Curlew Sandpipers

Nordre Øyeren is a fantastic place for waders in both autumn and spring but views are normally at long range and often with heat haze and back lit meaning a visit can often be quite frustrating with a number of possibles having to be put to the back of your mind (I’ve worked very hard with two possible Pec Sands this autumn before having to just realise I was never going to be able to confirm anything). In the “good old” days it was possible to walk out over the mudlfats and chase the waders around but thankfully in a very rare example of nature conservation in Norway the mudlfats are now legally off limits so the birds get to rest and feed without human disturbance.

Yesterday though I had the rare experience of being able to get close to some waders without breaking any laws (at least I believe so) and saw 4 Curlew Sandpipers amongst 140 Dunlins. Rather annoyingly there were no Pec Sand candidates among them and surprisingly no stints or Bb Sands. I had 5 Great White Egrets at long range and then a single bird flying overhead but a hoped for raptor bonanza failed to materialise.

In Maridalen an adult and juv Black-throated Diver suddenly popped up on the lake. They have not bred there but will most likely have bred close by on a lake where water levels (somewhat surprisingly) did not fluctuate too much.

Curlew Sandpipers (tundrasnipe) and Dunlins (myrsnipe), all are juveniles

4 Dunlin and 3 Curlew Sands

and 4 Curlew Sands in this picture

Dunlins

Great White Egret (egretthegre)

5 of them

juvenile and adult Black-throated Diver (storlom) that surprisingly appeared on Maridalsvannet