Birdwatching in Stråholmen

The small scenic island Stråholmen is one of the best locations for birdwatching along the coast of Skagerrak. The island is located 1+ mile (2 km.) north of Jomfruland and is a part of Jomfruland National Park. Stråholmen is less than a mile long (1.5 km.) and barely half a mile (1 km.) at its widest point. There are no roads in the island, so you’ll have to be content with the paths that do exist, which actually works very well and creates a wonderful atmosphere. Nobody lives here all year, but a few small farms are used throughout the summer. To get a feel of how this place is like, watch this report, produced by the local TV station TVTelemark.

Map over Stråholmen

Island Rarity Hotspot with Lots of Potential
Stråholmen is what we might call a real “island rarity hotspot” or a “rarity hotspot.” And although many rarities have been seen here, there’s still lots of potential. Many birdwatchers primarily visit the more famous neighbouring island Jomfruland. Additionally, getting to this island is only possible by private or taxi boat. But don’t let it stop you from experiencing unique possibilities for rarities. The diverse culture landscape with its flowery meadows, thickets, trees, and bushes provide some of the basis for all these rare observations. At the same time, the island offers ponds, coastal rock slopes and beaches, contributing further to its rich diversity of species.

Not Just Rarities
One of Stråholmens strengths is the diverse birdlife in general. Its location in the archipelago makes this island well suited for seabird scouting, and not just on stormy days. Possible findings on the islets that are visible from the island are breeding European Shag or Black Guillemot. Stråholmen is also Telemark county’s most important breeding spot for Common Shelduck. Other examples of breeding species in the island are Eurasian Oystercatcher and Thrush Nightingale.

Helpful Information

Accommodation

Did you know …

Bird Species Seen in the Area

Landscape Pictures

Some of the Birds Around Stråholmen

Rare Birds
Here are some examples of rare guests that have stopped by Stråholmen:
Tundra Swan, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, Red-breasted Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Surf Scoter, Yellow-billed Loon, Sooty Shearwater, Great Egret, Black Kite, Red Kite, Pallid Harrier, Eurasian Thick-knee, Pied Avocet, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Pomarine Jaeger, Little Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Whiskered Tern, Sandwich Tern, European Turtle-Dove, European Bee-eater, Greater Short-toed Lark, Richard’s Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Water Pipit, Citrine Wagtail, Red-flanked Bluetail, Desert Wheatear, Common Grasshopper-Warbler, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Barred Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Hume’s Warbler, Firecrest, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Carrion Crow, Rosy Starling, Hoary Redpoll, White-winged Crossbill, Ortolan Bunting.

Norsk Ornitologisk Forening
(in norwegian)