White-fronted Goose new for Bergen

Not much birding lately due to working and lack of daylight, but today I could twitch White-fronted Goose for my Bergen list. A group of 24 nominate birds was present at Milde.

White-fronted Goose albifrons

California november 2016

In november we travelled southern California. We hired a RV and drove from San Francisco to San Francisco, roughly through Yosemite, Mojave and Joshua Tree deserts, San Diego and the Californian coast back. It was a family holiday and the birding was great; the avian highlight was a visit to Santa Cruz! 75 lifers and some 175 species during the trip.
Saw the two endemics Yellow-billed Magpie and Island Scrub Jay. Managed also to see Californian Gnatcatcher, Scripp's Murrelet, thousands of Black-vented Shearwaters and Cassin's Auklet. And of course Greater Roadrunner.
Commonest birds were Acorn Woodpecker, White-throated Sparrow, Audubon's Warbler (extremely abundant), Eurasian Starling, House Sparrow and House Finch.

Under a few highlights with more under the world button!

Greater Roadrunner

Raven

Island Scrub Jay

Yellow-billed Magpie

California Scrub Jay

White-crowned Sparrow

Western (left) and Clark's Grebe

Black-throated Sparrow

Black Oystercatcher

Brandt's Cormorant

Glaucous-winged Gull

Herman's Gull

Hermit Thrush

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Northern Elephant Seal

Sea Otter

Harbour Seal

Hawk Owl

There is a big invasion going on of Hawk Owls in southern Norway. Didn't see them so far, but today two showed well on Radøy!

one of the two Hawk Owls

YBW still present

The Yellow-browed Warbler was (as it was yesterday) today present i my garden!

Yellow-browed Warbler again

Yellow-browed Warbler again!

After I heard one Yellow-browed Warbler FROM my house two weeks ago, I had one IN my garden today!! It called only once...The fourth in my neighbourhood this year so far!

Herdlevær

After a week of very bad weather, a nice day with lots of sunshine. Went out to Herdlevær for two hours of birding. The nets were out and I missed on a new Little Bunting, but I got this nice autumn gem. Don't see it that often in the hand...

Yellow- browed Warbler

Yellow-browed new for my house list

Today I heard a Yellow-browed Warbler from my house. It called twice and I didn't hear it again. This was nr 93 for my house list. Further every day one or two Treecreepers and some flyby Meadow Pipits 

Wader season

Today on Herdla. The wader season has started. The weather was too good, but it was not bad at all  with a juvenile Black-tailed Godwit, three Sanderlings touch and go, a Wood Sandpiper, a Ruddy Turnstone, a Little Stint, some fifteen Curlews and the usual Ringed Plovers and Dunlins. Some birds quite close...

first year Ruff

first year Golden Plover

a bit of the Netherlands

The last period was a busy one with lots of working, bad weather and hence little opportunity to go out. So holidays were very welcome. We went to Schiermonnikoog, our favourite wadden isle in the Netherlands. It was a typical family holiday, but I got out with my brother and some friends to do some dragonfly and butterfly watching.
Typical august stuff with the traditional Gull-billed Terns in the north of the country. We saw three or four individuals, one of which was a juvenile. Further Whiskered, Little and Sandwich Terns. A juvenile Mediterranean Gull was quite north for the species. A good bird for Schiermonninook was a Purple Heron. Off course, loads of waders present, but the only worth mentioning were the Kentish Plovers.
At the Weerribben (famous for the thousands of dragonflies and damselflies) we saw Spotted Darter Sympetrum depressiusculum. This dragonfly has a recently discovered population in the north of the Netherlands. It was a new one for me, being my 59th for my dutch list. Furthermore some beautiful Broad Scarlets or Scarlet Darter Crocothemis erythraea and some more common species...We also saw a Grass Snake Natrix natrix.

juvenile Gull-billed Tern

Sandwich Tern

Purple Heron, a goodie for Schiermonnikoog

Sanderling

Spotted Darter

Broad Scarlet/Scarlet Darter

European Map Araschnia levana

Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria

Peacock Inches io

Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens

Black Darter Sympetrum danae

Grass Snake Natrix natrix

dutch skies

Little Egret, not in Hordaland

The last few days a Little Egret was present at Sveio (Hordaland). Today I had free and drove to Sveio. I couldn't find it on the old spot. But after an hour searching a fellow birdwatcher found it in Haugesund at the Førlandsvatnet, just in Rogaland.
New species for me for Norway (298), but not for Hordaland.

Little Egret

Firecrest in the bag!

Tried for the third time the Firecrest at Herdla. It was cold with hard wind, but I managed to find a group of Goldcrests with the Firecrest between them. Saw it only short, but well. Kjetil Salomonsen found it back on the same spot where I saw it. New bird for Norway (and Hordaland)!

Siberian Rubythroat

Was the weekend in the Netherlands and had the opportunity to see the Siberian Rubythroat Calliope calliope, that is already present for a few weeks. A first for the Netherlands and a real pearl it is! Species 448 for my dutch list!
Saw the wintering Pallid Harrier near my home town as well...

The bird is mimicring some siberian species, such as Yellow-browed Warbler and Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler...

record shot of the first winter male Pallid Harrier

Ring-billed Gull

After a period of busy working and a trip to Switzerland (missed on the Ring-necked Duck) I was able to twitch the Ring-billed Gull at Knarvik near Bergen. My third for Hordaland...

a fine and easy-to-identify Ring-billed Gull

Little Bunting in Bergen

A Little Bunting is present at the same feeder as the Rofous Turtle Dove frequents. Saw it already yesterday, but managed only today to get a picture of this shy and skulking individual. New bird for Hordaland and Bergen. Hordaland is doing very well this winter so far...

Little Buntins

Pine Bunting

Rare and difficult to get: Pine Bunting. These days one male is staying in Hordaland in Aga, north of Odda. Twitched it today with Lars Ågren. The bird showed well, though we had to keep a bit of distance. The photo's are not the best, but show the characters well. It was a new species for Norway for me.
At the same time, a Little Bunting was reported in Bergen on the same spot as where the Oriental Turtle Dove is staying. We were some 15 minutes too late. Try it tomorrow!
Click on the pics for better views.

male Pine Bunting