1st–15th October
The week for the rare birds, Bombeuka, got off with a blast when an Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (Jon Ludvig Hals, Kendt Myrmo et al.) was discovered in a garden mid-isle in the afternoon of the 1st.
Although half-a-dozen records exists in Norway (inc. one from Utsira), there are only two accepted records of which the very first is from:
2004 Sør-Trøndelag: found trapped, doc., Titran, Frøya, 12th September (Magne Myklebust et al.)
Otherwise the week was filled up with the regular Utsira species, like Yellow-browed Warbler, Barred Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Richard´s Pipit and Common Rosefinch; Little Bunting, however, was absent.
Further goodies brightening up in somewhat changeable weather these days were Great Northern Loon, Northern Harrier, Gyrfalcon, Water Rail, Jack Snipe, Stock Dove, Grey Wagtail and European Goldfinch.
An Olive-backed Pipit appeared in the north on the 3rd. On the same day a record flock of 17 Northern Pintails was logged. A Red-throated Pipit also in the north from the 4th is a not annual species on Utsira. On the same day a Sabine´s Gull was logged from the seawatch point.
An Acrocephalus showed briefly in the big ditch in the beginning of the month, and what was probably the same bird was trapped for identification on the 5th. It proved to be the autumn´s second Blyth´s Reed Warbler (Utsira Ringing Group).
The Blue Tits appeared in flocks on the 5th, and some 300 found their way to the log. At least one Parrot Crossbill was separated from a crossbill flock on the same day.
Trying for owls again on the night to 6th and with Boreal Owl once more in the protocol. An Arctic Redpoll showed to a few when it dawned.
A worthy follow-up on the warbler from earlier in the week came as a Pied Wheatear (Janne Kilpimaa, Petri Kuhno et al.) in Kvalvik in the morning of the 6th.
With the last record on Utsira way back in 1977 it was a long overdue update. The first record in Norway is from the year before the first for Utsira:
1976 Aust-Agder: male, doc., Merdø, Arendal, 15th May (Ole Petter Engbråten)
Few seabirds proper migrated past Pedleneset in strong westerly wind on the 8th, but instead two Greater Scaups and a Glaucous Gull. The latter later toured the isle a couple of days. A Greater White-fronted Goose was seen on the same date.
A parallel to the 5th when an Acrocephalus was caught on the rubbish tip on the 9th. This bird, our third Blyth´s Reed Warbler (Utsira RG) of the autumn, had since the 6th been misidentified as a Eurasian Reed Warbler or reported as an Acrocephalus sp.
From the 11th a period with favourable weather ensued. On the first day, a Horned Lark was seen in the east and 800 Blue Tits were logged.
The following day was one of raptors with White-tailed Eagle, Northern Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Merlin and Peregrine Falcon plus Short-eared Owl all being seen. It was the autumn debut for Eurasian Woodcock and Black Redstart.
Olive-backed Pipit entered the log with several birds on the 12th, 13th and 14th.
Decent local rarities on the 13th and 14th with, respectively, a Smew (Øyvind Hagen, Trude Starholm et al.) in the north haven and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Martin Dagsland et al.) in the ringing forests. In the same period other pure Norwegian birds typical for the time of year arrived, like Long-eared Owl, Long-tailed Tit, Bohemian Waxwing and Eurasian Bullfinch.
A Red-flanked Bluetail (Truls W. Andersen) missed the mist-net and disappeared into the southernmost ringing forest on the 14th.
Here follows some more photos of this period´s highlights:
