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A little holiday update

July 21, 2018

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.
Dark Green Fritillary /aglajperlemorvinge
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.
Dark Green Fritillary /aglajperlemorvinge
Heath Fritillary /marimjellerutevinge
Heath Fritillary /marimjellerutevinge
Queen of Spain Fritillary / sølvkåpe
Silver washed fritillary / keiserkåpe
Silver washed fritillary / keiserkåpe
High Brown Fritillary /adippeperlemorvinge
High Brown Fritillary /adippeperlemorvinge
High Brown Fritillary /adippeperlemorvinge
Silver-studded Blue/argusblåvinge This shows, I believe the spur on the front leg
same butterfly and the spur can be seen!
another assumed Silver-studded Blue/argusblåvinge
same individual. Here a forward pointing spur can be seen on the middle leg but this is apparantly also seen in Idas
same individual
Common Blue / tiriltungeblåvinge
Holly Blue / vårblåvinge – a very rare second generation adult
Brimstone
Grayling / kystringvinge
Swallowtail caterpillar
it sticks this out as a defense mechanism and it emits a foul smell (although we didn’t detect the smell)
Common Buzzard (musvåk)
a very unexpected mid summer Pink-footed Goose (kortneggbås)
a very well marked old female Red-backed Shrike (tornskate)
a more normally marked female
another more normally marked female
and another boldly marked old female who I also saw with a bird in her beak
who was mother to this youngster
and paired with this male
Wryneck (vendehals) with a beak full of ant larvae which it was taking to fledged youngsters
Slow worm (stålorm)
this year seems to have been very god for breeding Swallows and there are many youngsters on the wing
Norways royal yacht

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Simon Rix

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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