Late fall rarities!

Usually the birdlife slowly dies out trough fall, as most migrants leave our northern regions. But this autumn has been different, as a handful of extremely rare birds has showed up in late October and early November. 

The first alarm came in the last week of October, when an Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) showed up at Ramberg, followed by a Hume's Leaf Warbler at Fredvang a few days later. It all culminated with an highly unexpected Western Bonelli's Warbler at remote Mulstøa the first week of November!

The Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) at Ramberg
- mongolturteldue

Colors of outer tail feathers suggest subspecies meena, but there has been
som discussions about the id of subspecies of this bird
- mongolturteldue

The Western Bonelli's Warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli) at Mulstøa.
The Bonelli's Warblers makes a difficult id-complex, but diagnostic
calls where heard by Martin Eggen, who found the bird. Details in
plumage also supports bonelli
- eikesanger

Also, some more common birds have shown unusual behavior in the Lofoten Islands. Grey-headed Woodpeckers are more numerous than usual in the eastern islands, and Black Grouse gather in large flocks along the coast.

A female Grey-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus) near Henningsvær
- gråspett

Female Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) near Henningsvær
- orrfugl

The Coot (Fulica atra) is a rare winter guest in the Lofoten Islands.
 This bird has been in Borgpollen since early November
- sothøne

A lonely Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) at Leknes in
November - probably an individual that lost its flock during
September migration
- kortnebbgås