Bugs & Birds

Yesterday, I took only my second trip of the year out to the islands of the Oslofjord and it was a fairly rewarding trip even if it was bugs more than birds that featured. I had hoped for a few waders or maybe a Y-b Warbler but the only warbler I had was a single Chiffchaff and there were only two waders – a Knot and a Common Sandpiper. Knot is a good Oslo bird though and a late Common Tern was also noteworthy.

The undoubted bug highlight was a Hummingbird Hawkmoth which fed just metres away from me and gave me my best ever views of the species. Bug #2 was Brown Hairstreak at a, for me, new location for the species. I noticed that there was a lot of blackthorn (slåpetorn) and decided to walk close to it to see if there were any butterflies and sure enough two females flew up and then landed in trees and showed very well.

Today a quick check of Nordre Øyeren and Maridalen revealed my first Great Grey Shrikes of the autumn at both sites indicating that the species is now on the move.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth (dagsvermer)

note the probiscous inside the flower

it really is long!

female Brown Hairstreak (slåpetornstjertvinge)

and the other female

juvenile Common Tern (makrelterne)

much is written about the Oslo fjord being "dead" but the large numbers of Cormorants are witness to large numbers of fish

juvenile Knot (polarsnipe)

Great Grey Shrike (varsler) at Nordre Øyeren

and the bird in Maridalen..

which was chasing a Yellowhammer (gulspurv)

a late Osprey (fiskeørn) with a flock of Jackdaws (kaie)

Buzzard (musvåk) in Maridalen

a Coot (sothøne) on Maridalsvannet. This is only my second record there and only the fourth ever. I noticed a bird in the middle of the lake whilst out with the Mrs on Sunday and took some pictures but only looked at them today and found out what it was.

Goosander (laksand) on Maridalsvannet. Probably 2 family groups

and a fox