A raptor goose chase

Today I had two goals: find and count the Bean Geese (sædgås) and find a good raptor. Red-footed Falcons (aftenfalk) have invaded NE Europe in the last few weeks and Pallid Harriers (steppehauk) are passing through so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find something good?

As I drove up to the first place I was going to check for the geese a carpet of mist had me feeling very pessimistic about my chances. As I wound down the window (or pressed a button as we have done for the last 20 years) and turned off the engine I heard the geese!! It took over half an hour before the mist cleared enough for me to see them but I eventually counted ca.160 which is the same as a couple of weeks ago. Due to the mist and distance I was again unable to read any collars although there were a few visible. Also here a Red-throated Pipit (lappiplerke) called from amongst some Meadow Pipits (heipiplerke) in a stubble field.

Feeling happy that my first goal was safely in the back of the net I made my way to the south east hoping for raptors. At my first stop I had 2 Kestrels (tårnfalk) on wires which got me excited for a few seconds. Sparrowhawk (spurvehauk), Buzzard (musvåk) and an early Rough-legged Buzzard (fjellvåk) showed but no harriers of any description. A Great Grey Shrike (varsler) was also an early bird. I continued through areas of stubble and rough grassland but still no Harriers although Buzzards were fairly numerous. At Hellesjøvannet the breeding Marsh Harriers didn’t show and are presumably long gone although 71 Pochard (taffeland) are new in. Also here were both Crested Tits (toppmeis) and Willow Tits (granmeis) by the lake which is yet another indication that a large movement is taking place.

My last hope for a good raptor was the farmland by the large Hemnesjøvannet and here I did score a good raptor but not as good as I hoped: an adult White-tailed Eagle (havørn).

Værøy: three days and counting.....

do you see what I saw?

this Buzzard (musvåk) was looking for food (worms?) by walking around

my first Great Grey Shrike (varsler) of the autumn

and my first Mistle Thrush (duetrost) of the autumn

my first Rough-legged Buzzard (fjellvåk) of the autumn

and my second White-tailed Eagle (havørn)