Red-backed Shrikes are back

A new week and the last summer migrants are arriving. I have a bit of guiding coming up so wanted to make sure that I have control over the goodies. I located my first Red-backed Shrikes of the year with 2 males in Sørkedalen (although not in Maridalen yet), a Rosefinch in Sørkedalen (and others had in Maridalen) and 3 Wryneck territories in Maridalen. The Scaup was still on Maridalsvannet (what is it thinking of?) and some of the scarce/rare breeders were also still going strong.

At the Tawny Owl nest an adult was giving alarm calls audible from a long distance and when I got there was a mob of crows around the nest box. I only saw two youngsters in the nest and found some Tawny Owl feathers on the ground (from the adult I think) so wonder if one of the youngsters had jumped out and been discovered and taken by the crows with the adult having tried to defend it?

I also discovered a Common Sandpiper nest for the first ever time when two adults flew up calling from a woodland edge 20 metres from the water. The nest was just a depression in the grass with a single egg.

male Red-backed Shrike (tornskate) - I think it is easy to see where the English name comes from

Tawny Owl (kattugle)

half closed eye lids

Wryneck (vendehals) 

Two large Black Woodpecker (svartspett) young. This nest has come a lot further than in Maridalen where they are stil excavating

Common Sandpiper (strandsnipe) nest 

Icterine Warbler (gulsanger)

Pied Flycatchers (svarthvitfluesnapper) are now back in good numbers