Bird watching IN NORWAY

Greylag Geese breed in the area  -  in addition there are always good movements during spring and autumn
Tekstboks: Situated in the north west of the County, Aura covers an area of 511 sq.km. The coast and fjords offers some great scenic experiences, with many of the islands joined by bridges, here you will find quiet bays and inlets that are sheltered from the open sea, that being said the same stretch of coastline can be truly amazing when the sea is being whipped up by strong winds. One locality not to miss is Foldfjordstrømmen. This is one of Europe’s strongest riptides where coastal currents press huge amounts of water through a narrow passage. For the visiting bird watcher, Melland and Kroksvatnet may be of more interest. Melland is a combination of a shallow bay, shoreline, and areas of coastal meadows while Krokvatnet is a lake and an area of virtually untouched pine, some of them over 400 year old. Both Red-throated and Black-throated Divers have been recorded in the breeding season, so it could be worth your while to check mountain lakes. Lower lying lakes will hold the commoner dabbling ducks such as the resident Mallard, while both Eurasian Wigeon and Common Teal are spring migrants. Tufted Duck, Common Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser can also be found though numbers vary. Moving onto the coast Common Eider will be the dominant seaduck. Eight species of bird of prey have been recorded so be on the lookout for such species as White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle and Peregrine. Both Black Grouse and Capercaillie can be found in woodland habitat while Willow Grouse and Rock Ptarmigan are birds of the mountains. By mid May, the area around Mellandsvågen will hold several of the commoner waders. There is however an interesting summer observation of Temminck’s Stint, so maybe the species breeds in the surrounding mountains? May will also be the time of the year when Skua passage is at its best, this being said, I have only found records of Arctic Skua, though there should be a chance of the other three if one spends sometime sea-watching. Five species of gull have been recorded and both Common and Arctic Tern breed. The only member of the Auk family to be found breeding is Black Guillemot. Owls and Woodpeckers are better represented with some interesting midsummer observations like Hawk and Pygmy Owl. Tengmalm’s Owl has also been recorded but I should think this is in years with good rodent numbers. By spring, Eurasian Wryneck will be joining the resident Grey-headed, Green, Great-spotted, White-backed and Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers. There is also an old observation of Black Woodpecker from the area. All coastline meadows and farmland are worth checking during migration periods if only for such species as Sky Lark and Whinchat. Areas of scrub or coastal woodland can also be interesting with such species as Common Redstart, Icterine Warbler and both Pied and Spotted Flycatcher. The coniferous woodlands at Krokvatnet should produce some of the commoner species that prefer this type of habitat. Be on the lookout for both Coal and Crested Tit. Some members of the finch family will also be represented with Siskin being amongst the commonest. Both Common and Parrot Crossbills have been recorded in the area, good size flocks can be seen in years with a good pinecone harvest. And lastly the mountains. Here you can look for such species as Bluethroat, Ring Ouzel and Snow Bunting. How To Get There: Aure is reached from Kristiansund by taking the ferry then following route 680 along the coast. The trip takes about 1½ hours. From Trondheim the trip takes about 2½ hours. To get to Mellandsvågen, follow route 680 out of Aure and head for the island named Skardsøya. On crossing the bridge, turn left and follow the road towards Andkletten. Continue along this road. Before you come to Drageidet there is a small road that branches of to your right. This road runs along side Mellandvågen and onto Finnset. Click here for map

Aure

The species has been recorded during the summer months  -  does it breed in the municipality?

Eurasian Wryneck is only one of several members of the woodpecker family to be seen.
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Aure Gjestegård