Rosefinch and Cuckoo in Maridalen

I had a quick visit to Maridalen yesterday in light rain and it gave me a new species for the Dale for the year and also good views of a scarce species.

The new species was Common Rosefinch. There used to be a few breeding pairs but it has become very scarce in the last few years and you are more likely to hear a Whinchat mimicking a Rosefinch than the actual bird. When I heard a short burst of Rosefinch song from an area where a Whinchat has been singing this week I was therefore expecting it to be mimicry but had to check it out to be certain. To my surprise it was actually the real deal that was singing although it was a brown, 2cy male. Whilst watching this bird I then heard a Cuckoo cuckooing not too distantly and was able to get close enough to see it. I cannot actually remember seeing a singing Cuckoo in the Dale so this was a cool experience (although in the mountains over the next few days we should see and hear many).

a male Cuckoo (gjøk) in the rain

male Common Rosefinch (rosenfink). A male because it was singing and a 2cy because it is brown (males do not become red until their 3rd year)

and a male Common Whitethroat (tornsanger) that is still unmated. This year is a good one for the species in the Dale with a number of singing males