Monthly report November 2020
General:
Highest temperature was 12.2 degC (2nd), and lowest was 1.8 degC (19th). Total rainfall was 160.7mm. Most rainfall in one day was 23.8mm (2nd). Highest wind speed was 26.7 m/s and gust 34.3 m/s (19th). Total number of species ended on 75 versus 70 the same the previous year.
Raptors:
Fairly standard in terms of raptors for a November with one to three Sparrowhawk daily until the 14th, as well as occasional reports of White-tailed Eagle and local Peregrine Falcon.
Shorebirds:
Greylag Geese from October were still present with between five and fifteen birds through the month. There was an influx of geese in the middle of the month. Most notable was an adult fabalis Bean Goose on the 14th.
Otherwise Pink-footed Goose was noted with a single on the 7th, 20 between the 8th and 13th and then two to three birds until the 25th. There was also a Barnacle Goose on the 7th. Four Goosander flew through Siradalen the same day. A Moorhen enjoyed company with someones Muscovy Ducks in Nordvikvågen between the 9th and 16th.
Lapwing was noted with singles on the 1st and 13th. Purple Sandpipers were reported with three birds in Sørevågen and 22 on Spannholmane on the 8th. Woodcock were in good numbers throughout the month with a maximum of 11 on the 14th. The months highlight was a juvenile Sabine’s Gull that passed off Nordvikvågen. The Sabine’s Gull had company of 300 Herring Gull and 100 Kittiwakes. Otherwise little of note in the form of seabirds with only a few days with a few Little Auk and Razorbill. Two Red-throated Divers were noted on the 8th.
Passerines:
A Grey Wagtail was in Nordvik between the 3rd and 30th, and was joined by a White Wagtail until the 8th. Ten Waxwings were noted briefly by Merkeskogen. A female Black Redstart was at Austrheim on the 7th and one in Nordvik on the 15th (see photo). It was also seen a female Stonechat in Nordvik on the 24th.
Håkon Heggland found the months highlight on the passerine front with a Pallas’s Leaf Warbler by the electricity transformer station on the east side of the island on the 7th. A late Yellow-browed Warbler was found in Grotlehagen on the same day. A Treecreeper was ringed in Merkeskogen on the 8th. Goldfinch were noted with between one and four birds between the 7th and 14th. Arctic Redpoll was noted with a single on the 1st, Bullfinch with singles between the 7th and 14th, while a flock of 10 was seen briefly on the 8th. Common Crossbill were represented with small flocks of between 15 and 40 between the 7th and 14th. Single Lapland Bunting and Snow Bunting were noted on the 14th and 16th respectively.
November is normally a good month for thrushes but there were only moderate numbers this year with the following maximums - Blackbird (500), Fieldfare (600) and Redwing (200), all on the 7th. Mistle Thrush were reported with singles on the 9th and 21st.
Ringing:
There were a total of 65 birds of 12 different species ringed during the month during the one day of ringing in Merkeskogen.
On the 8th, Lesser Redpoll (23), Blackbird (18) and Blackcap (7) were the most numerous species. The months ringing is below that of the previous year when 96 birds of 12 different species were ringed in four days of ringing. A Treecreeper, a Bullfinch and two Woodcock were the most notable ringing records.
Year ticks:
November resulted in five new birds for the year: Pallas’s Leaf Warbler and Waxwing (7th), Moorhen (9th) Sabine’s Gull and Bean goose (14th).
Rarities:
There is in excess of 20 records of Sabine’s Gull, the last in October 2018, as well as good numbers of record of Pallas’s Leaf Warbler, the last in October 2017.