Back home

Robin

3 days ago I came back home to the Faroes. And it is awesome to be back home (and by the way we’re here because my wife is pregnant and our third child is due to come in september).

Willow Warbler

The days before my arrival to the Faroes looked promising for migrants and Shetland got its fair share of Greenish Warblers during the last days.

Common Swift

I’ve been birding a little bit. Yesterday I went to Viðareiði, where I found some scarce birds including Common Swift and Icterine Warbler.

Garden Warbler

Other birds included several Willow Warblers2, Reed Warblers and two Gardens Warblers. I also checked Kunoy, but the best bird there was a Chiffchaff.

Reed Warbler

Barred Warbler

Today I went to Hvannasund, where I found two Garden Warblers before heading to Svínoy. There the birding was excellent with 2 Barred Warblers, 10+ Willow Warblers and Common Whitethroat.

Common Whitethroat

But the days greatest surprise came when I found two Tree Sparrows. I observed them for a long time and saw one of the birds feeding the other bird all the time.

Tree Sparrow

Tree Sparrow – feeding time.

Furthermore the one bird looked like a juvenile based on the colours and extensive yellow base on the bill.

Tree Sparrow

I think it is unlikely that these birds have arrived from another country. It is much more likely that we have had the first breeding pair of Tree Sparrow for 80 years? Tree Sparrow has possibly bred at Sumba during the 1960’s, but the Salomonsen states that they bred on the Faroes till 1933. No matter what it is very interesting.

Willow Warblers

Great Skua’

Willow Warbler

Silas