torsdag den 25. september 2025

Sandoy, 23/9-2025

 I went to Sandoy to looks for waders and ducks, though none of those would be the one to steal the headline. I started the day by checking the waters, Sandsvatn and the beach nearby. It held a Grey Heron, Common Shelduck and a swimming Manx Shearwater. Other plenty of ducks, but a quick call with Silas, changed my mind and I went to the three smaller villages towards south to check them for passerines. Skálavík had 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Goldcrest and 1-2 Blackcaps, Húsavík had a tick-bunting sp., 1 Reed Warbler and 1 Chaffinch. A call with Bartal ended with him driving to Sandoy, so I drove to Dalur, where Bartal would be joining me. Dalur held more birds, probably due to them being new arrivals, the village held 1 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Garden Warblers, 3 Blackcaps, 3 Lesser Whitethroats and 2 Goldcrests, which Bartal also saw.

After some rechecking of the gardens, me and Bartal agreed to split up, he would check Húsavík and Skálavík, while I checked the lakes for ducks and waders. I found nothing new and drove to Skópun, where there, again, was nothing to be found. While walking back to the car, thinking about checking Skálavík and Húsavík, when Bartal called and told me he had found a Blackpoll Warbler in Skálavík! I immediately jumped into the car and broke the record for fastest island travel, and after 10 minutes of looking it was riiiiight there! Holy shit what an insane bird and insane find by Bartal!

What a stunner!


Almost every single birder on Faroe Islands is on this picture

Four people ended twitching the bird after me, which is probably the biggest same day twitch ever on the Faroe Islands. After enjoying lovely views of this insane bird, I drove to Sandur and Sandsvatn to once again the lakes. While checking the lakes, I noticed how the amount of gulls had increased and they were flying around behind the harbour, so I drove there and walked out on the fjord-side. Quick scan of the rocks revealed a lovely Mediterranean Gull 1cy, the 4th record for Faroe Islands. Silas, Barbara and Bartal managed to twitch it and all was well in the world. I drove back home, and what a day!

Another rare gull, next one is hopefully something more extravagant...


Suðuroy 19/9-21/9

 This weekend the Faroese Ornithological Association went to Suðuroy, the best island for rare birds, or birds in general on Faroe Islands. We were five people, but decreased to four on Saturday, with two locals joining us, but not staying with us. We had our accommodation at Akraberg, the southernmost settlement on Faroe Islands.

Akraberg! First bird observatory on the Faroe Islands in the future???

But before we get that far, we started the birding immediately in the light rain and heavy rain from the ferry, which gave us a nice 3k+ dark phase Pomarine Jaeger, a quite rare bird this close to land, 3 Sooty Shearwaters, 1 Manx Shearwater, 1 European Storm Petrel, that I didn't see and a Puffin. After 2 1/2 hours we made landfall and immediately we went to Kjógvavatn at Nes near Hvalba, which held 5 Bar-tailed Godwits, biggest flock ever recorded on the Faroe Islands, a continuing Little Gull, Pale-bellied Brant, plenty of gulls.


We then drove towards Hvalba, where we could see a bunch of gulls feeding on a Pilot Whale carcass and when we drove closer, there was one gull left, a gull I immediately could recognise from Denmark - Caspian Gull! Wow, 2nd record for Faroe Islands and we barely been on the island for an hour.



We parked the cars and got some nice photos. We drove further and saw that the whole grass area was covered under water with ducks, waders and plenty of pipits surrounding the flooded plains with four Ruffs being highlights. The village itself didn't hold anything significant, so me, Bartal and William went to Sandvík to check the gardens, which held 1 Reed Warbler. While at Sandvík, Silas and Barbara had found a Wood Sandpiper, 13th record for the Faroe Islands. So we got in the car and hurried down to see it. We found it feeding in the rain and the waining light. So while Silas and Barbara went out shopping we headed to Sumba, the village just above Akraberg, to check the gardens and seaside. The gardens, even though the wind was a bit strong, held a few warblers with the absolute highlight being a Yellow-browed Warbler! Absolute favourite warbler and the harbinger of the autumn, accompanied by a Lesser Whitethroat. We went to the house and started settling in.

Next day I woke up at 0600, got some coffee and went out to the outermost tip of Faroe Islands to do some vismig. Before I even sat down I had found what would be one of the biggest highlights of the trip for me: 3 Orcas! I never get tired of seeing whales, and I wasn't disappointed as I found a Fin Whale also just outside the tip, WOW! Otherwise the 1 hour 45 minutes morning obs yielded 6 sooty shearwaters, 4 manx shearwaters, plenty of fulmars, 150 meadow pipits, 2 "grey geese" sp. and 12 chaffinchs. These 1 hour and 45 minutes are the first vismig obs done at Akraberg for maybe 20-30 years, crazy considering the immense potential it otherwise holds. We ate breakfast and went out birding. Sumba held some warblers and 2 Yellow-browed Warblers. Otherwise the rest of the island showed signs of a clear out, we were surprised when Silas found two bean geese at a small lake above Famjin. Bean Geese of either taxas are quite rare on Faroe Islands, with Taiga being far the rarest with only 6 records compared to rossicus's 22 records of 30 individuals. At first we thoughts one of each, but cooler heads prevailed and it seems to be two rossicus, with one looking almost exactly like a fabalis.

Tundra Bean Geese

We then went to Hvalba, the last destination of the day, where me and Bartal were dropped of to check the grassy fields and the village. While checking the reed beds and the small streams I saw a bunch of waders "jump" out of the grass when a crow passed over and my instinct screamed that we need to check them. I yelled for Bartal that we had to check them, and as we walked over I saw four Ruffs and a smaller wader that I could recognise as a putative Pectoral Sandpiper, and it didnt take much extra looking for confirmation! While looking the Wood Sandpiper paid a short visit and ended up joining the sandpiper for some crazy combo-shots. Shortly after we decided to check the gardens, where I ended finding a European Turtle Dove 1cy. It was quite skittish, but we managed to get some flight shots to nail the ID and exclude any of the other turtle dove taxas.

Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper and Wood Sandpiper

European Turtle Dove 1cy

We then headed back to the lighthouse once more, to get ready for the next and last day. Sunday didn't reveal anything too crazy, though the morning obs had 4 barn swallows, 3 great skuas, 3 Sooty Shearwaters and 4 Eurasian Wigeon to show for. It was otherwise the usual suspects, with one new addition in the shape of a Whinchat at Hov and Trongisvági had 1 Tree Pipit and 1 Pied Flycatcher. Me and Bartal were then dropped of at the ferry and that was the end of three days of heavy duty, topshelf birding!



mandag den 15. september 2025

Autumn continues 11/9 - 14/9

 11/9 I decided to go on a half-day trip to Kirkjubø and Eiði with Barbara, a local birdwatcher. Kirkjubø didn't yield anything too crazy, so we went to Hvalvík plantation to meet up with Bartal, another young local birdwatcher. 1 1/2 hour yielded 1 Hawfinch, 1 Reed Warbler, 4 Willow Warblers and 4 Blackcaps. Hawfinch is a very scarce visitor with very few records annually, so a nice addition. We then went to Eiði, where we immediately saw a large amount of passerines everywhere and good amount of birds on the northern shoreline. Barbara had to leave, so it was just me and Bartal left to check the entire village, which proved to be a very fruitful endeavour. After almost 4 hours of birding we were left with a, for faroese standards, very impressive list! Highlights were: 2 Pied Flycatchers (1-5 pr. year), 1 Spotted Flycatcher (5-20 pr. year), Sedge Warbler (1-3 pr. year), 1 Reed Warbler (5-20 pr. year) and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits (1-2 pr. year). Otherwise large numbers of blackcaps, willow warblers and 1 Garden Warbler.


Pied Flycatcher


Sedge Warbler

Bar-tailed Godwit


13/9 I picked up Bartal and went to the northernmost village reachable by car, Viðareiði, one of the best hotspots in Faroe Islands. We arrived around 7 in the morning and immediately started checking the gardens and immediately we found the first few passerines. It was a busy morning and after six hours of birding we had checked the village twice. Highlights were: 1 Icterine Warbler, 15th record for the Faroe Islands, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 House Martin, 1 Ruff and numbers of Blackcaps, Willow Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat. We drove south and checked some other villages while driving back to Tórshavn, with highlights being Common Swift, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and Slavonian Grebe.

Sedge Warbler

Icterine Warbler

Painted Lady, a rare butterfly on Faroe Islands

Ruff


Tired from the day before, I decided to go to Nólsoy as the southeasterlies were looking promising. I arrived at 0950 and started checking the village, with the first warbler I flushed from a garden being a Barred Warbler! A very scarce autumn visitor with 1-10 pr. year. The first few rounds didn't yield too much, with Willow Warbler and Blackcap being the dominant species, though 1 Spotted Flycatcher was seen shortly. I decided to wait for the next arrival of passerines, that usually reach Faroe Islands around 1300-1400 from Shetland and Norway. I started checking the gardens again at 1330 and immediately I found a second Barred Warbler and more willow warblers and blackcaps. Other new arrivals were 1 Goldcrest, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Garden Warbler and a total of 2 Barred Warblers, so a day total of 3 Barred Warblers! Though the most exciting bird was a Grasshopper Warbler that I flushed in the old Helgoland Trap garden. It posed for a full minute before scurrying away like locustellas usually do. I messaged everyone and Bartal decided to twitch it and two hours later he arrived and we managed against all odds to find it again and even get even better photos of it! He also saw two of the Barred Warblers, Spotted Flycatcher and Garden Warbler.

A funny fact about the Grasshopper Warbler records on the Faroe Islands, is that the first two records were caught in the helgoland trap in 1997 and this record, 18 years later this bird was found only 10 meters away from the helgoland trap, where the two other records were caught!

Barred Warbler nr. 1

Exceptionally confiding Grasshopper Warbler

Barred Warbler nr. 2

Spotted Flycatcher
Now, 15/9, I am waiting for the next trip to Suðuroy with the faroese ornithological association, where we are staying in Sumba for three days.




















torsdag den 11. september 2025

Autumn has been begun on the Faroe Islands

 8/9 I went to Suduroy with Bartal G. Simonsen and Silas Olofson for a two day "raid" as the weather and reports from further south could indicate that there might be some waders. The ferry which can yield some impressive seabirds was not noteworthy with a few Great Skuas flying around. When hit land we immediately drove to Hvalba, one of the northern villages, also one of the best birding spots on the Faroe Islands. We drove past "Kjógvavatn" a freshwater lake near Hvalba, nice hotspot for waders and other waterbirds and we could loads of waders walking around. We stopped and immediately Silas spotted a Curlew Sandpiper! 5th record for the Faroe Islands, hot in heels of the fourth found 5/9 by Silas also. Silas and Bartal went down the shore to take pictures and pulled out the scope to start checking all the other waders, where spotted a second Curlew Sandpiper!!! I couldn't document it due to the wind, but I saw a small calidris fly towards us, close to Silas and Bartal, I looked at it and it was a Little Stint!!! 12th record for Faroe Islands! Wow, less than 30 minutes into the trip and already three rarities. Both species were well-documented, feeding along each other and the many Common Ringed Plovers, Sanderlings, Dunlins and Red Knots. We got into the car and drove to Hvalba and started birding where we found a Ruff, a scarce visitor, Common Reed Warbler and a not so obliging Sedge Warbler, a quite rare species with less than five records a year on the Faroe Islands and when. And when we went back to Kjógvavatn where a Little Gull had appeared, yet another very scarce visitor! 







Can you find the Little Stint and the Curlew Sandpiper?

After Hvalba we went to Famjin, the only village on the western coast, which yielded a Sand Martin, another very scarce visitor, some Willow Warblers and plenty of waders. We then immediately drove to Sumba, the southernmost village on the Faroe Islands and another rarity hotspot. The wind made it impossible to check the gardens for passerines, but the shoreline was loaded with waders and of course I found another Curlew Sandpiper, this one was almost more obliging than the other ones as it was standing on the seawall along with the many Sanderlings, Ruddy Turnstones, Rock Pipits and another two Ruffs. As the sun now was setting we went to house we were staying at and spent the evening watching tv and then went to bed. 


Next day we went directly to Sumba again, where the amount of waders was much less, but there were passerines in the gardens. 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Barn Swallow and Silas and Bartal saw a Common Rosefinch, another very scarce visitor. Seeing that there had been an arrival of passerines and the wind had died down a bit we decided to check all the small villages on the east coast. Starting at Porkeri, where we had a few Willow Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler and Garden Warbler, we then went to Hov, another small village, where we split the village and checked each our part. I managed to find a handful of Willow Warblers and a Blackcap, before getting a message that Silas had an interesting acrocephalus-warbler! We went to the garden he was inside of and spoke with him. It was a possible Blyth's Reed Warbler and spent the next hour trying to get better views and photos and in the end we got some nice views and photos and heard it call with a hard teck-call, confirming it was a Blyth's Reed Warbler, the 8th record for Faroe Islands and the earliest autumn record ever for Faroe Islands.

Blyth's Reed Warbler

We then drove to Hvalba and we went to the lake from yesterday to check the waders again, with plenty of them still around. We check the grassy fields in the lake and to our surprise there weren't two Curlew Sandpipers, there were now four of them! Wow! We got some ok photos and the straight to Hvalba again, where we had the Sedge Warbler from yesterday again, along with two Reed Warblers and four Willow Warblers and a continuing Ruff. With limited time left we then went straight to the ferry and sailed back, happy with the results! As a bonus we saw blue-finned tuna from the ferry, first time they have been this close to the islands.

Skulky Sedge Warbler

And less Skulky Reed Warbler.




søndag den 7. september 2025

I have now moved to the Faroe Islands!

 I have now moved to the Faroe Islands! After living in Denmark for 22 years, it was time to move back. Which means that most content will be related to... The Faroe Islands. I arrived 6/9 and already today, the 7/9 I managed to get some great birds. 

The day started with some early morning seabird watching from the house. Due to the very strong southeasterlies, there was a lot of movement in the Tórshavn Bay, with 19 Manx Shearwaters, which is quite many in september and in the interior bay, 1 Great Northern Diver 2cy and 1 Long-tailed Duck male, probably the first arrival of this relatively common winter visitor. Otherwise 100s of fulmars, with one blue morph, 8 great skuas and dozens of gannets. Later in the day I took the car to Kirkjubø, a small village on the eastern tip of Streymoy. There wasn't much, but 2 Eurasian Curlews a quiet highlight. Kirkjubø is probably one of the best spots on the Faroe Islands for this scarce breeder and somewhat uncommon visitor, I think have seen them every time I have visited that village, all year around.

With the strong wind blowing, I decided to head west to Vágar, the westernmost island of the Faroe Islands, as it should be in relative cover from the strong winds. Visiting the three main villages: Sandavági, Midvági and Sørvági netted me 2 Willow Warblers, 10+ White Wagtails ssp. alba and 1 possible ssp. yarrelli, which is a scarce visitor, 1 Barn Swallow and a relatively distant Curlew Sandpiper 1cy, found by Silas Olofson on 5/9 at Sørvagi, 4th record for the Faroe Islands. It was surrounded by 35+ Common Ringed Plovers, 15+ Sanderlings, 2 Dunlins and 8 Ruddy Turnstone. I tried to get some photos, but it was keeping its distance and its not easy to take pictures with a 500mm lens freestanding in 13 m/s wind!

Curlew Sandpiper to the far left!

A very nice addition to my meager FO-list

Tomorrow im heading to Suduroy with Silas Olofson and Bartal G. Simonsen, the hopes are high, but the weather is in our favour!

onsdag den 3. juli 2024

Juni Highlights - Sommer, Sommerfugl og insekter


Juni månede skuffede på ingen måder, der var massere at se på alle fronter fra fugle, edderkopper til insekter. Lad os starte helt fra starten, 30/5 var en stor dag for mig og Hirtshals. Startede med fund af Lille Farvevandnymfe ved Hirtshals Øststrand, både ved strandsøen og indeni selve sumpen. En halvsjælden art som der ikke er mange fund af i Vendsyssel, så det var udemærket. Dog var jeg uden SIM-kort og var ved at være lidt træt i kroppen, så jeg skyndte mig igennem det åbne område ved Smyril-line logistikcenter. Der flushede jeg en en halvstor, meget lys småfugl, som jeg straks kunne se ikke var en sanglærke. Da jeg så ser den sidde helt perfekt, en sindssygt fed Markpiber! Ny DK-art og ædelart. Der var heldigvis en blafrer tilstede så jeg hev fat i ham og fik lov til at låne lidt data, så jeg kunne varsko omverdenen. Der kom en god flok og fik twitchet den og den blev set indtil solnedgang.

Lille Farvevandnymfe hun, nok nyudklækket

Markpiber, kan næsten ikke fåes bedre

31/5 var generelt set en begivenhedsløs dag, som blev brugt på skolen og i fredagsbaren. Dog kom en veninde med en lille bille som hun havde fundet og viste mig den. Kunne godt se at det var torbist af en art, men jeg ved ikke noget om dem, så jeg tog en nogle billeder inden den fløj væk. Jeg smed den ind på iNaturalist og skænkede den ikke en tanke. Dog 11/6, mens jeg var ude og birde Hirtshals igen, så jeg på iNaturalist at den var blevet artsbestemt til "Rød Klittorbist", jeg anede ikke hvad det var, men en hurtig søgning på nettet viste at det var en sensation. Med ganske få lokaliteter i hele Skandinavien og måske en eller to i Danmark, er det et fuldstændigt vanvittigt hit at finde en på UCN's grund midt i en fredagsbar.

Rød Klittorbist, serveret på et stykke køkkenrulle

2/6 besluttede jeg mig for endelig at smutte i Hammer Bakker, så jeg havde pakkede alt mit grej og hev min ødelagte cykel med på tur. Det var en fuldstændig mindblowing succes, med alle target-arter fundet. Særligt årets første Bølleblåfugl og Moseperlemorsommerfugl var helt klart det absolut fedeste, selvom det krævede en halvfarlig tur ude på hængesækmosen i klipklapper. Ellers var det også ret fedt med Lille Kærguldsmed, ikke en sjælden art, bare ret nice.

Moseperlemorsommerfugl - Det var vildt da jeg så den første gang komme blafrende igennem luften

Bølleblåfugl - en sjov variant, der mangler sorte sømpletter

11/6 var som tidligere nævnt en hurtig tur til Hirtshals Øststrand, det gav en kort men ret fed obs af Amerikansk Sortand, samt en overraskende obs af Mallemuk.

16/6 var blev jeg inviteret med på tur med Morten Christensen, først til Nørre Kjul for at se/høre Buskrørsanger, fedt gensyn med den og så en tur til Store Vildmose. Det er vildt, hvor meget det område har transformeret sig igennem det her år, hvilket også har kastet nogle ganske fede arter af sig. Den her gang skulle ikke blive anderledes med min første Nordiske Lappedykker i sommerdragt i Danmark og to Stylteløbere!

19/6 var jeg ude ved Hirtshals Fyr for at kigge efter Sortbrun Blåfugl ssp. vandalica en endemisk underart, som kun findes i Vendsyssel. Havde set den før, men det var en kort fornøjelse, så håbede på nogle lidt bedre obs af den og måske nogle billeder. Og hold da op jeg blev ikke skuffet. Af bonus var der Rødspidset Glassværmer, IsblåfuglVioletrandet Ildfugl, Lille Farvevandnymfe og Lille Blåpil, som var lidt af en overraskelse, med kun én tidligere obs i området for en art der ellers er fraværende i Vendsyssel. En kort obs fra en af bunkerne ude ved selve fyret gav en sjov sortand som lignede en amerikansk sortand til forveksling og en sildemåge 2k, som lignede en Lattermåge til forveksling. måske, måske ikke.


Sortbrun Blåfugl

Lille Blåpil hun

Rødspidset Glassværmer

Lille Farvevandnymfe

Sortbrun Blåfugl

26/6 var jeg i Bunken Klitplantage for at nørde lidt rundt med tømmermænd, dog fandt jeg årets første fund af Gulvinget Hedelibel, en ret sjælden art der svinger meget i antal år for år.

Gulvinget Hedelibel hun

Fra 28/6 til 1/7 havde jeg besøg af en gammel ven, så selvfølgelig skulle jeg vise ham rundt i Nordjylland. Det førte til en tur til Skagen 29/6, hvor jeg fik Engblåfugl og Klitperlemorsommerfugl. Dog slog lynet, for mens vi fik en god øl og en god drink ved restaurant Blink fandt jeg den megasjældne edderkoppe-art Phaeocedus braccatus! Ikke mange fund i Danmark, dog dem der er, er hovedsageligt fra Skagen-halvøen. 30/6 tog vi til Råbjerg Mile, her havde jeg selvfølgelig kikkert og kamera med, håbede på nogle fede arter, enten i luften eller på jorden. Dog var der ingen fugle, men der var massere Argusblåfugl og Foranderlig Blåfugl. Formåede også at finde en V-Mærket Hoppekop (virkelig det fedeste navn på jorden). Dog kom nok et hit der er på niveau med Rød Klittorbist, i hvert fald på lokalt plan, da jeg fandt en Moseblødbille, en bille-art som er klassificeret som næsten truet på Rødlisten, er i sindssygt meget tilbagegang, blev sidst set i Nordjylland for 50 år siden OG er aldrig set så langt nord på før! Kan man snakke om et lokal-hit!

Klitperlemorsommerfugl

Phaecodus braccatus - blev opdaget med en god øl i hånden, ville ønske at alle gode arter blev fundet sådan

Argusblåfugl han

V-Mærket Hoppekop

Moseblødbille!

Så Juni månede, blev så presset så meget som man kunne og hold da op, der blev virkelig klemt alle dråber ud. Nu bliver det spændende at se, hvad Juli månede byder på, særligt da jeg flytter op til Skagen Fuglestation, hvor jeg skal være til 7/12.



Sandoy, 23/9-2025

 I went to Sandoy to looks for waders and ducks, though none of those would be the one to steal the headline. I started the day by checking ...