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Annotated birdlist from Wetsunday

To: "birding-aus" <>
Subject: Annotated birdlist from Wetsunday
From: "Vader Willem Jan Marinus" <>
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 19:48:16 +0200
ANNOTATED BIRDLIST KVALØYA MONDAY 2 JUNE 2009

Herewith the annotated bird list from my trip to Kvaløya, as requested by
some people. As I wrote earlier, this was a very rainy day, and all these
birds were seen from the car or in my own garden.

Black-throated Loon                     Gavia arctica           One pair
in the Kvalsund. these birds have nested fior years in a small lake, where
there now were tw            pairs of the next species

Red-throated Loon                       G. stellata               Two
pairs in the lake where the Black-throated Loons nested the last years.
This species is also very common on Prestvannet in    town, where at least
6-7 pairs nest

(no cormorants at all, these are much more common in the fjordic areas in
winter. But both species occur on the outer coast also in summer)

(no herons this time either. Just the luck of the draw, as these are by
now common in the area)


Whooper Swan                            Cygnus cygnus      The resident
pair, in a small pool near the road, so clearly not yet nesting

Greylag Goose                           Anser anser             The common
nesting goose in the area


Mallard                                      Anas platyrhynchos  Just a
few this time. Very common in the area.


Wigeon                                     A. penelope               A few
males in both areas. A common nesting bird. (usually this trip yields more
Anas-ducks, such as Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler and
Pintail.)

Tufted Duck                               Aythya fuligula Several pairs in
the wetland pools. this species seems still to increase year by year.

Goldeneye                                 Bucephala clangula      Two
displaying opairs in the Rakfjord lagoon. As it nests in hollow trees,
this is more of an inland bird in thhis region

Common Scoter                          Melanitta nigra             A small
flock on the fjord near Tisnes. Late!


Common Eider                            Somateria mollissima   Common
everywhere here.


Red-breasted Merganser              Mergus serrator           Maybe the
most numerous duck in the Kvalsund area, also present at Tisnes.


Common Merganser                    M. merganser              One male
near Tisnes, later a small flock of males in Grøtsund, from the car.

Northern Lapwing                        Vanellus vanellus        Regular,
but not common, in the area

Golden Plover                             Pluvialis apricaria        A few
at Rakfjord. Most have dispersed into the hills to nest-

Ruff                                           Philomachus pugnax   Tisnes
is a well-known lek for these interesting birds, but numbers have
decreased the kast years, and I saw not more than 10

Snipe                                        Gallinago gallinago
Not displaying in the cold weather, so I was lucky that one flew up.

Whimbrel                                   Numenius phaeopus    A common
nesting bird of the dryer hills around Rakfjord, but these were also
silent today

Curlew                                       N. arquata                  A
few along the shores; a lowland and wetland bird copared to the Whimbrel

Redshank                                  Tringa totanus           The
common nesting Tringa along the coast here

Wood Sandpiper                        T. glareola                  A
single one at Tisnes

Common Sandpiper                   Actitis hypoleucos       A single one
on the shore at Risvika

Red-necked Phalarope               Phalaropus lobatus     Three flew up
and carried out some sort of flight display at Rakfjord, in an area where
they often breed.

Arctic Skua                              Stercorarius parasiticus  Nesting
at Rakfjord , as usual. A common bird in the region.

Black-headed Gull                    Larus ridibundus           One at
Risvika, the first one I have ever seen there. With an incomplete brown
hood still.

Common Gull                          L. canus
Absolutely living up to its name, and very common all over the area, also
in town. One pair nests 5m meter high in a
a spruce in the neighbour's garden, on top of an old magpie nest . Both
birds of the pair scour my garden for plant material to use in the
the nest

Lesser Black-backed Gull        L. f. fuscus                 One, on the
shore. This species has become uncommon recently

Great Black-backed Gull         L. marinus                 Common

Herring Gull                            L. argentatus             Common 

Arctic Tern                             Sterna paradisaea      Common, but
only just arrived.

Atlantic Puffin                        Fratercula arctica       Three in
the Kvalsund. (I missed the Black Guillemots that are almost always there)

Rock Dove                            Columba livia              Up to 20
constantly in my garden, concentrating below the feeder tubes on the lawn.
They are 'the northernmost feral pigeons in the
the world!!

Common Cuckoo                  Cuculus canorus          Always present at
Rakfjord, a common bird here north, where the Meadow Pipit is the
preferred host.

Short-eared Owl                   Asio flammeus            One gave a
wonderful show, hunting over the fields closeby, and now and then peering
at me in flight with its piercing yellow eyes.

Sand Martin                        Riparia riparia              A large
flock at Tisnes, concentrating over the intertidal (Clunio midges??)

Barn Swallow                     Hirundo rustica              A single one
at Tisnes, where they most years nest in the farm barns.

Meadow Pipit                     Anthus pratensis          Common in the
grasslands. (White Wagtails are also common, but somehow I missed them all
this day.)

Northern Wheatear             Oenanthe oenanthe       Common on the stony
heathlands, but a late arrival, so these were the first for the year

Fieldfare                           Turdus pilaris                  Very
common and conspicuous everywhere

Redwing                           T. iliacus                     Common
and a good songster

Willow Warbler                  Phylloscopus trochilus   The most numerous
bird in Norway. How great them that it is a very pleasant songster!

Pied Flycatcher                 Ficedula hypoleucos      A common garden
bird, fighting with Great Tits over the nest boxes

Great Tit                           Parus major                   A common
garden bird

Blue Tit                            P. caeruleus                  A
newcomer here north. A single one in my garden earlier this week

Magpie                             Pica pica                      Very
common in Tromsø. One pair has ourgarden in its territory. They attacked
the feral pigeons for days, but now seem to have given up the struggle.

Hooded Crow                    Corvus cornix                 Common in
Tromsø

Northern Raven                 C. corax                         These
impressive birds nest oitside town, so we see most of them in winter. they
are , however, common in the area.

Common Starling              Sturnus vulgaris               Mostly a
nearshore bird here, and heavily dependent on the many nestboxes that are
set up for them. there are always many at Tisnes, where the farm form an
extra attraction. They fly around with food for their young now.. Never
seen in my garden!

House Sparrow                 Passer domesticus          During this last
week there are regularly 2-3 in my garden, profiting from the sunflower
seeds together with the finches.

Chaffinch                          Fringilla coelebs
Regularly 2-3 in my garden on the feeders. This is a southern species,
that I think is increasing in our region.

Brambling                        F. montifringilla
Regularly a number in my garden, where they only come during cool
weather.Often on the ground below the feeders.

Greenfinch                       Chloris chloris                 The
dominant small bird in my garden and on the feeders, where there are
frequently up to 25 at the same time, and aquabble around the feeders.
they are in most variable plumage, some beautifully green. others very
dull grey, with only the yellow wing-stripe to identify them

Redpoll                             Acanthis flammea           Regularly a
number in the garden, both on the feeders and on the ground.Another chilly
weather visitor.


Wim Vader, Tromsø Museum


9037 Tromsø, Norway




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