Going on a Blyth’s Hunt

We are now entering a period with lots of rain and thunderstorms forecast which would normally get me excited but in mid-June in Oslo I think there is little that is likely to turn up other than a Gull-billedTern…

I have kept up my nocturnal outings in an attempt to increase #Oslo2024 and even visited Sørkedalen (as well as Maridalen) on Monday night when conditions were perfect but think I soon need to admit defeat. Marsh Warblers are the only birds I am finding although I did try quite hard to turn one into a Blyth’s although cooler heads (or ears) brought me back down to earth. I didn’t hesitate to follow up a report of one in Sørkedalen today although as I feared (being the bad twitcher I am) I failed to find it even though I got there only an hour later (and pictures leave no doubt as to it having been present😊)

 The GND is still on Maridalsvannet and seems to be making short work of the crayfish population. It is now possible to see three species of divers at the same time. The diver went missing on Sunday before I refound it on Monday at the southern end of the lake, around 3km from where it had been on Saturday. It is one thing though for a diver to go awol – they do after all dive - but not the Whooper Swan family which has just vanished. With such small cygnets they surely cannot have gone far but I have checked all likely sites in vain.

 I have managed to find where the Hobbies are breeding though which is a new site although I am not yet certain I have discovered which (Crows) nest they are using.

it really poured down today although the Great Northern Diver (islom) didn't seem to mind

although Monday's nocturnal outing failed to produce any exciting "night singers" I did hear Little Ringed Plovers on a field in Sørkedalen, coincidentally the last field in the valley to hold breeding Lapwings although that is now a few years ago. I visited the next day to find the farmer working on the field and found no plovers but today I located a pair although suspect that their breeding attempt had failed to the tractor.

the male

the female

and the male again

Hobby (lerkefalk)

this 2cy male Common Rosefinch (rosenfink) is the only bird I know of in Maridalen this year although in Sørkedalen there are quite a few. In the video you can hear this bird singing