Patch tick!

Today I had a quick morning check of Svellet in Nordre Øyeren and also Maridalen. The water level is still low at Svellet and had 156 Curlew and 700 Black-headed Gulls feeding in the shallow water and on the exposed mudflats. Also a flock of 200 Pink-footed Geese here but no ducks.  Little else to report other than an overflying Kestrel.

The mudflats at Svellet - let's hope it stays like this for the next 6 weeks

Maridalen however had a surprise for me with a pair of Slavonian Grebes which are a patch tick. Also a single Great Crested Grebe which is only my third record, a Red-throated Diver and 2 Black-throated Divers. Nearly all the ice has now gone with only a small amount left in Nesbukta so there were fewer ducks to see but still 7 Teal and 20 odd Goldeneyes displaying. A couple of Chiffchaffs were in the waterside bushes and a Green Sandpiper was calling at Kirkeby.

Slavonian Grebe pair - a Maridalen tick