 |
 |
| Common Eider
/
Ærfugl, September 2008 |
Purple
Sandpipers / Fjæreplytt,are a common winter visitor in
Øygarden |
Auks of various
species can be
seen all year round, of these Black Guillemot is perhaps the species of
most interest to visiting birders. This species is especially easy to
see during the winter months.
Other
more
numerous winter visitors
include
Little Auk and Long-tailed Duck. Eider breed in the area and
numbers are swelled in winter, though where these birds come from is
uncertain - traditionally it was thought that the Eiders wintering in
Øygarden came from further north but there are some
indications
that
populations from the south may be invloved.
Fish eating birds are very numerous in Øygarden, huge
numbers of
gulls can be present and large flocks of roosting Great Cormorant and
Eurasian Shag can be seen on the offshore islands for much of the year.
There
are a number of heronries and numbers are further swelled during the
winter: there are several Grey Heron roosts which number 30 birds or
more. In the summer both Common and Arctic Terns are common, often
giving suberb views as they hunt small fish.
The main habitat
is
nutrient poor heathland, bogs and shallow pools.
Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Northern Wheatear, Oystercatcher, Great
Black-backed Gull and
Common Gull
breed over much of the area. Raven are a typical bird of the
area,
often seen out on the islands.
Lambs, Tjeldstø, April 2018
Most of the farming in Øygarden is centred around sheep, some of which are out all year round.
Although there have been
no documented cases of lambs otr sheep being taken by White-tailed
Eagles in Øygarden they do eat dead animals that die of
sickness, starvation or cold in the winter and are very attentive in
the lambing season when I have seen them eating afterbirth.
 |
 |
| A
true seabird the Fulmar / Havhest is a regular species in
Øygarden |
Barnacle
Geese / Hvitkingås, Herdlevær, October 2003 |
Linnet are one of
the
commonest finches during the summers months; Twite probably still breed
in
small numbers and are generally more abundant from late summer through
autumn. The numerous woods are full of Willow Warbler, Common
Whitethroat, Lesser Redpoll,
Chaffinch, Crested Tit and Coal Tit. Crossbills are regular and can
turn up in large numbers pretty much at any time of year - both Common
and Parrot Crossbills can be seen, although the latter is considerably
less regular.
 |
 |
| Raven / Ravn,
Skogsøy, May 2006 |
Black Grouse /
Orrfugl,
Svellingen, January 2004 |
Black Grouse breed
in
small numbers but are more often seen in the
winter months when it is possible that birds come over from the
mainland. Tree Sparrow is a relatively scarce species in
Hordaland but in Øygarden there are a number of localities
where
the species is very regular.
Other
passerines
that are reasonably regular during the appropriate
seasons are Grey-headed
Woodpecker (especially autumn),
Lapland Bunting, Snow Bunting
and Twite. Goldfinch are a hard bird to find in Hordaland but are seen
relatively often in Øygarden during late autumn and winter.
Other wildlife
seen during
birding trips include the prolific Porpoise,
occasional Pilot Whales and Orcas and, very rarely, Minke Whale.
Mink, Red Deer and a species of vole are the most often
encountered land mammals whereas Otter
are less regularly seen. See the Øygarden
animal page for more details.
Herdlevær
This
locality
is one of the better places
to find rarities in
Øygarden and deserves
a page for
itself: click
here
Breivik
Breivik
is
an area of
farmland just north of Herdlevær. The fields here can attract
waders, geese and flocks of thrushes; these fields are worth checking
regularly especially during the winter and early spring when they seem
to be most productive. Winter geese are often "good" geese such as
White-fronts or Bean Geese.
In March these fields regularly produce Mistle Thrush among flocks of
the commoner Fieldfare. Later in the spring Ring Ousel may also be
seen. Stonechat has also been recorded here.
Ring Ousel at Breivik, April 2019
 |
 |
| Fields
at Breivik |
"Sedge
Warbler" pond (picture taken 04:40, early July) |
 |
 |
| Eagle
Owl / hubro, September 2009 |
Bean
Goose / Sædgås, January 2006 |
Following the road
north
one passes a small pond surrounded by reeds,
this is probably the best place to see Sedge Warbler in
Øygarden. During the spring and summer Eurasian Woodcock can
be
seen "roding" here. It also seems a very promising locality for Water
Rail and should be worth checking regularly during the late autumn.
Solberg
|
 |
Solberg
is an ideal winter birding spot to scan the sea
for seaduck, it is also a easily accessible spot to check if there is
any activity out at sea.
Good numbers of Eider and Long-tailed Duck are usually present, Common
and
Velvet Scoters are also regular, although usually in smaller numbers.
Divers
and any of the other typical Øygarden species can also be
seen here. It is also excellent for White-tailed Eagle and other
raptors such as Peregrine Falcon. Even Gyrfalcon are a possibility here
during the late autumn and winter. Waders are thin on the
ground in
winter but at Solberg both Purple Sandpiper and Eurasian Curlew are
regular at this time.
gGyrfalcon /
Jaktfalk are
a possibility during the late autumn and winter
Dåvøy
Dåvøy
is another island in the vicinity of Solberg, here good views can be
obtained of Red-breasted Merganser and Common Goldeneye feeding very
close to the road. Grey Herons roost there in large numbers at times
and it is one of the most regular spots to find wintering Little Grebe.
One does not even have to get out of the car at this locality! However,
there is a nice walk here too - one that produces Slavonian (Horned)
Grebe in the winter along with the usual Øygarden suspects
including Otter.
The first Stork
seen on the ground in Øygarden, April 2020
Probably the rarest bird seen at Dåvøy
 |
 |
| Roadside view
at Dåvøy |
Red-throated Diver
/
Smålom.
A common migrant in Øygarden but winter birds such as the
one above are harder to find. |
Alvheim
Again
this locality excels in winter,
although it is worth
a visit at any time of year. There is a superb lookout point to the
north of the harbour overlooking a number of islands.
Scan
the tops of
the islands for White-tailed Eagle and other the
raptors and the sea for duck, divers and the occasional Red-necked
Grebe. Waders can be seen on any of the islands, although views are
generally distant.
 |
 |
| Crested Tit /
Toppmeis,
Tjeldstø, June 2008 |
Red-breasted
Merganser /
Siland, Tjeldstø, February 2008 |
Alvheim is
signposted
well from the main road and there is ample
parking down by the harbour - it is only a very short walk to the
lookout point from the car-park. Little grebe has occasioanlly turned
up in the harbour itself.
Resting Shags / Toppskarv
- a typical sight in Øygarden
Sæle
This
is a good place to visit to look for
passerines in
the gardens and hedgerows. There are a number of places to park and
then one can stroll along the roads checking the fields and hedgerows
for birds. Keep an eye on the sky too - White-tailed Eagle and other
raptors regularly fly over here.
Following the road down to the sea offers views of most of the
usual seaduck and the offshore islands.
View
at Sæle, June
 |
 |
| Northern Wheatear
/
Steinskvett, Breivik, October 2008 |
Common Guillemot /
Lomvi,
Tjeldstø, September 2008 |
Hellesøy
At
the very northern end of
Øygarden
Hellesøy can attract good numbers of migrants. It is also a
good place to scan the sea for seaduck, auks and divers - one can cover
both the east and west sides of the islands from here. Parking is
easy and the island is easy to cover on foot.
Rong / Oni
The
only
"shopping centre" in
Øygarden. Driving
down the road signposted "Rong kai" and following the road until it
ends leads to a good walk to "Ono". Here there are plenty of paths to
explore, they lead out to the coast where dramatic views of the islands
can be had. The sheltered bays should be checked for seaduck - good
numbers of both Red-breasted Merganser and Goldeneye can be found here
in addition to the usual selection of scoter, Long-tailed Duck and
Eider. Any of the small islands can hold waders in season. Keep an eye
on the clifftops and look out posts where raptors can be seen. Most of
the Øygarden specialities can be found here including
Crested
Tit, Grey-headed Woodpecker (in season) and others. Black Grouse
frequent the heaths in small numbers.
There
is a very
interesting looking area of reeds which will be worth checking anytime
from spring to autumn.
Svellingen
This
site is a good spot for seawatching,
although views
of some
species may be more distant than at Skogsøy it is a lot
easier
to get to and a wide variety of species may be seen here. One of the
main advantages of this locality is that it is easy to change between
looking for passerines and seawatching should conditions change.
Svellingen
is a
good site for Grey-headed Woopecker if they are around,
Snow Bunting are reasonably regular from late autumn to early spring
and it is one of the best places to see Black Guillemot.
View
from Svellingen
 |
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| Snow Bunting /
Snøspurv,
Svellingen, November 2005 |
Twite
/ Bergirisk,
Hernar, May 2009 |
Hjelme
Hjelme
is situated on the east side of
Øygarden
and although little visited by birders it certainly has potential. In
late autumn and winter Woodcock and Water Rail may be seen here along
with a variety of other "woodland" species. Views of the fjord can be
obtained here and passage of auks, ducks or other species can be
observed - especially during strong south westerly winds which can push
seabirds into the fjords.
In
summer Lesser
Whitethroat has been reasonably regular here in recent
years. Hjelme swings above its weight and has the first Little Egret
for Øygarden, Bee-eater and others to its credit. Rosefinch
has
occurred here a few times too.
This Bee-eater at
Hjelme in early June 2019 proved popular yet evasive for birders
Little Egret, Hjelme, November 2018
"Hjelme
West"
/ Hjelmo
A
superb site on the west side of Øygarden this site has
excellent
potential. It is nearer the offshore islands than Svellingen, the
lookout over the sea is higher and the views better. A 10 minute walk
through natural woodland brings one out to the coast. The woods are
full of Crested Tit, among other things.
The usual range of species can be seen here - it is a prime spot for
White-tailed Eagle, Peregrine and the usual selection of seaduck.
Waders
are often present on the islands. The woods and surrounding area look
good for a range of species and a "round trip" is recommended.
Finding the site is quite straightforward, although not immediately
obvious. Directions are given below:
 |
 |
 |
| Drive
past Hjelme church and park on the left immediately after the
cemetry. |
Follow
the path that goes along the back of the graveyard, turn off to the
right almost immediately |
You
pass this inlet on the way out to the coast.... |
Turøy
Turøy is not
actually in Øygarden
but is
immediately south of it. There used to be a bird observatory where
ringing was carried out on a regular basis. The results from
Turøy indicate the potential of the area for rarities.
Other
locations worth a try
The following locations are
barely visited but look
promising for a variety of species.
Hernar - Link to Hernar page here
The island of Hernar can be
reached by passenger boat from
Hellesøy. The birding potential of this island is very good
indeed, there are plenty of gardens and small fields which undoubtedly
attract migrants. This locality is even more underwatched and
underexplored than the rest of Øygarden and deserves a lot
more
attention. During autumn 2008 a few visits turned up Yellow-browed
Warbler, Great Grey Shrike, Water Rail and plenty more....The first
visit of autumn 2009 produced a cracking Greenish Warbler, the next a
Red-backed Shrike and the next a Common Rosefinch proving that
this island has what it takes.
Greenish
Warbler, Hernar, August 2009
Spring visits have been even fewer than autumn ones but have shown that
things like Icterine Warbler turn up.
The boat trip is very short and reasonably priced; unfortunately, as of
autumn 2008, the first bus from Bergen arrives at Hellesøy
10
minutes after the boat leaves for Hernar on weekdays.
As of summer 2008 there is no cafe or accomodation on the island,
although there is still a general store which is open regularly.
Link to boat timetable
Hellesøy
to Hernar
 |
 |
 |
| Click
on the above picture for the timetable Hellesøy to
Hernar |
View
over part of the settlement on Hernar |
|
Toftøy
The lake at
Toftøy often holds the usual
selection of
gulls and ducks; it would probably give results if covered more
regularly. Also here (and just visible from the main road) is a reedbed
that looks very promising for warblers and Water Rail in season. Part
of the "Nordsjøløypa" trail goes through this
area and
there a number of restored buildings here. The hill known as
Vikåsen looks excellent as a visible migration viewpoint.
 |
 |
 |
| Path
leading to the reedbeds and "Nordsjøløypa"
(Coastal trail) |
The
reedbeds, June 2006 |
One
of the restored buildings along the coastal trail |
Blomvåg
One of the most promising
areas near Blomvåg is
an area of
marsh which looks as if it should attract a variety of waders.
Definitely worth keeping an eye on....
Getting to
Øygarden
Location of
Skogsøy and Tjeldstø relative to Bergen. Pictures
from Google
Earth
The
first stop is Bergen, easily reached by air or by ferry from either
Denmark or Newcastle, England.
Once in Bergen city centre or at Flesland airport Øygarden
is easily reached either by car or by bus.
A car can be useful if one wishes to cover a number of localities in
one day, and is necessary if one wishes to make a very early start.
Busses
go from the city centre and also from Bergen (Flesland) airport. All
of the localities described on this page are easy to reach by bus,
being only a short walk from bus stops.
Staying
in
Øygarden
There is a variety
of
accomodation including camping sites, cabins and
hotels in Øygarden itself, or one can make it a day trip
from if
you are staying in Bergen and have plans to visit other places in the
area. Hire Cars are available both in the city centre and at the
airport.
