Monthly report March 2022

 

General: coverage and weather
Temperature varied between 9.7degC (20th) and a low of -0.3degC (31st). The most rainfall in one day was 18.9mm (18th) of a total of 25.6mm during the month. Highest winds speed was 19.8m/s (9th) and strongest gust was 26.4m/2 (10th). Total number of species ended on 73 versus 67 the previous year.

 

Raptors:
Few raptors both in terms of species and numbers. A female Sparrowhawk was noted on the 13th, otherwise two to three White-tailed Eagles daily. On the 30th the was a new maximum of ten White-tailed Eagles over the lighthouse at the same time.

 

Shorebirds: 
Stable flocks of Greylag Geese of between 30 and 60 birds throughout the month. Pairing was noted in the latter half of the month. Three Wigeon were on Pedlestemmen on the 17th. A male Mallard was at Aust on the 4th and then four birds on the 5th. Teal were noted with one to four birds on Pedlestemmen and Hålandsmarkje between the 14th and 23rd. Single Lapwing on the 11th and 12th and 17 were at Austrheim on the 14th. A single Golden Plover was at Nordvik on the 27th while a Ringed Plover was in Sørevågen on the 20th and 21st. One to two Dunlin were at various puddles on the island between the 18th and 23rd. Woodcock were noted with between one and three birds between the 6th and 20th.

 

myrsnipe mars 2022 web

 

There was little in the way of seabird passage during the month. Reports of Kittiwake were only one to three birds during the period 4th to 20th. Black-headed Gull were noted on the 19th with single records from the 25th until the end of the month. No other gulls were noted in any good numbers. Lesser Black-backed Gull were noted with two adults at the end of the month. Guillemot were reported as stationary birds in the harbors with one to two birds throughout the month, while ten auks were noted on passage on the 20th. A Red-throated Diver on the 4th and a Great Northern Diver on the 27th were noted. Gannets were only reported with singles throughout the month.

 

Passerines:
Long-eared Owl were noted with a bird on the 6th, 17th and 30th in Søre Merkeskogen. Skylarks were noted throughout the month with a maximum of 25 on the 13th. Rook numbered one to three birds, Jackdaw one to five, while two Carrion Crow were largely present through the month. Chiffchaff were noted from the 14th with a maximum of 11 on the 19th. Blackcap numbers were lower with only various singles towards the end of the month.

 

munk mars 2022

 

Starling were present in large flocks with a maximum of 1200 on the 15th and 19th. Song Thrush numbers were low with a maximum of 35 on the 14th. Mistle Thrush were represented with one to five birds throughout the month and a maximum of 10 on the 14th. Other thrush maximums were 3500 Redwing on the 19th and 400 Fieldfare and Blackbird on the 16th. Robin, Dunnock and Wren were reported in low numbers during the month.

 

Black Redstarts were at Klovning on the 24th, a female at Skarvanesvågen on the 26th and a female at Skjeldemarkje on the 27th. An influx of Stonechats in the early part of the month with a maximum of seven on the 4th, five on the 5th, three on the 12th, so singles between the 16th and 26th. A warm afternoon on the 26th produced a Wheatear and a Reed Bunting on the ploughed field at Austre Nordvik.

 

Svartstrupe mars 2022 web

 

Grey Wagtail were noted with singles mainly at Hålandsjordet and Peldestemmen on the 4th, 15th, 18th, while there were two on the 19th. Two Hawfinch were on feeders in Sørevågen on the 19th when one was noted there the following day. Two Bullfinch were in Herberg – Merkeskogen on the 19th and 20th. A female Yellowhammer was also at a feeder in Sørevågen on the 5th and 6th and another at Austrheim on the 15th.

 

Ringing:
A total of 141 birds of 11 different species were ringed in four days of ringing in Merkeskogen. The best day was the 18th when 64 birds were ringed, of which Redwing (24), Blackbird (22) and Goldcrest (8) were the most numerous. The result was better than the previous year when only 13 birds of two species were ringed in two days of ringing.

 

Year ticks:
There were 28 new species for the year in March. Not all were recorded in artsobservasjoner.no so the list is not correct for arrival dates for some species: Woodpigeon and White Wagtail (1st), Siskin (2nd), Grey Wagtail and Red-throated Diver (4th), Lesser Redpoll, Yellowhammer and Long-eared Owl (6th), Lapwing (11th), Chiffchaff and Teal (14th), Less-black Backed Gull (15th), Dunnock (17th), Dunlin (18th), Wheatear and black Redstart (24th), Snow Bunting, Crossbill, Linnet, Great Northern Diver and Golden Plover (27th).

 

Rarities/local scarcities:
No species in this category.

 

Svartstrupe par mars 2022 web