Iceland Gull (Øystein B. Nilsen)The new year started with some birds of prey in the shape of White-tailed Eagle, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Peregrine Falcon. Also, some alcids appeared: Razorbill, Little Auk and Common Murre, one dead of the latter (wing: 195 mm). Of the geese there is now only one flock of Greylags, accompanied by a single Brant Goose bernicla.

On 12th January, House Sparrows arrived with the ferry. After the free lift they (three males) settled near their once traditional place of Hjemmet. Even though the method is dubious it has to be regarded as a new record, and it is the first since 2009 and before that 2005.

Our minor share of the white-winged gulls further west appeared on 13th January with a pale, young Iceland Gull in the northern harbour. The same or a new one was seen on 29th January.

Apart from the most obvious birds to winter, Eurasian Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Song Thrush is represented by a few individuals. A young Rook is residing in the south.

After a false start, the season at the seawatch point of Pedleneset opened on 21st January. In the westerlies, five Northern Fulmars, 30 Black-legged Kittiwakes and five Little Auks flew past.

Grey Plover (Sveinung Larsen)Waders have been quite few: Eurasian Curlew, Purple Sandpiper and Northern Lapwing.

On 26th January, Utsira´s first midwinter record of Black Redstart was a reality with a female-type bird in the south harbour. It stayed for a couple of days. With record numbers of eastern Black Redstarts in northwest Europe during the last few months, the subspecific identity of this bird is by no means obvious.

A Purple Sandpiper in a field some way inland on 27th January is unprecedented for this saltwater species. It was accompanied by a European Golden Plover. Common Merganser and Great Northern Loon is both uncommon on Utsira in winter, on 29th January they were in the north and south havens, respectively.

Grey Plover was logged on 6th and 18th February and constitutes the first ever winter occurrence for the island (there are only two previous records for the first half of the year). The year´s first Eurasian Woodcocks appeared on 4th February, followed by Dunlin on 6th and Eurasian Oystercatcher on 18th.

Fifty-seven Razorbills and twenty-five Little Auks flew past on 11th February. Several Black-headed and Mew Gulls have been found dead.

Common Crane have locally been showing an upward trend the last few years, and three birds in flight over the administration building on 20th February represent the earliest ever record for Utsira.

A new or the same Black Redstart was seen in the north on 21st February. A Coal Tit in song from 23rd February is an unfamiliar sound on Utsira.

Since last time around the checklist of the birds of Utsira have been massively re-arranged, especially so the passerines. Some of the scientific names have also been changed. Also, there are some changes in status for a few species and subspecies on the list. See updated version under "Checklist" in the menu on the left.


The resident Rook (Photo: Sveinung Larsen)

Two Little Grebes has been seen in the period (Photo: Sveinung Larsen)