I went to Øygarden on the 21st of June and had a try for the Walrus reported at Blomvåg on Saturday.
The Walrus was gone...Otherwise birding was slow with bird families busy with their young. A Pied Wagtail at Herlevær was worth mentioning and at Dåvøy I could record the Arctic Terns nesting there...
Earlier in the week I recorded an alarming Whinchat...
🎤 Whinchat
While visiting the European Turtle Dove to get better pictures, an adult Rosy Starling was reported at Mangernes on Radøy. Since I had managed to improve my pictures of the dove, I decided to pick up my daughter Robin to try for the starling.
It took us (with five others) about an hour to find it again, but it showed itself nicely, albeit at a distance. Nice day and a happy daughter 😊.
At Kalandsholmen near Alvøen is the only reliable place in Bergen to see Arctic Terns. So yesterday I gave it a try. I found it difficult to estimate the exact number, but I think there were about 15 birds, together with Common Terns. Normally I see them from Alvøen at a distance, but this time I came close to the colony...
Snow Bunting breeds in Bergen. But it is not easy to see it, because it breeds at the top of Gullfjellet and to get there you have to take a long walk in mountainous area. It takes all day, at least for me it does.
Anyhow, on the 11th of June I went with Walter Lemme to see and hear the birds. After three hours of climbing in bad weather we reached the top. In spite of the fog the birds were easy to find, showing themselves nice. And more importantly, they were singing. We saw at least two males and a female.
I did not take my camera and was most eager to record them...I got some nice recordings of the song and (alarm) call...listen below
On the way back we saw a nice male Ring Ouzel. Otherwise, almost no birds up there...
🎤 Snow Bunting song
🎤 Snow Bunting alrm call
Recently, I spent the weekend with a nice group of fellow birders at Golsfjellet. On the way on Friday we birded Hardangervidda, concentrating on the specialties there. We saw, among others, seven Great Snipes, a Willow Ptarmigan, and Horned Larks
On the other side of the Hardangervidda the avifauna is quite different. Common Cranes are all over the place and Pied and Spotted Flycatchers are (very) common. Furthermore, you can hear birds that you don't hear around Bergen. It was therefore a nice opportunity to record the songs of a few common passerines, such as Brambling, Common Redstart, Bluethroat and thunbergi Yellow Wagtails.
Best birds on Golsfjellet were five Siberian Jays and a pair of Great Grey Shrikes, feeding their young still in the nest. See and listen below😊
🎤 Brambling song
🎤 Common Redstart song
After working the weekend, I wanted to see the Short-toed Lark better and for longer. And, of course, take some pictures. So I went to Herdla again on Monday afternoon. The bird was still present on the beach at a distance, but after a while, it came closer. The result is not great, but it's acceptable.
A nice summer plumaged Ruddy Turnstone, about 10 Dunlins, 10 Common Ringed Plover, and a Blue-headed Wagtail were present in the same area.
On Tuesday, I went for a little walk at Sele and Kalandsvatnet and tried for the White-backed Woodpeckers at Unneland. The woodpeckers called infrequently and from different localities, but I managed a recording.
🎤 White-backed Woodpecker call
🎤 Redwing song
