Rose-coloured Starling

Yesterday I didn’t really have any time for birding but when I heard that 8 Black-tailed Godwits had been seen at Østensjøvannet I started to twitch. This would be a new Oslo species for me and would take me joint first in the all-time Oslo listings. In addition I knew the first placed Èric was at Lista this weekend so would be unlikely to also see them….. Unfortunately by the time I got there they had flown on but once I was out of the house I used the opportunity to head for Fornebu where an adult Rose-coloured Starling (although I suspect it is no longer called that) had been found the day before.

It took a bit of time to track down as the Starling flock it was with would often perch quietly in dense foliage but in the end showed very well and what a bird it was. I have seen an adult before but that was when I visited the Isle of Scilly in 1993 (or thereabouts) and have only seen a single juvenile (badly) since so it was great to actually see this bird very well. The bird was probably a 1^st summer (male?) and was more white and dark brown than pink and black and the bill and legs were not particularly pink in colour so I can still look forward to a fine adult male.

Other than that I do not have too much to report for the last week although I did hear a Kingfisher in Maridalen – just need to see it now.

Rose-coloured Starling (rosenstær). Probably a 1st summer bird with lots of brown instead of black, white instead of pink and white edges to the undertail coverts.

the gelled back quiff can be seen well

it looked quite Magpie like at times

this migrant Redstart (rødstjert) was nice to see as it gives a real feeling of autumn

a Ruff (brushane) on the floating vegetation at Østensjøvannet which an hour before my arrival had also hosted 8 Black-tailed Godwits

And some pictures from the previous week, all from Maridalen

an adult Black-throated Diver (storlom) - I have not seen any young this year

Osprey (fiskeørn)

Sparrowhawk (spurvehauk) and Swallow (låvesvale)

juv and adult Swallow

my first Queen of Spain Fritilary (sølvkåpe) of the year - a species which has been much scarcer this year than in the last couple of years although it is still a new colonist around Oslo

Rosie

I teamed up with Rune Z for a trip to Østfold today. We headed first today for Hvaler where we hoped we would witness some viz mig but when we arrived the wind from SW was far too strong and we should maybe have chosen seawatching but when we did gaze out over the sea there was not much happening there either. We did have one good bird though in the firm of a Lapland Bunting which unusually for this species perched up at close range for just long enough for a few photos to be taken.

With so little to see we even popped into the Great Big Dump and saw a long staying Black-tailed Godwit.

The drive back to Oslo saw us in twitching modus looking for a Norwegian X for the both of us. A juvenile Rose-coloured Starling had been found at Rygge Train Station yesterday but the only information we had was that we deduced it must have been showing well due to this photo by its finder, Arild Hansen, shows. We drove up to the station at 1pm with no information as to whether the bird had been seen today and there were no other birders present. There were however many Starlings present in small flocks feeding on berries which were available on many bushes and trees in the area. Whilst we were trying to get to grip with the flocks they all joined together and as they flew into the top of a large oak tree we saw the target bird amongst them. It took a while to find it in the oak and views (and photos) were not very good but the flock started flying down in small groups to feed and it looked like we would be treated to better views. Just then though a train pulled up though and the whole flock spooked and flew off. We did manage to relocate them again a few hundred metres away and glimpsed the Rosy but again they flew off and with a need to get back to Oslo before the early Friday rush hour started we had to leave the bird although can see that others got to enjoy them better than us later in the day.

juvenile Rose-coloured Starling (rosenstær) - the best picture I managed high up in an oak tree

 

and in flight

it should have been perched up here amongst all its Common cousins

 

Lapland Bunting (lappspurv) - its unusual to see them so well  away from their mountain breeding sites

 

 

this Guillemot (lomvi) at Øra was paddling vigorously with its feet which they did not look to be designed for (but they undoubtedly work well when it stands on a tiny ledge high up on a cliff)

a Black-tailed Godwit (svarthalespove)......