Mountain Marsh Runners aka Broad-billed Sandpipers have started passing through South East Norway the last couple of days. There are only a handful of sites with annual records of this scarce species and one of them is Årnestangen. So, I set off on the long walk with high hopes this morning.
My hopes gradually became lower and lower on the walk out when there was no sign of any migration whatsoever. Arriving at the end of the peninsula there was a particular dearth of birds and I had to work very hard to find any waders at all with just a single Dunlin and Ringed Plover being migrants. This is all part of the game but at this time of year one always hopes for a bit more.
On the walk back I did hear a brief snatch of “song” from my first Corncrake of the year plus seeing my first Swift which is a late first record.
Whilst Beast walking I had a singing Icterine Warbler near the house which will deserve some more attention.
The lack of birds today is highlighted by the face that I will show pictures of butterflies instead.
Three different Painted Ladies was a big surprise although there seems to have been an arrival recently. I always thought of this butterfly as a late summer migrant.
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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