Værøy day 5

Well my first day alone on the island started with a feeling that something was in the air. The strong northerly winds and rain overnight had given way t a still sunny morning. Meadow Pipits were in the air and after only 10 minutes I had a Sylvia warbler. It wasn’t too cooperative but eventually showed itself to be “just” a Whitethroat (tornsanger). I’ll need to check but I think this is a pretty good record here although I would have preferred something rarer. Whilst checking the intricacies of Sylvia warblers in the Collins Bird Guide (Svensson et al) I noticed that according to them immature Whitethroat and Subalpine Warblers are exactly the same. I’m sure I ‘m not the first to spot this but it looks like they have used the same picture for both species!

spot the difference

an unexpected Whitethroat (tornsanger)

 Continuing my usual route through Sørland, then Marka and finally the Plantation I had 6 Yellow-browed Warblers (gulbrynsanger), 9 Chiffchaffs (gransanger), 2 Willow Warblers (løvsanger) (including one affectionately named “psyco” by the other due to its completely abnormal call that it uttered continually and very tatty plumage), 4 Dunnocks (jernspurv), 7 Reed Buntings (sivspurv), 30 Ring Ouzels (ringtrost), a Merlin (dvergfalk), 1 Garden Warbler (hagesanger), 1 Robin (rødstrupe), 1 Pied Flycatcher (svarthvit fluesnapper), 3 Common Redpolls (gråsisik) and best of all 2 Hornemanni Arctic Redpolls (polarsisik). The later two were in a very productive area where I sat patiently after seeing a Y-b Warbler and with some pishing I also attracted in Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Pied Fly and the Redpolls.

In the field the Hornemanni were noticeably larger than the Common Redpolls and in flight the white rumps were very large. When relaxed they were also very fluffy although in the pictures they were either feeding or alert and therefore look sleeker.

Arctic Redpoll of race hornemanni (polarsisik)

The large white rump is visible

I also had good views of a hunting Golden Eagle (kongeørn) which was flying over the lower slopes of the hills and most easily picked out due to the shadow it cast on the hillside. It was not a full adult due to some pale patches at the base of the primaries but I would imagine that after its next moult it will have full adult plumage.

Sub adult Golden Eagle (kongeørn)

The Glaucous Gull (polarmåke) was present at the harbour mouth.

I got myself a lift to Nordland and added 2 Lesser Whitethroats (møller), 2 Black-throated Divers (storlom) and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits (lappspove) which were all new tour species for me. Also 2 Y-b Warblers taking me to 8 for the day and two pairs of White-tailed Eagles calling frequently and engaging in pair bonding behaviour.

So no big rarities although I couple of birds that I never got to see properly had “a feeling” about them ;-)

The easterly winds are forecast to start this evening and continue until lunch tomorrow. Let’s hope something good falls out of the sky.

Yellow-browed Warbler (gulbrynsanger)

Willow Warbler (løvsanger)

Chiffchaff (gransanger)

Lesser Whitethroat (møller)

Værøy day 4

Westerly winds really aren’t that good out here and this morning there was no visible migration. I was offered an early lift to Nordland so decided to join the gang for their early morning round. On arrival though I found that given this was their last day they had decided to concentrate on Sørland so I drove back with them.

We went first to the Blyth’s Reed Warbler (busksanger) garden and this time I managed to see it although mostly brief fleeting views. My single picture where you can see a bird could perhaps be described as a diabolical documentation picture (or maybe not).

Short primary projection and suggestion of banana posture - what more do you need to ID Blyth's Reed Warbler?

We then headed for the Plantation but it was equally quite here. Just a couple of Chiffchaffs (gransanger), my first Dunnock (jernspurv) of the trip with three (perhaps an indication of new arrivals) and a single calling Yellow-browed Warbler (gulbrynsanger). A message that there had been a Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler (starsanger) trapped and ringed on adjacent island Røst gave us some hope and we split up again as we headed towards Sørland. A couple of the guys went with the car to fill up petrol and Kjell went walking in the adjacent field which has a lot of high grass. A cryptic warbler that he kicked up twice had him thinking PGTips and we all assembled to secure better views. The bird flew up in front of us a couple of times before showing well enough to confirm, rather unfortunately, that it was in fact a Sedge Warbler. Nevermind, we all (and Especially Kjell) had a little adrenalin kick.

I said farewell to the others as they headed back to Nordland to pack and clean up in their rented house and made a round of Sørland. The wind was now getting stronger and their was constant drizzle so I was not full of hope. Single calling Chiffchaff and Yellow-browed Warbler plus 20 odd Ring Ouzels (ringtrost) were the best I had before I headed to the harbour where a fishing boat had attracted around 500 large gulls. The vast majority were adult Herring Gulls (gråmpke) with a scattering of younger age classes, 60 odd Great Black-backed Gulls (svartbak) and best of all a Glaucous Gull (polarmåke). It was a juvenile/1^st winter and as such is a quite early bird. It also looked like it had some oil on it’s breast feathers.

Dark (oiled or mucky) juvenile/1st winter Glaucous Gull

at distance it looked paler and more normal

Glaucous Gull (polarmåke)

Whilst here a pipit flew over and called once sounding very much like the Olive-backed (sibirpiplerke) I had yesterday but it disappeared into the distance without calling again.

I now have the island to myself for the next two days. Obviously my chance of being the finder of a rarity increases as I have no competition but it is quite daunting as the island is large. If the easterly winds that are forecast for Tuesday bring in an arrival of birds then I think I will have to concentrate on Sørland. The map below shows the island.

I was only in the field for 8 hours today with tired legs, rain and the offer of a Sunday roast tempting me indoors at 3pm. I need to keep my energy levels up for the next two days.

Værøy Day 3

I didn’t leave the house until 07:15 this morning. Not sure if it was the celebratory beer or a body not used to being on its feet for 11 hours but it was not easy getting out of bed this morning. When I did get out there was hardly a breath of wind in the air and the scattered cover was high so a nice day for birding but would it be a good days for birds?

As I made my way through the streets of Sørland checking the gardens there were Meadow Pipits (heipiplerke) flying over and a couple of Reed Buntings (sivspurv)– it felt like there had been some new arrivals. Two Yellow-browed Warblers (gulbrynsanger) in gardens were definitely new and had company of four Chiffchaffs. As I walked along the road that leads through “Marka” towards the Plantation I had a couple of silent pipits sitting in the middle of bushes that required a bit of work to confirm they were only Meadow. Yellow-browed Warblers were very much in evidence with the birds also calling regularly suggesting new arrivals. I had 7 in total and I hadn’t even come to the Plantation. It definitely felt like something was happening. A phonecall to Kjell revealed they had a couple of Yellw-broweds and a heard only Olive-backed Pipit (sibirpiplerke) in Nordland so I was definitely having more birds in Sørland.

So what was I going to find in the Plantation.......? Nothing new as it turned out but I did refind the Red-flanked Bluetail (blåstjert) which was not seen yesterday and had two more Yellow-browed Warblers bringing me to 11 in total. I had 12 Chiffchaffs during the day but at times it felt like Yellw-broweds were the commonest bird on the island.

The others had by now driven down to Sørland and started by checking areas I had not covered. A Blyth’s Reed Warbler (busksanger) and Olive-backed Pipit were the result! As I started the long walk to where these birds were seen I had to retrace my steps but this time I did not see or hear a single Yellow-browed! They just seemed to disappear as the day wore on. Also to show how difficult it can be even when one is on an island, I checked out one isolated garden with a number of fruit bushes three times. On the first visit I had a single Blackcap, on the second nothing and on the third a Garden Warbler.

I failed to see the Blyth’s Reed in dense vegetation but did finally bump into an Olive-backed Pipit with it flying up calling although I cannot exactly say it was mind-blowing views.

Otherwise there were a number of Redpoll sp. flying around. There have been a number of hornemanni Arctic Redpolls (polarsisik) reported elsewhere in Nordland over the last few days but I had to make do with three exilipes Arctic Redpolls and a handful of Common Redpolls (gråsisik) including juveniles without a trace of red. On the sea there are still many Kittiwakes (krykkje) which perhaps explains why so few have been turning in Southern Norway and a single adult Arctic Skua (tyvjo).

The weather over the next two days does not look too promising for any large scale new arrivals but on my final day (Tuesday) there are easterlies forecast. I leave on the 5pm helicopter so will have 9 hours in the field to find the big one.

There were no great photo opportunites today but I did manage better shots of the Bluetail and a Yellow-browed plus a photogenic Snow Bunting (snøspurv):

Red-flanked Bluetail (blåstjert). The red flanks are obvious and in this picture you can just about make out the blue tail

Ywllow-browed Warbler (gulbrynsanger)

Snow Bunting (snøspurv)

Værøy day 2

I slept fitfully (either because I was missing home comforts or because I couldn’t wait to get out in the field again). The wind was forecast to be from the north which isn’t exactly ideal but I even so there were bound to be birds out there. I was up at 6am and out of the house at 0640 when it was just about light enough to tell an Eastern Crowned Warbler from a Yellow-browed Warbler (I should be so lucky).

It was overcast and there was some drizzle to start with but this had unfortunately failed to bring down any birds. As I walked around the gardens of Sørland the only warbler I had was a single Chiffchaff (gransanger). Flying overhead were 50+ Snow Buntings (snøspurv) and a few Bramblings (bjørkefink), Chaffinches (bokfink) and Meadow Pipits (heipiplerke) but little else. I made my way up to the plantation and spent a couple of hours here trying to ensure I saw everything that was hiding in there. The only new bird from yesterday was a Pied Flycatcher and Willow Warbler and otherwise 3 Yellow-browed Warblers (gulbrynsanger) were still present along with 3 or 4 Chiffchaff and a couple of Goldcrest (fuglekonge). I spent a long time trying to take pictures of the Yellow-browed Warblers but it was very frustrating.

Yellow-browed Warbler (gulbrynsanger) front on

Yellow-browed Warbler from below

nearly the whole bird!

I had a message from the others who are staying in the north of island that it was very quiet except for a single Barred Warbler (hauksanger). That wasn’t enough to tempt me up there but when a message came through just after 10am that they had found a Siberian Stonechat (asiasvartstrupe) then it was time to ring Erling, my personal taxi driver and hot wing it up there. After meeting up with the 5 members of the “Værøygjeng” (Kjell Mjølsnes, Geir Kristensen, Evan Mjaaland, Tore Berg and John Alsvik) I went searching for the Stonechat which had temporarily disappeared. After a bit of tramping around it suddenly popped in front of me and eventually allowed itself to be portrait photographed.

Siberian Stonechat (asiasvartstrupe). Fantastic bird!

The Barred Warbler also showed although only in flight and a Yellow-browed Warbler called.

We then all headed back to Sørland in the afternoon where the only real excitement was two Olive-backed Pipits (sibirpiplerke) seen by just one of us and that not being me. Alongside the numerous White-tailed Eagles (havørn) were also 2 (maybe 3) adult Golden Eagles (kongeørn) and a nice surprise was a Gyr Falcon (jaktfalk) that put up the two Golden Eagles that had been perched on a mountain top.

Finishing the day off around the gardens of Sørland I only found Meadow Pipits plus a new Willow Warbler and a couple of Chiffchaffs. After 11 hours in the field I will be enjoying a beer now!

Snow Bunting (snøspurv)

Gyr Falcon (jaktfalk)

Golden Eagle (kongeørn) pair taken at great range