All hail the Mighty Svellet

Today I was booked for early morning guiding so hit the sack early night last (especially given today was a bank holiday). Up early, managed one of the three S's then breakfast out the door and check email. One new email sent at 04:32 and cancelling the guiding.....

Well at least I was up and it was 1^st May and the rest of the family was asleep so I decided to search for that silver lining. Maridalen seemed quiet except for an obvious arrival of Willow Warblers (after finally hearing my first one yesterday), my first Greenshank and Common Sandpiper of the year, a Swallow was singing, a latish Ring Ouzel was on the fields and 5 Black-throated Divers showed really well.
Never-the-less I felt Maridalen was not going to deliver much more and I left it in the Halvards capable hands (who added a few new birds for the year) and went to the mighty Svellet.
I had feared it would be bone dry as amazingly enough water levels are still falling but there was a bit of surface water and loads of birds. 1400 Teal only had 2 Wigeon amongst them but it was waders that provided the real excitement. Greenshank are now the most numerous with 41, followed by 18 Curlew, 8 Green Sands, 5 Oystercatcher, 4 Wood Sands, 2 LRPs and singles of Redshank, Ruff (male in breeding plumage), Bar-tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank and best of all a breeding plumaged Black-tailed Godwit (my first ever adult around Oslo). So 11 species of wader on Svellet plus Common Sand and Lapwing in Maridalen giving me 13 species and I didn't even see a Snipe.

I also had Tree Pipit which was new for the year but not a single raptor (although judging by the beahaviour of the Teal and waders they had seen one) before I called it a morning at 10:20.

In the afternoon a family trip to Gressholmen revealed Common Terns, Wheatear, Ringed Plover and Orange tip Butterflies. Even more excitement was had when we were hurrying from the T-bane to the boat and I heard a singing Black Redstart from the roof tops in down town Oslo.

In all I had 8 year ticks today which is the most in a day since 6 Jan proving that May 1^st is always a good day to be out birding J


On Saturday a kids suggested trip to Fornebu revealed a Ringed Plover nest with 4 eggs. It will be quite an amazing feat if the parents raise young to the fledging stage given how close to roads and people they were.

This weekend has been very good for birding around Oslo for those who have been in the right place at the right time. A Yellow-browed Warbler was found and seems to be the first ever April record in Norway (and fourth ever spring record) and 2 Red Kites and a Black Kite were seen.

distances are large at Svellet and photos never good. These are large waders so just imagine how difficult it will be to get a pictures of a Least Sand here! See if you can work out which ones are the Spotted Redshank, Ruff, Bar-tailed Godwit and Black-tailed Godwit 

Teal (part of a flock of 1400) put up by an unseen raptor 

and Curlew and Greenshanks also put up

my first Greenshank of the year in Maridalen

Willow Warbler (løvsanger)

Black-throated Divers (storlom)

Reed Bunting (sivspurv)