OSLO BIRDER: Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin

Or Rufous Bush Robin as I grew up calling it (or was it a Chat?) or hekkskvett as they call it Norway.

I have a very nice post on yesterday’s birding, guiding and an interesting insect find that I was ready to post but events have conspired to give me something far more interesting to babble on about.

A Black Tern was found by Eyvind Rugland at Årnestangen yesterday and his amazing pictures were enough to help me make the decision that the Beast deserved his first ever walk there. Even though the chances of the tern still being there were very low there is a lot of flood water on the fields and anything can turn up.

As I walked out after 9am I first met Thomas Sæther who is on paternity leave with his young daughter and as we walked out together wondering whether we would see the Black Tern we met Edna Mosand who was coming back. She had been there a few hours and could tell us that the tern was not present. However, she had seen a mystery bird that she was keen to show us pictures of. Trying to look at the small screen of a camera in strong sunlight whilst keeping Corona distancing isn’t easy but the pictures were really exciting but what was the bird? Looking at the face my first reaction was Tawny Pipit but Edna said that the tail was very red and that it kept moving its tail up and down.

I was stumped but realised this was something very good. I took a couple of Back of Camera pictures and hurried towards where Edna had seen the bird. I started writing a text to Tor Olsen asking what we thought of the pictures but before I pressed the send button it occurred to me what the bird might be. I googled Rufous Bush Robin and the first pictures showed a much redder bird than in the pictures (and in line with my memory of the species) but then a picture popped up that was spot on! I phoned Edna who was then able to find a picture on her camera showing the underside of the tail and there felt no doubt that Edna had found a MEGA (I assumed it would be a new species but there is a record from 1975). I passed Thomas, who had gone on ahead and told him the ID and then we both became very impatient to get out to where we thought Edna had seen the bird. A lot of searching revealed no bird and we were unsure as to whether it was the right place as there was another copse in the area. I did go and check this copse without finding the bird and we double checked with Edna but still thought we were in the right area. After an hour and a half I went to the other copse again (was intending to continue back to the car) which did also look to be better for the species (and birds can afterall fly). I then glimpsed a bird with a red tail fly up from the path and into the scrub. Ths had to be it but it took another 5 minutes before I saw it in the bins and could confirm the ID and another 10 minutes before I got any photos. During this period others turned up and when I sent out a message confirming it was refound I started getting phonecalls from people who were waiting to book plane tickets!!

I thought I heard a snatch of song and later on others did hear it singing. It appeared to be quite stationary and will be very popular if it stays until the weekend. The lack of much rufous colouring (except for the tail) points at the bird being of the subspecies syriaca fraom South East Europe and the Middle East.

It was very skulky but that may have been due to the number of people (and an impatient dog) watching it but luckily the copse was narrow enough that it could never hide for too long.

My pictures are not very good but Edna’s pictures are outstanding and can be seen here.