River Warbler and Red-backed Shrike finally

I have not been on any proper “night singer” trips yet this year but went out briefly last night in the rain. I managed to get point blank views of a singing River Warbler that has been around for a few days and was able to take pictures and video despite it being nearly 22:30 and barely light.

Today I visited both Sørkedalen and Maridalen and finally found my first Red-backed Shrikes of the year with two pairs in the same place in Sørkedalen and a pair in Maridalen meaning that after having feared it was a catastrophical year for the species that it now seems to be quite a normal one! I think that they are just very late arriving this year.

In Maridalen I also confirmed breeding on a new field with a single youngster and adult seen so it now looks like four pairs have hatched young.

River Warbler (elvesanger) taken with the superzoom using flash

taken with the bazooka ISO 25600, 1/160 sec

ISO 25600, 1/125 sec

the bazooka using flash ISO 3200 1/60 sec

male Red-backed Shrike (tornskate)

a pair of shrikes - the female was wing shaking and I believe they mated

same female

this female was in Mairdalen and its appeareance is I believe because it had just bathed. I struggled at first to know what it was and was thinking sparrow

same bird

and her mate who wasn't showy

Icterine Warbler (gulsanger)

one of 6 singing Common Rosefinches (rosenfink) today

surprisingly I had Yellow Wagtails (gulerle) at 4 locations today. I only got to study them at one place and here all 5 birds were females of the (expected) race thunbergi

the variety in female Yellow Wagtails is bewildering

this Four-spotted Chaser (firflekkbredlibelle) was in the garden on Sunday and was a real surprise given it was the first dragonfly I have seen this year (plus an unidentiifed damselfly)

whilst walking on Sunday this Camberwell Beauty repeatedly landed on Jr Jr

it appeared to be looking for salts