late autumn northern Øygarden

 I visited northern Øygarden today, that is Herdlevær, Breivik, Hellesøy, Sele and Sture.

Nice birding with some nice birds. On Herdlevær I had two Waxwings, a flyby Snow Bunting and a flyby Yellowhammer, all scarce birds. Further, a Common Chiffchaff and a pair of Common Crossbills, of which one was begging. Listen below. A new species for Herdlevær for me was Long-tailed Tit!

At Hellesøy I couldn't find the Black Redstart back. Here Long-tailed Tits as well. At Sele I had a Common Chiffchaff and some Long-tailed Tits, as I did at Sture. Great Spotted Woodpecker at all places. Not that many thrushes and fewer Robins and Blue Tits...

🎤 Bohemian Waxwing call

sonogram of the call

🎤 Common Crossbill begging

Siberian Chiffchaff

Found today a Siberian Chiffchaff during a walk in the neighborhood. I heard it first and saw it quite well, though it was moving a lot. Didn't carry my camera, but I took a recording, that should do it...May be not the most typical call, but still quite plaintive. It had the looks, khaki bird without green tones, white underside and black bill, legs and feet...

🎤 Siberian Chiffchaff

sonogram of the call

The day before I visited Radøy together with Terje Hansen and Jørn Opsal. Lots of potential there. We had a nice day without finding any rarities, but there were lots of thrushes and the like about. We had otherwise four Chiffchaffs (one possible Siberian), four Water Rails, a Little Grebe and Bothe Green and Grey-headed Woodpecker.

🎤 Water Rail

On Sunday I was on Øygarden with Stein Rune. Same, same. Nice birding, nothing special, although a late Willow Warbler and a calling Reed Bunting at Herdlevær made the visit worthwhile.

🎤 Reed Bunting call

🎤 Common Starling chattering group

still bad weather

 The weather kept me home the last couple of days. Most birding is behind the computer and staring at the feeder. The feeder attracts mostly House Sparrows, Great and Blue Tits, a few Chaffinches and a Brambling...Kalandsvannet produced a Pink-footed Goose on the tenth...

nice Blue Tit at the feeder

Pink-footed Goose at Åkerneset, Kalandsvannet

bad weather

The "best week of the year" is the wettest so far with storm Amy and otherwise very much rain.

I tried Herdlevær with Stein Rune Risa on Sunday. Although it was not raining for a few hours, it was windy and we didn't find good birds after the storm. A migrating Grey Plover was probably the best bird. Further many Blue Tits, a few Treecreepers, nine Common Crossbills, only one Chiffchaff and 20+ Blackbirds, as well as the Taiga Bean Geese still present at Breivik...

On Monday before shopping a quick check at Tveitevannet produced three Hawfinches, the Gadwall still present, at least two lesser Black-backed Gulls and some 75 Starlings.

Hopefully next week is going to be better....

first autumn lesse Black-backed Gull

first autumn Common Gull with has only recently startet mould to first winter plumage. Could it be a northerly breeder?

pristine Gadwall

some of the Taiga Bean Geese

Hummingbird Hawk-moth at Herdlevær

 

day of the ducks

 I had the morning on Herdlevær, but it was the afternoon in Bergen that produced the scarce birds. At herdleværsvegen it was nice with migrants, with among others two Blackcaps, some 15 Goldcrests, five Chiffchaffs, three Treecreepers and a group og 40 Blue Tits. But I had a meeting in bergen, so I had to leave already at 11:30. After the meeting I went with my daughter to Tveitevannet to feed the birds there. The Gadwall was still present, now in full plumage and it was together with a Green-winged Teal, which is rare there.

Lateron I twitched the Shoveler at Kristianborgsvannet and at the feeders at home a Chaffinch took a quick visit...

drake Gadwall

Green-winged Teal

Northern Shoveler