Summer days in Oslo

What was only supposed to be a few days in Oslo before we headed north to the cabin in Bodø risks becoming many more days as poor weather up north and a football game on Saturday that deserves to be watched on the big screen at home delay are journey.

This has given me the chance to check up on my scarce (and late) breeders. This year we have not been as successful in finding nests, or even birds, as in previous years but I do have one nest to follow and I will of course publish a full update later in the season. If you want an idea as to what I am watching though then look at this absolutely amazing live feed from my old stomping grounds in Sussex.

Butterflies continue to deliver and I had my second ever Norwegian Purple Emperor (stor purpurkåpe) sat on a gravel track in the exact same place as I have previously seen a Poplar Admiral (ospesommerfugl). The Emperor was first seen in Norway as recently as 2019 after expanding rapidly through southern Sweden so it is no surprise that this was only my second sighting of the species and first in Oslo. The Poplar Admiral is a well established species which some people have no problem seeing but I have only ever had three sightings of ever.

Purple Emperor (stor purpurkåpe)

it has already been attacked by a bird and lost a bit of its right wing

Purple Emporers have become so "common" that you see videos now on social media where people have them on their shoes or clothes. I thought this one would be equally as confiding but it was of another persuasion but in the video at the end you do get to see the purple sheen.

a Silver-washed Fritillary (keiserkåpe) and an Arran Brown (fløyelsringvinge)