2016 was a good year. Lists are not something I concentrate on but they do give a good idea of how the year has been. My Norwegian year list of 244 (246 2015, 244 2014, 254 2013, 258 2012) was not that outstanding but I did not visit Finnmark or Rogaland during the year which would have given extra species. I had 6 Norwegian ticks though: Short-toed Lark, Terek Sandpiper, Little Egret, Turtle Dove, Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler and Pechora Pipit with the last two also being lifers.
I only found a single national rarity in the form of a Short-toed Lark but did find a couple of ex national rarities: Med Gull and Blyth’s Reed and a Yellow-browed Warbler in Akershus and Little Bunting in Østfold were both very rare for the counties. My annual Værøy trip delivered the already mentioned Turtle Dove, PG Tips and Pechora Pipit but it was a very frustrating trip with the good birds being very skulky and all being found by Kjell M!
Local birding was very good and I had my highest ever Akershus list with 205 species and my second highest Oslo list with 174 species. What characterised these lists were not what they included but more what I didn’t see. In Akershus for instance I did not record Tawny Owl or Wood Warbler which are widespread breeders and I missed out on a lot of the nocturnal birds such us Quail, Spotted Crake, Nightjar and Blyth’s Reed Warbler which all could have been heard on a single nights trip if I had wished.
My Oslo list had fewer obvious holes although I did miss Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and fear this is not a sign of my incompetence but more that this species seems to have fallen off a cliff this year as records have been very few and far between.In Maridalen I recorded 144 species which records my record from last year. Short-toed Lark and Rock Pipit were both new species.
Here are the photographic highlights from the first three months
January
February
March
Simon Rix
Simon Rix is an English Birder who has lived in Oslo, Norway since 2001. Birding has been his passion since primary school and after an education as an economist and career within oil and gas and then drinks industry he turned his attention full time to birds as middle age approached. He is particularly interested in patch birding and migration and is an active guide, blogger and photographer. He is a member of the Norwegian Rarities Committee (NSKF).
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