The latest Norwegian Red List has been published and Homo Sapien Birder is now classified as Critically Endangered. The population is ageing and with very low breeding success is doomed to die out although recent immigration from overseas populations may sustain the population for a while. The species is rather skulky and occurs mostly singly or in very small groups and can therefore be overlooked. Hybridisation with the next two species also represents a threat to the species.
The closely related and easy to confuse Home Sapien Twitcher is listed as Vulnerable. This species generally stays close to a car and telephone but is an irruptive species and can occasionally be seen in large flocks which can move quickly over long distances and are nearly always attracted to the presence of Birders. Their presence is normally a sign that there are, or have been, Birders in the area which is useful in surveying due to the skulky nature of Birders. When present they are generally easy to see due to loud contact calls and their flock nature.
Homo Sapien Togger is a species that has only recently been added to the Norwegian list but is in growth and is classified as of Least Concern. They often follow both Birders and Twitchers and can be found both singly or in large flocks. They can also be confused with the two other species but have a simpler plumage that lacks the appendages of binocular and telescope although this is compensated for by an abnormally large camera appendage. The reason for the population growth is unclear although it is believed that some Birders have morphed into Toggers. There is also some evidence that Toggers can morph into Birders which is believed to have the potential to save the Birder species but solid evidence is lacking.
I undertook some survey work today and can confirm that the Critically Endangered listing for Birders is correct. I visited one of the best sites for the species (Svellet) on a perfect date (mid May) and in perfect weather (heavy early morning precipitation) but was unable to find a single example of the species although due to its skulky nature I may well have missed one or two individuals. This complete lacks of sightings is of major concern and suggests a local extinction although some reported sightings last week give hope but it cannot be ruled out that they were actually misidentified Twitchers (seemed to display irruptive behaviour).
Continuing the survey in Maridalen did however reveal two Birders and combined with a recent string of sightings in the Dale suggests a viable local population although it is very sedentary and will probably not expand into adjacent areas.
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Birding wise I did have a productive session. May 10 is prime time around Oslo (and was THE day last year). Rain started just after midnight and this is just the weather you look for although the continued northerly winds were not ideal. At Svellet at 06:30 it was 0C and snowing!! The snow made viewing difficult but 2 and a half hours and 3 different watch points allowed me to see quite a lot. A resting flock of 95 Golden Plover contained 11 Knots in their red summer plumage and these and 4 Dunlin were new for the year. Greenshank (60) and Wood Sandpiper (50) were just a fraction of the numbers I was hoping for with the sustained northerly winds probably meaning the large numbers have yet to arrive. Only 5 each of Ruff and Redshank confirm this. A pair of Garganey were my first of the year but ducks numbers were otherwise low and a Peregrine was unsurprsingly the only raptor.
See eBird checklist here.
In Maridalen very high water levels mean the lake doesn’t have any wader friendly areas left but a flock of 58 Golden Plover flew over and considered landing and there were also 3 Wood Sands and 2 Whimbrel briefly. Passerines were scarce but there were a few Yellow Wags and Wheatears on the fields.
See eBird checklist here.
The closely related and easy to confuse Home Sapien Twitcher is listed as Vulnerable. This species generally stays close to a car and telephone but is an irruptive species and can occasionally be seen in large flocks which can move quickly over long distances and are nearly always attracted to the presence of Birders. Their presence is normally a sign that there are, or have been, Birders in the area which is useful in surveying due to the skulky nature of Birders. When present they are generally easy to see due to loud contact calls and their flock nature.
Homo Sapien Togger is a species that has only recently been added to the Norwegian list but is in growth and is classified as of Least Concern. They often follow both Birders and Twitchers and can be found both singly or in large flocks. They can also be confused with the two other species but have a simpler plumage that lacks the appendages of binocular and telescope although this is compensated for by an abnormally large camera appendage. The reason for the population growth is unclear although it is believed that some Birders have morphed into Toggers. There is also some evidence that Toggers can morph into Birders which is believed to have the potential to save the Birder species but solid evidence is lacking.
I undertook some survey work today and can confirm that the Critically Endangered listing for Birders is correct. I visited one of the best sites for the species (Svellet) on a perfect date (mid May) and in perfect weather (heavy early morning precipitation) but was unable to find a single example of the species although due to its skulky nature I may well have missed one or two individuals. This complete lacks of sightings is of major concern and suggests a local extinction although some reported sightings last week give hope but it cannot be ruled out that they were actually misidentified Twitchers (seemed to display irruptive behaviour).
Continuing the survey in Maridalen did however reveal two Birders and combined with a recent string of sightings in the Dale suggests a viable local population although it is very sedentary and will probably not expand into adjacent areas.
——
Birding wise I did have a productive session. May 10 is prime time around Oslo (and was THE day last year). Rain started just after midnight and this is just the weather you look for although the continued northerly winds were not ideal. At Svellet at 06:30 it was 0C and snowing!! The snow made viewing difficult but 2 and a half hours and 3 different watch points allowed me to see quite a lot. A resting flock of 95 Golden Plover contained 11 Knots in their red summer plumage and these and 4 Dunlin were new for the year. Greenshank (60) and Wood Sandpiper (50) were just a fraction of the numbers I was hoping for with the sustained northerly winds probably meaning the large numbers have yet to arrive. Only 5 each of Ruff and Redshank confirm this. A pair of Garganey were my first of the year but ducks numbers were otherwise low and a Peregrine was unsurprsingly the only raptor.
See eBird checklist here.
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| Svellet in the snow. The bazooka did not leave the bag so no bird pictures |
In Maridalen very high water levels mean the lake doesn’t have any wader friendly areas left but a flock of 58 Golden Plover flew over and considered landing and there were also 3 Wood Sands and 2 Whimbrel briefly. Passerines were scarce but there were a few Yellow Wags and Wheatears on the fields.
See eBird checklist here.
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| the fields at Skjerven in Maridalen held Yellow Wagtails and Wheatear but no waders other than the breeding Lapwings |
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the ski jump at Linderudkollen could suddenly be used again
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| some of the migrating Golden Plover (heilo) that looked like they were going to land before heading off north again |
apologies for the problems with font and all caps but I am unable to fix them save deleting and rewriting the whole post (everything looks normal for me until I press the publish button and then it goes pear shaped)
See eBird checklist here.
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| The view from Hulvik at 05:24 |
Birding on the way home gave me a Short-eared Owl which surprisingly was my first since October 2018. I also saw my first Swifts of the year.
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| Short-eared Owl (jordugle) getting grief from the local Common Gulls (fiskemåke) |
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| the local Lapwings (vipe) were not happy either |
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| A Wood Warbler (bøksanger) also entertained me when I failed to find a reported Red-breasted Flycatcher |
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| this male Wagtail at Fornebu seems to be a hybrid/intergrade between Pied and White |
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