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

Beautiful Blackbird

Today in my garden

Oriental Turtle Dove still present

Still lots of birds present at Espeland, Blomsterdalen in beautiful weather today. Some 30 Wood Pigeons, 20 Collared Doves and the Oriental Turtle Dove present, as well as lots of House Sparrows and other small stuff.
At the biological station a Treecreeper and 7 Mute Swans. At Flesland a Rock Pipit and also two Mute Swans.

Oriental Turtle Dove

Collared Dove

House Sparrow, photographed last week

House Sparrow, photographed last week

one of the Mute Swans, present at the Biological station

Kingfisher

A true rarity in Hordaland, Kingfisher. Saw it today at Lone on Osterøy! New one for Hordaland for me.
Further goodies were Oriental Turtle Dove, King Eider and Iceland Gull, all three present for a long time at their known spots. Also worth mentioning is a Water Rail, calling back the biological station near Espeland. Not bad on the 4th of january.

record shot of the Kingfisher, click for better views

Oriental Turtle Dove

After I saw this bird already on wednesday,  I went back today to take some pics in better light conditions. It kept up high in the trees. It has the characters of a meena, with the belly and undertail coverts very light and the tail feather tipped white.

Anyhow, a very good bird for Bergen. Hope it's going to stay in order to get some better pics. Tried the Kingfisher at Osterøy before and the Short-eared Owl at Flesland afterwards, but no luck with those two...

Oriental Turtle dove

Click to get better views

Cold weather, garden birds

Very nice, cold weather and birds coming to my garden. A few days ago I had a group of twelve Goldfinches and today a few Yellowhammers in the neighbourhood...Otherwise Bramblings all over the place

male Yellowhammer, click on pic for better result

A good day for auks in Bergen

After night-shift I took one of my regular tours at the Biological Station with Hickman (off course). Had two Little Auks, one of which was captured by a Grey Heron, but it got away. Further a Black Guillemot in winter plumage. It was swimming and diving too far away for any pics. This one was a new Bergen species for me! In the marshes a Water Rail was calling frequently. Not bad at all for a morning walk!

one of the two Little Auks

Fantastic autumn weather, loads of birds

Two mornings birding on Øygarden in fantastic autumn weather. Thrushes, Meadow Pipits, Bramblings, Chaffinches, Siskins, Goldcrests and Robins all over the place. Visited Herdlevær yesterday and Sæle and Hjelme today, resulting i two new Øygarden species for me. A flyby Hawfinch on Sæle and three Nuthatches, two on Sæle and one on Hjelme!
Further three Yellow-browed Warblers (two on Herdlevær and one at Hjelme), a flyby Lapland Bunting (my first of the year), some ten Chiffchaffs and at last some sylvia warblers with four Blackcaps and one Garden Warbler...

one of the Nuthatches on Sæle

a short week on Utsira

Was with my family for five days on Utsira. My brother Sybrand joined us for three days. High expectations as always, but no extreme birds. Very nice birding, though. What about 44 Yellow-browed Warblers on sunday! Also a bonelli warbler (bonelli/orientalis). DNA will hopefully decide on that bird. We found a Barred Warbler on tuesday.
Further Turtle Dove, Richards Pipits, Red-breasted Flycatchers, Grey Wagtails, Short-eared Owls, Hen Harriers, lots of Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests and Blackcaps.

the bonelli/orientalis

one of the 44 Yellow-broweds on sunday

Chiffchaff

Hen Harrier

Northern Fulmar not well 

Turtle Dove

Short-eared Owl

Yellow-browed Warblers about

Two days in a row to Øygarden. Yesterday the weather was too fine and today lots of wind. Birds few and far between, but on Herdlevær one or two Yellow-browed Warblers and at Sele another one. Some Coal Tits, Goldcrests and thrushes here and there. Further is a flyby Kestrel at Tjedstø worth mentioning. Still no sylvia warblers seen so far this autumn...

 Goldcrest at Herdlevær