Hellesjøvannet

Green-winged Teal and mate- today's documentation was no better than last weeks

Pre-breakfast trips don’t have to be Maridalen. This morning I was up at 5am and set course for Hellesjøvannet hoping to reacquaint myself with the Green-winged Teal (amerikakrikkand) and hoping for a booming Bittern (rørdrum) or something else rare.

On the drive there I again had moose feeding in fields – I reckon that there is little food in the forests at the moment and the new shoots in the fields are irresistible to them. At Hellesjøvannet I had my first Marsh Harrier (sivhauk) of the year - a male hunting over the reedbeds, a male Pochard (taffeland), a female Smew (lappfiskand) and after a bit of searching the male Green-winged Teal – all in all a good haul in inland Norway.

The teal yet again did not allow good views as it fed along the edge of the reeds although I managed a bit of super zoom video. He had the company of two female teal – one of which he was paired with and courted with (bobbing head up and down) and another female who seemed also quite enamoured with his charms.

A check of Svellet on the way home revealed that there was nearly no water left at all and enormous mudflats were exposed. Curlew (storspove) numbered 151 with 14 Oystercatcher (tjeld) and most excitingly a single Bar-tailed Godwit (lappspove) for company. In 2/3 weeks time it will be very exciting to visit here especially if there are southerly winds and some rain – I almost can’t wait!

Hellesjøvannet highlights. Clockwise from top left: Marsh Harrier, Smew, Green-winged Teal, Pochard

Bar-tailed Godwit with Black-headed Gull and Curlew