fjell

Bird watching IN NORWAY

Grey Phalarope - recorded only once way back in 1936

Tekstboks: Situated on the island of Sotra, the municipal borough of Fjell lies between two other borough’s, Sund and Øygarden. As one would expect the bird life to be found is much the same, though one should note that Fjell is under watched compared to Øygarden. Fjell however has Turøy. A small island now joined to the mainland with a series of bridges. At one time there was an active bird observatory, where a dedicated group of ringers and helpers made Turøy one of Norway's leading rarity sites. With one of the first interesting records being a Grey Phalarope in 1936, local ornithologists have always realized that this small island had potential. In general, Turøy's bird life is typical for the rest of the region, most of the year. However, from April through May, and from September through October, the area is well worth a visit. Not known for its "visible migration", (though some large flocks of birds do pass by) bird watching on Turøy is based on checking peoples gardens and the surrounding areas of rough grasslands, small areas of coniferous woods and the many areas with small deciduous trees and bushes. By spring it is a good place to watch the first migrants such as Northern Wheatear and Common Chiffchaff. These are soon followed by a host of others like Lesser and Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and Blackcap. Always be on the look out for the rarer species too. Black Redstart has been seen during spring movements, and it is always a good time to watch for Common Rosefinch. A bit of sea watching could also be worth its while at this time of the year. Flocks of Great Cormorant and Eurasian Oystercatcher should be moving north by March. By May, you just might see some Divers, mostly Red-throated, but there is a chance of seeing all four species. It is however the autumn migration that is the best, and many a birder has seen his "dream bird" on the island. By August the ringers are concentrating on catching and ringing Storm Petrels, there is however always the chance of something else being caught, as on the 25/8/99 when Leach's Petrel found its way into the net. Catching petrels is a night-time occupation, but if you are interested, I am sure the ringers will let you tag along. Away from the petrels, Turøy can boast a range of species, from Tengmalm's Owl, all of which have been caught during October, while the areas only Eurasian Hoopoe was recorded on the 30/9/1993. Richard's Pipit is seen most years in the county, and Turøy is no exception with three observations ranging from September to November. All the Red-throated Pipits have been seen during September, while the rarer Olive-backed Pipit, has only been recorded in October with birds being caught both in 1996 and 1997. Both Barred Warbler and Yellow-browed Warbler have several records to their names, while Hume's Leaf Warbler has only been recorded once. Most of the Pallas's Warblers have been seen October with five records, the sixth being so late in the year as the 11/11/2000. Both Dusky Warbler and Greenish Warbler have been recorded, the later being the rarer with only one record on the 10/09/1999. Another interesting record was a Red-breasted Flycatcher on the 19/09/1997. I could name several other species like Rose-coloured Starling, Common Rosefinch, Ortolan Bunting and Little Bunting, all of which have been seen during the autumn movements, but I think I will end with Yellow-breasted Bunting which has been recorded twice. As I am sure you will agree, the above species list is quite impressive - so all you have to do is get out there. Maybe your dream will come true. How to Get there: To reach Turøy, follow the Rv 555 from Bergen to Sotra, after driving through a long tunnel you will hit a round-about. Turn right and follow the Rv 561. From the round-about it is about 30km to the turn off to Turøy on you left. Follow the road until you hit a small round-a-bout. Here you will see two roads, one that goes straight ahead, the other goes left. Both roads are worth following just for checking peoples gardens and roadside vegetation for passage migrants.
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Fjell

The Pallas’s Warbler - a little gem of a bird.

Barred Warbler - yet another rare warbler to be found.

Tekstboks: Interesting in seeing some of the area’s more interesting species. If you need a guide, then just send me an e-mail

Tekstboks: Fjell is on the Norwegian Birding Route. Click here for more information

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