OSLO BIRDER: Catching up

Since my last post I have had a days guiding around Oslo with Paul and Maureen from Connecticut. Incredibly Paul and I found out we both went to the same Cambridge College – what are the chances of that?! The weather was against us at times but we managed Greenish Warbler which was one of 10 warbler species including Marsh, Reed, Sedge and Icterine, all three flycatchers, Wryneck, Dipper, young Oystercatchers and Whooper Swan.

I have also been spending time studying the breeding behaviour of a very rare breeding bird (to be the subject of a later post) and in Maridalen have found young Lapwings (finally) and flightless Hawfinch young on the ground (it is not just owls that have young that leave the nest before they can fly – finches and buntings do the same). I had good views of an adult Black-throated Diver today and can hope that they have renested after the first nest must have gone under when water levels rose in May.

National news and only an hour from home is of a singing Sora Rail. It has apparently been around for a couple of weeks and heard by many mature, experienced birders who filed it away under unknown strange sound but luckily two young brothers (part of Norway’s Young Birders group) were wise enough to record the bird and put it out on Facebook where they asked for help. Us Norwegian birders were unfortunately clueless but by posting it on a Swedish group the answer soon became clear – a Sora Rail!! It had been heard singing during the day today and I have heard very good recordings – I really don’t think it will be any better to drive down there and hear it above the sound of carloads of chatting twitchers?