11th October

Very calm overnight but I only managed to catch a single Tengmalm’s Owl in the small hours with another one seen perched on a guy rope; with the excellent conditions it was another busy morning in the nets with 180 new birds caught, again numbers were dominated by 65 Goldcrests (including a Swedish control) and 69 Blue Tit but there was a bit more variety including 9 Blackcaps, 5 Chiffchaffs, a Coal Tit, 3 Bramblings, a Lesser Redpoll and a couple of Reed Buntings in amongst the rest.   There was little time to look elsewhere through the morning although a flock of 6 Mistle Thrushes went south – the first of the autumn, a near adult White-tailed Eagle flew over and a male Merlin flashed past.

                Unlike yesterday it was a brilliant afternoons birding with many more migrants throughout the autumn (this is how it’s supposed to be!) with the highlights in no particular order being a monster Gyrfalcon sat on the end of Skarvodden, a cracking 1^st winter Rough-legged Buzzard low over Lebeltet, great views of a Yellow-browed Warbler in Lebeltet, awesome close views of a female Three-toed Woodpecker in Lebeltet Nord and a smart, loudly calling Siberian Chiffchaff on the edge of Seviksmarka – not bad at all!

                Common migrants were well up throughout the area as well as totals included 19 Blackcaps, 11 Chiffchaffs, a Redstart, 50+ Goldcrests, 26+ Reed Buntings, 8 Wheatears, 38+ Robins, 2 Short-eared Owls and 4 Treecreepers making it feel more like a real autumn day!   Other bits of note comprised 2 Peregrines including one ambitiously chasing Razorbills offshore, another Merlin, a female Scaup in Vågsvollvika and 80 Wigeon, a Pintail and the 3 Brent Geese on Vågsvollvåien.

 

Gyrfalcon surveying her kingdom

Yellow-browed Warbler

Rough-legged Buzzard

Three-toed Woodpecker

Siberian Chiffchaff - it sounded like one anyway!

Swedish ringed Goldcrest

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

The Goshawks are still busy eating their way through the medium sized birds of the area - two Short-eared Owls within metres of each other and a very fresh Kestrel