Predictably the next morning I visited Gressholmen where there were lots of birds with young, starting with a Merganser siland as I got off the ferry. Eiders ærfugl, Barnacle Geese hvitkinngås, Wheatear steinskvett, Shelduck gravand, Oystercatcher tjeld, various gulls and more had young on the go. The only migrant was a lone Greenshank gluttsnipe feeding out on the mud - a sign that autumn migration is underway.
Barnacle Goose hvitkinngås "BTT".
This bird has been reported a lot from the Oslo area since 2015 and seems to have bred on Gressholmen since 2022.
Just some of the Common Terns makrellterne breeding on a small island off Lindøya
Female Red-breasted Merganser siland with young
At least two pairs of Ringed Plover sandlo still present
Several young Wheatear steinskvett on the island indicated a successfull breeding season
The next day I visited Østensjøvannet almost before it got too hot. Marsh Warblers myrsanger were the best bird here but also nice to see Great Crested Grebes toppdykker, Coot sothøne and more with young.
Great Crested Grebe toppdykker
A couple of walks in the nearby Botanical Gardens during the week didn't produce anything exciting but still nice to see Hawfinch kjernebiter, Stock Doves skogdue, Garden Warbler hagesanger and large numbers of Fieldfare gråtrost so close to the city centre.
Stock Doves skogdue in the Botanical Gardens
Following thundery rain during Thursday and into the early hours of Friday I managed a pre-work trip to Gressholmen. Unfortunately it was high tide and thus no waders were dropped but the local Ringed Plovers sandlo seemed to still be in breeding mode despite failed attempts earlier in the year. Good numbers of Common Terns makrellterne breeding on some of the islands in the fjord including a couple of pairs on Gressholmen itself. A Common Sandpiper strandsnipe was also present but not sure if this was a breeding bird or on migration.
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