Most of July and the first days of August we spent at Røst.
The sensation of the summer was without doubt the Dalmantine Pelican (krøllpelikan) reported at Hernyken July 11th. We got in the boat and found it sitting on one of the outer skerries next to Skomvær lighthouse.
Moult pattern in the wing confirmed this is the same bird that was seen in Sweden and Finland the previous week, and it is now reported back in Sweden. As pelicans are often kept in zoos and bird parks, it is always hard to know the origin of such birds, but if the rarities committee decides to put it on the A-list, as a true vagrant, it will be the first in Norway.
A trip off Skomvær to chum for European Storm Petrells (havsvale) is always a July highlight, with some fifty birds surrounding the boat.
Vader migration has been rather slow in July, but two Pectoral Sandpipers (alaskasnipe) were a nice surprise.
A couple of adult Curlew Sandpipers (tundrasnipe) also visited briefly.
Ruddy Turnstones (steinvender) are found breeding along the shores…
…and Dunlins (myrsnipe) in the wetlands.
A couple of female Ruffs (brushane) showed typical breeding behaviour in the Nature Reserve.
Quite a few juvenile Red-necked Phalaropes (svømmesnipe) was seen around the island, indicating good breeding success. The numbers increased throughout July, with a mix of juvenile and adult birds on migration – the later often moulting well into winter plumage.
By the end of July, Little Stints (dvergsnipe) started to show up, and in the first days of august small flocks were seen daily.
A 2nd calendar year Iceland Gull (grønlandsmåke) was hanging around most of July.
Great Skuas (storjo) breeds on the surrounding islands. This individual is banded with colour ring C4.
The Sedge Warbler (sivsanger) is an uncommon breeder on the island. By the end of July, we found newly fledged juveniles.
Bluethroat (blåstrupe) is now a confirmed breeder, with a female feeding young and a juvenile ringed in July.
On a visit to Skomvær lighthouse the first days of August, we encountered a juvenile Peregrine (vandrefalk), indicating successful breeding in the bird cliffs, probably at the Island Trenyken.
