Back to the Dale

I had thought of going early to Svellet this morning with the hope of getting some better pictures of the Yellowlegs without the heat haze ruining everything. In the end a family breakfast (rightly) triumphed but others did succeed in that quest and better pictures have been taken so negating the need for me to write a description 😅 Here are three pictures that Reidar Myhre took and which do the job!

Greenshank and Lesser Yellowlegs. This picture show the size difference well and the dark wings and back and pale rump of the Yellowlegs - just the sort of photo I was hoping for! Photo: Reidar Myhre

 

the yellow legs are also visible. Photo: Reidar Mhyre

I chose to go to Maridalen with the Beast but with clear blue skies and northerly winds I did not have high hopes. A couple of singing Redstarts, Sand Martin, Crane, Three-toed Woodpecker and fighting between the breeding Whooper Swan pair and an intruding pair gave me plenty to enjoy though.

male Redstart (rødstjert). The white in the throat and brown wings point to this being a 2cy

whereas this male with much bolder colours is presumably 3cy+

Sand Martin (sandsvale) is never an easy bird to see in Maridalen although it does sometimes try to breed

this male Three-toed 'pecker was drumming and the female was hopefully either nest building or perhaps already on eggs nearby

Whooper Swan (sangsvane)

just a single Crane (trane) seen today.

this pair of Common Scoter (svartand) appeared on Maridalsvannet during a rain storm on Sunday evening but disappeared shortly afterwards

this Stock Dove (skogdue) still pops up occasionally in Maridalen and I suspect they are breeding