Only one day to go until I am on Værøy and it couldn’t come
sooner. The messages have ticked in today of all the good birds that are
waiting for me: Red-flanked Bluetail (blåstjert), Olive-backed Pipit
(sibirpiplerke), at least 15! Yellow-browed Warblers (gulbrynsanger) and
yesterday a Pechora Pipit (tundrapiplerke).
To practice my field skills I walked out to Årnestangen
today. Unfortunately the water levels have been allowed to rise leaving only a
tiny area of mud. This still attracted waders but you have to wonder how many there
would be if the water level was regulated even lower. Amongst 18 Dunlin (myrsnipe)
there were four Ringed Plover (sandlot), 1 Knot (polarsnipe), 1 Grey Plover
(tundralo) and 1 Sanderling (sandløper) which made for a good mix and also
allowed me to take some good pictures.
Raptors were also fairly well represented but the ubiquitous
Peregrines (vandrefalk) and Marsh Harriers (sivhauk) of previous visits were
now absent and in their place two White-tailed Eagles (havørn), one a sub adult
which still had black tips to its white tail feathers and a full adult which
had a completely white tail. Surely these magnificent creatures will breed here
soon. Also a single female Hen Harrier (myrhauk) which although I didn’t see it
well gave no association to anything rarer, a Buzzard (musvåk), a pair of
Goshawks (hønsehauk) circling together showing off the size difference between
the sexes and a single hunting Sparrowhawk (spurvehauk).
Ducks were in much lower numbers than of late probably due
to the higher water levels although I did find two Pintails (stjertand).
Passerines were present in good numbers with flocks of
Chaffinches (bokfink), Bramblings (bjørkefink), Siskins (grønnsisik), Reed Buntings
(sivspurv), Tree Sparrows (pilfink) and Meadow Pipits (heipiplerke). Also a
single Redstart (rødstjert), calling Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (dvergspett), a
late singing Willow Warbler (løvsanger), Chiffchaffs (gransanger) and a
Blackcap (munk). So I got my eye in but I will be faced with a whole new set of
challenges on Værøy tomorrow and can’t wait to get stuck into a few sibes!
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| juvenile Knot (polarsnipe) |
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| juvenile Sanderling (sandløper) |
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| knot again... |
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| a very bleached and abraded adult Ringed Plover (delayed moult?) |
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| juvenile Ringed Plover |
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| Grey Plover |
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| juvenile Dunlin moulting into 1st winter plumage |
In Maridalen there was a single Buzzard, an adult
Black-throated Diver (storlom) and still six Guillemots including this
photogenic (probably on its last legs) individual.
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| Guillemot |
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