Broad-billed Sandpipers

Yesterday I gave Årnestangen another go. I could read that the water levels were continuing to fall so thought it would be worth the walk despite the late date meaning there was little in the way of waders to expect. But quality often occurs at unexpected times so a trip would hopefully result in quality over quantity.

The quality came in the form of 2 Broad-billed Sandpipers which showed remarkably well (for Årnestangen) after an unseen raptor had put everything up and they settled quite close. The two were in noticeably different plumages but both would class as summer plumage – one bird was a lot darker than the other and surprisingly like Jack Snipe. Other waders were scarce but Redshank (8) and Ringed Plover (11) are still moving north although singles of Ruff and Wood Sandpiper may have been heading south. Numbers of moulting male dabbling ducks had increased and the 2 male Garganey were still with them.

The Little Gull was also still present but there were no exciting terns to see. Ospreys were omnipresent but the only other raptor I saw was a single Marsh Harrier.

Other highlights during the day were a Long-eared Owl with two fluffy young in an old crow’s nest and discovering a Red-breasted Flycatcher nest but more on those later.

Today (and tomorrow) I have been guiding a group of Chinese photographers which has been a new guiding experience for me :-)

Broad-billed Sandpipers (fjellmyrløper)

with a Wood Sandpiper (grønnstilk) and Redshank (rødstilk)

and both of them with the Wood Sand

1st summer (2cy) Little Gull (dvergmåke)

Two of many Ospreys (fiskeørn) present and they were often quite noisy

an early? Ruff (brushane)