Nice stroll along Kismul at Kalandsvannet

This morning Robin, Hickman and I made a walk along the western side of Kalandsvannet, at Kismul. Beautiful scenery with lots of singing birds. Heard at least four singing Icterine Warblers, four Garden Warblers, two singing Spotted Flycatchers among others and a recently fled family of Long-tailed Tits.
Tomorrow leaving for Hedmark to try the big owls (Great Grey and Ural)!

Night birding

I've been birding several evenings lately without any luck, but yesterday I had a Grasshopper Warbler and a few Woodcocks at the Marinbiologisk Stasjon near Flesland. The recording of the Grasshopper Warbler is too bad to be published, but Woodcock is to be heard below.

song:http://www.xeno-canto.org/180095

Wood Warbler again, now Bergen

Just five minutes from my house a singing Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix in  the so-called Pitteskogen in Nattland (found by another birder yesterday). Good bird for the Bergen year list, on which 126 species up til today. Managed some shots and sound recording (below).

Male Wood Warbler with clear yellow throat, yellow eyebrow and contrasting dark eyestripe. Note also the elongated body with very long wings as well as the dark tertials with prominent yellow fringes.

song:

http://www.xeno-canto.org/180096

White-backed Woodpecker

I knew about a nest of White-backed Woodpeckers, so I had to go out and try to make pics and sound recordings. They were easy to find, making lots of noise, these woodpeckers, so I managed to take some pictures and recordings. Taking pictures in a mixture of sun and shade is not the easiest thing, but with some effort and patience I got some reasonable shots and recordings of the call (see below). I did not use tape to lure them, by the way. Further on the way back a Common Buzzard soaring over one of Lindås beautiful valleys.

female White-backed Woodpecker

call: http://www.xeno-canto.org/178892

adult and young birds at the nest site: http://www.xeno-canto.org/178902

In the afternoon a walk with Anne, Robin and Hickman at Myrdalsvannet. We had two singing Icterine Warblers, first of the year for me. Below a link to the song of one of them.

song: http://www.xeno-canto.org/178895

Regular morning walk

During the months I'm off jobb to take care of Robin (may, june and july), I use to walk in the neighbourhood with her and Hickman. Not many special birds about, but today my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year and some five or six singing Pied Flycatchers (sound recording below), which is always nice. House Sparrow are abundant around Sædalen and Sanddalen.

male House Sparrow

song of Pied Flycatcher in my garden:
http://www.xeno-canto.org/178785

Garganey

Today I decided to walk a bit with Robin and Hickman at Tjedstø. About the first birds I saw at Husvatnet were a couple of Garganey's! It could off course well be that these are the same birds as reported on the same spot 13-05. Anyhow, new county species for me. Missed them so far...
Coming home I saw that Bjornar Skjold had them as well, independently.
Further one or two Lesser Whitethroats along the road to Skjold.

male and female Graganey

Later on the day I checked the reported Glaucous Gull on Tveitevannet, which I couldn't find. The lingering possible fuscus Lesser Black-backed Gull was present though. I don't know if this is a fuscus for sure, but it looks good with light head, slender bill, dark back and very long wings...(bird being ringed in Bergen, by the way)

2nd calendar fuscus in full moult. Among others new mantle- and back feathers, new secondaries and beginning primary moult, growing new inner and outer primaries old.

2nd calendar Herring Gull

Mute Swan

Wood Warbler

I am fond of Phylloscopus-warblers and Wood Warbler is a real beauty, so this morning Robin and I went to see one. Ola Moen found one in Vollom bøkskogen on Lindås yesterday and as to be expected it was still present today. It was singing all the time and behaving very restless in the canopy. Got a record shot, though! A sound recording is linked below!

Male Wood Warbler

song:

http://www.xeno-canto.org/178207

later on the day: European Nuthatch, breeding near my house

Glossy Ibis!!!

Friday the ninth of May at Sandvin, Odda: Glossy Ibis. We saw this bird in the shallow waters of Sandvin, together with a few others from Bergen. Glossy Ibis is a very good bird for Norway, only the 19th!!
It was a little bit restless, but at least I got a distant shot.

second year Glossy Ibis

Golden Eagles again

While driving alongside Haukelandsvannet I had two soaring Golden Eagles, one adult and one subadult. I think they are the same birds I had a few weeks ago at Bontveit.
Had to park the car, but managed to take one record shot.

subadult Golden Eagle

Herdla, rain and a few birds

Today I had to guide two british birders for an afternoon. We chose Herdla, because of the short amount of time we had. The weather had changed (it rained continuously), so some activity was to be expected, but not many birds were migrating or had grounded.
But it was not bad after all. One fly by Whimbrel, one singing Dunlin, a group of Golden Plovers and the usual Redshanks and Ringed Plovers. Further a fine summer plumage Slavonian Grebe, some five Wheatears, two Linnets, three Twites, two Black-headed Gulls and ten Barn Swallows. Not many ducks, maybe ten Velvet Scoters, four Common Shellducks worth mentioning. At least the birders were satisfied.

Rock Ptarmigan in Bergen

While others spend 1 may at Skogsøy for the Yellow-billed Diver bonanza (and it was with 37 individuals today), I went with my family to Austefjell, Gullfjellet. It was cold, but sunny weather. On top we had a splendid male Rock Ptarmigan which showed well. This one new for my Bergen list!
Further some other mountain specialities: two singing Ring Ouzels, a Rough-legged Buzzard, five Wheatears and a Common Sandpiper (at Osavannet).
I'll probably go back a little later in the season to try Dotterel and Golden Plover.

fine male Rock Ptarmigan

Hickman, Anne and Robin