September has started and the birding peak of the year is approaching fast. Passerines are moving south in large numbers. Species like White Wagtails and Meadow Pipits can now be seen and hear everywhere, Arctic Terns have mostly departed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls are much reduced in numbers.
August and early September are mostly quiet when it comes to rarer birds. The first Garden and Barred Warblers have been booked though. Willow and Wood Warblers have also been around. But stable, sunny weather did not produce any massive arrivals from the east so far.
A Mandarin Duck at Eiði was a slight surprise though.
Shorebirds are around in good numbers. Sanderlings, Dunlins, Common Redshanks and Knots are all moving south.
Two days ago the remnants of hurricane Ida hit the Faroes. And as I checked Viðareiði (8 minutes drive from home) I found a Pectoral Sandpiper.
So yesterday I decided to do more proper birding to the north and west. At Eiði I found another Pectoral Sandpiper along with all the common stuff.
At Sørvágur I also found a Pectoral Sandpiper. So three records in two days. That is quite remarkable since there were only 8 records before this. Now there are 11 records of which I have found 8 myself. Admittedly finding Pec Sands gets a bit trivial, but I do have to break the rules of the Gyr Crakes – ´cause otherwise I´d be out of pools.
But well, the autumn is still to peak. So maybe… just maybe… I might find the first American Golden Plover for the Faroes. After all I did find Eurasian Stone-curlew and Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler this year… so maybe.
Other news include a few lingering Rose-coloured Starlings making this years total to reach 15 birds. And the Ross´s Geese seen for a single day in spring where excepted by the Danish Rarities Committee and placed in the oh-so-lovely category D, which contains all birds that are either escapes or genuine vagrants. I guess we need one with a Canadian ring or an arrow from some Canadian First Generation tribe – like the famous Pfeilstorch. Google it – just for fun. This is how bird migration was detected!
Now let us see what autumn brings.
Silas
Birdingfaroes 