Post Engerdal work and life conspired to effectively stop any meanigful birding activity.
As most people know I am not a twitcher and don't have the time or inclination to chase stuff other people have found. I have made my choices and live in an area where there is a fair chance of seeing something of interest during the course of daily life - whether it be from the terrace or a trip to the local supermarket. Let's face it, this is where the time is spent if one has a life that involves work or indeed any other form of commitment.
Having been away for a while with work and other stuff there was a lot to catch up with so I took a quick drive on 25 June just to get an impression of what, if anything, was going on in northern Øygarden. I stopped at Kollsnes where I met one of the very few local birders. There was some activity, including a Stonechat svartstrupe, several Redshank rødstilk and a Golden Plover heilo but not much else.
Whilst hanging out here one of my daughters called and asked if dinner at mine would work. Of course I said yes and headed to the shops. Having bought the necessary supplies I suddenly realised I could pick up another daughter on the way home and stopped beside Husvatnet to call her. Whilst on the phone I picked up a tern which meant that the telephone call was very short - a GULL-BILLED TERN sandterne was feeding over the lake there!! Having seen reports of this species from Maridalen (Oslo) and Iceland earlier in the year I had thought that it was about time Øygarden got a bit of the action.
I immediately rang the friend who I had left only a few minutes earlier, but as I did so the bird took off to the south west and disappeared. A frantic search of other likely spots proved fruitless but my friend did not give up and refound the bird in the same place and with identity confirmed and some record shots taken we put the news out. As soon as we did so the bird did another disappearing act.
The usual suspects headed out from town immediately but unfortunately it did not return.
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