The winds became even more
favourable yesterday afternoon with them being pure southerly and up to storm
force. I positioned myself at Krokstrand for nearly six hours using the car as
a base to seek cover during the frequent deluges. Things started well with the
first rain storm bringing with it a load of Gannets and Fulmars with both of
these species then being seen regularly after this with a single group of 38
Gannets and 8 Fulmar seen on a single sweep although estimating the total
numbers was very difficult because I think I was seeing the same birds circling
around during the whole period (others take a far less conservative approach
though and would have probably reported at least twice the numbers I did).
With Gannets and Fulmars
being such proper seabirds then I was expecting other species, but a single
Kittiwake and a few auks was it!! This is clearly a sign that there were very
few birds in the outer Oslofjord in the first place and sites further south had
a bit more variety but no large numbers with especially Kittiwake being
surprisingly scarce. The winds continued until around midnight before becoming
more westerly and this must have pushed in more birds because people who were
watching from dawn in Østfold today had Cory’s, Sooty and Manx Shearwaters all
heading south and out of the fjord.
I leave for Værøy on Monday
but I have to be honest and say that expectations are not high. With the current
weather forecast I am not even sure I will see Yellow-browed Warbler and our sights
are set more on seabirds and a yankee or two.
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| Fulmar (havhest) - there was areal swell today and the Fulmars were shearing around |
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| 13 or so Gannets (havsuler) from a single group of 38 |
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| some closer Gannets |
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| and the days only Kittiwake (krykkje) |
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