Værøy 2026 Day 6

Well that’s it for this year - Værøy 2026 and my chance for a major rarity or two is over. I am writing this at Bodø airport as I wait for my flight to Oslo having had a final morning’s birding on the island and then the ferry ride back to Bodø via Moskenes.

The morning gave me three Yellow-browed Warblers which was my highest count of the trip and felt like a good way to say au revoir to the island. The ferry ride started less vomit inducing than I had feared but that was because the first leg to Moskenes was with a tail wind. When we headed to Bodø it was a different kettle of fish and was a roller coaster at times and the spray and wet windows meant I could see very little with a handful of Fulmars being the best.

So, how would I rate this year’s trip which is my 10th (annually 2012 to 2019, 2023 and 2026)? Weather (wind direction) wise it was not conducive to rare birds arriving but I was able to be out every day with winds not being a problem (despite forecasts saying otherwise) and no rain until the last hour of the last day. Not surprisingly then the birds did let us down. No national rarities or lifers for me and my only new Værøy (and Nordland county) species was the Hoopoe. Little Bunting, Common Rosefinch and Barred Warbler were good enough birds but nothing to really get the pulse racing. The fact that I didn’t see Yellow-browed Warbler every day and that three was my max day count sort of sums up the mediocrity of this year’s trip. BUT I wouldn’t be anywhere else🤩.

A video from today of a young White-tailed Eagle (havørn) featuring first the call of a Chiffchaff (gransanger) and then a Yellow-browed Warbler (gulbrynsanger) followed by footage of all three of today’s YbW.

The place we call Svingen due to it being by a swing in the road. Kjell can be seen in the waist high vegetation trying to locate a skulky warbler he had previously found there that was probably a Blyth’s Reed Warbler (busksanger). This area has previously held Savi’s and Lanceolated Warblers but is an incredibly infuriating place to bird as you normally just get a two second flight view of a bird and I prefer to leave it to Kjell as he finds it enjoyable

A lone Barnacle Goose (hvitkinngås) was flying around calling clearly feeling lonely and lost

Værøy Bird Obervatory aka Kjell’s holiday home is in the middle with the red roof

Værøy 2026 day 3

Today was the day that was expected, based on the weather forecast, to be THE day. However, as is often the case, the Bird Gods had other ideas. It was a very nice to be out and the steps were put in (although only 16,000 today) and the wind was from the east but it was a case of more birds leaving than arriving with for example the Little Bunting and Turtle Dove not to be seen.

I did have a fly over Olive-backed Pipit (no photo) and took photos and video of both Yellow-browed and Barred Warbler but these are pretty much the bare minimum of what you expect here on Oct 1st.

Yellow-browed Warbler video:

Barred Warbler video taken from the balcony of Værøy Bird Observatory aka Kjell’s house.

Yellow-browed Warbler (gulbrynsanger). After hearing a bird in the same area yesterday I got to see one today and the photos are at least better than I managed in Maridalen

Barred Warbler (hauksanger)

Værøy makes Oslo Birder feel welcome

Two late Swallows (låvesvale) with the military installation known simply as “Nato” in the background

Just a view

Sunrise at 0718 looking east to the mainland

Looking north

Yellow-browed Warbler reunion

Ever since my first autumn trip to Værøy in 2012 the sound of and then sight of Yellow-browed Warbler has been an essential and longed for part of my birding year.

Even the years when I wasn’t able to visit Værøy I have managed to see and hear the species until last year when I drew a blank. I assumed that my planned visit to Værøy in a weeks time would remedy that this year but yesterday I had a far, far, better blank buster.

I have had the “tsuit” call of YbW on my mind for the last two weeks and have had my ears peeled in the never ending hope of actually hearing one. Finally I was no longer hearing it inside my head - the sound was real and coming in through my ears. AND I was in Maridalen where the species has never been recorded before AND there was not one but two birds calling AND there was even some (sub)song AND I saw at least one of them well AND I got photos.

Værøy will have to produce something a Cosmic Mind F*cker (as the late, great Bill Oddie termed it) to beat a YbW IN THE DALE!!!

This was my third YwB in Oslo but was a new species for Maridalen taking the Maridalen list to 229 species of which I have now seen 214.

This video has the call, of one and then two birds and the subsong can also be heard

photographing it with the superzoom high up in the trees was nearly a challenge beyond my abilities but eventually some record, and even slightly artistic shots were bagged

Yellow-browed Warbler (gulbrynsanger) record shot

do you spot it?

one of three Black-throated Divers (storlom) on the lake. This was the only one that had started moulting

a couple of military helicopters buzzed The Dale

Sibes on Værøy good, Sibes at home best!

It is one thing travelling to Værøy and finding Sibes but it is something completely different to find them around Oslo. On Saturday Jack and I had an early morning trip to Fornebu and I was hoping to find (I am described at home as a naïve optimist..) Little Bunting, Yellow-browed Warbler and/or Olive-backed Pipit. Rather surprisingly this did not happen and we had to make do with a few Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps.

I am an optimist though and on Monday I was again at Fornebu in lovely crisp autumnal weather with ice on puddles following the first two nights with frost and there was an obvious arrival of birds especially thrushes. Lots of calling Song Thrushes had me thinking of Little Bunting but suddenly amongst the calls of Redwings I heard a call that on Værøy would have been an in the bag Olive-backed Pipit. It called again but I could not see it flying over and that was is it. OBP has never been recorded in Oslo & Akershus and a call only record will not be enough to add it to the list but a fun if brief and frustrating experience it was.

Today was far less infuriating though as I saw a Yellow-browed Warbler! Also at Fornebu it was proof that you don’t go birding with Jack if you want to find something scarce 😊 This bird did not call at all whilst I watched it which is the same experience with the two other birds I have found in south eastern Norway whereas birds on Værøy which are usually very freshly arrived can call a lot and this is how you usually find them.

Fornebu gave good views of Bearded Tits and Kingfisher (but again not when you are with Jack) so Simon was a happy birder.

To top it all I was out last night owling which made me even happier and will merit its own post soon.

Yellow-browed Warbler (gulbrynsanger) at Fornebu!

I engaged in a lot of pishing to try to bring the warbler closer but all it did was bring Goldcrests (fuglekonge) closer but they are nice too :-)

and this juvenile Siskin (grønnsisik) was also interested

I don't think pishing works on Kingfishers (isfugl)

and it may work on Bearded Tits (skjeggmeis) although I can't remember ever trying

this late Queen of Spain Fritillary (sølvkåpe) was a real surprise on Monday as it followed 2 nights of frosts and I thought the butterfly season would be over. It looks to be a quite fresh individual

Værøy 2023 Day 1

 So my first full day on Værøy has come to an end and I am a happy man 😊. At 13:28 I heard Yellow-browed Warbler and then at 13:31 I saw one (of eventually 3) so my Værøy trip is already a success and anything else is pure bonus. One of these bonuses turned up before the YbW with a Hawk Owl on a roof top being mobbed by two Hooded Crows - regular readers of this blog will understand that this sighting alone is enough to give me the shakes.

Other than these species the big event has been an unprecedented influx of Rough-legged Buzzards with over 40 being seen yesterday before I arrived. I have had to make do with around 10 birds but given that I have only seen two single birds here before then this was quite something.

Jack Snipe have also been incredibly numerous and I have seen 10 of over 20 recorded on the island.

I eventually took the helicopter out yesterday rather than the ferry because it has been VERY windy and I  figured a short but expensive helicopter trip would beat a free but 3 hour long bumpy boat trip.

The wind has made birding very difficult today but tomorrow it is forecast to be much less wind so we have high hopes.

Yellow-browed Warbler (gulbrynsanger)

Hawkie getting fed up with Hoodie

White-tailed Eagle (havørn) are numerous

Snow Bunting (snøspurv)

Golden Eagle (kongeørn)

Rough-legged Buzzard (fjellvåk) with a rat which is the only rodent on Værøy

Arctic Tern (rødnebbterne)

Garden Warbler (hagesanger). I had 5 species of Warbler with Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap in addition to the two whose photos grace this post

A Dipper (fossekal) my first on Værøy and only the second record here - as rare as White’s Thrush!

Real, wild Barnacle Geese (hvitkinngås) on their way from Svalbard to the UK

All the Rough-legged Buzzard that I looked closely at were 1cy. They must have had a good breeding season and the strong easterly winds have brought them out here