OSLO BIRDER: Birding around Ikea

Despite a rather painful and loooong trip to Ikea with the kids I managed to bird at three locations today: Fornebu, Maridalen and Årnestangen. My visits to the first two places were brief as the kids were waiting impatiently in the car but I had three hours before sunset at Årnestangen in good light.

Fornebu and Maridalen both had the same Red-backed Shrikes (tornskate) from yesterday in literally the same bushes but Fornebu also delivered a couple of Hobbies (lerkefalk) that were flying together and whose presence was given away by a large flock of alarm calling Swallows (låvesvale). I haven’t seen too many Hobbies this year so this was a welcome if brief encounter.

Årnestangen was good (as it should be at this time of the year) although had fewer birds than have been reported over the last couple of days even though heavy rain showers during the course of the day had raised my hopes for even more. Highlights were a single Turnstone (steinvender) – this primarily coastal wader often turns up here in the autumn and a single juvenile Little Gull (dvergmåke). Amongst 50 odd Ringed Plover (sandlo) and 40 Dunlin (myrsnipe) was a single Knot (polarsnipe) and a few Ruff (brushane), Greenshank (gluttsnipe), Redshank (rødstilk) and Wood Sandpipers (grønnstilk). Juvenile waders are now much more numerous and outnumber the adults which is a big change from just over a week ago. Three separate Marsh Harriers (sivhauk), a Peregrine and two Ospreys (fiskeørn) put on a good show and had the waders regularly flying around. As it began to get dark many Yellow Wagtails (gulerle) flew in and at least 100 went in to roost in the tall grass.