Species 200 #Oslo2024 - dream target reached!

And so it came to pass that on the 280^th day of the year I saw my 200^th species for #Oslo2024. It wasn’t the hoped for Yb Warbler or a Tengmalm’s Owl but a nice bird none the less in the form of not one but two Jack Snip in the Dale. I would normally have expected to see this species earlier in the year but I still felt confident I would see one this year but not in the circumstances that transpired yesterday. I found them without flushing them by walking through a damp meadow or through using my thermal imager – instead I found them with the scope by scanning a suitable muddy edge to the lake where there were lots of sedges and other vegetation.

One of them even began feeding and bobbing away and allowed me to film it. I now have a goal to see at least two more species such that my 200 landmark will still be in the (eBird) record books once the redpoll lump happens (which will mean Lesser and Arctic will disappear as species from lists and I have seen both this year).

Jack Snipe (kvartbekkasin) - when I first found it like this I was not entirely sure whether it was a Common or Jack

but when it showed its head and bill properly there was no doubt

feeding nearly in the open

the second Jack along with a Common (enkeltbekkasin)

the Common Snipe

the double ton is hit with 85 days of the year still to be birded

the Stonechat (svartstrupe) is still around

this Rook (kornkråke) would normally have been new for the year as it is a very scarce Oslo species but not this year which keeps on giving and giving