Wood Larks

Yesterday I visited the area immediately to the north of Gardermoen Airport. This was my first visit to an area that is a traditional site for Wood Larks. As soon I arrived I had a good feeling as the area was very like the heathlands in Southern England with heather, pine trees and birch scrub on a sandy soil and as soon as I opened the car door I heard a singing Wood Lark and over the course of the next 5 minutes located 3 singing birds and an additional bird that was presmuably a female. A great start to the day. A male Redstart was also in the car park although soon disappeared and a Wryneck was singing amongst the birch scrub. I soon located the bird and had good views as it sang. Tree Pipits and Willow Warblers were common and the area looks perfect for Nightjars and probably Honey Buzzard - I will visit again in early June.
On the way home a quick stop at Årnestangen showed the water levels to be way too high and it is difficult to imagine them falling quickly enough during May for there to be any hope of a good wader passage here.

Today I had a quick trip to Fornebu where there was yet again little so see and indeed no new migrants from Sunday except for an increase in the number of Common Terns to around 20. A quick trip to Maridalen was equally unproductive although a Snipe feeding out in the open in the water may have be a migrant as could have been a Buzzard that flew over. The undoubted highlight was at least 2 Waxwings that I heard flying over on migration (this is a late date). The 2 Whoopers Swans are still present, a male Teal was giving an alarm call so maybe they are breeding, a single Black-throated Diver was back again and 4 Tufted Ducks were migrants.