The fisheries kept on well into April, with good numbers of seagulls in the harbour, including Iceland and Glaucous Gulls (grønnlandsmåker og polarmåker). A new individual of the subspecies kumlieni where present for a few days, showing a different wing-pattrn than the bird from the week before. This is the third encounter of this North American subspecies this winter.

A few young Iceland gulls (grønnlandsmåke) was also around…

…and a single young Glaucous Gull (polarmåke).

The Kittiwakes (krykkje) are back in their nests – here a young bird is resting with a group of adults.

The White-fronted Geese (tundragås) where still around the first week.

A couple of Tundra Bean Geese (tundrasædgås) also showed up.

The first flocks of Pink-footed Geese (kortnebbgås) arrived for a stop-over on their way to Spitsbergen.

Along came a couple of Brent Geese (ringgås).

Flocks of Long-tailed Ducks (havelle) was present around the island.

The star of the month was no doubt a young male Steller’s Eider (stellerand). The few earlier records of this arctic species have been from the sea, but this bird preferred to hang around the ponds with a couple of Mallards (stokkand).

A couple of Garganeys (knekkand) was also a pleasant surprise.

Not much happening with shorebirds yet, but the regular wintering Redshanks (rødstilk) hang around.

The first Great Skuas (storjo) came back in the middle of April.

Small groups of Snow Buntings (snøspurv) stopped over early in the month, on their way to Greenland.

White Wagtails (linerle) came back during April…

… so did the Redwings (rødvingetrost).

A couple of Ring Ozels (ringtrost) was also seen.

A more surprising event was a smal influx of European Robins (rødstrupe). This is a regular visitor in small numbers, but Mid-April some 50-60 individuals stopped on the island for a few days, and 7 was ringed in our garden.

Ravens (ravn) are well into their breeding season.

We had the first trip out to the bird cliffs on a magical evening with plenty of Puffins (lunde).

A Guillemot (lomvi) takes off in the golden evening light.

We also did a two-days visit to neighbour Island Værøy, and was pleased to see that the Rock Ptarmigans (fjellrype) seems to have settled well.

Here were also a good variety of geese, with a single White-fronted Goose (tundragås) and two Barnacle Geese (hvitkinngås) with a handful of Pink-footed Geese (kortnebbgås).