The lack of daily updates is of course because things didn’t
continue as hoped…
Despite being at the start of prime time Oslo birding there
is still only a trickle of new birds. Greenshank numbers fell again yesterday
at Svellet to a dire 15 although the first (3) Wood Sandpipers hinted,
hopefully, at things to come. Today though was a tad better, as of course it
should be as it is 1st May and what should by rights be THE best day
of the year if only because it is a national holiday and every self-respecting
birder has no excuse but to be out finding something. Well either most birders
lack self-respect or there was nothing to find..
But, back to Svellet and today. Jack and I had agreed to
have our now annual early doors visit to Huk, Bygdøy to record the awesome
spring migration that we proved can occur on our 9th May visit in
2024. 1st May is too early though and we know it but we have to give
it a go…. Fog put a real dampner on things although we could see perhaps 500m.
There was however nothing happening either to be seen or perhaps most
importantly given the condition to hear with just two Meadow Pipits
flying in giving any impression of active migration although a Reed Bunting
clearly felt the same as us and was heading south to escape these DIRE
conditions. Five Purple Sandpipers were still “wintering” on the rocks although
are now in breeding plumage and we did hear a migrant wader when a Little
Ringed Plover flew unseen past us.
Huk this morning where a bloody big cruise boat is just visible in the fog
We gave it an hour and then headed to Svellet where even
though we arrived before 8am there was already heat haze to contend with. There
were however waders with now 43 Greenshank and 24 Wood Sandpiper and 6 male
Ruff and 2 Golden Plover provided some variety. Curlew numbers however had
fallen to just 13 so total wader numbers did not reach three figures let alone
the four figures I am hoping for. Rain tomorrow afternoon may make, and I
really pray for, a difference. Water levels are still falling slightly – today down
3.62m - so we can’t ask for much more on that score.
one of the trickle of new birds - my first Whinchat (buskskvett) of the year arrived in Maridalen on the last day of April
a Wryneck (vendehals) in the Dale
a trip to Hellesjøvannet yesterday gave precious little on the exciting bird front but this Brown Hare (sørhare) was only my second sighting of this recent colonist whose numbers took off around 2015 and it is steadily hopping north from Sweden. It was introduced to southern Sweden in the early 1800 so is considered an invasive introduced species in Norway and is an undesirable as it out competes the native Mountain Hares.
