Monday, 10 September 2012

Red-throated Pipit saves the day

Yet again I was at Brentetangen based on a forecast for reasonably strong southerly winds, and yet again I was disappointed by the lack of birds. The only regular movement was provided by auks with over 120 birds in just over three hours with roughly three quarters going north and the rest south. As last week, all close birds were identifiable as Guillemot (lomvi). Three Gannets (havsule) going north and one south were a promising sign but resulted in nothing more exciting. The only waders moving todat were six Grey Plover (tundralo) heading south. Winds are expected to be stronger tomorrow and there will also be westerlies off southern Norway which could result in more being birds being pushed into the outer Oslo fjord before the southerlies push them up....wishful thinking probably.

I had two sessions at Brentetangen and in between was at Kurefjorden on a rising  tide. There were good numbers of waders in Rosnesbukta with amongst others 87 Dunlin (myrsnipe), 39 Bar-tailed Godwits (lappspove) which is easily my highest count in Norway, 3 Little Stints (dvergsnipe) and 2 Curlew Sandpipers (tundrasnipe).

Highlight here was a year tick in the form of a fly over calling Red-throated Pipit (lappiplerke) which kindly flew over just after calling Meadow (heipiplerke) and Tree Pipits (trepiplerke). There has been a mini influx of this species over the last week into south eastern Norway and I had my ears peeled hoping to bump into one.
Bar-tailed Godwits coming into land

Bar-tailed Godiwts landing

Dunlins with Curlew Sandpiper number 6 from left


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