Migration, what migration?

Today I had the company of a journalist and photographer who were writing an article about migratory birds that will appear before the World Migratory Bird Day (an event I was not aware of but more can be seen about it on this website). We chose to go to Årnestangen where I hoped we would get to see migration in action but unfortunately todays northerly winds put a bit of a stop to migration. At Årnestangen the ice has now melted and there are some nice areas of mud exposed but it is still too early for waders so we had to be content with distant views of a few hundred Teal (krikkand) and Wigeon (brunnakke), a couple of Cranes (trane) and a couple of Ospreys (fiskeørn). The photographer managed so few pictures of birds that he has threatened they will have to rely on using pictures of me peering through my binoculars.

The first Black-throated Divers to settle in Maridalen this year - a whole 15 days later than last year

When I got home I went up to Maridalen and discovered a bird rich Eldorado! Well not quite but the first Black-throated Diver (storlom) pair was back on the ice free area at Hammeren, a couple of Merlins (dvergfalk) were knocking about and I finally found that the male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (dvergspett) that pops into Nes farm every now and then actually has a mate and they look like they are breeding a few hundred metres away.

Merlin (dvergfalk). I'm not entirely sure of the age or sex of this bird but reckon it is a 2cy male due to what I see as bluey grey upperparts but lacking the full colouration of an adult male

male Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (dvergspett)

having a good preen

A handful of singing Willow Warblers (løvsanger) today were the only sign of migration. 

The Green-winged Teal (amerikakrikkand) I found yesterday was successfully twitched by 4 others in the evening but has yet to be found today although by yesterday evening there were 600+ Teal so it is no easy task!

Reed Bunting (sivspurv) in Maridalen - actually a very smart bird

I had my first frog (I assume this is buttsnutefrosk) of the year today in Maridalen