Rose-coloured Starling

Yesterday I didn’t really have any time for birding but when I heard that 8 Black-tailed Godwits had been seen at Østensjøvannet I started to twitch. This would be a new Oslo species for me and would take me joint first in the all-time Oslo listings. In addition I knew the first placed Èric was at Lista this weekend so would be unlikely to also see them….. Unfortunately by the time I got there they had flown on but once I was out of the house I used the opportunity to head for Fornebu where an adult Rose-coloured Starling (although I suspect it is no longer called that) had been found the day before.

It took a bit of time to track down as the Starling flock it was with would often perch quietly in dense foliage but in the end showed very well and what a bird it was. I have seen an adult before but that was when I visited the Isle of Scilly in 1993 (or thereabouts) and have only seen a single juvenile (badly) since so it was great to actually see this bird very well. The bird was probably a 1^st summer (male?) and was more white and dark brown than pink and black and the bill and legs were not particularly pink in colour so I can still look forward to a fine adult male.

Other than that I do not have too much to report for the last week although I did hear a Kingfisher in Maridalen – just need to see it now.

Rose-coloured Starling (rosenstær). Probably a 1st summer bird with lots of brown instead of black, white instead of pink and white edges to the undertail coverts.

the gelled back quiff can be seen well

it looked quite Magpie like at times

this migrant Redstart (rødstjert) was nice to see as it gives a real feeling of autumn

a Ruff (brushane) on the floating vegetation at Østensjøvannet which an hour before my arrival had also hosted 8 Black-tailed Godwits

And some pictures from the previous week, all from Maridalen

an adult Black-throated Diver (storlom) - I have not seen any young this year

Osprey (fiskeørn)

Sparrowhawk (spurvehauk) and Swallow (låvesvale)

juv and adult Swallow

my first Queen of Spain Fritilary (sølvkåpe) of the year - a species which has been much scarcer this year than in the last couple of years although it is still a new colonist around Oslo