Moutmarka

I chose a trip to Moutmarka today. This area at the south of the island of Tjøme in Vestfold has a great rarity magnet feel about it although never seems to turn up as much as it should. Just offshore however is the island of Store Færder which has a part time bird observatory and over the years has turned up many good rarities. Today for example while I was just 7km away and seeing little they caught and ringed a Red-flanked Bluetail (their second and only the fourth in Norway this autumn) and also had a Pallas's Warbler (fuglekongesanger).

Moutmarka has seaweed strewn beaches, areas of short and long grass, marshy areas and bushes and short trees, i.e a mosaic of habitats. On the sea I had Little Auk (alkekonge) and Black Guillemot (teist), the seaweed attracted Rock Pipits (skærpiplerke) and one marshy area had a couple of Water Rails. Initially calling they showed on the edge of some reeds and I even managed to see both at the same time. Otherwise there was not a great amount to see and no definitely no rare warblers, chats or thrushes.

Water Rail (vannrikse). After quite a bit of waiting it finally came out in the open

can you spot both the Water Rails in this picture?

a few Wawwings (sidensvans) were also evident today