Monthly report January 2021
General: coverage and weather
Average temperature was 1.6 degC, which 0.7 degC under the normal of 2.3 degC. Highest temperature was 6.5 degC (21st), and lowest was -2.6 degC (28th). Total precipitation was 104mm, the most in one was 25.2mm (21st). Highest wind speed was 22.2m/s (13th). We had a couple of centimeters of snow on the 12th and on the last days of the month. Total number of species ended on 53 versus 43 the previous year.
Raptors:
Five different species during the month. White-tailed Eagle were reported daily with a maximum of three during the month. A Goshawk paid a brief visit on the 1st. Sparrowhawk were noted with singles throughout the month and two in the 23rd. On the 25th a juvenile Gyrfalcon was hunting along Siratun forest and then departed west towards the lighthouse. Otherwise there were reports of the local Peregrine Falcon throughout the month.
Shorebirds:
Six Greylags from December increased to seven on the 23rd and then 10 to 11 towards the end of the month. Most of the normal over wintering ducks were also present in January but in smaller numbers. Purple Sandpiper were noted with 4 birds on the 1st and then 115 on the 25th on Lausingen.
A flyover Redshank was reported on the 1st while the Curlew from December was still present until the 24th. The was new influx of Snipe from the 14th towards the end of the month when snow covered most of the mainland. A Jack Snipe was reported in Nordvik on the 1st. Woodcock were reported daily throughout the month and increased in numbers with five to eight birds from the 18th until the end of the month.
A Common Gull was reported on the 16th, a 3rd year Iceland gull on Beiningen on the 1st as well as two juvenile Glaucous Gulls on Lausingen – Spannholmane the same day. A new juvenile Glaucous Gull was on Beiningen on the 3rd. The large gull influx from December extended into a few days of January. A maximum of 3900 Herring Gull and 200 Great Black-backed Gulls were noted on the 1st. A Little Auk was noted on the 1st and a Puffin on the 25th, both at Lausingen.
Passerines
There were few new influxes of birds from the mainland for this group of birds. A Grey Wagtail in Veito on the 23rd was the best find and the first January record for this species. Two Jackdaws were present between the 1st and 11th and one of them was still present up until the 28th. Otherwise there was little report in the form of passerines.
Ringing:
No activity
Year ticks:
The years first month resulted in 53 different species and therefore these are the first species for the year for Utsira.
Rarities/Local scarcities:
First winter record of Grey Wagtail.
