Sunday 8 th
of May 2022
and I start the day with tea and an omelette. I have a look at the pictures I took yesterday and I have finished the island of Vágar. I will try to explore the eBird hotspots on the island Streymoy today. Torshavn is located on Streymoy.
So I will drive on road #50, same as when I go to Vágar but instead of taking to the left when I reach Kollafjørdur I will turn to the right and follow road #10.
Breakfast
Herring Gull
Hooded Crow
Hooded Crow
Today's track at Hósvík
I start at the eBird hotspot: Hósvík and there are a few birds, but nothing very exciting. I continue on the north side of the island Streymoy driving along the coast to the Sundini between the islands Streymoy and Eysturoy.
I reach Hvalvik and I start the eBird app at 07:53 and I turned off the app 15 minutes later. I had not seen many birds in Hvalvik.
eBird Report
Hvalvik--bay and shore, Faroe Islands, FO
08-May-2022 07:53 - 08:08
Protocol: Traveling
3.54 kilometer(s)
7 species
Mallard 1
Common Eider 21
Eurasian Oystercatcher 3
Herring Gull 1
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Hooded Crow 1
Common Raven 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S109290016
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 ( https://ebird.org/home
)
Today's track at Hvalvik
I will cross Streymoy on road #53 to Saksun and the Saksunar Kirkja at the end of the road on the west side of Streymoy. I drive through a landscape with no houses, just a strait road for long as I can see ahead of me. There is an eBird hotspot: Saksunardalur along road #53, around half way to Saksun.
I start my eBird app and I drive along road #53 for about one and a half kilometre and I drive back the same way with my eBird app on and it is a total length of three kilometres.
Driving along road #53
Meadow Pipit
I turn back towards north and I turn off the eBird app after 22 minutes and I continue along road #53 towards Saksunar Kirkja. I spotted Red-breasted Merganser at the lake Saksun. Saksun is a small village in a dramatic landscape.
I reach the Saksunar Kirkja (Saksunar Church) and this is the end of the road and as there wasn't any birds, I was soon turning around driving back to Hvalvik via road #53.
Saksun
Narrow road between Saksun and Saksunar Kirkja
Saksunar Kirkja (Saksunar Church) and end of the road
Saksunar Kirkja (Saksunar Church) and end of the road
Reaching Hvalvik and I turn left on road #10 and I continue towards west on the north side of the Streymoy reaching the bridge over the strait Sundini between the islands Streymoy and Eysturoy.
There are many Eiders around the bridge, I don't think I have ever seen so many Eiders at the same spot before. Otherwise, there was not many birds under the bridge and the weather leave a lot to wish for.
Eiders
eBird Report
Vid Streymin--north (1 km) and south (1 km) of bridge, Faroe Islands, FO
08-May-2022 09:39 - 09:50
Protocol: Traveling
0.48 kilometer(s)
4 species
Mallard 2
Common Eider 75
Eurasian Oystercatcher 3
Common Starling 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S109291793
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 ( https://ebird.org/home
)
Today's track at Vid Streymin Bridge
Road #10 continues across the bridge to Eysturoy. But there are 3 more eBird hotspots on Streymoy, located north of the bridge. So instead of crossing the bridge I continue north on Streymoy. Two hotspots, Gjánoyri and Fossá are on the road and I really did not understand those hotspots.
At the end of the road, as far north you can come on the island there is a village called Tjørnuvík and the hotspot Tjørnuvik--Bay and shore. This is a remote village and to reach the village you have to drive down a step and narrow road.
Road to Tjørnuvik
Tjørnuvik
Leaving Tjørnuvik
I am ready with the eBird hotspots on Streymoy and I drive back to the bridge and I drive across to Eysturoy. I start by stopping at the petrol station at the bridge to fill up the car with gasoline. Driving north to Eiði, as far west you can come on the island.
I have noticed, no matter how small the village is on Faroe Islands, there is always a soccer field. At Eiði there is two and the old field is used as a camping side for caravans.
Northern Wheatear
Rock Pipit
Whimbrel
Whimbrel
eBird Report
Eidi--lake, Faroe Islands, FO
08-May-2022 11:10 - 11:44
Protocol: Traveling
2.57 kilometer(s)
11 species
Mallard 1
Common Eider 5
Eurasian Oystercatcher 1
Whimbrel 1
Herring Gull 7
Lesser Black-backed Gull 5
Common Starling 21
Northern Wheatear 2
House Sparrow 1
White Wagtail (alba) 2
Rock Pipit 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S109295375
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 ( https://ebird.org/home
)
Common Starling
The city of Eidi is also a hotspot: Eidi--city and I have a look before I leave Eidi. The only thing I get out of it is pictures of a Common Starling. I leave Eidi and I drive up the mountain to the dam above Eidi, the eBird hotspot: Eidisvatn. It is a hydro power dam and 50% of the electricity on Faroe Islands comes from water.
There were not many birds around Eidisvatn, just the normal birds that I see all over Faroe Islands and that means mostly Starlings and Oystercatchers.
Eidisvatn
Eidisvatn
eBird Report
Eidisvatn, Faroe Islands, FO
08-May-2022 12:07 - 12:25
Protocol: Traveling
4.4 kilometer(s)
6 species
Greylag Goose 10
Mallard 1
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Eurasian Oystercatcher 1
Common Gull 3
Common Starling 8
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S109297451
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 ( https://ebird.org/home
)
I drive back south along road # 62 and I make a stop at eBird hotspot: Ljósá on the west coast of Eysturoy. Not much to be seen there and I continue south until I reach road #10 again. I will go to Funningsfjørður, a village that is also a eBird hotspot: Funningsfjørður--village, coast area and inner bay.
I spotted a swan in the bay when I drove down from the mountain towards Funningsfjørður. I stopped and I checked the bird through my tele zoom lens, and yes, it was a Whopper Swan. There were gulls and the other birds I had seen plenty of already.
Fishing harbour at Funningsfjørður
Today's track at Funningsfjørður
I will have dinner with my friend from Roy Maersk and his family. I decided to cancel the south part of the Eysturoy as I need to be back in Torshavn. But I will check out the eBird hotspot: Gjógv. This is a small village as for north you can come on the island Eysturoy.
Leaving Funningsfjørður and I drive north on the west side of the fjord. It is a very beautiful road with a gorgeous view of the fjord and mountains.
Gjógv is a beautiful village and I was also pleasantly surprised to see a Snipe when I stopped the car on the road. The Snipe got startled when I stopped and this is how I discovered the bird.
Beautiful road going north
Beautiful road going north
Beautiful road going north
Reaching a beautiful village
Meadow Pipit
Meadow Pipit
eBird Report
Gjógv, Faroe Islands, FO
08-May-2022 13:36 - 13:59
Protocol: Traveling
2.89 kilometer(s)
5 species
Common Eider 8
Common Snipe 1
Common Starling 9
Northern Wheatear 1
Meadow Pipit 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S109306374
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 ( https://ebird.org/home
)
Today's track at Gjógv
Going down the mountain to Eidi
Gloom and grey for long as we can see
I decided to drive back to Torshavn via Eidi and I drove up the mountain and then down the mountain at Eidi on the west coast. The weather leaves a lot to wish for and the visibility is not all that good. I reach Eidi and I go south to the bridge and I cross the strait and I am back on the island Streymoy.
Crossing the bridge and it is about 45 minutes to my apartment in Torshavn. I will be at my friend and his family at 6 o'clock and he was busy cooking when I knocked on the door.
Busy cooking and waving hello to our friend in Thailand
I have not had have a proper cooked meal for ages and here he was making the best lamb legs I have ever had. BBQ for a couple of hours and it was delicious, and I ate like there was no tomorrow even though I don't eat much when I visit people.
Potatoes and carrots and the best grave I have had in many many years. And on top of this cake so I was a wee bit worried about my sugar levels. But it was a very good meal.
We're having a great dinner
We're having a great dinner
We're having a great dinner
It was between 9 thirty and 10 o'clock when I was back in my apartment and I have not been up this late for a very long time now. But I can sleep a little longer tomorrow. We will go to Suðuroy and the ferry is leaving at 08:45 so no need to run out of bed at 4.
Click HERE
to find out if I see any birds on Suðuroy, the southernmost island on Faroe Islands.