Svellet has never, ever, been mightier

While I was away from Oslo The Mighty Svellet has just carried on getting mightier and mightier. On Saturday a new Norwegian record count for Wood Sandpiper was made with 1800 birds counted (the previous record of 1395 birds on 11^th May 2021 was of course also from Svellet) and then yesterday the record was smashed again when 2200 were counted!! Today I estimated a minimum of 1750 birds but there were new flocks regularly arriving from the south and others looking like they were leaving to the north so the true numbers were probably a lot higher. Surprisingly no other species passed 100 and whilst the peak passage of Greenshank has clearly passed, the numbers of Ruff, Dunlin and Ringed Plover may still increase. My list can be seen here.

I had been hoping for these sorts of numbers (and conditions) but last week really feared it would not happen as water levels rose however they have since then only increased by around 5cm a day and it must be said things are perfect now. It surely cannot last for that much longer so we always have to enjoy it whilst we can. It is a surprise that nothing rare or to be honest scarce has been found but with the distances and lighting being as they are it would need to be something rather obvious like a Black-winged Stilt.

Svellet from the east. Water levels have risen a bit but there is still lots of mud and shallow water

from the west looking north

and looking south. Most birds were to the right of the picture as can be seen in this video:

In Maridalen I recorded my 150^th Oslo species of the year with Common Crossbill. That it should take so long to see the species (it was also my first in Norway) is because all the cones that caused last year to be so good for the species are now empty of seeds and all the many thousands of Crossbills that were around Oslo 12 months ago are now somewhere else in Fenno Scandinavia where there is a good crop of fresh spruce cones. Today’s birds were a pair though and I heard song so maybe they are thinking of breeding?

Regarding the Lapwings I saw a single brood of 4 today which it would be natural to assume is one of the broods I saw last week but as they were so small I am not sure if they are a new brood. There were 8 adults in total with none other seemingly guarding young in the grass but a pair was displaying and nest scraping and another female looked to be sitting on a nest (but not the same nest from 2 posts ago which now seems abandoned).