I eventually found up to 9 breeding pairs of Red-backed Shrikes (5 pairs plus single birds at 4 sites) plus Wrynecks at 2 sites so these two species may well have an OK year after all. One of the pairs of Wrynecks had 3 young already out of the nest and I heard their begging call for the first time – a call which can be confused with the song of Firecrest!
One of the pairs of Red-backed Shrikes also had young which had just flown out of the nest and which were much shyer than their parents and kept in the depth of bushes most of the time. Raptors were very scarce with just local breeding Common Buzzard and Sparrowhawk – I had expected to find Honey Buzzards.
Butterflies continued to be my main focus. I added eight new species: Grayling / kystringvinge; Holly Blue / vårblåvinge – a very rare second generation adult; Small White / liten kålsommerfugl; Common Blue / tiriltungeblåvinge; Small Copper / ildgullvinge; Comma / hivt C; Heath Fritillary / marimjellerutevinge; Swallowtail / svalestjert – Sara found a caterpillar which we looked after for a few days.
![A little holiday update A little holiday update](https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/wp-content/uploads/aglajaperlemorvinge-brimstone-IMG_1555-copy.jpg)
I also managed my first ever picture of the Pearly Heath and managed to see from a picture the spine on the front leg of the male Silver-studded Blue which confirmed my suspicion that the smaller blue butterflies I were seeing were this species and not Idas Blue although as these two species can fly together I could well have seen both.
![A little holiday update aglajaperlemorvinge%2BIMG 1569%2Bcopy](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cIoNu0-6W5k/Wz-s1RvzaTI/AAAAAAAAYHg/OSv6EeHaCUofJ-0DDrurovRoFK1WGmyBgCLcBGAs/s640/aglajaperlemorvinge%2BIMG_1569%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update marimjellerutevinge%2BIMG 1638%2Bcopy](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0e8wGY-yI-U/Wz-tEhM9wII/AAAAAAAAYJM/W_MHHkb99bYDGuDkEnV0XatPSAXO3UUiwCEwYBhgL/s640/marimjellerutevinge%2BIMG_1638%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update marimjellerutevinge%2BIMG 4691%2Bcopy](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qFzoVJjiPFI/Wz-txh3ZUoI/AAAAAAAAYKc/xeNtvywkYFMK-R10TA7gNBDHKijBJo82gCEwYBhgL/s640/marimjellerutevinge%2BIMG_4691%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update s%25C3%25B8lvk%25C3%25A5pe%2BIMG 4537%2Bcopy](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HAmSC34P1kE/Wz-tdDpn2VI/AAAAAAAAYJM/hDSMq8feEM4BcDmnnyYZV93Uw4BYIA1kwCEwYBhgL/s640/s%25C3%25B8lvk%25C3%25A5pe%2BIMG_4537%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update kaiserk%25C3%25A5pe%2BIMG 4554%2Bcopy](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-srBJQi-DMjo/Wz-tbSYqJ7I/AAAAAAAAYJM/o2qm0g4F6FgGi5-ZwfIKceZSL1sUiDv-QCEwYBhgL/s640/kaiserk%25C3%25A5pe%2BIMG_4554%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update keiserk%25C3%25A5pe%2BIMG 1753%2Bcopy](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-uRUKCGE0I/Wz-tw81WBJI/AAAAAAAAYKk/FG0CyOMc_E4asR73JtZi_SWLS8efzR37wCEwYBhgL/s640/keiserk%25C3%25A5pe%2BIMG_1753%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update adippeperlemorvinge%2BIMG 1755%2Bcopy](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fOyFRGJd0tY/Wz-twAKu68I/AAAAAAAAYKc/duNhXKgBaaY7SeHnJvoyemolGxrG4KvwgCEwYBhgL/s640/adippeperlemorvinge%2BIMG_1755%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update adippeperlemorvinge%2BIMG 1767%2Bcopy](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PETyNRY_fw0/Wz-twN-flEI/AAAAAAAAYKU/zVi_3FAZlnc_KIi-1kqkkpQ3HI35BE7vQCEwYBhgL/s640/adippeperlemorvinge%2BIMG_1767%2Bcopy.jpg)
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![A little holiday update argusbl%25C3%25A5vinge%2BIMG 4460%2Bcopy](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7pEoy6-poXI/Wz-tANN9kpI/AAAAAAAAYHs/67a_7c3sov0P4AIFiqDBytphnH5Ivq6EACLcBGAs/s640/argusbl%25C3%25A5vinge%2BIMG_4460%2Bcopy.jpg)
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![A little holiday update argusbl%25C3%25A5vinge%2BIMG 4558%2Bcopy](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y3pQCUIctlA/Wz-taXk7TiI/AAAAAAAAYJA/XS3stkiYdnM-mmTGLaZMuyTSZ0-i_NSggCEwYBhgL/s640/argusbl%25C3%25A5vinge%2BIMG_4558%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update argusbl%25C3%25A5vinge%2BIMG 4591%2Bcopy](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wJTU9a6XI58/Wz-taQd3pHI/AAAAAAAAYJA/3rSAmORjiAQkJdxauzssY3m7PQkOZBxqgCEwYBhgL/s640/argusbl%25C3%25A5vinge%2BIMG_4591%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update argusbl%25C3%25A5vinge%2BIMG 4638%2Bcopy](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pVyAXgUUUxs/Wz-tafelwCI/AAAAAAAAYJM/uIa-S8rPxPUp0ScbVLgt_P7EB2qEKRxfwCEwYBhgL/s640/argusbl%25C3%25A5vinge%2BIMG_4638%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update common%2Bblue%2BIMG 4443%2Bcopy](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wUDqQL_TzXE/Wz-tAv30VrI/AAAAAAAAYHw/MQTUKS1s8e8yxH_WqOwICireaRX4MTAqgCLcBGAs/s640/common%2Bblue%2BIMG_4443%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update v%25C3%25A5rbl%25C3%25A5vinge%2BIMG 1721%2Bcopy](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o1uzzwuDbtA/Wz-t01n2vnI/AAAAAAAAYKs/KgXwbM7_G0U48gbsLIPoaf5j5A8mgfluwCEwYBhgL/s640/v%25C3%25A5rbl%25C3%25A5vinge%2BIMG_1721%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update brimstone%2BIMG 4532%2Bcopy](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SskMBJZxXF4/Wz-tbPH-z8I/AAAAAAAAYIc/1Kw1mwdZiYYdyVo6zB9DH9vjnvOK8JzkgCLcBGAs/s640/brimstone%2BIMG_4532%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update kystringvinge%2BIMG 4530%2Bcopy](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SjOEmthYzHY/Wz-tbeIEjiI/AAAAAAAAYIk/XZqpGERPV-gWnAX5HPnNxR2B1pr69xGhACLcBGAs/s640/kystringvinge%2BIMG_4530%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update swallowtail%2BIMG 4792%2Bcopy](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UDdrjbrXxss/Wz-t0R2yikI/AAAAAAAAYKk/RaEtjL4zNYsQhi2pmAZG76Gu5oXgbcT6ACEwYBhgL/s640/swallowtail%2BIMG_4792%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update swallowtail%2BIMG 4672%2Bcopy](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gGuESW8KngE/Wz-tcvJB4LI/AAAAAAAAYIw/3XMefgtHudkdrD5Iz1c9kOI1BPwaWsEogCLcBGAs/s640/swallowtail%2BIMG_4672%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update buzzard%2BIMG 1710%2Bcopy](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B8hAZjv8ADE/Wz-tw64cScI/AAAAAAAAYJg/uusHyn-3lxEa7yNZcKvW9kKHACKUWulIwCLcBGAs/s640/buzzard%2BIMG_1710%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update pink%2Bfooted%2Bgoose%2BIMG 4761%2Bcopy](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OKcPzCZfPV4/Wz-tyV5N1uI/AAAAAAAAYJs/KorwHeBy878oqqXmbALMpc0xDJIJAW14ACLcBGAs/s640/pink%2Bfooted%2Bgoose%2BIMG_4761%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update red%2Bbacked%2Bshrike%2BIMG 1676%2Bcopy](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6PGNxAAyfuY/Wz-ty7YwYII/AAAAAAAAYJw/1cxWy1YF32IwGqSWfhroU0KY0W-bZ8YXACLcBGAs/s640/red%2Bbacked%2Bshrike%2BIMG_1676%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update red%2Bbacked%2Bshrike%2BIMG 1684%2Bcopy](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CsoTFzRbI90/Wz-tzPb2I_I/AAAAAAAAYJ0/jaj17DxQpjgh9dL22rPTC_iSLzWzAeEkACLcBGAs/s640/red%2Bbacked%2Bshrike%2BIMG_1684%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update red%2Bbacked%2Bshrike%2BIMG 1590%2Bcopy](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Itw-oTujMOU/Wz-tMWRSKwI/AAAAAAAAYJM/lM6FCp0pZrQXe71Vb0-SOWEuIMNL7w0OgCEwYBhgL/s640/red%2Bbacked%2Bshrike%2BIMG_1590%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update red%2Bbacked%2Bshrike%2BIMG 1735%2Bcopy](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F2p-Moeoj7E/Wz-tz8ueerI/AAAAAAAAYKA/hEkEaqHTL2kgpYnN8iMgOu_QsDyOLJtTwCLcBGAs/s640/red%2Bbacked%2Bshrike%2BIMG_1735%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update red%2Bbacked%2Bshrike%2BIMG 1692%2Bcopy](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A9umPWPU17k/Wz-tzJhc9JI/AAAAAAAAYJ4/R_ly3yfLo_UykHg5Lt7wrYP2Xav_3YgvQCLcBGAs/s640/red%2Bbacked%2Bshrike%2BIMG_1692%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update red%2Bbacked%2Bshrike%2BIMG 1695%2Bcopy](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HW00-iacOgc/Wz-tzcstwDI/AAAAAAAAYJ8/991eIBTV8ecRtXhYOQtNMaZIrnKjh8wxwCLcBGAs/s640/red%2Bbacked%2Bshrike%2BIMG_1695%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update wryneck%2BIMG 1621%2Bcopy](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ug4KB2fy844/Wz-tMT0zaiI/AAAAAAAAYI4/Sx_fFUdQ8skIdAI6DaJpK87kbUDnbDKswCEwYBhgL/s640/wryneck%2BIMG_1621%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update smooth%2Bworm%2BIMG 4783%2Bcopy](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xv88WqSrvx4/Wz-t0SSIthI/AAAAAAAAYKM/cGX20N381nIFIxd2zIG91WjfhuZkyFpiwCLcBGAs/s640/smooth%2Bworm%2BIMG_4783%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update swallow%2BIMG 1689%2Bcopy](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T5l0AtXEJ0g/Wz-tzxWFnXI/AAAAAAAAYKE/_2sySgru2n03AD8yYSgwe3CSW8sY1ahGACLcBGAs/s640/swallow%2BIMG_1689%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update kongeskipet%2BIMG 1804%2Bcopy](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SEg3rfMBAfQ/Wz-txVHjWeI/AAAAAAAAYKY/TBapZKGgQ84ilN1YaotmtMHw9EZNf50tQCEwYBhgL/s640/kongeskipet%2BIMG_1804%2Bcopy.jpg)
![A little holiday update Simon Rix](https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/wp-content/uploads/simon_rix-1.jpg)
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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