Gloomy but no rain

I missed completely last year's autumn migration ... still haven't figured what exactly happened. Went on a short two weeks holiday to Kuala Lumpur, came back, and the running around at the start of school year started and never ended. That was all of 2016 birding  over in a flash... not much birdwatching took place.

This year 2017, I popped over to Sandness Havn for the usual suspects wintering at Gandalfjord. Local weather being warmer than the past few years (warmest yet at 4-5 deg C this year in the midst of Jan). Saw a couple of cormorants, several swans, Tufted Ducks and a single Goldeneye on one particular Sunday. There were no Common Widgeon spotted.  It used to be much more festive during colder winters of previous years.

Tried again over the past weekend at Risavika Havn. First with a scope than followed up with the 400mm. There were Common Scoter (Melanitta fusca), Black Scoter (Melanitta nigra), Goldeneye, Common Eider, Common Widgeon and Mallards. It was pretty interesting watching the M. fusca diving in for mussels. First ever sighting of a first winter M. nigra for me this year.

After Risavika, I took a quick detour to Sola airport. With parts of the Sola splitten road almost completed, the ducks are back. Saw many Mallards and Common Scaup (Athya marila) both adults and first winter juveniles.

Must go back with the 600mm ... if only the sky stays clear and dry.

Ducks at Madla and Harsfjord Bridge

It was snowing last weekend, then things started to freeze ... thought this was as a good a sunny day for checking out the ducks around Stavanger. With the day being so short these days, there are not many hours to birdwatch even if it's not -5 deg C.

The sun creeps up slowly by 8:30am or 9:00am; there's barely any light at 9:30am. By 3pm things starts to wind down, ducks returning to roost and suddenly nightfall! Including travel to and from site, you probably have only a few hours of prime birding ... if you don't freeze along the way.

We left the house towards Madla around 10:30am and made our way down to the water's edge with difficulty with frozen ice completely covering the grounds. There were a few hairy almost fall flat on your face moments ... fortunately we managed unscathed.

The reluctant birder

Melanitta fusca

Anas penelope

 

Anas penelope

Anas penelope

First winter gull ... Glaucous or Iceland or Herring?

From the lake edge, it was already clear that things were not quiet with the ducks even at this temperatures. They were pretty active seeking food in the waters, parts of which having the consistency of slurpy. There were about 20-30 Velvel Scoter feeding together in two large clumps. There were also several pairs of Common Scoter about the lake. A group of Mallards as well as a sizable number of Common Eider were slowly cruising near the middle of the lake. Mallards being Mallards, these were the only species that would come up towards you completely unafraid expecting food ... prime candidate for Peking Duck in some places.

The gulls were around too, I'm still clueless at to which is which.

We have seen the scoters before at Jaeren coast, as well as the Long-tailed Duck. A new duck for us at Three Swords was the Common Goldeneye. Another new one for the list was the Eurasian Widgeon which we saw near Harsfjord bridge later in the day.

There were a few other good places for ducks that weekend ... with time being so short, temperatures colder than we are used too, we decided to call it a day. There's no pressure ... the ducks will be there next week.

I was introduced to ducks while in Holland way back. Watching pochards, other ducks and geese on the northern coast bordering Germany in -5 to -10 deg C windchill factor was one winter actvity I dearly missed.

Next stakeout when temperature permits : Stokkavatnet, Mosvannet and Harsfjord waterbody by the airport.