Raptors #10 & 11

The last two days have seen me at Årnestangen. Yesterday it was drizzling with a very fresh southerly wind and today was sunny and windless. Both days provided good birds although nothing more than scarce. I added White-tailed Eagle and Goshawk to my raptor list and so now have 11 species this week (plus the Red Kites from last week). The next species that I need to turn up are Hen Harrier and hopefully Pallid Harrier (I am still waiting to get gripping views of a juvenile bird).

Waders have not been in great numbers (less than 100 individuals in total with 42 Dunlin today the most numerous species) but the variety is starting to build up again. Sanderling, Knot, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Temminck’s Stint, Turnstone and Great Snipe are all good species.

A Little Gull heading south and a heard only Kingfisher were also good but nothing has given good photo ops.

On the passerine front obviously migrating Coal and Willow Tits were a surprise with 2 Coal Tits launching themselves out of the last bush on the point and heading over the lake and a flock of 15 Willow Tits flying high further up the peninsula.

Male MArsh Harrier (sivhauk) which I believe to be in its 3rd CY

juvenile Marsh Harrier in the drizzle yesterday

possibly the same juvenile today with a Sparrowhawk

in the field I aged this is as a juvenile Peregrine (vandrefalk) but the pictures show e to be very wrong although maybe it is a 2cy

juvenile Red-backed Shrike with bug 

Årnestangen today

I had a stop to look at gulls (Caspian Gull should be a possibility now) and turned up to 2CY Lesser Black-backed Gulls (sildemåke) which is a scarce age class in Norway. This dainty bird was quite straighforward

but this beast of a bird had me thinking Great Black-backed Gull and Caspian but I have concluded with LBBG