Trumpeter Finch near Bergen

After a few hours of what I suppose was both heavy and frustrating work in the field, fellow bird recorder Eirik Nydal Adolfsen managed to find and identify the first Trumpeter Finch in Hordaland county. This was also only the second record in Norway, following a long-staying bird in Østfold county from late June until late September 2013.

Here's my timeline from the first message about the bird, until...

• 12:00 Starting up a Skype-meeting on a work issue.

• 12:07 Getting a call from Eirik (the finder), but I am occupied in the meeting.

• 13:40 Trumpeter Finch published on the local messaging system Band.

• 13:41 Trying to call Eirik the finder, but his phone is shut off or batteries are dead.

• 13:42 Frustration. Having the White-winged Lark dip from 2015 fresh in mind.

• 14:30 No updates on the bird.

• ​14:50 Twitchers are finally on their way, but an accident is blocking the road and they are delayed.

• 15:30 Still no updates on the bird.

• 16:00 I'm coaching the Minde boys 2008 in soaking weather. Only five participants. Should have been cancelled.

• 17:00 Phone check after training. No updates on the bird.

• 17:10 Shopping dinner on our way back from the football training.

• 17:15 More birders have arrived at the site, but no sign of the star of the game.

• 17:20 Making pasta bolognese in 15 minutes. The pasta became pretty al-dente today...

• 17:30 Gosh. Still no updates on the bird.

• 18:00 A kind neighbour accepted a visit from two kids that I was supposed to handle this evening.

• 18:15 Finally in the car on my way to Øygarden - six hours after the first notification.

• 18:30 Reports from the people in the field: the bird has not been seen for several hours.

• 19:05 A White-tailed Eagle pass my car while driving through Rong. Not slowing down.

• 19:30 Arriving the site.

• 19:31 The bird seen briefly by a couple of birders after several hours of searching. it flew away...

• 19:43 After 15 minutes of oppressed worries we finally managed to find the bird. It was feeding on the ground together with Greenfinches, Linnets and Wheatears on a small patch of calcareous sand with sparse vegetation.