Wednesday 9 June 2010

Nocturnal wanderings

The weather turned out to be a bit better than expected this evening so I decided to try for some night singers. First stop was 25 minutes drives from Oslo at a lake called Østensjovann (different to the one in Oslo). As soon as I got there at 10pm I could hear Grasshopper Warbler which was a norwegian tick for me aswell as 2 Thrush Nightingales and then a Reed Warbler and finally a Marsh Warbler. Not bad at all. The following video clip allows you to hear the nightingale and Marsh Warbler and you might also make out the Gropper over the sound of traffic.
No Corncrake or Quail to be heard here although with some drizzle and falling temperatures it wasn't ideal conditions. Time to head for Maridalen where the habitat is far worse but it is the local patch so has to be given a go. The Tawny Owls were very vocal with 2 birds calling in the wood and begging young calling from the nesting box giving final confirmation of succesful breeding. In this video you can hear what I assume to be an adult and also a quieter sound which was from the young bird in the nesting box.
Also at this site a couple of Woodcock flying over and at another site in Maridalen a singing Marsh Warbler which you can hear here. No Corncrakes to be heard (3 males last year) but there is still time. Warmer weather tomorrow will increase the chances of them singing. The damp conditions tonight had attracted dozens of toads onto the roads in Maridalen making driving quite hazardous as I swerved to miss them.

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