Evening surprises

I had absolutely no expectations yesterday as it was hot and sunny again but it turned out to be a very good day. A stop at Østensjøvannet gave me Marsh Warbler, Oslo #175, but nothing else and then Årnestangen revealed nothing of real interest even though high water levels have created some really nice looking marsh areas. I also had nothing to write home about in Maridalen and whilst making dinner at home thought all I had to look forward to in the evening was the final of the Premier League of Darts on TV.

A check of the reporting website Artsobservasjoner revealed though that a pair of Garganey had been seen at Maridalsvannet in the morning. Well there was only one thing to do once dinner had been served (I skipped it myself). I met up with Halvard and we went down to the small bay where we thought they might be. We split up to cover it from different directions and in the process Halvard scared up a small flock of Teal which contained the Garganey, Oslo #176, but didn’t see them himself. They flew around a corner and it was not until a lot later that I refound them resting on an island. Whilst all this was happening messages came in from Gressholmen of first Grey Plover and then Temminck’s Stint – so there were waders moving but I was in the wrong place. However, in my efforts to refind the Garganeys I did find my own Temminck’s, Oslo #177, on the only, tiny, patch of mud that remains 😊. So, two unexpected birds after I had put the bins away for the day!

Inspired by this and after enjoying great darts I headed out at 11pm expecting to find loads of night singers. It was perfect conditions – warm and wind free but the birds were absent and it is probably still a week too early for most species.

As I write this it is looking very thundery outside and I am planning to take the 10am ferry to Gressholmen. Monday also has lots of rain forecast so maybe there are still some more waders to find. I feel confident of breaking my Oslo record of 191 now but 200 does seem unlikely.

pair of Garganey (knekkand) with male Teal (krikkand)

eventually refound them

one wader on the only piece of mud

Temminck's Stint

Marsh Warbler (myrsanger)

Nightjar in the Dale!

A lot has happened since my last post. Firstly, the weather forecast for Friday became mouth wateringly good with rain starting at dawn and continuing through the day and I was now thinking I was going to decamp to Gressholmen and experience an Oslo wader fest the likes of which haven’t even been dreamed of. But then the next time I looked the forecast had changed to only a slight chance of rain so we will have to wait and see.

Secondly, and most importantly, I spur of the moment decided to listen for any nocturnal activity in Maridalen yesterday and was royally rewarded with not one but two Nightjars, Oslo #174. This was a new Dale species for me, #208, and comes after the first record last year which seemed to only be a one night bird and which I could not find the following night. With all the forestry work over the last few years which has created far more open forest and clearings it felt like only a matter of time before the species colonised. I heard a very distant bird at 23:10 and couldn’t work out exactly where it was and attempts to get closer did not reveal it again. But at 23:50 in a different area I had another bird which churred and flew over me and even allowed itself to be photographed 😊

Unfortunately, as I was not expecting this encounter I did not have the camera settings right but hopefully I will be offered another chance and will be better prepared. Other than the Jars I could only muster up 3 Woodcock. It is still very early in the season but a good showing of night singers in Oslo will be vital if I am to break my record.

Nightjar (nattravn). Not too shabby a picture for 23:56 and handheld using a headtorch

I saw it first in flight

before it landed

most of my shots were "arty" like this

A week of nothing

When it is mid May and I go a whole week without posting then I think you already understand that I am going to say it has been dire.

The hot, sunny weather continues and there just seem to be few birds. We have just a looong weekend with Friday being Norway’s national day and yesterday was a holiday in celebration of Pentecost (don’t ask me what that is…). We spent 3 days at the cabin at Hulvik which I had expected to provide loads of good birds but it didn’t for once. A nocturnal trip produced zero Nightjars or other interesting nocturnal birds (although it was a tad early in the spring there should have been more) and a sea gaze from before 5am in what were not bad conditions produced a single Red-throated Diver migrating north and that was it!!!!

I have added to my Oslo list with Reed Warbler #171, Redstart #172 and Common Rosefinch #173.

Rain that is forecast on Thursday night and Friday morning will if the bird gods are feeling generous produce floods of marsh terns, Little Gulls and hirundines….

3cy+ male Common Rosefinch (rosenfink)

finally Redstart (rødstjert)

male Red-backed Shrike (tornskate) in Maridalen

he had attracted a female and was dancing for her

male Whitethroat (tornsanger)

Hobby (lerkefalk) today

a Sparrowhawk (spurvehauk) trying to chase the Hobby away

an unexpected meeting with a Beaver in the middle of the day today

and even more unexpected was getting close to a fox that was feeding on a long dead Moose carcass in a river

Coming to an end

It’s so hot and sunny now that I have almost given up on birds for the year and started on butterflies.

If I am to break my Oslo year record of 191 species, let alone smash the 200 barrier, then some rain and falls of migrants are necessary.

My Oslo list is ticking along with yesterday giving Garden Warbler #165 and Scaup #166 whilst today gave Whitethroat #167, Red-backed Shrike #168, Cuckoo#169 and Kingfisher #170. I have never reached this total so early so things should be looking good. Problem though is that I reckon I have only another 4 species that I can consider certain: Reed Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Common Rosefinch and Honey Buzzard whilst all others will bonuses and this includes species like Redstart, Sand Martin and Bluethroat which I would have expected to see by now and fear I may have missed my chance with. So, I will need to find a lot of Oslo rares😊

Yesterday’s Scaup was a bonus bird and was a pair on Maridalsvannet which is only the third spring record here. Today’s Kingfisher was even more unexpected but could well indicate breeding which I need to follow up on.

pair of Scaup (bergand) on Maridalsvannet - a rare species on spring migration

Wood Warblers (bøksanger) are now back. Although it is never to be found in large numbers I had 5 birds today

Wryneck (vendehals)

male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (dvergspett). I had both these species in the same tree "singing" but did not mange to record it

female Red-backed Shrike (tornskate)

Black throated Diver

Blackcap (munk) have been back a while

but Garden Warblers (hagesanger) are only just arriving. As usual I need to see them to tell them apart as I usually don't hear a difference in their song

an unexpected sighting was this silent flyby Cuckoo (gjøk). I was alerted to its presence by alarm calling White Wagtails

a singing Pied Flycatcher (svarthvit fluesnapper) in the garden is probably last years bird

a couple of Slavonian Grebes (horndykker) I bumped into at a breeding site

whenever I see an old Black Woodpecker hole I scratch the tree trunk hoping a Tengmalm's Owl will stick its head out. That never happens unfortunately but today this Goldeneye (kvinand) did

she had a bit of down stuck to her head

interestingly she has a hole in her beak. I can't imagine what caused it

a Grizzly Skipper (bakkesmyger) was my earliest ever and first unusual butterfly of the year. I have now seen 12 species so far in 2024

a Holly Blue (vårblåvinge)

and a Green Hairstreak (grønnstjertvinge)