Thursday 17 October 2013

Passing of autumn

Today I guided a school class from Kjelle VGS around Årnestangen. The pupils are lucky enough to be studying nature management (naturforvaltning) - why wasn't I able to study that at the age of 16?

Unfortunately Årnestangen bore all the signs of the passing of autumn and there few birds to be seen. Even though there was still exposed mud there was not a single wader to be seen and duck numbers are also much reduced as a result of there being far less vegetation in the water to eat. No raptors either unfortunately.

A couple of hundred Wigeon (brunnakke) were the most numerous bird and 12 Shelduck (gravand) were a relatively high number for this time of the year.

A quick buzz around Maridalen revealed very little except for a Merlin (dvergfalk) in hot pursuit of some unidentified finches.

In the garden the birds at the feeder are consuming vast quantities of sunflower seeds everyday. Amongst the Tree and House Sparrows, Blue and Great Tits are a couple of Nuthatches and a male Brambling.

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