Inclement weather today but a short trip to Maridalen still
revealed some goodies. At the start of the valley where I had yesterday’s Marsh
Warbler there was still a Marsh Warbler present but best of all an adult male
and four young Red-backed Shrikes. There was a group of youngsters here last
autumn but I am quite sure that they have not bred at or close to this site so
have probably moved at least a few kilometres from their breeding site. The
adult male showed very well and was not bothered by my presence but the
youngsters did not allow close approach and often perched hidden in a bush.
I heard a Lapwing
calling from by the lake which is my first record here for a long time and
suggests that some young have fledged. I also saw a couple of half-grown young
Whooper Swans with their parents close to where they bred although they are
very well hidden in a flooded forest and there could well have been more.
Here a few pictures of the shrikes plus a video where you
can hear the calls of Blyth’s Reed and Marsh Warblers (for the bird nerds
only).
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| Daddy shrike with an ant - a meagre meal for this species |
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| male Red-backed Shrike (tornskate) |
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| the male with a youngster |
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| two youngsters |
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