Sørkedalen

Yesterday I played away from home and visited Sørkedalen. The main target was a butterfly. Geranium Argus (brun blåvinge) is described as being widespread in Norway but is a species that has evaded my radar and in Oslo is only reported from Sørkedalen. With a sighting the day befre and it still being incredibly hot and sunny I thought it would be rather straightforward but that was unfortunately not the case. I was there around 11am and that was perhaps too early as there was very little butterfly activity and I didn’t see a Blue of any description. A reported Blyth’s Reed also disappointed when I could only find a Marsh in the same location. This bird was initially singing very slowly and much like a Blyth’s but hadn’t properly got going (as is often the case if they sing in the day) but once it got going (in response to me playing both Marsh and BRW song) then it became a normal Marsh Warbler. Hybrids are always a potential to be considered though.

Whilst sat in the car in a car park looking for butterflies along its edges I noticed a Common Sandpiper creeping through the vegetation. She eventually went to her nest which was surprisingly exposed and through the bins she could be seen panting in the heat.

In Maridalen the Three-toed Woodpecker young have hatched in the nest and were audible.

In the garden Blue and Great Tits were both still on eggs last week (a very late date). I saw fledging Blue Tits in the garden yesterday and went to check the nest boxes and found both abandoned. The Blue Tit box with 10 eggs and the Great Tit with 5. Reasons for abandoning are unknown but the heat may have played a role.

male Beautiful Damselfly (blåpraktvannymfe) - there are now a lot of these in Maridalen 

Common Sandpiper (strandsnipe)

and with bill open panting on the nest

Marsh Warbler (myrsanger)  - the long primaries with pale tips are visible as are the broad pale edges to the tertials

Heath Fritillary (marimjellerutevinge )

a rather strange male Common Rosefinch (rosenfink) with a white collar and moustache

one-toe Three-toe

Abandoned Blue Tit (blåmeis) nest

And abandoned Great Tit (kjøttmeis) nest. The Beast hair seems to have been used in the nest

And the typical 4 eggs of a Common Sandpiper all facing inwards