The Flickr Færevig Image Generatr

Today I heard and saw some lovely Eurasian blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) for the first time this year.

This is a male on a visit outside our house, from the archive. (The female has a brown cap.)

They belong to the warbler family, and breed in most of Europe, western Asia and northwestern Africa.

They are partial migrant; birds from the colder areas of its range winter in northwestern Europe, around the Mediterranean and in tropical Africa.

(Munk hann (i sangerfamilien), in Norwegian)

My album of birds here.

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One of the beautiful (male) common linnets (Linaria cannabina), that stayed by our bird feeders for a long time last spring.

Yesterday I saw them in our neighbourhood for the first time this year. And I have just been out on my bike again today, listening to them an very many other birds singing in the nice spring weather.

(Tornirisk-hann, in Norwegian)

My album of birds here.

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Female common goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula) in our neighbourhood, from the archive.

The female has a brown head and grey back, while the male has a dark green head, with a large white spot below the yellow eye, and a white and black back.

They are widespread across much of North America, Europe and Asia, and are found in a variety of wetland habitats.

(Kvinand-hunner, in Norwegian)

I have some photos of the males as well in the links below the line!

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A common red soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva) on a lesser knapweed (Centaurea nigra), outside our house in the end of July.

(Rødgul bløtvinge/ Prestebille på svartknoppurt, in Norwegian)

My album of insects here.

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One of two little great black-backed gulls (Larus marinus) that I found by the sea below our house earlier this month.

(Svartbak-unge, in Norwegian)

My album of birds here.

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One of several beautiful (male) linnets (Linaria cannabina) that keep coming to our bird feeder every day now.

They sing their lovely song a lot as well, both from branches and while eating. I've also photographed them flirting by feeding each other ツ

It's lovely to sit hidden in the car right outside the house, to enjoy and photograph them. Both since I haven't taken good photos of them before, and to get another focus when my health is crappy like today ♡

(Tornirisk-hann, in Norwegian)

My album of birds here.

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I've only been able to enjoy the nice cold weather through the windows today. But luckily there are lots of entertaining birds coming to the feeders outside our kitchen windows during the cold - like the great spotted woodpecker flying right towards me as I brought more bird food this morning. Even the sparrowhawk came right in front of the windows, almost catching a great tit.

This Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) is from a nice autumn morning, outside our kitchen as well.

(Pilfink in Norwegian)

Now it started snowing - perfect, as I'm about to start decorating for Christmas ツ

My album of birds here.

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The beauitful and long-awaited snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis).

(Snøklokker in Norwegian)

My album of spring flowers here.

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Overwintering starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in their nice winter plumage, outside our house on a cold January day.

They, and the trushes, come in large numbers for food when there is frost outside.

But I guess I won't see them this weekend during the Big Garden Birdwatch (Hagefugltellingen in Norwegian), since we have mild temperatures now. But I'll serve some extra bird treats tomorrow, in hope of getting many birds to report.

(Overvintrande stær, in Norwegian)

My album of birds here.

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Common red soldier beetles (Rhagonycha fulva).

(Rødgul bløtvinge / Prestebiller, in Norwegian).

My album of insects here.

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A cocksfoot moth (Glyphipterix simpliciella) on a germander speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys).

(Møll uten norsk navn i familien kommamøll, på tveskjeggveronika, in Norwegian)

My album of insects here.

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A male northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) by our house. I love meeting them everywhere during summer.

A late upload today, since I've been out with a friend until late, photographing the wheatear's cousins- the whinchats, in the evening sun.

(Steinskvett hann in Norwegian)

My album of birds here.

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(Dana Dalgetty)

Some red campions (Silene dioica), to describe the lovely hair colour I got at the hairdresser today ツ

(Rød jonsokblom in Norwegian)

My album of flowers here.

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I've just had this year's first counting of nests by our house. I found two common gull nests (Larus canus) with 3 eggs in each, and two nests without eggs yet, that seemed to be built recently.

I guess and hope there are even more new nests that I haven't noticed, since many of the old spots were empty. I disturb them as little as possible and only take a couple of rounds of counting a year.

Sadly the American mink among others destroys several nests. I guess that's the reason the oystercatchers seems to have given up laying eggs in the sand here. At least the common gulls have some more clever spots to place some of their nests.

I haven't photographed them in some years, so here is one from the archive from one of the spots I checked this evening.

(Fiskemåke-reir, in Norwegian)

I have more nest photos from this place, in the links below the line.

My album of birds and nests here.

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The first post out of 10, of a bird quiz that I've made for The Norwegian Ornithological Society's nature trail towards Eigerøy lighthouse, in our immediate area.

All photos are taken on our part of the island and by the lighthouse trail.

Tonight we put up all the posters, placed the answer sheets and were interviewed by the local newspaper.

The ornithological society has a bird-watching station by the lighthouse, since huge numbers of migratory birds fly pass it or come for a rest. Luckily some of them come for a rest closer to (or right outside) our home as well ツ

One can also meet lots of birds along the lighthouse trail, like this starling (Sturnus vulgaris) that nested in a boathouse there last year.

(Stær in Norwegian)

(There's a news article about my bird quiz here ツ www.dalane-tidende.no/ny-quiz-pa-turstien-til-eigeroy-fyr...)

My album of birds and nests here.

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One year ago today, 10 overwintering European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) visited us to get some food in the snow. The white made a nice background for the pretty birds.

I have uploaded some more photos of it in the links below the line.

(Stær in Norwegian)

My album of birds here.

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I just realized that it's five years ago today since I moved to Eigerøy island.

I didn't realize then how close I would live to all the birds that I loved from my home island (3.5 hours away by car).

These oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) are some of our beloved neighbours during spring and summer.

(Tjeld in Norwegian)

My album of birds here.

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Dozens of oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) are back in our neighborhood, and some of them have decided to stay and have settled where they use to hatch.

This couple stayed close to our house last year.

(Tjeld in Norwegian)

My album of birds and nests here.

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(Unknown author)

I'm not good at moon photos, but found this one taken from our bedroom one year ago - on today's 50th anniversary of the moon landing

My album of the aurora, moon and stars here.

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Oh how I regreted that I changed my mind about taking a sunset walk last night. Even though we are lucky to have many nice sunsets here by the coast, last night was one of those extraordinary ones.

It was too late to photograph the bright orange sun below the pink clouds from a nice spot when I realized it. But in the other direction, like here below our house, the sky and sea burned in pink (this is only the end of it) and the sea was abnormally still. (There are more days with waves covering those rocks than with reflections.)

Luckily we are predicted to have lots of nice weather ahead, and I just hope that we get more extraordinary evenings on our upcoming Easter vacation ツ

Have a nice weekend!

My album of sunsets here.

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