Engerdal, Hedmark 11-16 June 2018

The current trend of not getting any birding time in continues.

During a trip to Engerdal I managed to get out for one quite productive day camping out in the wilds and had a couple of other very short trips out of the house - one of which resulted in a couple of new species for Engerdal kommune - Common Rosefinch rosenfink and Common Whitethroat tornsanger

I also managed to add Parrot Crossbill furukornebb to my Engerdal list - despite the majority of the crossbills seen being Common Crossbill grankorsnebb.

In other respects it was a typical June trip - with Broad-billed Sandpiper fjellmyrløper, Ruff brushane and the usual breeding waders seen. A couple of Short-eared Owls jordugle, Siberian Jays lavskrike and most of the usual species were also seen.

In the "lowlands" things seemed rather quieter than usual but higher up there was at least as much activity as there usually is.

Yellowhammer gulspurv

Thumebergii Yellow Wagtail gulerle

Roding Woodcock rugde

Wood Sandpipers grønnstilk - a very common breeding bird in the area

Siberian Jay lavskrike

Ruff brushane

Little Gull dvergmåke

Goldeneye kvinand with young

Common Rosefinch rosenfink - one of two birds singing at one site - though I only actually saw this one.

Common Crossbill grankorsnebb

Male Brambling bjørkefink

Up close and personal with Broad-billed Sandpiper fjellmyrløper - this image is only very lightly cropped

Displaying Broad-billed Sandpiper fjellmyrløper

Arctic Tern rødnebbterne

Engerdal, Hedmark 04-16 June 2017 - Broad-billed Sandpipers, Slav grebe and early morning Beaver

My hopes and plans for this trip to Engerdal went straight down the pan as work once again put an enormous spanner in the works. So I didn't get to explore some of the new areas I had targeted and only managed a few short trips out and about.

Broad-billed Sandpiper fjellmyrløper

Broad-billed Sandpiper fjellmyrløper display flight

The results, as usual, were pretty good with a few displaying Broad-billed Sandpipers fjellmyrløper at the same site as I had them last year.

Some early morning Beaver shots 

Brambling bjørkefink - one of the commonest breeders in the woods

Common Scoter svartand were seen at a few locations

Dunlin myrsnipe taking a break down in the valley

Icterine Warbler gulsanger

Pinkfoot kortnebbgås

Slavonian (Horned) Grebe horndykker

Wood Sandpiper grønnstilk - a common passage migrant and breeder in Engerdal

A few Little Gull dvergmåke, Crane trane, a selection of the usual waders, an unseasonal Pinkfoot kortnebbgås, a couple of singing Icterine Warbler gulsanger and plenty more besides.

Sometimes things don't quite go to plan.....

In other places roads/tracks were closed due to recent flood damage.

Mother Teal krikkand with a few of her chicks

Crane trane sneaking off into hiding....

Other highlights were some new species for me in Engerdal including Black Woodpecker svartspett and Slavonian (Horned) Grebe horndykker. Both these species are probably a lot more regular in other parts of Engerdal that I have yet to visit.