After two days of winter storms with strong wind, snow and heavy rainfall it looked like today would be better weather. Hoping for the best, I headed once more for the coast. This time I planned to visit Sotra, an outlying island from Bergen. However I decided on a quick detour to a park in the centre of Beregn to try and find a flock of Hawfinch that have been there for most of the winter. I was not to be disappointed and after a short wait 7 flew into the trees above me. I never get tired of watching this spectacular finch, and though they are uncommon in the west of Norway they now seem to be an annual winter visitor to this park. Now back to the coast. I still had an hours drive to where I wanted to start at the top end of the island. A place called Svellingen was to be my first stop. This is a place I often visit during spring and autumn but birding there in the middle of January can be a cold affair and today was no different. There was a strong cold breeze blowing in off the sea. However 2 White-tailed Eagles soon made me forget the cold. One was sat on a rock making it very easy to scope while the other was in the air. The eagles were not the only raptors in the area. A female Eurasian Sparrowhawk was hunting low over the ground, each garden was paid a visit but for no avail. Not a passerine in sight, something I too found disappointing. Seaduck numbers too were low. No doubt the previous few days with gales had sent them looking for shelter further into the surrounding fjord systems. Other than small flocks of Common Eider, Long-tailed Duck and Red-breasted Merganser there was very little to watch. It wasn’t much better at freshwater sites either. A quick stop at a place called Tjedstø produced only a handful of species, but it was nice watching the Whooper Swans grazing at the waters edge. Leaving the Whooper’s to themselves I continued down the coast. Next stop was a big bay with a salmon farm. This place is usually good, and I wasn’t to be disappointed. Hooded Crows were already calling in alarm when I got out of the car, a quick scan soon found the reason, A immature White-tailed Eagle, today’s third, sat only 100 yards away. What a view!! Unfortunately the light was too bad for a photo but I really enjoyed watching the bird through the scope at such close quarters. All in all, a great end to a days birding.
