Twitching Moorhen in full-winter-Bergen

 Common Moorhen is really a rare bird in Bergen (or even in this county). So I went to see this   one....further cold and lots of snow...have to wait for spring...

Common Moorhen

Starling

Tufted Duck

these two Wood Pigeons don't wait for spring

Low bird activity, other things in the sky

 

Little bird activity this winter, at least where I go. So I have to see for other thing in the skies. I was lucky in Hemsedal (family ski holiday) to see aurora borealis on the 28th of February. Besides that Both Venus and Jupiter showed very well on the 2nd of March😊

Venus (upper) and Jupiter

First good bird of the year (and in Bergen): Red Kite

 After a period of family visits and working I really needed to go out and look for the first birds of 2023. First I had a stroll with Hickman at the biological station (which produced a Black Guillemot). After that I wanted to check kviturspollen for Little Grebes. Just before I arrived there I saw a large, slender raptor flying over the area. I saw without binoculars that it was a kite. I had to park and check the bird. Still in the car I saw through my bins it was a Red Kite, but it was gliding and flying fast with deep wingbeats. I choosed to take pictures while still in the car, before the bird disappeared behind the trees. It all took about 15 seconds I guess, but I had pictures!! Sorry for the quality, but you can see it is a Red Kite😀. I searched a little while afterwards, but it had gone...

Record shots of the Red Kite. You can see the deeply forked and long tail, long wings and the white fields on the undersides of the primaries, as well as the light feathers on the upper wing...

Good American at Sele: Common Yellowthroat!!

 Yesterday I missed the Common Yellowthroat, I was only few seconds too late. The bird was found by Eirik Adolfsen in the beautiful (rarity) garden in Sele on Øygarden. On Friday it was only seen by three lucky birders (including Eirik). Today (on Saturday) we were with some 40 birders and had to wait until 11:15 before the bird was found back. It had presumably been in the garden all the time. It was very skulky. I saw it two times in my binoculars very briefly, but recognizable with its yellow throat.

Further there a Siberian Chiffchaff, three Common Chiffchaffs, a few Goldfinches, at least three Blackcaps and some crossbills flying by...

1cy male Common Yellowthroat. Photo by Erik Adolfsen with permission

two hours after discovery with Eirik Adolfsen looking at the camera

waiting on Saturday morning

🎤 Siberian Chiffchaff

hybrids at Tveitevannet

 Took a stroll with Hickman at Tveitevannet. Always some 50 or more large gulls during winter there. The Iceland gull wasn't there, but the possible Nelson's Gull (hybrid between Herring and Glaucous Gull) was still present as well as a hybrid Wood Duck/Mallard.

Otherwise my first Hawfinch of the autumn at Christie Park, a nice flock with Blue Tits, Long-tailed Tits and a Common Chiffchaff on the other side of Tveitevannet. Also flyby group of some type of crossbills I couldn't put a name on...

Nelson's Gull?

hybrid Wood Duck/Mallard

1cy Herring Gull

2cy Herring gull, beginning to moult to 2nd winter

Crossbills

 Today a late autumn visit to Herdlevær. Typical late autumn with few birds. 10 Goldfinches and groups of crossbills made the day. I had two times Parrot Crossbills, one group of Common Crossbills and a group of ca 25 birds I don't know for sure and better be left unidentified...

🎤 Parrot Crossbill

🎤 European Goldfinch

🎤 European Crested Tit

glaucoides

 Always some white-winged gulls in Bergen in the dark side of the year. This Iceland Gull is staying at the Tveitevannet. When I was there today, it was the only gull present. Nice fresh plumage as northern breeders usually have in this time of the year...

First calendar year Iceland Gull

quiet Herdla

 Had a round at Herdla in quiet autumn weather. It was very quiet. The group of Barnacles was still present. Otherwise four Slavonian Grebes and a few scoters. At Herdla fort at least five Parrot Crossbills...

female Parrot Crossbill

Golden Plover

Barnacle Geese

Hernar

 At last I could visit Hernar again after a few years.. and I was not alone, Both Terje Hansen, Jørn Opsal and Frode Falkenberg joined. Together we had a few hours on the island. Many birds, but we struggled finding a good bird. However, a Lesser Whitethroat showed itself a few times. It had signs of on of the eastern taxa, showing quite pale sandy colours on the back and neck. Besides it had rather a lot of white in the outermost tail feather, an important feature in 1st cy birds (it had pointed tail feathers) and rather short wings. Sadly it didn't call. Lesser Whitethroat taxa are extremely difficult to identify, so I think we let this bird unidentified...

Further four Waxwings, a flyby Snow Bunting, a few Water Rails, Parrot Crossbills, Goldfinches and load of Wrens and Robins. A group of seven Western Jackdaws is also worth mentioning.

first cy Lesser Whitethroat. one of the Siberian taxa?

tristis and more YBW

 Yesterday a calling Yellow-browed Warbler in my garden and today one on Turøy. But better was a Siberian Chiffchaff on the island, which was calling good (almost echoing against the stonewall at Måsvatnet). Saw the bird briefly, looking good for tristis. Khaki colours on the upper part, no green visible on the head and upper parts, pallid eyebrow and a thin wing bar along the greater coverts. The feet and bill gave also a very dark impression. But as said, I saw it briefly and it didn't show again, surely afraid of a hunting Sparrowhawk...call is diagnostic, I would say!

Further flyby Goldfinches, Common Crossbills, Grey-headed Woodpecker and a few Bullfinches...At least one bird in the group of crossbills sounded like a Parrot Crossbill in my ears...

🎤 Siberian Chiffchaff

🎤 Siberian Chiffchaff

🎤 Parrot Crossbill

female Grey-headed Woodpecker