OSLO BIRDER: Guiding for lifers

I was guiding Bob and Sharon from the US of A today and a very successful day it was. In the morning we even had some sunshine and it could be classified as warm when in the sun but by the afternoon it had clouded over and felt more like March than May.

I had a list of wished for lifer species and managed to deliver on pretty much everything that I had highlighted as possible plus had a couple of bonuses. As usual Maridalen was the key enabler with a pair of Wrynecks displaying to each other, Black Woodpecker showing ridiculously well, Redwing singing in the sun, a brief and early (and bonus) Icterine Warbler and Black-throated Diver (now split from Pacific Loon so a bonus tick). We also had Goshawk, Pied and Spotted Flycatcher, beaver, Whinchat, Wheatear etc. Hawfinch was top of the wish list and a visit to the wood behind Jr Jr’s school revealed a pair courtship feeding by what seemed to be their nest. After this it was Dotterel that was on the wish list. Rather than try for yesterday’s birds at Årnestangen I headed south into Østfold where birds were seen yesterday and there are many fields that can hold this species in May. There were no birds where they were seen yesterday but thanks to the marvels of new-fangled technology I found out that birds were present close by. We found the birds but due to an undulating field I immediately lost them before Bob and Sharon had seen them and it took many minutes before they popped up again. Views were in the scope at some range but the birds were fantastic. Also here we had Golden Plover, a male Marsh Harrier and a pair of Ringed Plovers with two very small young (we also had Lapwing with young nearby).

A great days guiding in other words J