7th November

A nice morning with a light NW wind and the sun making several appearances; there were 20 new birds in the nets including a Chiffchaff while on the sea a few bits included 2 Great-northern Divers, 2 Purple Sandpipers, a Curlew, a Black Guillemot and 105 Little Auks.   Other highlights through the morning were a single Shorelark which went south, 2 Peregrines which were trying to catch Little Auks over the sea, the 1^st winter White-tailed Eagle past the lighthouse, 14 Crossbills and 3 Bullfinches.

                The coast was similar to yesterday with 6 Snow Buntings still, 2 Wheatears, 2 Slavonian Grebes in Verevågen and a Short-eared Owl while inland there was a Black Woodpecker in Lebeltet Nord and a flock of 14 Twite feeding in a stubble field.

 

Snow Buntings

 

6th November

Same again with a brisk, cold easterly and overcast skies; there were a handful of new Blackbirds in the few nets I could open while on the sea an adult White-billed Diver went south along with single Black Guillemot and Great-northern Diver and slightly improved numbers of Red-throated Divers and Kittiwakes (there have been really low numbers of 1^st winter Kittiwakes indicating a poor breeding season).

                Birds round the coast then included 6 Snow Buntings on Skarvodden with another couple over to the NW, a female Goshawk which came in low over the sea (as did several Redwings and Fieldfares), 2 Wheatears, 2 Short-eared Owls on Steinodden and a big, slightly interesting looking 1^st winter female Peregrine which soon disappeared.   Rain then moved in mid-afternoon putting an end to anything else!

 

Fieldfare and Redwing in amongst this morning's Blackbirds

I watched this Fieldfare come in across the sea

 

5th November

Similar conditions to yesterday apart from the easterly wind had picked up to at least force 6; I managed to get a couple of nets open which produced 4 Blackcaps and a Redwing while the sea was unremarkable with small numbers of Red-throated Divers, Razorbills, Kittiwakes and Little Auks, a few Ducks and a group of 4 Sparrowhawks which came in together, low over the water.

                After a couple of hours of rain at lunchtime the coast was quiet but what was there was good quality with a juvenile Iceland Gull in Verevågen (seen from Karveneset over by the pier but when I got round there it had disappeared!), a single Shorelark which flew south over Sevika, 4 Short-eared Owls out on Steinodden, 3 Snow Buntings on Skarvodden, 3 Greenland Wheatears by the lighthouse, 2 Purple Sandpipers and a Peregrine.

 

Short-eared Owls doing some good fly-bys

Iceland Gull - only the second I've seen here

 

4th November

More perfect conditions with a light, almost non-existent easterly breeze, complete cloud cover and a few drops of rain here and there led to a brilliant morning for passage; I spent the first few hours in Lebeltet were the highlight was at least 53 Northern Bullfinches with the plantation echoing with their honking, trumpeting calls as the perched on top of the trees calling before heading off NW.   Other birds in good numbers included 17+ Sparrowhawks (nearly all small males), 91+ Crossbills, 200+ Redpolls (probably all Mealy) and 860+ Fieldfares all eventually also heading NW.

                Also of note through the morning was a Great Grey Shrike, a Wheatear, good numbers of other Finches including Bramblings, Siskins and Goldfinches, 2 Goshawks, at least 6 Waxwings (others were heard), a calling Black Woodpecker, the 1^st winter White-tailed Eagle out on Skarvodden, a Peregrine, a single Whooper Swan over and a Short-eared Owl high over the lighthouse.

                Back out late morning but it was much quieter than first thing but there were hundreds more Fieldfares heading NW along with 2 Mistle Thrushes, a flock of 29 Waxwings, a Lapland Bunting, 2 Great-spotted Woodpeckers and at least 10 more Sparrowhawks.

                The afternoon was much quieter again but there were 3 late Swallows on the edge of town and a group of 4 Short-eared Owls high over the fields where the Great Grey Shrike was still perched.

 

If nothing else jumps in front of your camera, go and photograph the Long-tailed Ducks in the harbour!

 

3rd November

Pretty much dream conditions first thing with a light easterly breeze after drizzle kicked in halfway through the evening and it was very promising at first light with a few small flocks of Fieldfares and Redwings buzzing around and Robins and Goldcrests calling in the bushes but that was about it really with the birds that were here soon disappearing leaving a pretty quiet morning.   Another Blackcap and a Fieldfare were the highlights in the nets and a flock of 27 Waxwings went NW.

                Didn’t do too much for the rest of the day although the 1^st winter White-tailed Eagle was floating around and a male Sparrowhawk was in Vågsvollvika where two White Wagtails flew south.

 

 

 

I didn't take any pictures today so here are some baby birds for no apparent reason!

 

 

2nd November

A very pleasant day with light winds and the sun making a few appearances; managed 35 new birds in the nets including another Blackcap and 4 Coal Tits in amongst a little influx of Blue Tits and Great Tits.   I didn’t really see much on the sea in the short time that I looked but there was a bit of overhead passage especially when the sun came out properly mid-morning with 400+ Bramblings heading NW along with a few Yellowhammers, Redpolls, Goldfinches, Siskins and Skylarks; there were also 2 Waxwings, a/the Black Woodpecker which made a foray out to the lighthouse [again], 2 Peregrines, a late Curlew which went south, 2 Sparrowhawks and a couple of Grey Wagtails.

                There was little change out round the coast in the afternoon with 2 Wheatears on Skarvodden, 4 Grey Wagtails in Sevika, another Sparrowhawk which went high south and a Snow Bunting on Karveneset; inland it was even quieter with a Goshawk and a Great-spotted Woodpecker in Lebeltet Nord the only things of note.

 

House Sparrow

Black Woodpecker

Snow Bunting

Wheatear

Mink have been more obvious in the last week around the coast

 

1st November

Overcast again but the wind had dropped right away and switched round to the west; the nets were disappointing with 16 new birds caught including a Blackcap.   I didn’t really look at the sea for any extended time but I did see 2 Great-northern Divers and a single Scaup along with small flocks of Red-throated Divers, Razorbills, Common Scoters etc. while other birds through the morning included a Black Woodpecker which came out to the lighthouse, a single Snow Bunting over to the south, 6 Grey Wagtails and a Merlin which came in off the sea carrying prey.

                The afternoon was very pleasant with the sun coming out later on and birds around the coast included the Slavonian Grebe in Sevika, a Wheatear still on Skarvodden, the Lapland Bunting and a few Little Auks dotted around.   The Three-toed Woodpecker reappeared in Lebeltet and presumably the same 1^st winter White-tailed Eagle was sat in a field at Vatnemarka but otherwise it was very quiet inland.

 

Little Auks

Wren foraging in the seaweed

The Three-toed Woodpecker was again obliging, often being too close to fit the whole bird in the picture!