On the eve of

I write this on the last day of April and therefore the day before my favourite birding day of the year – 1 May. This day may not statistically prove to be that great but it is a national holiday and I will always be in Maridalen from dawn following the migration. What will turn up tomorrow? Red Kite? Black-shouldered Kite?? Pygmy Cormorant???.

Since my last post I have added the following to Oslo 2024: Greenshank #145, Pied Flycatcher #146 and Whinchat #147. So, 150 is definitely a possibility before the end of April. When I first started noting my Oslo list I thought 150 for the whole year was a good result!

Migration is delayed this year so we could have some good days ahead of us but unfortunately there is no rain forecast and just lots of sun so there will be no big falls of migrants.

In the Dale the swan drama has now settled down with the Whooper Swans on the nest and presumably incubating whilst the Mutes are on the other side of the lake. I cannot wait (a month) to see if the eggs hatch.

The male Three-toed pecker was still excavating the nest hole today and hasn’t come very yet. The entire chamber will probably take him a couple of weeks.

Svellet is looking scrumptious and now the birds just need to come. 25 Greenshank today was a 400% increase on the day before so it can just keep on going like that for a few days and we will all be happy.

variety in the Dale - Common Sand (strandsnipe), Green Sand (skogsnipe) and White Wag (linerle)

Golden Plovers (heilo) at Årnestangen

my first Oslo Greenshank (gluttsnipe) of the year!

I was as surprised as the Snipe (enkeltbekkasin) when I came around a corner and we made eye contanct

the male Three-toed Woodpecker (tretåspett) has not come that much further with his nest hole building

my first toad of the year

first Whinchat (buskskvett)

and first Yellow Wag (gulerle) although not in Oslo yet. A male thunbergii

and I bumped into this beauty