The last week and an Oslo and Maridalen tick!

It has gone a whole week since my last post and even though we are at home summer holiday vibes are still running strong in the family. I have been fitting in some birding and butterflying, often in combination with Beast walking. My main focus has been on monitoring a scarce and late breeding bird that I have found and there will be a separate post on this exciting find later but for now here is the rest of the last week’s action.

The week has to be described as VERY GOOD for the mere fact that it included an Oslo and Maridalen tick! On Thursday I was waiting to pick up Jr Jr from Tusenfryd, an amusement park close to Oslo when a message came through from Knut Waagan that he had found a Black Tern at Maridalsvannet (yet another fantastic find from Knut). Of course I began to panic a bit and sent frantic messages to daughter that really she should hurry up (a bit difficult for her to understand as this contradicted the message I had sent just minutes earlier….). Well, all good things come to those who wait and upon my eventual arrival at Maridalsvannet the bird showed immediately. It was feeding over a flat lake under very threatening rain clouds and must have arrived during a rainstorm earlier in the day. If I had just stayed and waited patiently in one place then I would have seen it really well but instead I pent my time chasing it in the car from one place to another hoping I would get to see it really well but being outsmarted by the bird which changed direction whilst I was driving and returning to where I had just been…. Anyways, it was a good bird 😊. I also heard a Kingfisher and with luck this will turn out to be a regular feature again this autumn.

Passerine migration is stepping up with Whinchats, Yellow Wagtail and Red-backed Shrike appearing on the fields and raptors have become a bit more obvious with especially Ospreys showing (up to 3 often vocal birds). A Spotted Crake has been seen at Fornebu and I spent a long time looking for this one afternoon which resulted in a three second glimpse as it came briefly out of the reeded that is it temporary home – goodness knows how many birds we never see.

The weather has been a bit variable and I haven’t seen too many butterflies but yesterday a dog walking trip to Fornebu gave me a fine Swallowtail and 4 different Brown Hairstreaks.

1cy Black Tern (svartterne) - my first in Oslo

young Red-backed Shrike (tornskate)

the classic Maridalen photo

a Whitethroat (tornsanger) that clearly had young nearby

Yellow Wagtail (gulerle) and Whinchats (buskskvett) in Maridalen

Osprey (fiskeørn)

a different Osprey (see tail feathers)

this male Roe Deer was so focused on spreading his scent that he did not notice me

juvenile Common Sandpiper (strandsnipe) still with some downy feathers on its nape. It is fascinating how the breeding waders clear out as soon as they can and there are just a handful left now

a Cormorant (storkarv) displaying with a twig - will they breed in Oslo soon?

young Goshawk (hønsehauk) although the feathers being moulted on the back suggest this is a 2cy and it is probably the young male that successfully (and surprisingly) bred in Maridalen this year

the young Ruff (brushane) stayed 3 days in Maridalen

4 species of wader at Fornebu whilst waiting for the Spotted Crake

Common Snipe (enkeltbekkasin), Greenshank (gluttsnipe) and Green Sandpiper (skogsnipe)

female Brown Hairstreak (slåpetornstjertvinge)

Swallowtail (svalestjert)

Brimstone (sitronsommerfugl) that tries to look like a leaf

mating Common Blues (tiriltungeblåvinge)