A pattern emerges

I came closer to my dream photo today. Whilst unsuccessfuly trying to find a Hawk Owl that has been seen near Moss (this one also seems attracted to main roads) I had four Pine Grosbeaks flying over. So Grosbeaks at a Hawk Owl site must go down as a near miss?
These Grosbeaks also didn't utter the "typical" call either and instead gave the quiet Bullfinch like contact call that I heard from feeding birds yesterday – even though these ones were in flight. With so much spruce forest in south eastern Norway there must be many thousand Grosbeaks feeding unobtrusively in the tree tops.

I made a real effort to find Hawk Owl in suitable habitat in northern Østfold and southern Akershus but had only a Great Grey Shrike (varsler) for my efforts.

Back in Oslo I paid a quick visit to Maridalen before having to pick up a sick child from kindergarten. A flock of birds seen in flight from the car could only be more Pine Grosbeaks! They even landed briefly allowing me to snap off a couple of pictures. There were 12 birds in total including at least 2 red males. I didn’t hear a peep out of this flock.

6 Pine Grosbeaks (konglebit) - part of a flock of 12 that surprised me in Maridalen today