General: coverage and weather:
Average temperature of 12.8degC for the month, 1.4degC over the average. Highest temperature was 20.7degC on the 10th and lowest 7.8degC on the 2nd. Total rainfall of only 12.7mm in the month. The most rainfall in one day was 8.9mm on the 11th. Strongest wind was measured at 15.4m/s on the 22nd. 93 different species (44 breeding species and 5 probable breeding species) were recorded in June compared to 89 species (of which 35 species bred and 4 probably bred) in the same month the previous year.
Raptors:
The pair of White-tailed Eagle disappeared from the island and there were only sightings of an adult and 2nd year bird in the middle of the month. The most notable raptor was a male adult Honey Buzzard which arrived over Merkeskogen on the 5th.
Seabirds and waders (shorebirds)
Passage on the sea is usually over by June and therefore there was little coverage and therefore few seabirds were noted. There was some movement on the 12th with 40 Gannets, a Red-throated Diver and 3 Great Skuas, while 3 Velvet Scoter passed on the 6th.
Of note was a resting Goosander on the 3rd, a Barnacle Goose on the 2nd, two singing Quails on the 10th, of which one was present between the 6th and 11th.
The yearly count on Spannholmane showed good numbers for gulls, lower numbers of Shag and stable numbers for auks. The counting is further described (in Norwegian) on Utsiras Councils website. Other localities for gull breeding showed few nests with egg and young.
Passerines:
The third Subalpine Warbler in the past three months arrived on the 4th when a 2nd year female was trapped in Merkeskogen (Western or Moltoni´s).
Utsiras sixth Paddyfield Warbler was trapped in the same net as the first 12 years to the day (6th June 2002).
The good run of Blyth’s Reed and Marsh Warblers from May continued with a singing Blyth’s Reed Warbler in Løvlandshagen on the 4th and up to two different Marsh Warblers on the 4th and 9th. A singing Marsh Warbler was also present in Merkeskogen between the 8th and 21st.
A Little Bunting went into the net in Herberg on the 8th. A female Red-breasted Flycatcher in Austre Planting on the 6th, a Golden Oriole in Herberg on the 5th and a female-type Black Redstart between the 5th and 11th were also of note.
Starling had a good breeding season with a number of clutches and a total flock of 220 individuals including adults and juveniles. Great Tit is an irregular breeder since the first breeding record in 1986 followed by 2000 but there were two breeding pairs this year.
A pair of Yellow Wagtail bred by the bunkers on the east, the first breeding since 1976.
Ringing:
Normal ringing ceased on the 10th. In the month 132 individuals of 31 species were ringed. The best date was the 4th when 42 individuals of which Starling (36), Subalpine Warbler (1) and five other species were ringed. Most notable ringed birds were Subalpine Warbler, Paddyfield Warbler, Little Bunting, Marsh Warbler and Common Rosefinch.
Ringing in June compares well with the previous years when in 2013 13 days of ringing 127 individuals of 28 species were ringed and in 2012 in 20 days of ringing 344 individuals of 20 species were ringed.
Year ticks:
June resulted in 5 new species for the year:
Greenshank (2nd), Honey Buzzard (2nd), Velvet Scoter (5th), Paddyfield Warbler and Quail (6th).
Local and national rarities:
Sixth record of Paddyfield Warbler, Blyth’s Reed Warbler (17th record), Subalpine Warbler (47th record) and breeding Yellow Wagtail.
Here some of June´s highlights (all photo taken by Bjørn Ove Høyland):
Tail pattern suggests Western Subalpine Warbler but can Moltoni´s Warbler safely be excluded based on more white on T6?
Here are also some photos taken by Atle Grimsby during the yearly count on Spannholmane:
