16th–31st October
Unfortunately, the second half of October was in stark contrast to the latter part of the last period under review, with regard to both birds and weather, this came as no great surprise though.
Much wind and when it almost began to snow it was not easy to get inspiration.
Anyway, the 16th gave a Little Grebe on the eastern side of the island, a Bluethroat was sighted in the north, Short-eared Owl and Grey Wagtail was seen, and the first Eurasian Woodcock of the autumn entered the log.
The Rosy Starling from last period was caught for ringing on the 17th, which also turned out to be its last day.
Also Yellow-browed Warbler and Common Rosefinch on the same date. A Garden Warbler was the first for a while, time will tell if it will be this year´s last one. Twelve Long-tailed Tits brightened the day; ten of them got a permanent relic after meeting the mist-net.
A female-type Black Redstart started a residence near the Boarding house from the 18th.
Some birds of prey on the 23rd: White-tailed Eagle, two Northern Harriers, Rough-legged Buzzard and four Eurasian Sparrowhawks. In the northeasterlies counts from the eastern seaboard gave among other things seven Red-throated Loons, four Great Northern Loons, some 2,500 Razorbills / Common Murres and 40 Little Auks on their way south.
An Arctic Redpoll exilipes was caught.
The autumn´s first Common Merganser was in the lake together with the regular flock of Greylag Geese on the 26th. Next day the flock had company of a Barnacle and a Pink-footed Goose.
A Water Rail has been showing at the dump a couple of times during the period.
More than one hundred Little Auks fought the headwind on the 28th. The true figure was probably several hundreds.
The first national rarity for what was considered a long time was a Pallas´s Leaf Warbler (Eivind Sande et al.) in a plantation adjacent to the ringing forests on the afternoon of the 29th. Gale and torrential rain did its best to hamper observations but it still lightened up.
Now, at the end of autumn proper warblers are thin on the ground and represented only by Eurasian Blackcaps (in two figures) and Common Chiffchaffs (fewer). The latter has once again turned up in several variants this autumn, with at least one (on the 23rd) being a new-classical tristis.
Eight Woodcocks is a large number for Utsira. Also, several flocks of Bohemian Waxwings, Common Redpolls and Eurasian Bullfinches still linger and the same goes for the Pink-foot.
At the very end of the period under review, in the afternoon hours of the 31st, two Pallas´s Leaf Warblers (Geir Mobakken) were seen. First one near the church and then one near the lighthouse.
