Friday, August 12, 2016

Engerdal, Hedmark June 2016 - Broad-billed Sandpipers and more

This trip to Engerdal was yet again anything but a full blown birding trip, In between work and family stuff I did manage to get out and about for an hour or two most days - with excellent results.

One of the things this trip highlighted was that the Norwegian bird recording system cannot yet be relied upon to give accurate species lists as many older records have yet to find their way into the database. I initially thought that this trip produced two new species for the district - in the form of Oystercatcher tjeld and Wood Warbler bøksanger.

Some limited research proved that Oystercatcher tjeld has been recorded in the area before, just not recently. Wood Warbler bøksanger may well be a new species as I found a few singing birds at a rather exceptional high altitude woodland just below the treeline. This find was probably the biggest surprise this time around.



Above: Broad-billed Sandpiper fjellmyrløper

Male Ruff brushane

Seven km of rowing without covering the whole site......

Among the many highlights was the finding of a new site for Broad-billed Sandpiper fjellmyrløper with at least four displaying males present. Despite a lot of rowing the site I found these birds at was not fully covered and more birds may well have been present. Having previously tried known sites without luck I picked this site from a map and was proved correct. It is quite likely that further such localities exist in the area. I also found Ruff brushane in suitable breeding habitat.

Other mega-news from Engerdal in June included the finding of a singing Red-flanked Bluetail blåstjert - although the observers understandably did not release the news until a month later.




Common Redpoll gråsisik


Rock Ptarmigan fjellrype

Willow Grouse lirype



Breeding Common Scoter svartand, Long-tailed Duck havelle, Black-throated Diver storlom and  Grey Wagtail vintererle were among the other highlights of this visit.

One of the commonest species in Engerdal - Goldeneye kvinand


Siberian Jay lavskrike

This was on top of the usual Engerdal species - including cracking up-close and personal views of a party of nest-raiding Siberian Jays lavskrike, Capercaille storfugl, Willow Ptarmigan lirype, Rock Ptarmigan fjellrype and more.








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