so much better. Going outside on my terrace or a trip to the shops is just so much more productive.
Quite a few birds turned up after a storm whilst I was away so it was a case of trying to catch up on stuff I had missed.
I arrived home after dark on 28.01. The following day I was stuck in meetings almost the entire day but managed to sneak out for an hour after work. Only a couple of White-tailed Eagle havørn and a flock of 25 Siskin grønnsisik from the house along with couple of Shags toppskarv that provided some interest by catching stuff. The long-staying Greylag grågås flock at Sæle gave a local new for the year. A flock of 22 Fieldfare gråtrost, two Redwing rødvingetrost, six Starling stær and eight Goldfinch stillits were also present here.
Fieldfare gråtrost at Sæle
2cy Shag toppskarv from my terrace
Shag toppskarv finally managed to swallow its catch - a Sea Scorption ulke.
The two long-staying Little Grebes dvergdykker were still present at Dåvøy.
On 30th January I managed a couple of hours out in a boat in pretty good conditions. Unsurprisingly this resulted in several new species for the year locally including Razorbill alke, Little Auk alkekonge and Guillemot lomvi. Black Guillemot teist were rather obvious with around 15 seen. A flock of over 20 Purple Sandpiper fjæreplytt, a few Oystercatcher tjeld , at least 12 White-tailed Eagle havørn and a Great Northern Diver islom were among the other sightings.
Guillemot lomvi near Hellesøy
After work I headed out again following a message about an albifrons White-fronted Goose tundragås at Breivik. I connected with this and picked up a male Tufted Duck toppand on Husvatnet on the way home.
albifrons Whitefront tundragås at Breivik
Friday 31st was a particularly frustrating day as the weather was just fantastic. After work (thank goodness the days are getting longer!) I popped in at Tjeldstø for a few minutes, here a Turnstone steinvender was new for the year. Four Purple Sandpiper fjærplytt, a Long-tailed Duck havelle and one of last year's White-tailed Eagle havørn all showed well, if rather distantly in the scope.
After this I kicked off the year's fishing with a 4.5kg Cod torsk , a decent haul of Whiting hviting and a squid.
On 1st February I took my first trip to Skogsøy where a Great Northern Diver islom gave point blank views as it flew south moments after I sat down. Things were generally rather quiet but a Kittiwake krykkje heading north, a Gannet havsule heading south and a single Little Auk alkekonge meant it was not a complete waste of time.
3cy White-tailed Eagle havørn at Skogsøy - one of four White-tailed Eagle seen at this locality.
The way home produced a couple of Mute Swan knoppsvane at Sture (still not a common bird in northern Øygarden) and eight Collared Dove tyrkedue at Oen.
Mute Swans knoppsvane at Sture - probably the same bird that turned up at Hellesøy in December.
A walk at Bygdøy down to Huk on 19th January gave the usual suspects including the wintering flock of Purple Sandpipers fjæreplytt and a few Woodpigeon ringdue. Best birds were a Goshawk hønsehauk and a male Goosander laksand that flew over.
On 22.01 I headed to the office and used my lunch break to scan the sea at Fornebu. A few Scaup bergand, a lone Guillemot lomvi and a flock of at least 250 Velvet Scoter sjøorre were the best birds.
Other than that I wasn't out at all and managed just a Peregrine vandrefalk and a couple of flyover Raven ravn from the flat. My terrace back west is somewhat more productive....
On 25th January we did a walk around Malmøya in Oslo. Some interesting habitat there that might just have some potential at other times of year but nothing noteworthy seen at all.
The following day I took the boat out to Gressholmen and, as usual, there was something to see. A male Goosander laksand was probably the best bird, at least 240 Goldeneye kvinand fed quite close in until they were scared off by kayaks. A couple of Common Crossbill grankorsnebb and two Greylags grågås put in an appearance.
My first birding in Oslo was predictably to Gressholmen. Highlight here were a few Waxwing sidensvans feeding on rowan berries. To take some pictures I had to take off my gloves and rucksack which were immediately inspected closely by a Great Tit kjøttmeis before it joined the Waxwings.
Otherwise good numbers of Goldeneye kvinand and Herring Gulls gråmåke feeding in the area and a flock of 50 Velvet Scoter sjøorre off Nakkholmen.
Great Tit kjøttmeis
Waxwing sidensvans
A quick stroll in the Botanic Gardens on the way home produced the usual suspects including a Hawfinch kjernebiter and a flyover Goshawk hønsehauk.
I was working and/or ill the rest of the week without getting out of the house at all. A Sparrowhawk spurvehauk almost caught the Blackbird svarttrost that lives in the back yard and would probably have caught it had it not been for a Magpie skjære that intervened.
Here showing the "fake eyes" on the back of the head
Sparrowhawk spurvehauk
Feeling rather better on 18.01 we took a walk in downtown Oslo finding a singing Dipper fossekall, a Wigeon brunnakke and a Cormorant storskarv. Walking home through the Botanic Gardens produced a Brambling bjørkefink among the usual species there.
