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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.
If you haven't seen this film, you should! Now when people ask what I do I show them this...
For Øygarden weather see bottom of this page
For latest seawatching results from Skogsøy and bird news from Øygarden click here
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.
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.
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 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 here
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.
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 lived 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 167 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.
 |
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.
Broad-billed Sandpiper - one of the target species in Engerdal, Norway
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. Additional information about
photography inckuding articles on digiscoping and reviews of compact
superzoom cameras can be found on the
articles pages.
I occasionally film a video or two using what I call my "point and pray" superzoom. The results are often rather better than I expect them to be and a selection of films can be seen on my You Tube channel.
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.
I occasionally film a video or two using what I call my "point and pray" superzoom. The results are often rather better than I expect them to be and a selection of films can be seen on my You Tube channel.
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.
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 opportunities it
offers.
Pallid Harrier, the latest addition to my garden list at Nautnes in Øygarden
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 or other non-birders with you. Some hints can be found on
the Travelpages.
Destinations covered include
Madeira,
Mallorca,
Iceland, Crete,
Lanzarote, Thailand,
Laos
and
Falsterbo
(Sweden).
Crossbill guides
are a brilliant concept - giving a comprehensive backgound, as well as
description of the wildlife and include a section on suggested walks.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
Pilot Whales, Aasta Hansteen, Norwegian Sector, September 2015
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.
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:
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