Mid summer Caspians

This spring and early summer has been very hot and very dry in southern Norway and there have recently been news reports that farmers already fear failed crops and bankruptcies. So a forecast of lots of rain yesterday was certainly greeted by farmers but also by myself and like-minded birders because as we all know rain in the summer can bring down lots of otherwise high flying migrating waders. Now mid-June is not exactly peak migration time and in fact there is a possibility that some birds are still migrating north (e.g Ringed Plovers) whilst others are definitely going south already (Curlew, Ruff and Spotted Redshank being obvious examples). Rain at this time of the year is perhaps most likely to result in an interesting tern though but either way Årnestangen and Svellet are the obvious choice of locality to visit. A walk out to Årnestangen on a humid summers day is not to be treated lightly. The plagues of mosquitos mean that one has to dress in long sleaves and trousers and spray liberally with mossy spray. This means that ones gets soaked (by sweat) even if it doesn’t rain (which of course you hope it does).

Yesterday I arrived at the end of Årnestangen before it rained and chalked up a singing Corncrake on the way (this species has become VERY scarce in the last couple of years). At the tip there were a few waders: Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, Dunlin, a Ruff, Curlew, Snipe, Lapwing and Wood Sandpiper but no big numbers. Whilst I waited for the forecast rain to arrive I checked out a pair of breeding Yellow Wagtail which Erling H had suggested I do as the male looked very much like a Blue-headed. And indeed it was, for me it ticked all the boxes and could be safely called a flava: it had a bluey grey head, a very bold white supercilium and a very obvious white subocular patch. The female appeared to be a thunbergi based on having dark smudges on her breast although females are not straightforward. A mixed subspecies pair would explain the many intermediate birds that are seen in lowland, southern Norway.

When the rain finally came the only new waders that turned up were a handful of Curlew and Greenshank and after half an hour I decided to head back to the car. As I walked along the river I noticed to “gulls” flying towards me but as they got closer I realised they were terns and terns that large could of course only be Caspians. I had to get my camera out of the bag but managed to record this auspicious moment but sending out a message in the rain with wet fingers and a wet phone proved to be a task nearly beyond my abilities. In the evening the terns were found resting at then tip and a Red-necked Phalarope was a quality wader find.

My eBird checklist is here.

In Maridalen the last brood of Lapwings numbers three tiny young and on the same field a large youngster is already flapping his wings and flying a few metres. Fingers crossed that there are still other young hiding away and that these that decide to show themselves make it to fledging.

I have finally found the nest of one of the Wryneck pairs and they are using the same nest as two years ago but which was used, and walled up, by Nuthatches last year. The young have hatched and the parents are busy bringing ants and larve and removing shit bags.

Caspian Tern (rovterne)

the 2nd bird

both birds

male Blue-headed (Yellow) Wagtail (sørlig gulerle)

wet adult Wryneck (vendehals)

food going in

shit coming out

this Sand Martin (sandsvale) in Maridalen was close to where single pairs have previously bred in holes in a wall and perhaps they are doing so again (otherwise this species seems to have disapeared as a breeding bird in Oslo)

3 tiny Lapwings (vipe) just 2 days old

and a much larger youngster probably around 3 weeks old