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The Pom Skua is more a birth mark than a tattoo - click on picture to view other birder's tattoos.
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This image comes from NASA's superb collection of images which can
be found on the Visible Earth site here. It actually shows a Saharan dust
storm over the North Sea - perhaps bringing rarities with it.
For
Øygarden weather
see bottom of this page
For
latest
seawatching
results from Skogsøy and bird news from Øygarden
click here
Intro
Intro
I
have
been birding almost as long as I can
remember; with bird mad parents and growing up where I did I
never had
a chance to develop normal interests.... Migration is my main
interest and seawatching is
THE
form
of birding I enjoy most.
However,
birding to some people may be more than sitting on a remote headland
until hypothermia sets in so this site also covers some of the other
birding I do whilst not seawatching.
This
site is
covers a variety of topics, with the emphasis on
seawatching. The Skogsøy
sides
detail, among other things, the spring migration
of divers past SW Norway. Main species of interest in
spring here
are White-billed Diver, Red-throated Diver and all the Skuas. A wide
variety of seaduck and waders also pass in large numbers - passage of
some species beats better known birding locations such as Utsira and
Fair Isle
hands down.
There are also some tips and hints on seawatching, covering the do's and don'ts of the various types of this kind of birding on the Seawatching Essentials page. Seawatching gone wrong is covered on the Seawatching Nightmares page and some of the crazy (and not so crazy) ideas that go through a seawatchers head are presented on the Seawatch Junky page. A collection of seawatching lookout points and shelters can also be found on this site.
During the spring of 2006 I seawatched every for two and a half months making systematic counts of migrating seabirds heading up the Norwegian coast; the place where this happened is Skogsøy in Øygarden (north west of Bergen, Norway). More details about the 2006 season and seawatching in general can be found here.
For seawatching results from the spring of 2006 click here
For seawatching results from the spring of 2007 click here
For seawatching results from the spring of 2008 click hereThere are also some tips and hints on seawatching, covering the do's and don'ts of the various types of this kind of birding on the Seawatching Essentials page. Seawatching gone wrong is covered on the Seawatching Nightmares page and some of the crazy (and not so crazy) ideas that go through a seawatchers head are presented on the Seawatch Junky page. A collection of seawatching lookout points and shelters can also be found on this site.
During the spring of 2006 I seawatched every for two and a half months making systematic counts of migrating seabirds heading up the Norwegian coast; the place where this happened is Skogsøy in Øygarden (north west of Bergen, Norway). More details about the 2006 season and seawatching in general can be found here.
For seawatching results from the spring of 2006 click here
For seawatching results from the spring of 2007 click here
Zino's Petrel, Madeira,
August 2011
I
currently
live in
Øygarden kommune, NW of Bergen. Øygarden
is
widely considered to be the
best place for birding in Hordaland county. This is the reason
I
live there. Perhaps unsurprisingly I live on the edge of a nature
reserve and
my local patch is covered on the Tjeldstø
pages.
It isn't exactly going to appear in any RAMSAR listings, but it
certainly provides enough birding interest at a local level. A garden
list of over 160 species in eight years gives an indication of the
potential of the place.
There is a good island in Øygarden for finding migrant passerines and which regularly turns up rarities. This is the island of Hernar and more details about this fantastic place can be found here.
There is a good island in Øygarden for finding migrant passerines and which regularly turns up rarities. This is the island of Hernar and more details about this fantastic place can be found here.
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The
Øygarden pages give a brief description of a
selection
of localities in one of the best areas for birding in
Hordaland. The area was affected by an oil spill from the shipwreck of
the "Server" on the neighbouring island of Fedje in January 2007. The
effects of this are documented
here Latest news and pictures can be viewed here:  |
If
you
consider yourself a Natural Born Birder (or you know someone who
is) there may be something of interest in the Webshop
for you. While shopping for birding accessories, consider getting
contact lenses at lens.com to help
enhance your birding experience.
A camera is usually in my bag such that I can do some opportunist photography; a selection of pictures taken from around the world can be found in the Gallery section. All pictures were taken in the wild and care was taken not to disturb the birds at all times.
Some information about the equipment I use and some tips for keeping warm during protracted seawatches can be found on the Equipment page. Many birders have a number of books, I have a small library of them and some recommendations can be found on the books page. My latest acquisitions are shown below.
Identification Guide to European Passerines
Short-eared Owl with Brambling, North Sea, November 2011
A camera is usually in my bag such that I can do some opportunist photography; a selection of pictures taken from around the world can be found in the Gallery section. All pictures were taken in the wild and care was taken not to disturb the birds at all times.
Some information about the equipment I use and some tips for keeping warm during protracted seawatches can be found on the Equipment page. Many birders have a number of books, I have a small library of them and some recommendations can be found on the books page. My latest acquisitions are shown below.
Identification Guide to European Passerines
When I first moved
to
Norway I lived east of Bergen and developed a
taste for birding in the mountains. Here too visible migration was an
important part of the birding. For more details of birding in the hills
of western Norway, see the Gullfjell
pages.
The Hardangervidda
is within easy driving distance of Bergen so I have
also included some information on the unique birding opportunites it
offers.
Short-eared Owl with Brambling, North Sea, November 2011
Some
birders
still have families and I fall into this category - I have
therefore added some trip reports from family holidays which show that
it is quite possible to get some decent birding in even if you do have
the family with you. Some hints can be found on the Travel
pages.
Destinations covered include Madeira,
Mallorca, Crete,
Lanzarote,
and
Falsterbo
(Sweden).
Arctic Redpoll, Shotkman, Barent's Sea, October 2010
Latest bird news from Hordaland:
All content on this site is copyright Julian Bell © 2005-2011
Most images on this website are for sale. For picture use or other enquires please contact me.
Natural Born Birder is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk
Arctic Redpoll, Shotkman, Barent's Sea, October 2010
I
grew up in north
Northumberland in NE England and it is here I really
started birding. Some information on this wonderful
area is included on the U.K.
side.
My
work as
an
offshore
surveyor
has taken me all around the coasts and seas of
Europe and beyond. Some of the birding opportunities and experiences
can be found
on the Offshore
pages.
Latest bird news from Hordaland:
All content on this site is copyright Julian Bell © 2005-2011
Most images on this website are for sale. For picture use or other enquires please contact me.
Natural Born Birder is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk
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