Local catch up

Migration is ending now in Oslo and nocturnal trips and breeding birds will be the focus.

Breeding waders seem to be having a reasonable season. In addition to the Ringed Plovers that I have previously detailed I have found a Little Ringed Plovers nest, a couple of Common Sandpiper nests, Snipe are displaying at 2 locations in Maridalen and Lapwings in Maridalen keep surprising and seem to be having a good season. They are difficult to keep track of as once the young hatch they move around and hide in grass but I am confident there are four broods of young but quite possibly five with the latest just a day old when I first saw them, a pair is still incubating and another pair have been displaying but not to my knowledge made a nesting attempt. Question now is how many young will fledge.

This is the oldest brood on 22 May when they were already half grown.

female Little Ringed Plover (dverglo) on her nest

LRP nest and eggs.

Common Sandpiper (strandsnipe) nest again with 4 eggs. I found this nest when there were only 3 eggs

another Common Sand nest. As there are only 3 eggs I assume another will be laid. This nest was in a field whereas the other in woodland

Common Rosefinches seem to continue to decline with none recorded so far in Maridalen and just a couple in their stronghold of Sørkedalen. Surprisingly though a couple of brown, 1st summer, males are at Fornebu though and I managed to record them singing together.

Many species seem to have young early this year with broods of Long-tailed Tits and Starlings already on the wing.

I have only seen 3 Red-backed Shrikes tornskate) so far this year but they often don't come in force until June

young Starling (stær) with one of its parents

a young Long-tailed Tit (stjertmeis)

Wrynecks (vendehals) are now mostly silent -  the ones who have paired up at least - and difficult to find