More Maridalen

I still have lots to learn with my camera. Recently I have always had it set to shutter priority and have chosen a fast shutter speed. This though often results in narrow areas that are in focus. Today though I experimented with aperture priority and found that the results were much more satisfying.

White Wagtail (linerle)

male Goldeneye

Today Maridalen was again in focus and the first surprise was a single Pink-footed Goose (kortnebbgås) feeding in a field in the company of a single Greylag Goose (grågås). This bird was missing a number of primaries which must make it very difficult for it to complete its migration. Later in the day a flock of 160 Pink-feets flew over, first heading north, then turning and finally heading off north east.

Pink-footed Goose (top) with Greylag Goose

The Wryneck (vendehals) showed well today. On arrival a single bird was poking its head out of the nest hole. It then flew out and began calling at which point another bird also started calling. Also in this area singing Icterine (gulsanger) and Garden Warblers (hagesanger).

Lapwings (vipe) are now in 4 areas of Maridalen although it only appears they are breeding in two of them. This is a definite decline from only a couple of years ago.

A walk up to Fagervann was rewarding. Osprey (fiskeørn) and Buzzard (musvåk) showed well overhead, a male Black Grouse (orrfugl) that we scared up started calling, and a commotion revealed a Redwing (rødvingetrost) chasing a Pygmy Owl (spurveugle) which took cover in a spruce tree close to us. I briefly played some song on my phone and the owl flew directly at me passing on centimetres over my head. It then sang further away in the forest and we could hear Chaffinches (bokfink) scolding it. Also Mistle Thrush (duetrost) , Long-tailed Tit (stjertmeis), Tree Pipit (trepiplerke) and Pied Flycatcher (svarthvit fluesnapper) on the walk.

Pygmy Owl hiding from a cross Redwing