The Flickr Obrestadhavn Image Generatr

Right after having a flock of 51 common curlews (Numenius arquata) above me on our island today, I was told that today is the international World Curlew Day.

World Curlew Day was established by the English environmentalist, author and producer Mary Colwell in 2017 to raise awareness of the curlews' plight. It is commemorated each year on 21st April, the date Mary began her 500-mile walk for curlews in 2016.

We have had large flocks of common curlews in our neighbourhood the last days, having a break in their migration on our skerries and fields.

This is the first common curlew I met this year, already on January 10th on Jæren. It must have wintered here. I felt a little sorry for it there in the snow.

(Storspove, i anledning spovens dag idag, in Norwegian)

Check out one more photo of it in the links below!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Feel free to follow my facebook photo page:
www.facebook.com/ranveigmariephotography/

Or my Instagram:
www.instagram.com/ranveigmariephotograp

A male European stonechat (Saxicola rubicola), just like the one I saw in the morning sun outside our kitchen today.

This one is from Jæren, in the last sunset of January last week. There they are seen through the winter, but on our island a little further south we don't use to see them until the end of February or early March.

But today it was here already, as the first in our municipality for the year.

I also found a second species today that was new for our municipality for the year- two razorbills (alker) out on the sea here. Extra fun, since I posted them here yesterday- saying that I rarely see them here, and it was 4.5 years since my last time ツ

It really felt like spring outside today, with sunshine after a cold night lots of birds chirping, lots of birds at sea, and even the first coltsfoots (hestehov).

(Svartstrupe-hann, in Norwegian)

My album of birds here.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Feel free to follow my facebook photo page:
www.facebook.com/ranveigmariephotography/

Or my Instagram:
www.instagram.com/ranveigmariephotography/

One of the few photos I have so far of Eurasian wigeons (Mareca penelope). They belong to the dabbling duck genus.

The male has this beautiful red head with a broad yellow stripe on the forehead. The female is more brown and red all over.

I don't meet them that often on our island, but I have seen some here lately- so I hope to get better photos soon.

But I often see many of them on a distance on Jæren, one hour and so away, where these photos are from.

Check out the links below te line for some more crowded photos with this fun story:
On a walk along some beaches on Jæren some years ago, there were at first no wigeons in this bay. But on our return 1.5 hours later, the same bay had been filled with at least 2400 of them! The two photos here are only a few of the ones I took, to try to count them all.

(Brunnakke hann, i slekten gressender, in Norwegian)

My album of birds here.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Feel free to follow my facebook photo page:
www.facebook.com/ranveigmariephotography/

Or my Instagram:
www.instagram.com/ranveigmariephotography/

...and the North Sea in the background

I never get tired of hiking along the Jæren coastline (Jærkysten). Luckily, it's not far from my home in Stavanger.

~ Sam Keen ~

An image from last weekend, of sea mayweed (Tripleurospermum maritimum) on Jæren.

I've been away this weekend, visiting talented Richard on beautiful Eigerøy island. We had several great photo trips, and he has thought me so much about photographing and editing. And he's a really good host and company too! Will upload images from the weekend soon.

(Strandbalderbrå in Norwegian)

My album of summer flowers here.

(Gerard De Nerval)

Scentless mayweed (Tripleurospermum inodorum) growing by one of the beaches of Jæren, shot after making dinner outside the last evening of July.

(Ugrasbaldebrå in Norwegian)

My album of flowers here.

Obrestad harbor in Rogaland, Norway

Obrestad harbor in Rogaland, Norway

Obrestad harbor in Rogaland, Norway

Obrestad harbor in Rogaland, Norway

Obrestad harbor in Rogaland, Norway

Goosander (laksand, Mergus merganser) at obrestad, Hå, Norway, February 2012

Wigeon (Brunnakke, Anas penelope) at Obrestad, Hå Norway February 2012

Greater scaup (Bergand, Aythia marila) at Obrestad, Hå, Norway February 2012

Greater scaup (Bergand, Aythia marila) at Obrestad, Hå, Norway February 2012

Common scoter (Svartand, melanitta nigra) at Obrestad havn, Hå Rogaland Norway December 2011