A big leap forward last week!
Had a work trip to Norway and Finland, and managed to squeeze in a couple of short outings. So, a whole new country list added (as both previous trips to Finland were in mid-winter and devoid of any birdlife at all!) and, amazingly, 4 lifers added!!!!
First up, I was in Norway for a day, with a visit to a customer near the Swedish border in southern Norway. A few incidental sightings were complemented by an hour spent at a site I've been to a couple of times, in Fetsund, near Lillestrøm, while heading back to the airport. The full list for the day was as follows:
At Gardermoen airport:
1. Hooded crow
2. Magpie
From the motorway near Moss:
3. Herring gull
4. Mute swan (new for Norway)
5. Black-headed gull
6. Lesser blackback gull
In Halden:
7. Woodpigeon
8. White wagtail
9. Barn swallow (new for Norway)
10. Greenfinch
11. Common gull
12. Tree sparrow (new for Norway)
Heading back north via the minor roads, I stopped off just north of Rakkestad, adding:
13. Chaffinch
14. Goldcrest (new for Norway)
15. Blue tit
16. Fieldfare
And then, finally, in just over an hour at Fetsund:
17. Willow warbler (new for Norway)
18. Great tit
19. Meadow pipit
20. Red-breasted merganser (new for Norway)
21. Sand martin (new for Norway)
22. Chiffchaff (new for Norway)
23. Reed bunting
24. Lesser spotted woodpecker* - a lifer
25. Yellowhammer
26. Common sandpiper (new for Norway)
27. Blackcap (new for Norway)
28. Starling (new for Norway)
29. Common tern (new for Norway)
30. Oystercatcher (new for Norway)
31. Redwing
So, 31 species, 13 additions to the Norway life list (taking it to 52), of which 1* is not on a previous/higher list.