First dragoning of the year

Last night saw me and at least 4 others (3 or whom were on bikes) searching for nightsingers in Maridalen. The catalyst for such an intense burst of activity was a Quail that Halvard H had heard the night before. I didn’t manage to hear it although Anders did briefly after I had gone home. It was a fantastic night for it with no wind and t-shirt warm but there was precious little activity with just one Marsh Warblers (the same I had seen earlier in the day), one Tawny Owl and most surprisingly the sound of a migrating Redshank.

Today has been exciting on the weather front. Temperatures rose to close to 30C in the early afternoon and we then had many hours of thunder storms which then brought the temperature down to below 20C. Before it rained I had a quick trip into Maridalen looking for dragonflies. I had the beast with me which didn’t make it easy but there were a number on the wing with me managing to identify two species of dragonfly and one damselfly.

An adult male Goshawk flying low overhead obviously got my attention and I then noticed a much higher flying raptor which turned out to be my first Maridalen Honey Buzzard of the year. Dedicated sky gazing after this revealed no other raptors…

Honey Buzzard (vepsevåk). A male, it appears o be carrying something and could even be ringed but pictures not good to be sure

male Goshawk (hønsehauk)

Four-spotted Chaser (firflekkbredlibelle) Libellula quadrimaculata

Four spotted Chaser

Ruby Whiteface (østtorvlibelle) Leucorrhinia rubicunda

 

Ruby Whiteface

mating pair of Ruby Whitefaces 

Northern Damselfy (spyydblåvannymfe) Coenagrion hastulatum