Monthly report January 2019
General: coverage and weather
Average temperature was 3.8 degC, 1.5 degC over the normal. Highest temperature was 7.9 degC (5th), and lowest was -2.5 degC (28th). Total precipitation was 128.1mm. Most precipitation in one day was 16.8mm (26th). Highest wind speed was 26.2m/s (8th). Total number of species in the month was a very low 35 compared to 52 the previous year.
Raptors:
Only the local White-tailed Eagle and Peregrine Falcon were noted through the month with one to two birds
Shorebirds:
The Mute Swan from October 2017 was still present and for a period exerted some poor behaviour. January is a usually good month for geese but not this year. A Greylag Goose arrived on the 9th and was joined by a second on the 27th, both remaining until months end.
A female Red-breasted Merganser in Beinigssundet on the 19th was the only notable duck, otherwise a few singles of both Long-tailed Duck and Common Scoter.
The Curlew and one to two Woodcock from December were also noted throughout the month. Single Kittiwake and a couple of Gannets were also noted in otherwise no days with any seabird passage.
The month could have passed by quietly had things not happened on the 21st. A bolt out of lightning produced a Bittern around the property to family Amdal, the bird continuing its path out towards the tourist cabin and then further out towards the scrub. The bird was not seen the following day. Bittern is a new bird for Utsira and species number 329 on the A-list. Geir Mobakken reached the milestone of the first person to see 300 species on Utsira.
Passerines:
Three over wintering tit species. Coal Tit were noted with a single bird in Sjoardalen on the 27th. A Redwing visited a feeding station at Skare on the 27th, while between four and seven Tree Sparrow and 4-5 Starling were noted throughout at Skare.
Ringing:
No ringing activity during the month.
Year ticks:
The years first month resulted in 35 different species, all being new for the year.
Rarities/local scarcirities:
Bittern was the first record for Utsira.