Rock Pipit means I survive the big lump

I headed today for Huk, Bygdøy with the hope of finding a Long-tailed Duck to be my #Oslo2024 species number 202 and therefore mean post redpoll lump that I would still be >=200 species. There was no Lt Duck and not even any scoter so is clearly still a bit early for these hardy ducks to have been forced off their mountain breeding grounds. But the Bird Gods were feeling generous today and a pipit calling from one of the skerries turned out to be a Rock Pipit 🥳🍾😅

I must admit to having forgotten about this species which should definitely be on the cards in October but always good to have a surprise.

With 202 species now there are 12 species reported on eBird or ArtsObservasjoner that I have not seen. Of these I still have a more than 50:50 chance only of seeing Capercaillie so if I am to add many more species then they need to be ones not yet seen in Oslo this year. I still reckon the following species could show up: Long-tailed Duck, Pine Grosbeak, Hawk Owl, Mediterranean Gull, Glaucous Gull and Iceland Gull.

You can deduce then that I have given up on both Yb Warbler and Tengmalm’s Owl but after finding my first Pygmy Owl of the autumn yesterday in Maridalen I had to have one more unsuccessful attempt for Tengmalm’s in the evening. But that really has to be the last.

Trips out of Oslo to Nordre Øyeren and Fornebu have not been particularly productive.

Rock Pipit (skjærpiplerke) my species 202 in Oslo this year and one I had forgotten about. This is not a species I see annually in Oslo but late autumn and early spring are prime times to find one

the result of seeing Rock Pipit. In 2019 I added another 8 species between today and the end of the year although cannot see that happening in 2024

a Shag (toppskarv) alongside a Cormorant (storskarv) and Herring Gulls (gråmåke)

yesterday's Pygmy Owl (spurveugle)

I'm sure you know what you are supposed to find in this picture

this is what you have hopefully found - Jack Snipe (kvartbekkasin)

close up of the mantle feathers

Great Grey Shrike (varsler) in Maridalen today. Lack of a wing bar and an all black bill should make this an adult male and definitely a different bird to the one from 3 weeks ago

this bird was at Nordre Øyeren yesterday and is a 1st winter

Nordre Øyeren had little in the way of water birds so I photographed passerines instead. Here a Goldcrest (fuglekonge)

and a Lesser Redpoll (brunsisik) which as of today's date is counted as a species in eBird but will disappear in the big redpoll lump before the end of the year

Marsh Tit (lovmeis) - a species that remains a rarity in Oslo despite occuring just over the county line and one I am missing in Oslo this year but which has been reported

a Twite (bergirisk)