OSLO BIRDER: Summer holidays 2021

Summer holidays have started! As usual we are spending the first week just south of Oslo before hopefully we head north to our cabin above the Arctic Circle in Bodø (although plans are fluid).

Birding normally takes a real back seat this week and my nature interest focuses on butterlies. There are of course always birds to see and with southerly winds I thought something may turn up on (or over) the sea and I usually manage a nocturnal trip or two.

Butterflies seem to be in short supply this year although the season may just be delayed. Fritillaries are definitely scarce and I have only noted one species so far (have seen 8 species in total here previously). I have again noted Green-underside Blue (kløverblåvinge) which was new when we visited a month ago and a female was laying eggs. Not quite a butterfly but actually even better was my first ever broad-bordered bee hawk-moth (bredkantet humlesvermer). I was quite sure I saw one buzzing past me last year but this time got to see a nectaring individual really well. I’ll come back to the butterflies once the week is over and will concentrate now on the birding and nocturnal action.

A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nest was difficult to avoid with very hungry and noisy young hanging out of the hole. Only one pair of Red-backed Shrikes has revealed themselves (the area here has previously proven to be good for the species) but a pair of Spotted Flycatchers nesting in the gutter of the cabin have provided entertainment. Over the sea there was one special sighting with an enormous flock (at least 750) of Common Scoter that flew around late one evening like a murmuration of Starlings continually changing the shape of the flock before heading north. I assume they are non breeding birds but it is difficult to explain this behaviour in the second half of June.

A necessary trip back into Oslo on Tuesday allowed me to hear a Spotted Crake at Østensjøvannet was followed by a late return trip once the football was finished on TV. Sightings from the car of moose, fox and many roe deer enthused Jr and she joined me the next evening for a proper nocturnal trip.

The moon was as good as full making conditions ideal and of mammals we noted 16 roe deer, 2 moose, a fox, 2 cats… and (only) 3 bats and a heard only singing Quail and best of all a roadside Nightjar topped the avian list. The Nightjar was fantastic and flew along and even landed on the road - a return trip is already planned. One of the moose also crossed the road just in front of the car.