Bird of the Month

October 21, 2012

Bucephala clangula

Bird of Month October 2012

Sci: Bucephala clangula, Eng: Goldeneye, No: Kvinand, it: Quattrocchi

Dear Everyone,

Unlike BOTD, I don't have any dogmas for the BOTM postings, so I can post anything. However, with conditions new species and images taken within the current month, this is the only possibility, the Goldeneye (Kvinand).

The bird was spotted by my neighbour Harald in the little lake near our houses (Storetveitvannet). It is commonly found in this lake in the winter, but this was the first this season.

Best wishes for Movember to all of you.

-Hans

(The female bottom photo is the original posting, the upper two shows a male in Tveitevannet in Jan. 2013)

September 28, 2012

Uria aalge

Bird of Month September 2012

Sci: Uria aalge, En: Common guillemot, No: Lomvi, It: Uria

Hello everybody,

This is a little encore to the BOTD project. I have of course not stopped taking bird photos, but the intensity has been much lower since the project stopped, with perhaps 10-15 new species the last three months. I am considering to bother you with a monthly bird.

Friday there were two Guillemots (Lomvi) in the lake Store Lungegårdsvann in the city centre of Bergen. This is probably not sensational, but it is rather unusual to see these ocean birds in the city centre. They nest up in the arctic sea, Bjørnøya and Finmark. I did really enjoy watching them, even if it was a very rainy day, and I got soaking wet. I hope they find some food, recover strength and return to the atlantic ocean. This bird can dive down to more than 100 meters depth, and can stay below for several minutes. The legs are so far behind that they cannot walk on land, and if they are so unfortunate to land on a flat field, they cannot get back into air. The nests are on steep cliffs, and the eggs are pear-shaped. If the egg rolls, it will just make a small loop and not fall off the cliff.

Have a nice day.

Best regards,
Hans