Stonechat in the Dale

Stonechat was for a long, long time my Norwegian bogey bird. I even saw three Siberian Stonechats before seeing my first normal one in 2018. Since then though they have been like buses and I have even seen two in Maridalen (both found by Halvard). On Thursday I made that three and pleasingly found it myself. This was also my third! in Oslo this year so was not an addition to #oslo2024. I would willingly swap two of the chats for a single YbW which is a species I have probably seen close close to 100 times more of in Norway (although only the once in Oslo).

Yesterday saw Jack and I giving the islands some real effort but had nothing eastern for our troubles. Late Swallows and Greenshank, an early Purple Sand and a flyby Kingfisher were the highlights alongside the now expected Shag.

A visit out east on Wednesday gave me my first Rough-legged Buzzard of the autumn and four different Great Grey Shrikes but once again I drew a blank on harriers.

Stonechat (svartstrupe) in Oslo

Rough-legged Buzzard (fjellvåk)

juvenile and adult White-tailed Eagle (havørn). The juvenile was stil begging for food

with an even larger bird

Two Common Buzzards (musvåk). The paler bird of the type that are often mistaken for Rough-legs

Kestrel (tårnfalk)

Purple Sandpiper (fjæreplytt). This is actually the earliest ever autumn/winter record in Oslo

the head of a Red-throated Diver (smålom)

Shag (toppskarv) with Cormorants (storskarv)