Monthly report May 2022
General: coverage and weather
Highest temperature was 14.5 degC (16th), and lowest was 4.0 degC (4th). Total rainfall was 94.4,,. Most rainfall in one day was 25.6mm (24th). Highest wind speed was 18.4m/s with 24.5m/s gust (28th). Total number of species for May ended on 148 versus 136 the previous year.
Raptors:
Eight different raptor species were noted during the month. A flyover Honey Buzzard was at Nordvik on the 25th, Rough-legged Buzzard over Merkeskogen on the 17th, and a Osprey which landed and spent the night at the lighthouse on the 21st to 22nd were the most notable records.
Otherwise, Sparrowhawk were noted with singles on the 6th and 26th. A Merlin on the 20th and singles of Kestrel of various sexes were noted daily between the 19th and 26th. White-tailed Eagle were reported with one to two birds daily during the month.
Shorebirds:
A Brent Goose was at Staraberje between the 4th and 7th while 22 passed north on the 22nd. A Tundra Bean Goose was at the same place between the 24th and 26th. A pair of Shelduck passed west at Jupevikshaugen on the 7th while two were seen at Nordvikvågen on the 22nd. A Gadwall was at Måkskittmyr on the 8th, and probably the same male was seen at the same location on the 15th.
May is usually a good month for duck passage. Three Velvet Scoter passed north at Jupevikshaugen on the 1st with a good number of Common Scoter in the first half of the month with a maximum of 30 on the 1st. A female Goosander was at Helganes o the 8th with a male over Nordvik on the 19th. A Red-necked Grebe also passed north at Jupevikshaugen on the 1st.
A Quail was flushed at Merkeskogen on the 23rd. Only one Lapwing was noted on the 4th while a Grey Plover flew over on the 3rd. A more unusual spring record concerned three Dotterel on Pedlestemmen between the 6th and 8th.
To islandica Black-tailed Godwits were also on Pedlestemmen between the 17th and 19th. Two flyover Wood Sandpipers were noted on the 15th and 24th are also worth a mention. A Glaucous Gull passed quickly through Dalen on the 15th along with other large gulls. An adult graellsii Lesser-black Backed Gull passed north west at Jupesvikhaugen on the 1st. Sandwich Tern is less than annual on Utsira, so a bird passing north on the 26th is noteworthy. Great Skua were reported with one to three birds on days with good passage as well as a few passing over land at the latter end of the month. An adult Long-tailed Skua passed Jupevikshaugen on the 14th.
As was the case last year there were good numbers of Guillemot off Spannholmane with a maximum of 80 on the on the 21st, where at the same location there were ten Puffin. Red-throated Diver were recorded in record numbers with a total of 1085 on passage at the west side on the 1st, with 150 noted the following day and low numbers on passage on the 21st. Great Northern Diver were noted with only singles on five days between the 3rd and 27th. Twelve adult White-billed Divers passed on the west on the 1st, with one to two until the 7th. A Manx Shearwater passed on the 27th. Otherwise, there were low numbers of Gannet and noted on passage with a maximum of 300 on the 27th.
Passerines:
A Short-eared Owl passed Jupevikshaugen on the 5th. Red-backed Shrike were noted with two males on the 16th, a female on the 17th, a male on the 21st and two females on the 26th. A female Golden Oriole was ringed in Merkeskogen on the 20th, and on the following days until the 26th females were seen in the areas around Helgesenhagen and Hauglandhagen. On the 22nd two birds were seen together.
A late Jackdaw was noted on the 21st and an even later Rook was around until the 25th. Three to six Carrion Crows have been more or less stable during the month. A Short-toed Lark was found by the Landsverk brothers at Koltemyr on the 19th. The bird was present until the 27th.
A Great Reed Warbler sang briefly in Nordre Merkeskogen on the 21st. Øystein found a Blyth’s Reed Warbler in his own garden on the 30th.
Isak found a Western Subalpine Warbler in Nordvikvågen and the bird was seen in the Sjoarskogen-Norvik, ringed on the 21st and then re-found in Herberg on the 26th-27th in moult.
An Eastern Subalpine Warbler was hanging in the net in Merkeskogen on the 31st while a female Firecrest was also ringed there on the 22nd.
The past few years have produced spring records of Red-breasted Flycatcher and there was a new spring record of one in Helgesenhagen on the 31st. One to four Black Redstart were seen daily at various locations in various plumages and ages between the 15th and 27th. A Red-throated Pipit was seen briefly in Dalen on the 21st.
Hawfinch were represented with female birds at various localities between the 24th and 30th while Rosefinch were noted daily with young males singing at various sites between the 21st and 31st. Two males were seen on the first date. Twite are fairly scarce so one to three birds between the 11th and 21st, mainly in Sørvågen and Aust is noteworthy. Crossbills were in seen in various flocks with between one and ten birds between the 11th and 21st as well as a flock of 22 on the 31st. One to two Goldfinch were at various localities between the 8th and 21st. Siskin were noted with one to ten birds during the month. A Lapland Bunting was at Hålandsmarkje on the 17th and an adult Yellowhammer on the newly ploughed field at Myre between the 20th and 27th. An Ortolan Bunting was seen several places in the north 19th-21st.
Ringing:
13 days of ringing in Merkeskogen resulted in 374 birds ringed of 38 different species. The best day was the 17th with 82 birds ringed of which Willow Warbler (24), Garden Warbler (16) and Chiffchaff (14) were the most numerous. Most notable ringing record was a Eastern Subalpine Warbler, a Golden Oriole, a Firecrest, a Cuckoo and two Grasshopper warblers. The previous year resulted in 423 birds of 26 species been ringed during 11 days of ringing.
Year ticks:
A total of 46 species new for the year: Great Skua, Common Tern, Red-necked Grebe and Velvet Scoter (1st), Arctic Skua (2nd), Grey Plover (3rd), Brent goose (4th), Lesser Whitethroat and Dotterel (6th), Arctic Tern (7th), Gadwall (8th), Sedge Warbler (11th), Long-tailed Skua and Swift (14th), Spotted Flycatcher, Glaucous Gull Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and Sanderling (15th), Blue-headed Wagtail, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Greenshank, Cuckoo and Nightjar (16th), Icterine Warbler, Wood Warbler, Rough-legged Buzzard and Black-tailed Godwit (17th), Western Subalpine Warbler, Short-toed Lark and Ortolan Bunting (19th), Golden Oriole, Osprey and Turtle Dove (20th), Rosefinch, Red-throated Pipit, Reed Warbler and Great Reed Warbler (21st), Firecrest (22nd), Quail (23rd), Bean Goose (24th), Honey Buzzard (25th), Sandwich Tern (26th), Blyth’s Reed warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher and Eastern Subalpine Warbler (31st)
Rarities/local scarcities:
Fourth record of Western Subalpine Warbler, last April 2022
16th record of Eastern Subalpine Warbler, last May 2016
Totally this was Subalpine Warbler no. 57 an 58 – so 38 individuals remains ssp.
Eighth record of Great Reed Warbler, last in May 2020.
Fifteen record of Tundra Bean Goose, last in November 2017.
Seventeen record of Red-necked Grebe, last in February 2019.
19th record of Dotterel, last in May 2017.
25th record of Honey Buzzard, last in August 2019.
Short-toed Lark no. 52, last in May 2019.
Subalpine Warbler no. 57 and 58, Western last in April 2022 and Eastern last in May 2016.
